How to change the cooler on the power supply. Replacing the cooler in a laptop yourself

Man loves warmth. In the warmth it is comfortable and cozy, joyful and familiar. What a pity that the human brainchild, the computer, is trying to get rid of this heat as quickly as possible. One of these methods is installing coolers (fans).

As mentioned above, coolers are designed to remove heat. This is a “hybrid” of a radiator and a fan, which is installed on computer components with increased/high heat generation. Main application - CPU ( CPU), video card, power supply, chipset chips.

The main characteristics of the cooler are noise level and air performance. There is one caveat - these two characteristics are very rarely combined with each other. The higher the performance, the better the heat dissipation, but the noise level increases. In short, it's a double-edged sword.

One of the main computer coolers is designed to cool the CPU. It looks more massive and performs well. Its “smaller brothers” are the fans on the video card, chipset and power supply.

The main “assistant” of coolers is thermal paste. Thermally conductive paste is used to reduce thermal resistance between two touching/closely located surfaces. It is applied to the thermal contact area (between the cooler radiator and the processor/board) and smeared when the surfaces are pressed against each other. In this case, the paste fills the smallest depressions in the surface, displacing air, which has very low thermal conductivity. Thermal paste is already applied to the surface of most modern coolers and covered with a special protective layer.

I think I'm talking. Initially I wanted to offer you step-by-step instructions for replacing the cooler. As one saying goes: “let's go back to our sheep.” So, there is a task - replacing the cooler. For this we need: screwdrivers (phillips and flat-head) - one, a cloth/wet wipe for removing thermal paste - two, new fan- three and heat-conducting paste (if there is none on the cooler) - four.

Turn off the computer from the network. Disconnect all cables. Take a Phillips screwdriver and run it along the back and side walls to remove static electricity (carefully so as not to scratch the case). Unscrew the screws and remove the side cover. We turn the “system unit” on its side. We see a big fan. This is what we will change. Turn the mount against the pointer arrow (located on the mount) until it stops, then pull it up. There should be a soft click. We do the same procedure with the remaining three fasteners. If instead of four fasteners you see two levers, then move the fastening in the opposite direction (as shown in the picture). The cooler can be removed!

After the fan is removed, you need to wipe the processor wet wipe(rag, paper) to remove any remaining heat-conducting paste. Let's take it new cooler, we take it off protective layer covering the thermal paste, carefully install the fan on the processor. There is a wide recess along the entire width of the cooler base, which should be located above the socket protrusion (see picture below). If you install it with the recess on the opposite side, the cooler will be skewed and there will be no connection between the processor and the base. This threatens the processor with a chip or thermal breakdown (“death” of the CPU).

After you have installed the cooler, try to refrain from tilting it, rotating it (pressure is also undesirable), or removing it. This is fraught with chips and failure of the CPU. If for some reason the cooler still had to be removed, you will have to re-lubricate the required areas with thermal paste. If this is not done, so-called “air cushions” may appear, which lead to overheating and instability of the system.

All that remains is to secure the latches. The process is identical to removing the cooler, only everything needs to be done in reverse (press the latches and turn in the direction of the arrow). We did what we planned. It's time to return the side cover of the case to its place, connect all the cables, and turn on the computer. Yes, by the way, in addition to changing the cooler, we did another useful procedure - replacing thermal paste(over time it can dry out, so we carried out a kind of prevention).

Now about video card coolers. They are easy to install (unscrew 4 screws, remove the cooler, install a new one, first freeing the thermal paste from the protective layer, tighten the screws), but it is difficult to select the right one (this process causes certain difficulties).

In order to change the cooler in the power supply, you need to be “friendly” with a soldering iron (if you have cheap models), because In almost all standard power supplies, the fan wires are soldered. There will be no problems with more expensive models. I removed the power supply, unscrewed the screws, removed the power supply cover, disconnected old cooler(having previously removed the wires from the port), installed a new one, connected it, and screwed on the power supply cover.

That's all. Step-by-step instruction on replacing the cooler in your hands, general information too. If you don’t want to waste your time and be nervous about changing the cooler incorrectly, then contact the KLIK company. Experienced specialists will help resolve any issues with hardware and software. Urgent computer help is waiting for your call.

