Korean Job Discussion Forums

[xeno439]

My laptop is dying after about 20 minutes of use. I am pretty sure it is over heating and that is causing it to go out. My question is, can you replace the fans in a laptop, or like disk space and video cards, is it something that is unchangeable, irreperable in a laptop?

Thanks for the help.

[sojourner1]

It is easily repairable, if you have the fan replacement part, but if the laptop is not Korean then you will be hard pressed to repair it while in Korea. I had this issue during my 1st year and ended up taking the faulty fan and cover off to sit the laptop on top of a regular house fan to blow air over the CPU and heat sink so I could use the computer as a cheap means to tie me over until I got back home to buy an American market laptop. So I got my new laptop for only $600 and sold my old one on eBay for $150.

Are you getting a small window that says something like? "Warning, a problem has been detected with your cooling system, please send to service center for service." And then you computer slows down to a crawl or shuts down.


You might also try removing the fan cover and cleaning out the heat sink, the fan, and the CPU compartment. You know how house fans get all this gray gunk built up on them that restricts air flow? Computers have the same problem.

[tfunk]

I'm pretty sure you can upgrade the disk space on a laptop. Whether you should or not is another issue. I went into a Happy Battery Shop in Yongsan.

Me(in best Konglish): Fixie battery 'jus say ho'.
Battery man: Yes, yes.

I gave him the laptop and he started up a machine. A few sparks and some metallic screeches later he looks up at me and grimaces.

Battery man: Battery....no!

Apparently I must have inadvertently asked him to destroy any future chances that a battery would work in my laptop.

I don't think replacing a fan would be a problem, if the make and model is well known in Korea then get a techie to do it, otherwise you'd be better off doing it yourself.

[I_Am_The_Kiwi]

Firstly, you can replace the hard drive, upgrade memory and YES you can replace fans.

Id suggest, you maybe look online quickly with your make and model of fan and see if there is a guide on how to do it, or at least how to access the fan easily. Or just flip ya laptop over, get a screw driver and see if you can work out which access panel you need to take off.

Fan sizes are pretty generic. If you can get to your fan, take it out, most likely you can take it to a store and get a new fan of the exact same size. Try and make sure it runs the same rpms as the existing fan.

You shouldnt have much trouble with this, just dont drop the screws or slip with the screwdriver.

let us know how it goes.

[timmeh]

My laptop burnt out within the first 3 months I got to Korea. I just took it to Johnny's Computer in Itaewon and he replaced my fan and hard drive since mine was going to fail for 80,000 bucks. Johnny speaks English pretty well so he can help you.

The shop is located in the back alley just past and behind the Hamilton Hotel.

Hope that helps

Goodluck!

[ttompatz]

Fans, even in laptops, are pretty generic and easily replaceable.

Go to the Seon-in plaza at yongsan (see linked photo) and any number of laptop repair shops can clean or change the fan and CPU heatsink for you.
For 10-20k won you can also get a laptop cooler that will help out too.

(I suspect your heatsink/fan is probably just clogged with a mat of crud and just needs cleaning rather than a replacement.

It won't be expensive to take care of.

http://i293.photobucket.com/albums/mm77/ttompatz/yongsan2.jpg

.

[tefain]

Follow ttoms advice and head to Yongsan if around Seoul. Otherwise, just go to a PC shop (they're not hard to find). It doesn't have to be a Korean brand to be serviced here. I had memory added to my Compaq laptop and had a friend get his Toshiba fan replaced for not a lot of money. Most shops carry a decent inventory of parts and accessories and can easily order what they don't have in stock. You shouldn't have many problems other than communication if your Koreans not good. Good luck.

[Binch Lover]

I've tried to get my Toshiba laptop cleaned twice in Korea.

First time, I went to Techno Mart and the first guy I went to did it for me in a jiffy. Second time, I went to Yongsan but I honestly could not find a single person willing to do it. It was weird, every store I wanted me to go to the Toshiba service center which was closed by the time I got there cos nobody knew where the hell it was. So I gave up and now I just have it sitting on two books to improve air circulation. Seems to work ok!

[ttompatz]

[Binch Lover]