The key cooling device for your internal hardware is the laptop fan. The fan draws heat from the processor and motherboard and then blows it out through fan vents. This is similar to a radiator that blows hot exhaust from a car engine.
If the fan makes a small audible sound and you don’t hear the air coming out of the vents, or the laptop gets hot often, likely, that the fan is not working properly. It would be best if you fixed it. Right?
A fan is crucial in prolonging the system’s life and utility. A superheated laptop can cause many problems, such as slow performance and unreliable applications. Frequent shutdowns and application crashes can damage the laptop’s hardware.
Overheating can cause serious malfunctioning and damage to internal components. It is easy to check the fan on your laptop. To avoid potential problems, make sure to change the fan.
Fan’s Significance
A fan’s primary function is to cool the system. The laptop fan is responsible for keeping the internals of the laptop cool. This is how the laptop can perform at its best. This electronic device can heat up quickly and slow down the system’s performance. All programs will crash or slow down as a result. A broken fan can cause damage to other parts of your laptop.
The malfunctioning fan can cause heat damage to certain parts of the laptop. Your entire machine could be damaged if you don’t fix the heating problem.
The bottom line is that a laptop fan can be very important and must work properly. The real question is, how do you determine if the fan is not working properly? This is what we are going to look at now.
Check the Fan
Listen to Noise
Listening to the fan running on your laptop is the best way to determine if it is functioning properly. You can listen to the fan’s sound, as it will produce a mild audible sound. Most laptops make a normal noise when they are working.
Place your ears near the bottom of the laptop, just behind the keyboard. The fan on modern laptops doesn’t always work. The fan will start working when you are doing processor-intensive tasks such as image editing, gaming, or editing a movie. The system can heat up quickly when it is performing processor-intensive tasks.
You don’t have to be concerned if your laptop doesn’t make any noises when it turns on. This is because the computer is running at its slowest speed. Manufacturers often make the fans work in stressful situations to improve battery efficiency and performance.
You can force your laptop fan to work by streaming a 4K video or playing a high-definition game. While eavesdropping on your fan, it may make jagged pulsating and screeching sounds.
Feel for the Air
You don’t have to be able to hear the fan’s sound. The air from the laptop’s vents can be felt. The exhaust from your laptop can be found on either the left, right or bottom. You will need to locate it. Next, you can place a piece of paper in front of the fan output. If the paper blows even slightly, it can indicate that the fan operates. Or, you can feel the heat from the vents with your naked hands.
Modern laptops are sleek and small, so they may not blow out a piece of paper. These are the most straightforward methods to check a laptop’s fan. You can also check if the fan is functioning by using other methods.
Watch out for errors.
If your laptop frequently restarts without warning, slows down or displays a Blue Screen of Death (BSOD), it could be a problem. Even if your fan is working well, it could be a problem with the heatsink cooling system.
Testing using an application
A software program can be used to determine if the fan on your laptop is functioning. Many online applications provide information such as temperature, fan speed, and more.
Testing for Windows
SpeedFan is the most widely used application for Windows. It can monitor the temperature of several sources and adjust fans’ speed manually or automatically based on the system’s temperature.
SpeedFan can also measure the CPU temperature. Hard drive temperature, ambient case temperature. You can switch to the chart tab for a more detailed view. This tab displays temperature charts for selected components.
SpeedFan is not the only software you have. You can also try HWiNFO and Argus Monitor as well as Real Temp.
Testing on Mac
You can also use the IStat Menu on Mac. This gives you fan stats and many other features such as Hard Drive, Battery Sensor, Palm Rest Temperature, and many other options.
You can get the Fanny widget on macOS. I have been using it for quite a while now. It displays the current CPU temperature as well as the fan speed. It is simple and efficient, and it starts at boot time.
Testing with Ubuntu Linux
Installing Im-sensors or fan control packages is required to measure fan speed and temperature on Ubuntu Linux operating system machines.
Install Im-sensor:
- Sudo aptget install Im-sensors
Now, run the app by using the command
- Sudo sensors-detect
For speed fans:
- Sensors | grep fan
The command will output fan speed.
Conclusion
These are some of the basic methods I used to test your laptop’s fan. I also included the software solution to test the fan.
It will help you determine the impact of a fan on laptop performance and longevity. It would help if you also keep your laptop in top running condition. This will ensure that your laptop is reliable and efficient.
