CPU Fan on Used T41 runs all the time - Should I return it?

[alexd]

Hello,
I posted about this before, but I bought a Certified Pre-Owned IBM T41 from IBM directly. I have a 3-month warranty/exchange period and while I would rather not deal with sending the computer in, I'm wondering if you guys think I should do something before the warranty runs out.

I've had two problems with the computer:

1. One afternoon, I kept getting IRQ_NOT_LESS_OR_EQUAL BSOD's upon startup. It would only work in safe mode w/o networking. I tried System Restore all the way back as far as possible with no success. Several hours later, it worked and I haven't had a problem since.

2. BIGGER ISSUE - The CPU fan (lower left area of the keyboard) runs pretty much 100% of the time. It is not that loud unless all else is quiet, but it sounds loud when I am word processing with no other noise around me. It rarely will stop momentarily when I first start up for a few seconds but it is on even when the computer is sitting idle or word processing. It also rhythmically changes pitch sometimes. Sometimes it does seem to cycle down to a slower speed very briefly but it seems to run full-speed 99% of the time. Is this normal? Should I go to the trouble of sending it back before my warranty runs out? My T60 is _silent_ compared to this machine.

Should I go to the trouble to send it back, lose all my configurations, etc? Does it sound like the hardware is OK on this machine?

Everything else is great - the RAM checks out perfectly with MEMTEST86+, HDD sounds fine, plenty of battery life.

I just can't afford to have another busted ThinkPad as I am a student and the T60 I spent all my money on less than two years ago now has a fried MoBo.

thanks a lot

[FTC]

Hi,

Definetly, it's not the fan, but the CPU/GPU heat that can kill your machine. What you hear may be a sympthom of overheating or just simply a 'loud' fan due to dust, usage,....

So you have to verify your idle and load temps for CPU and GPU. You can use the fan controller program or NHC (look for them in the last sticky thread of this forum : http://forum.thinkpads.com/viewtopic.ph ... c28cccfbeb) by looking at temps when no active process is running and then when CPU has been busy 100% for a while (verify through task manager). If idle temp is under 65ºC and load temp for CPU is under 80ºC (GPU can be a little higher) then all is OK => maybe just dusting off the fan will be all that is needed.
If temps are high you definetly need to reseat your heatsink and/or apply thermal paste. The forum is filled with threads explaining how to do it.

[richk]

If you want to sell the busted T60, send me a PM.