Is my laptop about to retire itself?

KaJuN · March 5th, 2008, 09:43 PM

I've got a two year old Acer Aspire that's been very good to me so far. But recently it's been doing something that scares me. The fan sometimes makes a loud rattling sound when I start it up or when I'm using it on my lap. The startup problem goes away after about a half hour but it'll still rattle when I move it. In fact I can hear it right now if I lift my computer up a little. I've popped it open and I can't see anything wrong. Everything else has been working fine. Is this just an annoyance or should I be in the market for a new one?

Prost264 · March 5th, 2008, 10:05 PM

Clean it out maybe? I had bad fan noise on my old laptop, I popped it open and blasted all the dust out of it, then it was silent.

Then again a rattle doesn't sound good, however you did say everything else is working fine, until something stops working fine I wouldn't worry.

KaJuN · March 5th, 2008, 11:20 PM

I've cleaned out the dust a couple times and it doesn't make a difference one way or the other. I'm wondering if maybe something got bent? After all Acers aren't exactly the sturdiest computers ever made and this one really does feel pretty flimsy.

Prost264 · March 5th, 2008, 11:30 PM

When you cleaned it did you have to open it up? On my Toshiba you could open it up but only so much so while cleaning you kind of had to keep it stuck open. I was always worried about snapping a wire or bending something that way.

KaJuN · March 5th, 2008, 11:35 PM

There's a removable panel so getting full access to the fan is very easy.

Prost264 · March 6th, 2008, 12:30 AM

Ah, I don't know, I'm surprised no one else has chimed in.

You said everything has been working fine, I would just not worry about the rattle until something doesn't work.

Crazyjeeper · March 6th, 2008, 03:06 AM

Did you replace the fan? My brother had to do that in his old HP laptop because it started making an ungodly din.

KaJuN · March 6th, 2008, 09:50 PM

I'm looking into getting a new fan. I wonder if the local computer shop is still around? I hope so because I'm having some trouble finding places to buy laptop fans and Acer support is nonexistent.

johns13193 · March 8th, 2008, 03:54 AM

ebay?

KaJuN · March 8th, 2008, 04:21 AM

Oh snap! Why didn't I think of that??

Me---> images/smilies/bangin.gif

<--- you

Yaco · March 8th, 2008, 06:11 AM

Also try shops like NewEgg and ZipZoomFly, they seem to have the best price and are reliable, fast (some times faster than they even say) ways of getting parts. I am sure one of them has a shinny new lil' fan for you.

* Edit: Oh snap! I just threw out my old laptop, (everything but the RAM, HDD, and slim dvd drive,) and this was only about a month ago! Ahhhh. I knew I should have saved more and became a junk collecter! *

March 5th, 2008, 09:43 PM	#1
KaJuN Joined: Jul 31st, 2006 Last Online: November 17th, 2008 Location: USAF Basic Training Age: 23 Posts: 4,628 Car: Land Rover Discovery, 1980 Yamaha XJ650 Rep Power: 91	Is my laptop about to retire itself? I've got a two year old Acer Aspire that's been very good to me so far. But recently it's been doing something that scares me. The fan sometimes makes a loud rattling sound when I start it up or when I'm using it on my lap. The startup problem goes away after about a half hour but it'll still rattle when I move it. In fact I can hear it right now if I lift my computer up a little. I've popped it open and I can't see anything wrong. Everything else has been working fine. Is this just an annoyance or should I be in the market for a new one? __________________ D-Fence: Kajun is just outside caressing his Discovery....touching it gently, you know......it is such a dirty bitch.....but he seems to love dirty girls in high heels who are taller then him and have "quite a few pounds" on their hips ^^ Yes we can! Join my fan club. You know you want a piece of this action!

March 5th, 2008, 11:20 PM	#3
KaJuN Joined: Jul 31st, 2006 Last Online: November 17th, 2008 Location: USAF Basic Training Age: 23 Posts: 4,628 Car: Land Rover Discovery, 1980 Yamaha XJ650 Rep Power: 91	I've cleaned out the dust a couple times and it doesn't make a difference one way or the other. I'm wondering if maybe something got bent? After all Acers aren't exactly the sturdiest computers ever made and this one really does feel pretty flimsy. __________________ D-Fence: Kajun is just outside caressing his Discovery....touching it gently, you know......it is such a dirty bitch.....but he seems to love dirty girls in high heels who are taller then him and have "quite a few pounds" on their hips ^^ Yes we can! Join my fan club. You know you want a piece of this action!

March 5th, 2008, 11:35 PM	#5
KaJuN Joined: Jul 31st, 2006 Last Online: November 17th, 2008 Location: USAF Basic Training Age: 23 Posts: 4,628 Car: Land Rover Discovery, 1980 Yamaha XJ650 Rep Power: 91	There's a removable panel so getting full access to the fan is very easy. __________________ D-Fence: Kajun is just outside caressing his Discovery....touching it gently, you know......it is such a dirty bitch.....but he seems to love dirty girls in high heels who are taller then him and have "quite a few pounds" on their hips ^^ Yes we can! Join my fan club. You know you want a piece of this action!

