[ltp] x61: Fan error

[Robert Tomsick]

On Wed, Apr 1, 2015, at 03:14 PM, Paul Bolle wrote:
> [This question is not Linux specific, but I like this list's signal to
> noise ratio.]
>=20
> A six years old ThinkPad X61 (that is now used by a member of my family)
> today suddenly refused to boot. It only emitted some scary beeps before
> shutting itself down. After a few attempts I notice an equally scary
>     Fan error
>=20
> message before it shut down.
>=20
> Another few attempts later it, somehow, actually
> booted. /proc/acpi/ibm/fan show a zero "speed" while /proc/acpi/ibm/temp
> showed one of its temperatures nearing 90 degrees celsius with a bit of
> help of Youtube etc. Not good.
>=20
> A new fan apparently costs about =E2=82=AC 60 and probably requires apply=
ing
> "thermal paste": ie, quite a bit of money compared to the present value
> of this laptop and I guess an afternoon fiddling with hardware (not my
> cup of tea).

That seems a little expensive...  I can get them on eBay for well under
20 USD, and I can't imagine that shipping to where you are costs *that*
much.

As far as ease of installation, it's actually not too bad.  Lenovo
publishes Hardware Maintenance Manuals that'll provide a nice
step-by-step guide for replacing the fan, and the thermal paste isn't
really that hard to apply, although I will grant that it seems a little
tricky if you haven't done it before.  I've done it before, and the
process doesn't take more than an hour or two.

It really comes down to whether or not you want new hardware.  I'm a big
believer in fixing what's broken and stretching my hardware dollar as
far as I can within reason.  And for me, 20 bucks of parts and a rainy
afternoon of tinkering is worth it if it means I can put off a
thousand-dollar new laptop purchase by a couple years.  YMMV, obviously.

-R