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Question

My 4 year old laptop is buzzing incessantly

Feb 7, 2015 11:07AM PST

I don't use my laptop for much outside of school and moderate video games, but over the last two months it's began buzzing as if it were overheating while performing simple tasks, and I just cannot figure out why. I tried cleaning out my fan but that didn't help much.

Discussion is locked

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Answer
Did you start with the usual canned air cleaning?
Feb 7, 2015 10:50PM PST

Lots of web pages on cleaning. Start simple, just the vents, no disassemble (number 5).
Bob

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I tried that a month or so ago and it helped for about a week
Feb 8, 2015 10:39AM PST

Yeah, I tried that. It did seem to help somewhat, but it seemed to be a temporary fix.

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Try doing that weekly for now.
Feb 8, 2015 11:06PM PST

I don't know your comfort level but at some point we have to do a deep cleaning when the laptop sucks up some paper scrap or such. Canned air on most laptops is a good thing to do from day one on some schedule. At home this gets done every few months and my son's gamer laptop gets it monthly.
Bob

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Answer
In-Depth cleaning
Feb 9, 2015 12:33AM PST

Since this is a 4yr. old laptop, you need to truly access your innards. Depending on your skill set and laptop model, makes it al the easier. However, do this with deft care. I suggest first visiting the laptop maker support website and see what is offered to access the inside of the PC and what it takes. Easier laptops allow quick access and removal of the exact correct screws or toggles to get inside. Next, you closely inspect and check the cooling area(s). A good can of air will do wonders even if done from the outside. A direct and even close blowing out the dust is better than outside. Also, you actually your work being done. You may need to remove "heat tube" cooling as they tend to jam or allow fine dust to collect too readily or clog the vents and fans reducing the overall cooling effect. Sometime blowing out duct may become clogged in the exhaust exits as well, here you can see of directly blow out directly. Also, at 4yr. very fine dust or coating is on the fan(s) and access from underneath with a decent brush is better than blowing off alone. All this is up you and your skill set but its easier than you think or at least check to see it involves or proceed for a tech to do this.

tada -----Willy Happy

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Thanks.
Feb 9, 2015 12:35AM PST

Again this is all about our skill and comfort level. It also varies with the make and model.

It's a shame the full make/model wasn't shared. Some are easy.
Bob