Unleash Your Inner Ifixer: Transforming Steam Deck With A Fan Upgrade!

[@Josh-m2q]

I've been worried about the fan collecting dust in the years to come. Seeing how easy it is to replace the fan brought a huge sense of relief to me and makes me love the deck even more :)

[@RetroRepairYT]

I agree, its almost to the point of hot swapping parts which its beautiful for the 'right to repair' movement. I was overjoyed when I found out how easy it was to get into the deck its still one of my fave devices

[@sneevie]

Excellent, efficient explanation of the process; didn't leave out any major detail. Thanks!

[@lukethompson1517]

A small note, at 1:50 when you put the fan in, you leave the fan's top left screw hole tab over the top of the deck's screw hole tab , when it should go under it. Probably will be fine but FYI.

[@RetroRepairYT]

Thanks for letting me know. I appreciate your keen eye. I'll make sure to change that the next time Im in it

[@CaptainCalamityClam]

I replaced mine and the new fan just pulsed a few times never got above 60rpm, refitted a few times before going back to the old fan, getting a replacement sent out, the hardest part of the procedure is the tiny fan connector fitting, great video though thanks, really helped. I found putting the unit face down in the top side of the official case held the unit safely protecting the thumb sticks helped as well.

[@RetroRepairYT]

Does sound like a faulty replacement fan , happy you were able to get a new one sent your way 🙂. I agree for the connector being so tiny and not having a noticeable click or indication. Visual inspection is the only guarantee. Nice about using the top part of the steam deck case to secure it in place to work on it. That's an awesome tip. Thanks for sharing that and thanks for your comment

[@OaklandTae]

Got a SD in April 23' got a 512gb SD with the Delta fan plus the mod Valve has been installing in all the SD's to lower the whining and fan sound. Installing this $24 Huaying fan has made my SD almost whisper quiet. It wasnt as bad as the Delta fan in this video due to the mod Valve installed, but it was still noticeable. If you have a Delta fan and you're installing a new SSD, do this at the same time, life changing.

[@RetroRepairYT]

I'm happy to hear that. The Huaying fan is definitely awesome it has made my life so much better. That makes sense if your going to change the fan out you should just change out the SSD while your in there

[@oes4257]

By mod valve, do you mean changing the settings of powertools etc.?　If not, I would like to know about the mod valve

[@imstupidbut]

@@oes4257they added foam but i didn’t get any 😢

[@frysauce2]

Shinobi arrow… nice

[@doxielain2231]

I hope to get my deck tomorrow and see what fan I have. I love that this is a piece of hardware that is open to modding and thinking about before I even get it. 3d printer vibes, same mentality.

[@RetroRepairYT]

I wish you the best of luck and I feel the same way. A device a company that doesn't keep the internals under lock and key. Personally it feels like I really own everything about it by Valve giving the us the ability to work on our own handhelds. It is a breath of fresh air that was needed for the community

[@dannyd4339]

That is so awesomely simple.

[@stefanozayas6874]

Besides the sound of the fan, is the ifixit fan better? Does it cool down the system better than the og?

[@RetroRepairYT]

From what I've seen with it they cool almost exactly the same. The newer one. Maybe one degree better than the old one. My steam deck was one of the first batches so I had the faulty fan that would create a very high pitch sound when running on max load. This fix definitely helped me out on the annoying noise. I saw I got better temperatures after I redid my thermal paste.

[@stefanozayas6874]

@@RetroRepairYT thanks for the quick reply and yea I’ll have to check out the thermal paste. Appreciate it 👍

[@renkuroex3548]

Very helpful video, but a bit more elaboration would have been nice :3

[@RetroRepairYT]

Thanks for your message I will, work on this my next video

[@oes4257]

I bought the same model number from Alixpress, but I'm not sure what will happen when I change it.

[@RetroRepairYT]

Well as long as it is the same you should be perfectly fine. I mean if it's from Alixpress it may have just came from the factory that made it. You can always swap it back if it doesn't perform as intended

[@oes4257]

@@RetroRepairYT Thanks for the reply. By Mod Velve, which others have recommended in their comments, are they referring to steam os powertools or other plugins?

[@MrEDET]

After a year my fan started to make a weird grinding noise so my new fan just arrived. So freaking nervous about removing the screws.. read too many posts about stripped screws :-/

[@RetroRepairYT]

You will love that new fan ! Helpful tip: If you have a multi bit set of screw driver heads make sure to use the one that fills all the space on the cross head (there will be minimal to no play when turning - will fit like a puzzle piece on the screw head - referring to the bit used) of the screw and apply moderate pressure when doing the screwing motion. In most cases stripping happens because of rushing or anxiety or use of an improper tool. As long as you go with the method above and take your time you will do a great job.

[@MrEDET]

@@RetroRepairYT Thanks mate. I ordered the Philips 0 and Philips 1 from Ifixit and I think those will do the job. Read a lot of conflicting messages about which one to use, seems like Valve used different screws later on. That's probably the only thing I don't like about the Deck, these bloody screws :D

[@RetroRepairYT]

Sounds like your set and I understand how frustrating it can be with different types of screws in the same device. I'm looking at you Nintendo , with your tri-wing and Philips combination. Regardless it sounds if your being as careful as you are you will do well in your installation. Weird tangent, I wish valve would sell that fresh factory scent such as when you smell the air vents on the deck the first time. Straight up intoxicating XD

[@MrEDET]

@@RetroRepairYT Hehe true, that scent is addictive ;) I'll let you know how it went!

[@RetroRepairYT]

Please do, I look forward to it

[@XxfieryfirexX]

i changed mine to the hyuang fan and the noise seems the same and maybe slighlty worse.

