Problem with fan noise - Revision history

Drst: Acceleration (pulsing) problem: adding X32, since I observed it on a few X32 units

2011-12-10T19:34:18Z

Acceleration (pulsing) problem: adding X32, since I observed it on a few X32 units

Tonko: /* BIOS upgrade */

2011-06-07T09:18:19Z

‎BIOS upgrade

Tonko: /* Always-on problem: */

2011-06-07T09:16:54Z

‎Always-on problem:

Tonko: /* Acceleration (pulsing) problem: */

2011-06-07T09:16:03Z

‎Acceleration (pulsing) problem:

Magnum at 15:35, 13 February 2011

2011-02-13T15:35:02Z

Stefan b at 07:31, 10 June 2010

2010-06-10T07:31:30Z

Dooblem: /* Software solution - Linux */

2009-12-19T15:29:36Z

‎Software solution - Linux

Hmh: /* Hardware modification */ Two hardware fixes for the fan noise

2009-01-14T15:15:42Z

‎Hardware modification: Two hardware fixes for the fan noise

Joachim Schiele at 17:13, 15 April 2008

2008-04-15T17:13:10Z

SebastianUrban: new packages

2008-04-04T15:33:40Z

new packages

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 *ThinkPad {{R40}}
 *ThinkPad {{T40}}, {{T40p}}, {{T41}}, {{T42}}, {{T43}}
-*ThinkPad {{X31}}, {{X60}}
+*ThinkPad {{X31}}, {{X32}}, {{X60}}
 ===Always-on problem:===

@@ Line 81: / Line 81: @@
 ====BIOS upgrade====
 For relevant models, you can try upgrading your embedded controller program to version 3.03 or newer.
-The update can be found here: http://www-306.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50279
+The update can be found {{IBMDOCURL|MIGR-50279|here}}
 Also, in late November 2005 IBM released a BIOS and embedded controller update (BIOS 1.24, EC 1.04) for the  T43/p
 (Machine types 2668, 2669, 2678, 2679, 2686, 2687).  Reported results are not consistent and range from cooler sensor readings (some sensors seem to report lower temperatures with this patch), less fan pulsing (also only reported by some users), and slightly different fan behaviour.
-The link to this update is: http://www-306.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?sitestyle=ibm&lndocid=MIGR-58597#bios
+The link to this update is: {{IBMDOCURL|MIGR-58597#bios|here}}
 ====Fixing the firmware====

@@ Line 70: / Line 70: @@
 The problem is yet unsolved. But see the partial fix below.
-IBM made a statement regarding this on their homepage:
+IBM made a statement regarding this on their {{IBMDOCURL|MIGR-56504|homepage}}
 ==Solutions==

@@ Line 55: / Line 55: @@
      * (Fix) Reduced Fan noise in some models.
-The update can be found here: http://www-306.ibm.com/pc/support/site.wss/document.do?lndocid=MIGR-50279
+The update can be found {{IBMDOCURL|MIGR-50279|here}}
 Unfortunately, this update was not correctly ported to the Thinkpad {{T43}} and {{R52}} firmware: someone made a careless typo which generally results in no improvement in behaviour: the fan may continue to pulse every ~4.8s, and for some it may accelerate a great deal every 30 seconds or so, making a lot of noise.  An unofficial patched firmware exists in source code format (see below).

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:35, 13 February 2011
Line 1:		Line 1:
		+	[[Category: Overheating]]
	Information about the fan noise problem in Thinkpad models from 2003/2004/2005.		Information about the fan noise problem in Thinkpad models from 2003/2004/2005.

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:31, 10 June 2010
Line 162:		Line 162:
	*[http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=69539 HARDWARE FIX: how to fix a design bug in the T43/p fan to make it silent]		*[http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=69539 HARDWARE FIX: how to fix a design bug in the T43/p fan to make it silent]
	*[http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=62688 HARDWARE FIX: enhancing the effectiveness of the Thermal Sink]		*[http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=62688 HARDWARE FIX: enhancing the effectiveness of the Thermal Sink]
		+
		+	If applying the first fix, please read the discussion thoroughly as there are some failures reported and the process may not be as straightfoward as described by the author.

