Thinkpad x61s hacking a second fan and powering it

[Nikolai_D]

Hi there,
I have bought a second hand thinkpad x61s on ebay. Because it looks like a better (stronger) netbook to me.
Now it heats up pretty much as you know. And after taking it apart i saw that it has no second fan connection.
Now i still ordered the second fan on ebay. And i am planning to try connecting it else-were. Like maybe connecting it to the first fan connection. Together with the first one.
Or maybe wiring it up to some USB connection. Doesnt really matter where. I guess there are some options for sources of powering it, right?
I dont mind even if the fan will be lose under the palm-rest. I can also glue it to it.

So what do you think? What would be nice source of power for the second fan?

Thanks in advance,
Nikolai

edit: i see i accidentally posted it in a wrong forum, can it maybe be moved please? ty

Moderator edit: Moved thread to the X6x-forum.

[Cigarguy]

I can be done and others have tried it. Just do a search on it. I have had a couple of X61 and 4 X60/X61 tablets and don't think it's worth it. In my books it's not worth the trouble. Taking everything apart, giving it a good clean and applying new thermal paste is much more productive and useful.

You're right a X61 will run circles around a netbook and is actually useful. It also cost about 1/4 to 1/2 the price of a netbook (even used netbook).

[Saucey]

I know for the most part if they didn't have a second fan, you'd be out of luck.
I had just gotten a unit with a second fan in the palmrest, but its giving me trouble not powering on.
I cant remember clearly but I think one of my units had a connector similar to that fan, but the wires were cut from it.
So I think some units were upgradeable in a sense. I'm unsure if they had a different frame to hold it in...

There's always apply the Middleton BIOS to remove the WiFi card whitelist so you can apply a cooler running card.

[axur-delmeria]

Personally I don't think the second fan does much.
I have two X61 units, one with the fan and the other without.
Both have the Intel Wifi 4965 AGN, and the palmrest is hot on both of them.

The X60/X61 series have two common heat issues:

1. Warm/hot right palmrest due to wifi card.
2. CPU overheating due to things like dirt accumulation, dried thermal paste, heatpipe failure, etc.

The first is best handled by replacing the wifi card. Most recommend the Intel Wifi 6200 and 6300 series, while some suggest the Atheros 9380. Take note that you need the third-party Middleton BIOS to install non-Lenovo cards.

The second can be mitigated by a combination of:
1. Removing the dirt clogging the cooling fins. You have to remove the fan to do this properly;
2. Cleaning the heatsink contact plates and applying new thermal paste; and
3. Undervolting.

For non-Slim models, take care not to damage the thermal pad between the northbridge and its contact plate. Take note that the HMM actually specifies replacing it every time the heatsink is removed. If you have spares, replace the thermal pad.

[vavet]

hi
what is undervolting?

[pgoelz]

In addition to making sure the fan and fins are dust free, don't forget to take a close look at the power management settings. I use "balanced" for the CPU and "moderate" for the WiFi settings. The bottom of the machine runs barely above ambient if I am just checking mail and surfing the net, with the CPU clock running at 50% most of the time. The palm rest is also barely above ambient. This is with the Intel 4965AGN WiFi card.

I have also found that there are some web sites that consume quite a bit of CPU and generate heat. The culprit seems to be Flash animations. I now use Firefox with a Flash blocker and that took care of it.

Paul

[axur-delmeria]

what is undervolting?

CPU undervolting = lowering the CPU's operating voltage in order to reduce power consumption and heat output. It's a repetitive and time-consuming procedure, as it involves stress-testing your CPU after every voltage adjustment to ensure that the CPU runs stable at the reduced voltage.

In Windows, you can use software like RMClock and IBM_ECW to undervolt your CPU, and prime95 or orthos (or other CPU stress tools) for stress-testing.

I now use Firefox with a Flash blocker and that took care of it.

In Firefox, you can also set up the Flash plugin to "Ask to activate". This means the Flash objects are only loaded once you click on them.

[pgoelz]

In Firefox, you can also set up the Flash plugin to "Ask to activate". This means the Flash objects are only loaded once you click on them.

Thanks! I didn't realize that. I have set Flash to ask and have removed the Flash blocker. Here's to a less CPU intensive web

Paul

[jcesar2]

many years after having my x61t ,(4) i was always frustrated with the thermal behavior of this tablet, i did everything, from balanced settings on power managament, dusting etc.cpu temp was always on 145 F degrees,when in idle , at max cpu usage (1.8 ghz) it would quickly climb up t the 180's even 190's, funtil last year (2013) i finally decided to do something a little radical, i replaced the flimsy cpu fan with an x61 one(which is bigger) i used to have a dremel, but to no avail i used pliers to cut the magnesium chassis. (had i used a dremmel nobody would even notice i replaced it. ) even after using the plyers doesn't look so bad. since then i run windows at maximum performance, cpu won't get hotter than 125, when in idle is around 98 farenheit (no joking) i wish i had done it a few years ago. a year later it is still running like a charm. to top it off i made a square hole by the gmhc chip, which is always hot as hell, and put an aluminum sink on it, boy that thing gets hot!.

[Pete B]

jcesar2, Do you have a part number for that heatsink fan assembly?
Do you know if the X61s also requires cutting for the better fan to fit, or is it
the same size as the X61?