Fans are barely blowing air at max output

[Goblin Deez Nuts]

So I've been having a problem with overheating on my gaming laptop. I opened it up and it doesn't look like there is any substantial buildup of dust on the fan itself and all the vents appear clear. But I have noticed that when the fans are operating at their maximum speeds (which I expertly determine is when they are the loudest) you can barely feel the air coming out of the vent. I remember when I first bought this thing that the at the same speeds it felt like I had a storm blowing in my computer. Furthermore, as I'm writing this my cpu and ram are both operating at under 20% and the fan keeps switching from barely running to "medium" speed. Is there any way for me to determine what's causing this problem and how I can fix it?

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Most laptops do not have a way to monitor the actual Fan RPMs, so that can be a tough one.

Just monitor the CPU/GPU temps (like with HWMonitor or CoreTemp) and as long as stays under 85*C you should be ok here.

Best bet is disasemble it and redo the Thermal Paste (TIM) with a better one, like ArcticSilver5

And if that alone is not enough, call the maker, explain the issue and see if they will replace the fan under warranty, as with most laptops, the fan usually will not last long. Ontop of this, an after-market Cooling Pad, or home-made cooling pad (you can use a folding-heat-grille + case fan to make your own, very simple and cheap) to further keep the system cool. Buy again ensure the internal fan works normally.

[Silicon Vampire]

Dust/hair build up in the cooling heat-sink. Most of them are a PITA to take apart and clean properly. At least it's not hard to find proper thermal materials for reassembly.

[Bad 💀 Motha]

Quickest areas to clean (and easy to keep clean when u stay on top of it) is under the bottom side grille area and under the keyboard. Most keyboards come off rather easy with 2-4 screws, and by lifting up the KB can gain easy access to the internal fan area for cleaning purposes. If new TIM is needed, that requires disasembly all the way down to the bare motherboard, but once that is done, it shouldn't be needed but perhaps every year or so.

[Goblin Deez Nuts]

Quick update: It seems that the laptop reaches 85+ degrees at aroud 30+% CPU and RAM. Obviously this is not something that should be acceptable with an i7 and 16 gb of RAM (I do a lot of CAD with this thing too). Also the laptop is 3+ years old. Does this make it more likely to be old thermal paste or dust in the heat sink?

[_I_]

clean it with cans of compressed air or an aircompressor

[Silicon Vampire]

Doing this properly is a lot of work.

It should be broken down, cleaned, then reassembled with new (and proper) thermal transfer material. It is not a job for the average computer user. I know how crappy the original material they use is, it breaks down usually about now in laptop's lifespans.

Unless you have experience with this type of thing, you'd be better off paying for a professional to do it...

[Goblin Deez Nuts]

Originally posted by Silicon Vampire:

Doing this properly is a lot of work.

It should be broken down, cleaned, then reassembled with new (and proper) thermal transfer material. It is not a job for the average computer user.

Unless you have experience with this type of thing, you'd be better off paying for a professional to do it...

I wouldn't call myself average. I've toyed with computers before. If there's a decent guide somewhere I'd rather do it myself.

[Silicon Vampire]

At best, you may be able to find a service manual which details disassembly. It won't detail the material you need except by their own part number. Make/model? I may be able to help find one.

Most of the time, you need to figure that out when taking it apart and order it as it comes in several thinknesses. I have no local source myself so I have ordered several sizes in various quantities for when the need arises.