Steamdeck is smelling weird

[AeroXbird]

Heya all!
maybe some of you guys got the same issue or it's just me.
when i'm using my steam deck for the last couple of days it smells like it's on fire / burning.
it's not running any game or something just laying on a flat surface (vents not blocked)

Some aditional information:
it own the deck since the 1st of September (bought it new)
active using it since half october. when i'm using it i always check updates (steamOS and desktop mode) my main games are rocket league, Emulation games, euro truck simulator.
i'm mostly running it on the battery. once it's like 5/10% i will quit gaming and then charge it till the LED goes off.

if anyone got information what it is? how to fix it? or maybe it's just normal.
hope it's not broken or something, that would be the worse thing what can happen.

[[?]legit]

The smell probably comes from the fan exhaust. Enjoy it, it will get weaker over time.

[Kanad]

use the Performance Overlay (level 3 or 4) it will tell you how hot your device is getting. playing the Witcher 3 and charging ive seen my temps get into the 90s... that did worry me but then again, it wont last forever and I'm pretty sure its designed to be that high.

also on a weird note, mine smells like celery...

[bean]

when they first came out, everyone was excited about the smell

however if it really smells like something is burning, there may be an issue.

[AeroXbird]

Originally posted by legit:

The smell probably comes from the fan exhaust. Enjoy it, it will get weaker over time.

The smell is getting more and more tbh. it's not a smell like when it's new. it's more like a PCB what is "old" and get that weird smell. hope you got me

Originally posted by Kanad:

use the Performance Overlay (level 3 or 4) it will tell you how hot your device is getting. playing the Witcher 3 and charging ive seen my temps get into the 90s... that did worry me but then again, it wont last forever and I'm pretty sure its designed to be that high.

also on a weird note, mine smells like celery...

if i use overlay 4, i'll see for myself 2 red flags.
1. GPU is running 99% on farming simulator 22 (not even moving ingame)
2. the fan jumps from 3700RPM to 150RPM and back to 3700RP.

temp is between 65s and 75s

[invision2212]

Originally posted by AeroXbird:

Originally posted by legit:

The smell probably comes from the fan exhaust. Enjoy it, it will get weaker over time.

The smell is getting more and more tbh. it's not a smell like when it's new. it's more like a PCB what is "old" and get that weird smell. hope you got me

Originally posted by Kanad:

use the Performance Overlay (level 3 or 4) it will tell you how hot your device is getting. playing the Witcher 3 and charging ive seen my temps get into the 90s... that did worry me but then again, it wont last forever and I'm pretty sure its designed to be that high.

also on a weird note, mine smells like celery...

if i use overlay 4, i'll see for myself 2 red flags.
1. GPU is running 99% on farming simulator 22 (not even moving ingame)
2. the fan jumps from 3700RPM to 150RPM and back to 3700RP.

temp is between 65s and 75s

some games peg the GPU at 99% in the main menu because its rendering an actual in game scene, and your temps are fine.

[1singur]

Originally posted by AeroXbird:

2. the fan jumps from 3700RPM to 150RPM and back to 3700RP.

Maybe issues with the fan. See if changing the fan curve in settings will fix this.
Also some fans can get magnetized, perhaps you know the situation with that recalled case which caused fans to stop working properly.

[Jake Sully]

Originally posted by AeroXbird:

Originally posted by legit:

The smell probably comes from the fan exhaust. Enjoy it, it will get weaker over time.

The smell is getting more and more tbh. it's not a smell like when it's new. it's more like a PCB what is "old" and get that weird smell. hope you got me

Originally posted by Kanad:

use the Performance Overlay (level 3 or 4) it will tell you how hot your device is getting. playing the Witcher 3 and charging ive seen my temps get into the 90s... that did worry me but then again, it wont last forever and I'm pretty sure its designed to be that high.

also on a weird note, mine smells like celery...

if i use overlay 4, i'll see for myself 2 red flags.
1. GPU is running 99% on farming simulator 22 (not even moving ingame)
2. the fan jumps from 3700RPM to 150RPM and back to 3700RP.

temp is between 65s and 75s

All gpus will show 99% load in games. That is normal, since game itself is using gpu load to be able to run even like you said you are idle in game it still shows 99% gpu load. Nothing wrong with that.

But fan jumping 3700rpm to 150rpm while gaming seems off. My steam deck goes up at like 4000rpm or more and stays on.

Try turning off the updated FAN profile and see if fan stays on better.

[greenghost1212]

i just bought a steam deck maybe a month ago and have the weird chemical smell myself. i had to return the case it came in because the case had that smell as well. the new case they sent me doesn't. this is a very distinct smell, not new fresh electronic smell. any advice on how to get rid of it let me know. i've run the deck bone dry next to a window to maybe circulate it out, but no luck.

[Parapass]

Originally posted by greenghost1212:

i just bought a steam deck maybe a month ago and have the weird chemical smell myself. i had to return the case it came in because the case had that smell as well. the new case they sent me doesn't. this is a very distinct smell, not new fresh electronic smell. any advice on how to get rid of it let me know. i've run the deck bone dry next to a window to maybe circulate it out, but no luck.

It's just the plastic smell of the Deck. It will go away after a few months.