can't tell if laptop fan is working properly

acbay91

Honorable
Jun 18, 2013
2
0
10,510
Hey everyone,

I bought a laptop recently. HP dv6t-7000 with i7 quad core, GT 650M, 8 GB ram and a 160 gb SSD.

I bought it directly from HP and it shipped to my home on June 7th. I live in a fairly loud apartment (4 roommates) so I guess I didn't really notice how loud the fan was or wasn't initially but now that I'm home for the summer I'm noticing that the fan is "always on."

I don't really know much about laptops but I don't know if this is normal or not. I wouldn't say the fan is loud or bothersome but it's definitely noticeable. I don't remember if this is how loud its always been but now that I have my own room and its quiet most of the time I can really notice the laptop fans.

My question is: is this normal or should I return it? I wish I could accurately give a description of how loud it is. It's not really loud in the traditional sense (I imagine) but it's like a constant stream. I'm not using any intensive applications by the way just surfing the internet.

Hoping someone could help me out. Thanks
 

das_stig

Distinguished
i7+650M in a laptop will need a good cooling support, I know as I have the DV7 and my fan is always on, even when I use a cooling tray under it when light gaming just to keep temps under control. Just keep the fans clean with compressed air, as a ah heck to strip down and clean out the crap.
 

acbay91

Honorable
Jun 18, 2013
2
0
10,510
thanks for the answer.

can you please suggest a good cooling pad? i had a Targus AWE55US for my old laptop and the cooling pad no longer works properly. additionally when I place my new laptop on the AWE55US (just for elevation) the fans turn on and become extremely loud so I'm thinking that the AWE55US somehow is hindering the airflow in my new laptop.

also, any tips for cleaning the laptop with compressed air and how frequently? Would I simply blow into the vents with the compressed air maybe once or twice a week?

Thanks.