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:29, 19 December 2009
Line 140:		Line 140:

	[http://www.gambitchess.org/moin.py/ThinkPad_Fan_Control A GTK GUI program (packaged for Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon 7.10)] may also help.		[http://www.gambitchess.org/moin.py/ThinkPad_Fan_Control A GTK GUI program (packaged for Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon 7.10)] may also help.
		+
		+	You can use the fan control scripts to [http://en.positon.org/post/For-a-quiet-Thinkpad increase a bit the minimum fan trigerring thresolds].

	====Cleaning the fan or removing obstructions====		====Cleaning the fan or removing obstructions====

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:15, 14 January 2009
Line 155:		Line 155:
	====Hardware modification====		====Hardware modification====
	An extensive forum discussion of this problem for the ThinkPad {{T43}}/{{T43p}}, and possible hardware mods for thermal enhancement, appear [http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=14580http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=14580 here]. There users who had opened the machine reported uncooled Northbridge and Southbrige chips, having no physical connecting to the heat pipe. Building a hardware copper bridge to these changed the temperature characteristics but did not cure the "always on" problem. In another discussion on that forum a user said that among other areas the WLAN chip may be responsible for generating extra heat and that disabling WLAN (among other unused devices) may help. See also [[how to build a T43 southbridge cooler]].		An extensive forum discussion of this problem for the ThinkPad {{T43}}/{{T43p}}, and possible hardware mods for thermal enhancement, appear [http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=14580http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=14580 here]. There users who had opened the machine reported uncooled Northbridge and Southbrige chips, having no physical connecting to the heat pipe. Building a hardware copper bridge to these changed the temperature characteristics but did not cure the "always on" problem. In another discussion on that forum a user said that among other areas the WLAN chip may be responsible for generating extra heat and that disabling WLAN (among other unused devices) may help. See also [[how to build a T43 southbridge cooler]].
		+
		+	A new thread on the forums describes what cannot be called anything other than a major hardware bug in (some?) of the T43/p fans, which causes extra noise (both from airflow and also from direct metal-to-metal contact). It can be fixed by a simple hardware modification (during which time you might as well enhance the effectiveness of the heatsink by applying better thermal grease).
		+
		+	*[http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=69539 HARDWARE FIX: how to fix a design bug in the T43/p fan to make it silent]
		+	*[http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.php?t=62688 HARDWARE FIX: enhancing the effectiveness of the Thermal Sink]

← Older revision		Revision as of 17:13, 15 April 2008
Line 59:		Line 59:

	For models which still have broken firmware (e.g., ThinkPad {{T43}} with official firmware), there is a software workaround (see below).		For models which still have broken firmware (e.g., ThinkPad {{T43}} with official firmware), there is a software workaround (see below).
		+
		+	--
		+	A few weeks ago the fan of my ThinkPad {{T43}} started to get an noncircular rotation which ended in an even louder noise which made the whole laptop vibrate. I knew the 41W5204 fan from a different article since I always hated the fan noise of the {{T43}} and because my model has both 'the always on problem' and 'the pulsing noise problem'. So after all I replaced my old factory fan with the new 41W5204 which is so much batter since this fan is very very silent. (I hear the harddrive for the first time now which wasn't possible with the old fan for the last 3 years). I bought that fan here in Germany for about 29,20 Euro and the part was called 41W5204 - "IBM Ersatzteil Fan Assy Thinkpad T40 41 42 (S)". Search for 41W5204 if you want the same fan.
		+	It's no magic because I can still hear the fan, to make this clear but it's much better now!
		+
		+	--[[User:Joachim Schiele\|Joachim Schiele]] 19:13, 15 April 2008 (CEST)

	===Always-on problem:===		===Always-on problem:===

@@ Line 87: / Line 87: @@
 The problem can be solved through appropriate modulation of the embedded controller, using an [[ACPI fan control script#Variable speed control scripts|ACPI fan control script]].
-There is also a [http://www.gambitchess.org/moin.py/ThinkPad_Fan_Control GTK GUI program (packaged for Ubuntu Gutsy Gibbon 7.10)]
+There is also a [http://www.gambitchess.org/moin.py/ThinkPad_Fan_Control GTK GUI program (packaged for Ubuntu 7.10 and 8.04)]
 ===Always on problem:===