The fan, as part of the cooling system, runs continuously to protect the device from overheating. Untimely maintenance, as well as lack of preventive maintenance and lubrication of the cooler, damages the entire cooling system. As a result - incorrect work the device as a whole and failure of its components.

Signs of a malfunctioning cooling system:

Overheat;
Extraneous noise;
Incorrect and slow work operating system;

Replacing the cooler in a laptop can solve these problems and improve the situation.

If you do not change the fan in time, after some time your device may need expensive repairs with the need to replace its most important parts, right down to the motherboard. Is it possible to replace the cooler at home? Yes, you can, and this is exactly what will be discussed in our article.

First stage: disassembling the laptop

In order to replace the fan yourself, you need to properly disassemble the laptop:

Stage two: fan replacement

After you disassembled the case and removed the components from the area where the cooler is located in the laptop, you gained access to the fan. Now you need to do the following:

So we replaced the cooler, now all that remains is to put the laptop back together.

Stage three: laptop assembly

After you have installed the fan and connected the necessary cables, proceed to assembly:

As you can see, it is not as difficult as it seems from the very beginning. The most important thing is to follow the instructions exactly, which will help minimize the likelihood of accidental breakdown. If any difficulties or problems arise, it is recommended to find instructions for disassembling and assembling your specific PC model. On the Internet you will definitely find information on the design of such devices as acer, asus, dell, hp, Lenovo, Samsung, Packard bell.

Stage four: performance check

After you have put the laptop back together, turn it on and let it run for a while. Using special program, test it and check the CPU temperature. Usually it decreases by 7-10 degrees.

In addition, your computer should be quieter and more stable. The system should not slow down, but on the contrary, it should function without failures. The service life of the device is also significantly increased. If nothing has changed, then perhaps you did something wrong or your device needs to replace the cooler with a more powerful one.

Now you know how to change a fan on a laptop at home.

How much does a replacement cost if you call a technician?

And now I propose to calculate how much such a service costs repairmen. The specific price depends on your region of residence, on average it is from 800 rubles, excluding, of course, the price of the component itself. It can also be difficult, especially for a beginner, to track the quality of a particular spare part, and in general, whether it is new.

By replacing the cooler in your laptop yourself, you not only save and protect yourself, but also learn how to do it yourself.

Detailed video instructions

Have your family put earplugs in their ears and communicate with each other using sign language? Do your neighbors ring your doorbell and demand you turn off the hammer drill? And you didn’t even think about drilling - you’re just relaxing on the couch with a laptop... the howl of which shakes the whole house.

A mobile computer cooler sometimes becomes too noisy over time or stops cooling the system properly. Cleaning and lubrication, unfortunately, do not save for long. The only way to radically solve the problem is to install a new turntable to replace the worn one, but the question is, how to do this correctly? A little patience, gentlemen! Soon you will find out everything. Today we’ll talk about how to replace a cooler on a laptop, what parameters to choose it by, and in what cases replacement will give desired effect, and which ones do not, and also how to make one cooler out of two with your own hands.

Is the cooler not working well? It's not always the reason

We have already found out one of the signs of laptop fan wear - this is noise, which neither lubrication nor cleaning can eliminate. The second sign is ineffective cooling, but not everything is so simple with it. When a laptop doesn't cool well, sometimes it's not the turntable that's to blame, but other phenomena and things.

A 100% fan malfunction is indicated by the following:

Visible mechanical failure impeller (the moving part of the cooler with blades, which is shown in the picture below).

The impeller moves stiffly, which is felt when you try to turn it manually.
An irremovable mechanical obstacle to the rotation of the impeller.
Fan rotation stops when its cable moves (pins become kinked or come loose).

In these situations, replacing the fan will be the simplest and most correct solution. Although, if the problem is only in the cable, most often you can get by with a simple repair.

The following symptoms indicate that the problem is not the fan, but something else:

The cooler rotates with high speed, but cold air is blown out of the ventilation grille. The reason may be incorrect installation or failure of metal parts of the cooling system.
The cooler, judging by the noise, rotates quickly, but no air comes out. Reason: blockage ventilation holes on the body of the device with compressed dust.
The cooler spins at a constant high speed, which does not drop when the load on the processor and other cooled devices decreases. The reason is incorrect management.
When you turn off the laptop, the turntable makes a jerk or 1-2 turns and stops. After this, the laptop immediately turns off. Reason – short circuit in the devices of the device, a malfunction in the power circuits.