March 6th, 2008, 03:06 AM	#7
Crazyjeeper Joined: Nov 29th, 2006 Last Online: 06:54 AM Location: Texas Age: 19 Posts: 2,792 Car: 1985 Jeep CJ7, 1997 Ford F150 Rep Power: 54	Did you replace the fan? My brother had to do that in his old HP laptop because it started making an ungodly din. __________________ Toy: 1985 Jeep CJ7 Lifted and Locked Daily Driver: 1997 Ford F150 4.6L with a massive 220hp EVGA 780i, E8400 @ 4.0ghz, CM Hyper 212, XFX 8800GT 512mb Extreme SLI, MSI 8400GS, 2x1gb Corsair XMS2 DDR2 800, PC Power & Cooling 610w EPS12v, 1.6tb of HDD, CM Centurion 690.

March 6th, 2008, 09:50 PM	#8
KaJuN Joined: Jul 31st, 2006 Last Online: November 17th, 2008 Location: USAF Basic Training Age: 23 Posts: 4,628 Car: Land Rover Discovery, 1980 Yamaha XJ650 Rep Power: 91	I'm looking into getting a new fan. I wonder if the local computer shop is still around? I hope so because I'm having some trouble finding places to buy laptop fans and Acer support is nonexistent. __________________ D-Fence: Kajun is just outside caressing his Discovery....touching it gently, you know......it is such a dirty bitch.....but he seems to love dirty girls in high heels who are taller then him and have "quite a few pounds" on their hips ^^ Yes we can! Join my fan club. You know you want a piece of this action!

March 5th, 2008, 10:05 PM	#2
Prost264 Joined: Jun 30th, 2006 Last Online: 05:23 AM Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Age: 21 Posts: 2,247 Car: 1995 Subaru Legacy Rep Power: 30	Clean it out maybe? I had bad fan noise on my old laptop, I popped it open and blasted all the dust out of it, then it was silent. Then again a rattle doesn't sound good, however you did say everything else is working fine, until something stops working fine I wouldn't worry.

March 5th, 2008, 11:30 PM	#4
Prost264 Joined: Jun 30th, 2006 Last Online: 05:23 AM Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Age: 21 Posts: 2,247 Car: 1995 Subaru Legacy Rep Power: 30	When you cleaned it did you have to open it up? On my Toshiba you could open it up but only so much so while cleaning you kind of had to keep it stuck open. I was always worried about snapping a wire or bending something that way.

March 6th, 2008, 12:30 AM	#6
Prost264 Joined: Jun 30th, 2006 Last Online: 05:23 AM Location: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Age: 21 Posts: 2,247 Car: 1995 Subaru Legacy Rep Power: 30	Ah, I don't know, I'm surprised no one else has chimed in. You said everything has been working fine, I would just not worry about the rattle until something doesn't work.

March 8th, 2008, 03:54 AM	#9
johns13193 Joined: Aug 15th, 2007 Last Online: Yesterday Location: Well, it's near Philadelphia, PA Age: 15 Posts: 209 Car: Dad's '06 Civic EX (in about 2 months...) Rep Power: 6	ebay? __________________ my rig: e6750 @ 3ghz, GA-P35-DS3R, 3gb DDR2-800, 8600GT (702/1800 mem), 1tb storage (500gb 7200.11, 500gb Hitachi external)

March 8th, 2008, 04:21 AM	#10
KaJuN Joined: Jul 31st, 2006 Last Online: November 17th, 2008 Location: USAF Basic Training Age: 23 Posts: 4,628 Car: Land Rover Discovery, 1980 Yamaha XJ650 Rep Power: 91	Oh snap! Why didn't I think of that?? Me---><--- you __________________ D-Fence: Kajun is just outside caressing his Discovery....touching it gently, you know......it is such a dirty bitch.....but he seems to love dirty girls in high heels who are taller then him and have "quite a few pounds" on their hips ^^ Yes we can! Join my fan club. You know you want a piece of this action!

March 8th, 2008, 06:11 AM	#11
Yaco Joined: Jan 17th, 2008 Last Online: 06:49 AM Location: Whitney Point, New York (state not city fool), USA Age: 21 Posts: 306 Car: 95 Cutlass SSL (201k), 91 Dodge Spirit (70k) Rep Power: 8	Also try shops like NewEgg and ZipZoomFly, they seem to have the best price and are reliable, fast (some times faster than they even say) ways of getting parts. I am sure one of them has a shinny new lil' fan for you. * Edit: Oh snap! I just threw out my old laptop, (everything but the RAM, HDD, and slim dvd drive,) and this was only about a month ago! Ahhhh. I knew I should have saved more and became a junk collecter! * __________________ "I love the smell of money in the morning." -May "Smells like wheels!" -Clarkson "Ha-ha!" -May I look at porn just for the viruses and spyware. Last edited by Yaco; March 8th, 2008 at 06:14 AM.. Reason: Forgetful

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