WTB T61 nVidia 14.1 WS heatsink & fan

[hwattys]

42W2462....I have now purchased 2 of these fan/heatsinks from eBay and both rattle and make noise. The original that I got with the laptop threw off a fan error and made noise. Neither of the replacements has a fan error but both make a grinding noise. I took the original part and replaced the fan with one from a T60 that looked like the same fan, and that one is silent but runs for a while and then causes the machine to shut off. No shutoff with the correct part numbers, just annoying noise. I know these units with nVidia graphics are snakebit (I owned one once that died on me) but this one works fine just needs a quiet cooling fan. Does anyone have one to sell or any words of advice? The laptop is a type 7663.

[RealBlackStuff]

You could try the fan itself from a T500/W500 discrete heatsink (45N5492).
Maybe even the whole heatsink might fit...

EDIT:Turns out a T500 fan OR heatsink does NOT fit in a 14.1" T61 widescreen.

[hwattys]

Yeah I think I may order a brand new fan from amazon.com....under $10 but taking the heatsink apart to change fans is a bit of a pain

[brucehe]

I would purchase a new Lenovo T500 fan from Ebay and install on your heatsink.It is quite easy to change, cut the foil with an exacto knife, bend up the copper tabs, remove and install the new one, add some foil tape and that's it.

When I needed a new fan I would also go looking for good used ones until I just realized I could purchase a brand new fan for $10 and put it in the specific heat sink. Good luck!

Bruce

EDIT: Sorry for speaking too quickly without doing the proper Forum research. I am glad you got the expert advice of RBS and Tuus. I do enjoy being able to replace a fan or motor without having to source the entire heatsink. Good Luck

[TuuS]

You probably have a Toshiba fan, if you want a new motor I have a couple, they take a bit of fitting to assure the blades spin without hitting but if you're careful they work alright.

I understand your problem, I've found about 1 in 3 used toshiba fans is quiet, I don't currently have the whole heatsink but the best option is a furukawa fan, it is similar to the T61p fan and I believe was only used in the last couple weeks of production. I think I may have one, they cost more but are much better.

As for the T500 fans, that is an option for a standard screen or 15.4 widescreen model, but not for a toshiba heatsink, they just won't fit.

I may also have a toshiba fan with a new motor installed that I can send you. I can check tomorrow, send me a PM if you still need one and I'll find the time to unbox my 14" widescreen parts and confirm what I have.

ps. I also just got in a new NOS board with a 2010 nVidia chip that will fit this model.

[hwattys]

Stay in touch on that, please TuuS, I plan to keep this unit for myself since I need to keep something with a firewire port on hand for video capture and editing. I bumped it up to a T7700 2.4 ghz but I know it can go higher.

[TuuS]

I replied to your PM, but I also have a T9300 Penryn cpu and if you really want some performance I have an X9000 (corporate pull) core2 extreme. It's native speed is 2.8ghz but you can run them faster. My advice would be a T9300, it's clock speed is marginally faster than your T7700 but it has a larger cache and the penryn chips run cooler and perform better even with the same clock speed.

[Easy Wind]

if you are still looking for a T61/7663 heat sink and fan, don't know the FRU # off the top of my head but I have one that works on the discreet video motherboards (would work on the intel based boards too). Brand new original OEM part. Let me know if interested.

[hwattys]

Well I am a little sheepish but after trying 3 different fans I finally figured out it is a motherboard problem. The 3 pin fan header must be defective because you can alter how the fan sounds and works by wiggling the fan connector on the header. Right now I have it working but the fan is still loud and squirrely. I think I am just going to piece the machine out. I can always use the screen and memory and such. Thank goodness I did not pay much for the computer but now I have 3 good fan/heatsink units.