Obviously, in these situations, replacing the cooler will not help, since the source of the malfunction is not in it.

And in following cases the reason may lie both in the cooler itself and in its control system or environment:

When you turn on the laptop, a message appears on the screen about problems in the cooling system: “ SystemFan< B90>», « System FanFailure", etc. The culprit is often a worn-out fan, but sometimes this is caused by a malfunction in its control or a physical obstacle to rotation (mechanical stopper, magnetic field of a nearby speaker, etc.).

The cooler does not rotate, although when pushed by hand the impeller easily moves.
The cooler rotates too slowly, its speed does not correspond to the intensity of the load on the system. The computer turns off due to overheating.
The impeller moves jerkily with periodic stops. The computer turns off due to overheating or slows down.

How to determine the culprit of the problem

At home, without special diagnostic tools, there are not many possibilities for this, so your main tools will be your eyes and hands.

The easiest way to identify a fan malfunction is when the laptop has two (or more) of them. If the problem is observed on one side, most often it is enough to check this cooler by replacing it, connecting a second one instead. If on both sides, then it is obvious that the failure occurred in the control system, since all fans fail at the same time extremely rarely.

Unfortunately, the majority mobile computers equipped with a single turntable. In such cases, the diagnostic algorithm will be as follows:

Remove the cooler from its seat in the laptop case, disconnect it from the motherboard and clean it from dust. The fan housing can be semi-open or closed on all sides. The latter are collapsible and non-dismountable (glued or riveted). Parts of collapsible housings are held together by latches or screws.

If the housing is semi-open or dismountable, ensure the integrity of the mechanical parts of the impeller. Check its mobility. Normally, it should rotate effortlessly even from a slight push. Further we will talk only about dismountable fans, since attempts to open non-separable ones often lead to their breakage and unsuitability for use. further use. The performance of such devices can only be tested by replacement.
If the impeller is removable (to check this, gently pull it up, being careful not to damage it, as the blades break easily), remove it from its socket and make sure that nothing has fallen inside. Remove the remaining thickened lubricant (by the way, it is this that can stop the cooler) with a napkin, and additionally clean the impeller shaft with alcohol.

Place a drop of silicone or lubricating machine oil on the impeller shaft (grease, lithol, Vaseline and other viscous compounds are not suitable for this). If the fan is not dismountable or you do not find any dirt inside, skip this step. By the way, after lubrication, a noisy fan may work normally for some time, but, unfortunately, not for long.

Place the fan on the seat in the laptop case and, without screwing it in, connect it to the connector on the motherboard. Turn on the device. Observe the behavior of the pinwheel. Normally, when power is applied, it may jerk and stop, only to begin rotating after a few seconds. normal speed. If you see a different picture, lift it above the seat, move the wires to prevent damage to the latter and the influence of the environment.

How to choose a replacement cooler

You can only replace a failed laptop fan with the same one, since the configuration, height and pinout of the connector are strictly individual for each model. In addition, on laptops with a dual-fan cooling system, there is a right and left cooler, which cannot be swapped.

The laptop fan always blows out!

Fortunately, most mobile computer manufacturers produce fans that fit not just one, but several models of devices of their brand. Therefore, it is difficult to find the required part They rarely appear on sale, unless, of course, the laptop is too old.

To find suitable cooler on sale, just know the model of your laptop. Here is an example of a product card from one of the online stores. The series of compatible laptops are indicated in the header, and the models are listed below.

As you can see, everything is very simple.

We assemble one cooler out of two. Salvation if there is no suitable one on sale

As stated above, cooler configurations for mobile computers are strictly individual, but in some cases such a replacement is still acceptable. More precisely, not replacing one device with another, but transferring a working impeller with a motor into the housing of the original laptop fan. To do this, the following conditions must be met:

The height of the impeller of the donor cooler should not be higher than that of the recipient. It's better when it's a little lower.
The bevel of the impeller blades of both fans should be directed in the same direction (both right or both left).
Both parts must be collapsible.
Ideally, the pinout order of the connectors (determined by the color of the wires) and the number of contacts should match.

