Is it fine to ignore fan problem (error 90B) for light to medium use?

Winuser · Nov 10, 2021

TheMystic said:
Here is a picture:

View attachment 13204

The thermal tape I am referring to is marked with a blue arrow.

If I don't manage to fix it myself and If I don't find the original spare, I will see if another model can be used as a replacement.

That said, I see that the copper pipes are black in colour (marked with red arrow). Is that the colour of the pipe or have they turned black due to overheating?

Would this work? NEW CPU Cooling Fan for HP dv7-7212nr dv7-7223cl dv7-7227cl dv7-7230us DV6-7000 DV6T-7000 DV7-7000 - Newegg.com

BunnyJ · Nov 10, 2021

jvickers said:
That black likely is from overheating. It should all be brass colored.

Yup.. burn marks due to high temps. As long as it works why worry??

Winuser · Nov 10, 2021

Here's another link you can check. hp laptop fans - Bing

TheMystic · Nov 10, 2021

jvickers said:
That black likely is from overheating. It should all be brass colored.

There was a time (actually a considerable amount of time) about a year or two back when the laptop would always run over 90°C, going up to 100°C even for basic use.

I finally opened it up, cleaned it inside and put new thermal paste. The temperature instantly dropped to below 70°C for the same usage. So this damage likely happened at that time. Hopefully it is limited to just the colour of the cooling pipes.

That problem is now a thing of the past as my laptop now runs very fine and cool now.

BunnyJ · Nov 10, 2021

TheMystic said:
There was a time (actually a considerable amount of time) about a year or two back when the laptop would always run over 90°C, going up to 100°C even for basic use.

I finally opened it up, cleaned it inside and put new thermal paste. The temperature instantly dropped to below 70°C for the same usage. So this damage likely happened at that time. Hopefully it is limited to just the colour of the cooling pipes.

That problem is now a thing of the past as my laptop now runs very fine and cool now.

That explains that.. but running it that high is still a tad bit concerning for me, at least. I would keep an eye out on the temps to see if they don't run above 50c for too long.

TheMystic · Nov 10, 2021

Winuser said:
Would this work? NEW CPU Cooling Fan for HP dv7-7212nr dv7-7223cl dv7-7227cl dv7-7230us DV6-7000 DV6T-7000 DV7-7000 - Newegg.com

Thanks for the link. I'll get in touch with them if a new fan is required. May be a keyboard too.

But how did you guess the model number of my laptop correctly? It is indeed HP Envy dv7.

Winuser · Nov 10, 2021

TheMystic said:
Thanks for the link. I'll get in touch with them if a new fan is required. May be a keyboard too.

But how did you guess the model number of my laptop correctly? It is indeed HP Envy dv7.

I just did a search for HP laptop fans and looked at the pics until I saw one that looked like your fan. The keyboard may be a little harder to find.

Winuser · Nov 10, 2021

If the bearings in the fan are wore out you will eventually need a new fan. For $13.00 you may be able to keep your laptop running for many more years.

TheMystic · Nov 10, 2021

Winuser said:
If the bearings in the fan are wore out you will eventually need a new fan. For $13.00 you may be able to keep your laptop running for many more years.

I will know that once I open the laptop. Soon!

Eksy61 · Nov 10, 2021

TheMystic said:
My HP laptop is now 8.5 years old. Recently, the fan has started making a noise and I get Error 90B almost every time I boot. The noise isn't too loud, but it is not normal either.

This is now my secondary laptop, so my use is quite light, except when I am exploring Windows installation, etc.

The temperatures as recorded by Speccy, SpeedFan, CoreTemp are all within normal limits (under 60°C) most of the time.

Can I continue using the laptop without replacing the fan (which spare is not easily available for this model) and without damaging the other components?

The laptop is running perfectly fine otherwise.

Thanks.

TheMystic said:
The temperatures are within normal limits as I mentioned in the OP. The laptop also doesn’t feel hot to the touch (it only feels warm which is normal).

