Major problems after fan cleaning of Nitro 5 AN515-43

Maxfocht · February 2023

So I was cleaning my fans fully for once and had cleaned out a bunch of dust (I live with smokers, so I do a small clean every month). This was the first time I actually took the fan covers off and and the big fan part that covers the GPU and CPU.i didn't touch anything else

I took the fans off and cleaned them good and put everything back together how it was. But when I booted my computer up the fans turned on high immediately before calming down, which sometimes happens.

This time though they stayed on. They would calm down and then speed up again constantly. I looked up and saw online that maybe I didn't press down enough when putting everything in with the old thermal paste (haven't ever replaced it but never gave an issue yet) I retook the fans apart again and rescrewed everything. Still the same issue, then I decided since it was late I'll see if it goes away. It's been a few hours and I'm only watching YouTube and it has crashed a few times but the computer is cold so it didn't overheat. And now it's running very slow. It never was like this untill I did the cleaning and I'm at a lost what to do.

I have a Nitro 5 AN515-43 with a windows 11 it's quite old maybe 5 years

StevenGen · February 2023

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/679031/major-problems-after-fan-cleaning-of-nitro-5-an515-43

As shown in the caption below, the yellow highlights for thermal pads and the red crosses for thermal paste, you need to completely remove/clean all these components and put new thermal pads and paste to the vram circutries and cpu and gpu for a 4years old laptop like the AN515-43 that its oem pads and paste is probably inferior in quality in the first place ,

Use a high-grade product like the Thermal Grizzly pads and paste as your problem is because thermally your laptop is not adequately shielded and no matter what you do your AN515-43 will not have adequate thermals for the vram circuitries and the fans will always overwork and you will get high rpm's., also your fans after 4 years could be worn and not cooling your laptops cpu/gpu the way that they are meant to do and it would be a good idea to change these 2x fans for new ones, which you will have to look for these fans for the cpu/gpu on the web as Acer does not list individual fans and part numbers for cpu/gpu fans in their SG but they only list the whole thermal module and fans as an assembly like below.

AN515-43 thermal paste and paste applications

AN515-43 THERMAL MODULE DIS W/PLASTIC FAN*2 - Acer part #: 24.Q5XN2.001

JackE · February 2023

>>>it has crashed a few times but the computer is cold so it didn't overheat>>>

What temperature does the NitroSense application show? Please post a screenshot of NitroSense temperatures and fan speeds.

StevenGen · February 2023

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/679031/major-problems-after-fan-cleaning-of-nitro-5-an515-43

As shown in the caption below, the yellow highlights for thermal pads and the red crosses for thermal paste, you need to completely remove/clean all these components and put new thermal pads and paste to the vram circutries and cpu and gpu for a 4years old laptop like the AN515-43 that its oem pads and paste is probably inferior in quality in the first place ,

Use a high-grade product like the Thermal Grizzly pads and paste as your problem is because thermally your laptop is not adequately shielded and no matter what you do your AN515-43 will not have adequate thermals for the vram circuitries and the fans will always overwork and you will get high rpm's., also your fans after 4 years could be worn and not cooling your laptops cpu/gpu the way that they are meant to do and it would be a good idea to change these 2x fans for new ones, which you will have to look for these fans for the cpu/gpu on the web as Acer does not list individual fans and part numbers for cpu/gpu fans in their SG but they only list the whole thermal module and fans as an assembly like below.

AN515-43 thermal paste and paste applications

AN515-43 THERMAL MODULE DIS W/PLASTIC FAN*2 - Acer part #: 24.Q5XN2.001

Maxfocht · February 2023

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1178793#Comment_1178793

i already know i needed to get some paste and was gonna get some when i get paid. its just it never did this before even with me doing the small cleanings.

it hasnt crashed at all today (scratch that it crashed in mid typing) but have been extremly slow and laggy when just having chrome up. Even worse after i play a game which it continues to be laggy. but again my computer is cold the whole time with the crashes. Can just the thermal paste cause all this? it was all fine before i cleaned the fans

Maxfocht · February 2023

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1178763#Comment_1178763

it crashed a few minutes ago after playing a round of a game (Overwatch, and the latop was still cold), when it first crashed last night it was between 60-70 rn its at 80s

StevenGen · February 2023

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1178796#Comment_1178796

Its crashing because of thermal issues that are getting hot and its a combination of all like vram and cpu/gpu as you disturbed the old paste and thermal insulation. Its best to redo all the components I've shown above including the fans later and when you can get new ones.

Then make sure that all your windows drivers are up to date, install the latest NVidia gpu drivers for your gpu and make sure that the NVidia Control Panel at System Programs is set for this game to High performance NVIDIA processor and also you install NVidia GeForce Experience software that will automatically include this game (if its in their list) to apply the ultimate and best NVidia settings for your gpu for this game, as GeForce Experience have allot of games that Nvidia has matchlessly worked out the best gpu to game ultimate settings, if you do all that then you can't go wrong, if this game that you are playing is not included in GFE then go to this games site and get the ultimate settings for your gpu, its very easy as these laptops need to have the best settings and hardware maintained to perform at their best.

JackE · February 2023

CPU is way too hot at that usage level even if thermal paste is dried out. I believe the thermal module tubes in this model are sealed with a liquid coolant, not open air ducts. It may have leaked coolant. If it was mine, I'd first try re-pasting. If it doesn't resolve the issue, then the thermal module should be replaced. Google search part no. 24.Q5XN2.001 for vendors who ship to your location. About $100usd.

billsey · February 2023

Likely one of the two fans isn't actually spinning, even though the system is calling for it to go full speed. Maybe one of the wires pulled loose form the connector?

JackE · February 2023

CPU is way too hot at that usage level even if thermal paste is dried out. I believe the thermal module tubes in this model are sealed with a liquid coolant, not open air ducts. It may have leaked coolant. If it was mine, I'd first try re-pasting. If it doesn't resolve the issue, then the thermal module should be replaced. Google search part no. 24.Q5XN2.001 for vendors who ship to your location. About $100usd.

Maxfocht · February 2023

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1178803#Comment_1178803

gotcha but the odd thing is , is that i dont have nvidia processors i have Vega 8 and Radeon 560x, and it has never let me get nvidia. i redid the fans again and found some hair tangled in it, took it out and repushed the fans back in and it seemed to have gotten better a tad bit when not plugged in charging the fans are quiet and nothing lags for games.

Maxfocht · February 2023

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1178902#Comment_1178902

mine all open vent no coolent from my knowledge? i have three vents on it. but my computer has always been like that for years now and has never done it till now. i might work on getting a newer model instead if i keep having to fix it 😅

but as well i had chrome and Discord only im not sure why it keeps spiking then going down, but thx for the help.

Maxfocht · February 2023

https://community.acer.com/en/discussion/comment/1178817#Comment_1178817

they're both spinning definitely. i did find some hair in one of them, wasnt mine so idk where it came from it does work a bit better now with and the fans arent on 24/7😅

JackE · February 2023

>>>mine all open vent no coolent from my knowledge? i have three vents on it.>>>

I think you better double-check the thermal modules. The heat exchangers mounted on the sides of the fan compartment suggest liquid cooling with copper colored tubes that are sealed and filled with coolant. If you're not feeling much heat coming from the case air vents, then that heat is being trapped in the cpu heat sink due to coolant losss.