Fans of modern laptops have connections on the block 4 contacts(5 V power supply, tachometer output, PWM controller control input and ground), however, sometimes there are turntables with three-pin(power, tachometer output, ground) and two-pin(power, ground) connectors. The last two varieties are used on the oldest or most budget laptops and netbooks and are not suitable as a replacement for 4-pin ones. Although with reservations, because for the cooler to start spinning, you just need to power it up, and adjusting the speed is not the most important thing (it will constantly spin at maximum). Of course, if your task is to provide cooling to the computer for the period of searching for a normal spare part, and not constantly.

Unfortunately, the 4-pin connectors of mobile coolers are not shown unified standard, and the wires on them are arranged in a way that was more convenient for the manufacturer. Therefore, if you are unable to find a replacement with the same order of wiring as on the old turntable, you will have to remove them from the block and insert them into it already in in the right order. By the way, the same thing will have to be done if the block of the new cooler is not identical to the block of the old one.

The ends of the wires in the plastic connectors are held in place by tiny latches. To remove the wiring, the latch must be lifted with a small flat tool, such as a screwdriver. When you insert the wire back into the socket, it locks automatically.

The donor cooler impeller can be moved to another housing only together with the engine, but the engine is tightly attached to one of its halves. To separate it from the body, you need to saw the joints along the yellow lines shown in the picture below. We prepare the housing of the original fan in the same way, that is, we remove the faulty motor from it (the cut is made along the red lines). The areas marked with white circles must overlap - these will become the connection points.

At the penultimate stage, we insert the donor fan motor into the prepared recipient housing and connect them using soldering or gluing with superglue (if both parts are metal, it is better to solder them).

That's all, the Frankenstein is ready, now you can assemble and install it in your laptop. If everything is done correctly, the fan will cool the system like a stock one and will last for quite a long time.

Also on the site:

Let it be quiet! How and what to replace a faulty cooler on a laptop with updated: February 17, 2018 by: Johnny Mnemonic

Many potential buyers in the computer components market are alarmed by the fact that it is impossible to find a fan for the power supply in store windows. Here for the processor, video card, case, hard drive- please, but there is nothing for BP. This really looks very strange and causes a lot of negative emotions, judging by user reviews. However, there is no need to be upset. Any expert will say that the power supply has regular cooler to cool the case. The only difference can be in the standard size - 120, 80, 60 or 40 millimeters. By the way, any user can verify this by disassembling their power supply.

The focus of this article is the fan for the computer power supply. The reader is invited to get acquainted not only with worthy models, their descriptions and photos, but also with the maintenance of a non-working cooling system. Indeed, in 90% of cases, replacing the fan is not necessary at all, just a little cleaning is enough.

Fun math

It's better not to start with a choice. specific model or brand, and with technical requirements, which are presented to the fan. Yes, such a simple computer component has a number of limitations that the user will have to put up with, because from the right choice depends comfortable work user at the computer. It follows that the basic requirements are noiselessness and efficient airflow.

In most cases, the cooling fan cannot independently regulate the speed of the impeller. By supplying 5 volts to the cooler, the power supply uses maximum frequency rotation, which is characteristic of this voltage. This is where things get interesting, because the characteristics for all fans are indicated for a 12-volt line. There are few options here - trust your instincts or the recommendations of experts, because it is impossible to mathematically accurately calculate the behavior of the impeller.

How to be?

This is where a factor comes into play: trust in famous brand, who was concerned about the buyer and independently took measurements of the impeller rotation speed and air flow on the 5-volt line. True, there are not so many such brands on the market, plus the prices for their products are quite high. But this option can be safely considered, because it will satisfy the wishes of users in terms of silent operation and efficient cooling.

It is better to look for a fan for a computer power supply among products from well-known global manufacturers, such as Thermaltake, Zalman, be quiet, Noctua, Scythe. On the cooler packaging there is data on fan operation at 5 and 12 volts. Accordingly, data on speed and noise level are indicated. For example, Noctua NF-P12 - 600 rpm (12 dB). Or Thermaltake Riing 12 - 1000 rpm (18 dB). By the way, in the last example the fan is backlit.

Basic fan requirements

Having understood the methodology for choosing a worthy product on the computer components market, it’s time to move directly to the requirements. should not exceed 20 decibels. This is very important factor, after all this indicator is a certain hearing threshold. As for the impeller rotation speed, it all depends on the quality of the assembly. There are models that spin at a frequency of 2000 rpm. However, experts recommend limiting yourself to 1200 rpm.

