T420s Fan noise Issue

[k_crow]

@liebezeit

This does not mean in terms.

I had called Lenovo customer support twice asking why it takes long, before I got the email.

She mentioned in passing they need more time to put the system board(she don't know whether same type or new) on backorder. In those calls and latest email, they didn't clarify where the problem was. (or only owing to my nervousness?) I'll keep my temper.

I will make a report here when my TP is back.

[Lunatech]

The software that is linked to here in this thread really did the trick and CPU never runs over 60 C and fan is very quiet.. Makes me think that this is not a HW problem, but a driver/software/bios problem... Still don't feel cool about having to use a third party program to fix this....

[itabez]

Same problem. I have T420 Type 4178.

The fan is NOISY, this is my 3rd thinkpad (After T60, T500) and the worst fan I ever had.

We are waiting for a solution !!!!!

[lenofix]

the whining noise is a hardware issue.

lenovo has to change fan  - there is no other workaround.  I wonder how lenovo

can ignore this since weeks.

I can only say: do not buy this units until R&D fix it

[benwah]

Having the same probleme here, what is the remedy? How can I reduce fan speed on Linux? The thing drives me nuts.

[Sunebune]

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itabez wrote:

Same problem. I have T420 Type 4178.

The fan is NOISY, this is my 3rd thinkpad (After T60, T500) and the worst fan I ever had.

We are waiting for a solution !!!!!

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I have the T420s, model 4174-2AG and have - during the two weeks since purchasing it - experienced no problem with fan noise, or noise at all. In fact, it runs exactly as quietly as I hoped it would, being one of my reasons for buying a ThinkPad in the first place. I don't use it for heavy-duty tasks, but it easily runs various desktop programs and browsing with multiple tabs while I'm e.g. adjusting various system settings etc., at the same time without being anywhere near noisy. Most of the time it will be silent, and every once in a while the fan turns on and runs quietly and steadily until it turns off, typically after a very short while. Exactly as I'd expect. 

I don't know how to easily specify my particular configuration, but I'm quite curious if there are others out there who are completely satisfied with their T420s, including the fan?

Best,

Sune, Copenhagen

[MikeM]

Sunebune,

You communicate that your fan doesn't run all the time.  Are you saying that your fan completely stops spinning at times when the system is awake and running the OS/apps?

You also say that your T420 fan runs "steadily" which could be construed to mean that it does NOT exhibit the "pulsing fan" behavior mentioned here and elsewhere.  Can you confirm that it doesn't "pulse"... ever... even when put under heavy load for a spell?  AFAICT, the "pulsing fan" behavior seems to be intrinsic to the current design&|firmware of several models including yours and thus it is my impression that your system *should* pulse the fan and you *should* hear it under at least heavy loads.

[Sunebune]

I'm sorry for not being specific - I'm a true noob when it comes to ThinkPads, and laptop tech issues as such, I guess. I realise that the fan is probably on all the time, even when I don't hear it. I'm aware of the pulsing fan problem, and reading about this as well as the 'whining' issue, and the 'the-fan-won't-stop-when-it's-first-started' issue etc. worried me a great deal before chosing. I haven't been able to gather from the various threads, though, how these issues would affect the kind of work I'm doing, i.e. NOT heavy graphics/calculating tasks but academic-like office tasks/research/large document-handling etc. So as soon as got it, I focused quite intensely on the performance of the fan. At the very beginning, for a second I thought I recognised the pulsing experience, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't - anyway it's not there now.
As mentioned, I haven't put the machine at hard work (and I wouldn't know how to do that in a controlled/measurable way) - and that might well be exactly the reason I'm very satisfied. Actually, I do sometimes hear a very light repeated clicking sound, which could be one of the issues people complain about - however, it doesn't bug me, which is why I didn't think about mentioning it in the first place. (Ok, maybe I'm simply too used to crap, shipyard-sounding computers to accurately assess this one's performance..)

[Yangorang]

http://i429.photobucket.com/albums/qq20/Yangorang/ThinkPad%20T420s/CIMG0415.jpg

Here's a picture of my whiny fan - if you guys could get similar pictures with the part number of the whiny fan perhaps we could identify which particular model is causing these annoying issues with the T420s.

[MikeM]

Sunebune,

Thanks for the additional info.  There is no harm in sharing one's general, subjective opinion   BTW, I'm glad you are pleased with the noise levels of your Thinkpad.  That's the bottom line.  Its just that the specifics and nitty gritty details are important too and can have certain implications.

There is a "System Stress Tool" in the ThinkVantage Toolbox Diagnostics section.  That can be used to put your system under a "stressful" load and thus a) test your system, and b) increase its temperature and fan speed.

I'd rather not guess at what that clicking sound is.  However, I will share this... the "pulsing fan" noise made my T520 depends on fan RPM.  When the system is cold/idling and the fan is spinning the slowest, the pulsing sound has a mechanical component to it which some might describe as clicking.  My only thought at this point is that at lower RPM when the centrifugal force is lower, the RPM changes may be sufficient to rock the fan in its bearings/housing.  At higher RPM the pulsing sound doesn't have a mechanical component to it and instead sounds simply like a change in "RPM whine" and the "thrush of moving air".  Perhaps thats because the mechanical component is drowned out or because the centrifugal force prevents much rocking.  I really don't know, just sharing some thoughts.