I gave my nearly two-year-old HP Victus 16 laptop to a technician, and after getting it back, one of the fans started making a noticeable noise. It sounds like the blades may be brushing against something. The noise is not extremely loud, but it is clearly audible from another room, and the fan was quiet before the repair. Could this be a failing bearing or loose debris, or might the technician have accidentally caused the problem? The technician will be away for about a week, and I may leave town for school before he returns. Should I inspect the laptop myself or take it to another technician?
3 Answers
You can remove the bottom cover to look for dust, a broken blade, or something interfering with the fan. The service manual can help with the correct procedure for this model. I would avoid removing the heatsink or disturbing the thermal paste unless you know exactly what you are doing, since that is more involved. If you find no obvious obstruction, stop using the laptop heavily and have the original technician or another qualified repairer inspect the fan.
The first thing to check is whether a cable, piece of tape, or loose debris is touching the fan blades. That can create a surprisingly loud rattling or tapping sound and may be easy to correct without replacing anything. If you can, observe the fan through the vents or after carefully removing the bottom cover.
A worn fan bearing can cause this kind of sound, and two years is not impossibly long for a laptop fan to start failing. It could be coincidence, although noticing it immediately after service understandably makes the timing suspicious. A fan with a damaged blade could also make a similar noise.
The technician suggested that it might simply be age, but I had never heard the noise before the service, so the timing still feels unusual. I was planning to have him check it, but our schedules may not line up.
I may inspect it myself because the technician will be away when I need to leave town. I am deciding whether to open the cover or have another technician look at it.