Many users have already heard many times that all the fans in the system come into resonance, due to which a terrible hum appears in the case and the case begins to rattle. Oddly enough, the computer's power supply may also be involved. The fan in it twitches not only due to a malfunction. The problem may be too high frequency rotation of the impeller. Also, cheap Chinese fans have a problem with the rotor being skewed, which is why a constant knocking sound is heard during the operation of the device, and the cooler itself begins to twitch.

From theory to practice

Having figured out which fan is in the computer power supply, the user can only buy its analogue and replace it. True, a small surprise awaits the owner here. We are talking about an interface for connecting to the power supply. Almost all fans are sold with a 4-pin connector, but on the power supply board there are only two contacts, plus they are soldered. There is no need to be upset, in most cases there is dummy soldering on the board. In fact, two wires from the fan are just covered in glue.

Naturally, after unscrewing the cooler from the PSU case, you need to carefully remove the glue from the contacts (you may need a knife). At the end of the cleaning procedure, the user will see a board with two pins. The main thing here is to remember where the plus is (red wire) and where the minus is (black wire). Then it’s a matter of technique: you need to put the 4-pin connector on these two contacts so that the polarity matches the color of the cables. And there is nothing wrong with the fact that two contacts remained unconnected.

Foreboding

Is the fan in the computer power supply making noise? This event causes a lot of indignation from users who begin to count the costs of purchasing a new cooler. Exactly on at this stage There is no need to rush, the fact is that noise is not a breakdown. This is a signal to the computer owner that there are some difficulties with the fan that need to be corrected immediately. Everything is quite simple here:

the power supply is removed and disassembled and blown away from dust;
the fan is unscrewed and removed;
removed protective sticker on the cooler rotor, pour 3-4 drops of oil inside;
The sticker is returned to its place, the power supply is assembled and installed in the computer.

The algorithm is quite simple, but very effective. There may be problems with a sticker that has lost its adhesive properties. There is no need to install it in this form; it will still fall off and rattle inside the case. It's better to install a new sticker. Where to get? Cut from thick tape, use the liner from chewing gum or purchase any children's sticker of similar sizes in the store.

Lubrication

Having determined that replacing the computer power supply fan is not necessary, it will not be difficult for the user to take steps to clean and lubricate the cooler. However, there is one factor that all readers should pay attention to. We're talking about lubrication. The fact is that the hum during operation is not produced by the fan blades, but by the bearing, which, when dry, begins to distort the movement of the rotor.

The user should only use fluid oils that are capable of lubricating the bearing. However, we should not forget about the high viscosity, because the lubricant should remain inside and not leak out under the influence. Here it is better to use lubricant for sewing machines (analogous to the I-8 brand). In extreme cases, machine oil will do.

Time to say good-bye

The only symptom that requires the user's attention when it comes to an element such as a computer power supply is that the fan does not spin. In such cases, bearing lubrication can only extend the life of the cooler by several days (if you can spin the impeller after applying the oil). But it is not recommended to leave the power supply in this state. It is the inability to cool faulty fan boards can damage the power supply, which, in turn, can burn motherboard and other components of the system unit.

Work on mistakes

Not every user undertakes to change the fan for the computer power supply. Often, many owners trust this work service centers who specialize in such breakdowns. In fact it's correct solution, however, judging by the reviews of the owners, there are exceptions. We are talking about installing used fans in the PSU case that have exhausted their service life in system unit. Many users find that the fan in their computer power supply does not work after repair because of this.

The second problem that users may encounter is the lack of contacts in the power supply for connecting the cooler. This is only found in cheap Chinese devices, where the cost-effective manufacturer soldered all the components of the power supply. In such cases, the user must also clean the contacts and solder the fan to the board (there should be no twists).

Finally

As practice shows, in 99% of cases it is not necessary to change the fan for the computer power supply. It is enough just to disassemble the power supply, clean it of dust and lubricate the cooler. All this suggests that the electrical component of the computer simply needs constant cleaning (once a year). Yes, there are situations when it is necessary to install a new cooler, but here the user will not have any problems. After all, there is a fairly large assortment of decent fans on the market that can be safely installed as a power supply cooling system.