[@RetroRepairYT]

I see, so it makes the high pitch sound or does the fan rev high ? If the game is on high all the time (even for non stressing games like vampire survivor) then I would recommend changing your thermal paste kzbin.info/www/bejne/hqGuk4B3fbOeaq8si=nUqh_dfji8wd5sTW

[@XxfieryfirexX]

i did change the thermal paste to the honeywell ptm thermal layer. and the whine happens when no game is running even@@RetroRepairYT

[@RetroRepairYT]

I see, then since we ruled out the thermal paste. And you have changed the fan that would have to lead to your new replacement fan is not in good condition. I would try to return it and get a replacement for that one. It's not uncommon for replacement parts to be bad they do have a threshold. We can't expect QC to catch all the defect ones

[@XxfieryfirexX]

@@RetroRepairYTahhh damn. i guess ill go for it then

[@elwen8525]

But what are the temps like? Does it not get as hot?

[@RetroRepairYT]

it's super close to the same, from what I have seen only a couple degrees lower at times. The new fan is fixing the high pitched noise the delta fan had

[@shaydesofblue2281]

Better cooling?

[@RetroRepairYT]

A couple degrees lower

[@shaydesofblue2281]

@Retro Repair Nice. I'm definitely looking into it. Thanks

[@RetroRepairYT]

@@shaydesofblue2281 no problem !

[@poker1831]

Will this void the warranty?

[@RetroRepairYT]

Great question! It does and I have updated the video description in heavy detail about your question.

[@tretere]

​@@RetroRepairYT sure about that? Opening and modding your SD should not void the warranty, except when said modification is the cause of the issue. See: 3.0 Exclusions - The Limited Warranty does not apply if the Hardware: has been modified or repaired by anyone except a Valve-designated service center and the cause of the issue for which you seek service is the modification or repair, or damage caused by either

[@eldiosx]

who is better fan iFixit or huaying?

[@Vanacloud]

I was under the impression they are both the same.. or is it not?

[@HoldMeForever]

Don't you need to disconnect the battery?

[@RetroRepairYT]

Yup, I forgot to. Moving forward with additional videos I will be adding that if I take off the metal shield

[@Ghosty_Xwx]

Does the fan come in a box or just bag?

[@RetroRepairYT]

It shipped in a box and then this bag was in the box

[@Ghosty_Xwx]

@@RetroRepairYT o so a box with the bag you didnt buy a ifix it toolkit just part?

[@Ghosty_Xwx]

But also thanks for the fast answer i contacted support heard nothing for 3 months until now from you

[@RetroRepairYT]

@@Ghosty_Xwx no problem at all. Yea I just bought the part. I had an ifixit mako tool kit for a while and didnt need any added tools they recommended

[@I30e]

Changing thermal paste next !

[@RetroRepairYT]

I like your suggestion !

[@C0ttageChees]

Since the Steam Deck is small, and I move it around a lot, I opted for a graphite thermal pad made by Thermal Grizzly rather than liquid metal.

[@RetroRepairYT]

@@C0ttageChees that is a cool option, do you find it works well? I wanted to try it out. If it works close to the same as thermal paste I might get a Grizzly pad too

[@C0ttageChees]

@@RetroRepairYT @Retro Repair Well, this may disappoint, but I never performed tests 😅 Since the form factor is so small I wanted to improve cooling as soon as possible. I'll get you a couple links!

[@RetroRepairYT]

@@C0ttageChees Its alright but I do appreciate it. Well I would like to give it a try on my end then :) thanks again for letting me know

[@ИмяФамилия-с8к7х]

Guys pease help. Dit it help with 400 mhz lock problem?!

[@RetroRepairYT]

I'm not sure if this fixes the issue. But theoretically it could. Also, if you reapply thermal paste it could as well. I also found a Reddit post that may fix your problem, but you could lose some FPS see link below 👇

[@RetroRepairYT]

www.reddit.com/r/SteamDeck/comments/wq1xo4/steam_deck_400mhz_issue_possible_fix/?

[@kouko6727]

How are temps compared to the old delta fans?

[@RetroRepairYT]

The temps are a couple degrees lower. What really killed me was the high pitch sound from the delta fan. It would cut through my speakers on the deck and take me out of my game play

[@kouko6727]

@@RetroRepairYT My deck arrived legit 2 hours after I posted this comment. I downloaded a game and tried it out at 60fps(decent game that pushed the steam deck). Works great. Fans seem to have a low hjm like a fan which isn't annoying. Maybe I got model without delta Fans? Because I would notice that high pitch hum.

[@RetroRepairYT]

@@kouko6727 that is a super cool coincidence that it came in two hours after you posted ' gave me goosebumps'. To know for sure hit your 'Steam' button and got to Settings > System > Model/Serial Numbers button (under the Hardware header). This will list all your components and from what manufacturer. If your fan was made by 'Delta Electronics' you def have a Delta fan.

[@kouko6727]

@@RetroRepairYT It says "Taicang Huaying Electronic...". So I guess my ears weren't tricking me wooo 🥳 that high pitch would of drove me bunkers if I heard it to much.

[@kouko6727]

@@RetroRepairYT I guess the news that they are starting not to use delta Fans might be true. I ordered mine 7 days ago

[@DevilsandDragonsDaD]

Too risky for me I don't mind the noise

[@RetroRepairYT]

Understandable

[@RedouaneSebbar]

Remove the battery cable

[@RetroRepairYT]

Thanks for this :)

[@NEBUL4]

why the hell you didnt put the fan rpm on the video so silly

[@xtrotrikxt8629]

face revel

[@RetroRepairYT]

👀 🤔