And the error shows up only during boot. I don’t get any errors during use.

I'll bet the problem is occurring during bootup because BIOS fan speed is often higher at that time, which is putting more stress on the fan system. But it's going to get worse, believe me.
You don't have to replace the fan with an exact duplicate. You may even be able to find a better fan with the same form factor.

To me, using a computer with a failing CPU fan is like trying to drive a car after the oil light comes on. You're just tempting fate.

Eksy61 · Nov 10, 2021

TheMystic said:
My HP laptop is now 8.5 years old. Recently, the fan has started making a noise and I get Error 90B almost every time I boot. The noise isn't too loud, but it is not normal either.

This is now my secondary laptop, so my use is quite light, except when I am exploring Windows installation, etc.

The temperatures as recorded by Speccy, SpeedFan, CoreTemp are all within normal limits (under 60°C) most of the time.

Can I continue using the laptop without replacing the fan (which spare is not easily available for this model) and without damaging the other components?

The laptop is running perfectly fine otherwise.

Thanks.

TheMystic said:
The temperatures are within normal limits as I mentioned in the OP. The laptop also doesn’t feel hot to the touch (it only feels warm which is normal).

And the error shows up only during boot. I don’t get any errors during use.

The problem is occurring during bootup probably because bootup fan speed is often higher, which is putting more stress on the fan system. But it's going to get worse, believe me.
You don't have to replace the fan with an exact duplicate. You may even be able to find a better fan with the same form factor.

To me, using a computer with a failing CPU fan is like trying to drive a car after the oil light comes on. You're just tempting fate.

v27v · Nov 10, 2021

BunnyJ said:
I would take it to a shop and get it cleaned out. But that's me and I don't like killing hardware.,. well,, not mine. OH and there are stands for laptops that provide great air flow to keep it cool.. I got one for Erin's and it works like a charm.

And yes,, Bacon is the best!!!

Winuser said:
For me the best smell in the morning is either the smell of fried bacon or the smell of fried CPU. Seriously, if there is a problem with the fan eventually the CPU will get fried. At 8 1/2 years old and the condition it's in I can't see investing any money into it.

maybe this is why so much spam became a thing...to ensure we have a complete breakfast

BunnyJ · Nov 10, 2021

v27v said:
maybe this is why so much spam became a thing...to ensure we have a complete breakfast

Spam.. = magic!!

jvickers · Nov 10, 2021

BunnyJ said:
Spam.. = magic!!

Spam mixed with mac-n'-cheese!

BunnyJ · Nov 10, 2021

jvickers said:
Spam mixed with mac-n'-cheese!

I have to try that out right now I use ham with mac&cheese but spam sounds great. Note to self.. don't tell Erin the meat is spam. LOL

Winuser · Nov 10, 2021

BunnyJ said:
Spam.. = magic!!

Spam, fried + eggs + toast = breakfast. I also like fried bologna and fried hotdogs.

BunnyJ · Nov 10, 2021

Winuser said:
Spam, fried + eggs + toast = breakfast. I also like fried bologna and fried hotdogs.

I could go for that.,

Winuser · Nov 10, 2021

BunnyJ said:
I could go for that.,

When I was a kid my mom use slice hotdogs and fry them. Then she would add them to her home-made milk gravy. We would put the gravy over toast or if she was in the mood, fried potatoes.

jvickers · Nov 10, 2021

Winuser said:
When I was a kid my mom use slice hotdogs and fry them. Then she would add them to her home-made milk gravy. We would put the gravy over toast or if she was in the mood, fried potatoes.

That sounds good. I love fried potatoes. They take some finagling to make well, but they're worth it!

Winuser · Nov 10, 2021

jvickers said:
That sounds good. I love fried potatoes. They take some finagling to make well, but they're worth it!

My dad use to make fried potatoes for Sunday breakfast. He fried them in hog's lard. He would add onion, bacon and just before they were done, he added a couple of eggs.