Loud Switch Fan...But Only Sometimes

[PrinceOfBrains]

Okay, SO: loud Switch fans.

I know this isn't a new, or particularly undocumented, problem, but I've been seeing so much conflicting info about it I figured I'd just ask myself and see how it went.

For the last few years, my Switch has made a loud fan noise - not exactly anything 'grindy' sounding, but it sounds like it's running way too hard (like a laptop does sometimes) and it doesn't stop until I put the system back to sleep for a second. Once I wake it back up, it doesn't do it again. This has been happening slightly more frequently over the past year, and I'm not sure if it's because my fan is dying, or it's just keeping up with the games I've been playing, or WHAT.

Before I freak myself out and mail it back to Nintendo to get fixed, is this anything I'm actually supposed to be worried about or is this kinda "normal" for a Switch?

 

[wiiNinja]

On many computing devices, the fan's speed increases as the CPU temperature increases to cool it off. May be something is blocking the air flow inside your switch, causing an increase in temperature and your fan is just working extra hard to push that hot air out. Are you comfortable to crack that thing open and have a look? Next time it happens, use an external fan to blow on the switch to see if that helps the internal fan to slow down.

 

[deathblade200]

Okay, SO: loud Switch fans.

I know this isn't a new, or particularly undocumented, problem, but I've been seeing so much conflicting info about it I figured I'd just ask myself and see how it went.

For the last few years, my Switch has made a loud fan noise - not exactly anything 'grindy' sounding, but it sounds like it's running way too hard (like a laptop does sometimes) and it doesn't stop until I put the system back to sleep for a second. Once I wake it back up, it doesn't do it again. This has been happening slightly more frequently over the past year, and I'm not sure if it's because my fan is dying, or it's just keeping up with the games I've been playing, or WHAT.

Before I freak myself out and mail it back to Nintendo to get fixed, is this anything I'm actually supposed to be worried about or is this kinda "normal" for a Switch?

nobody can answer this properly without knowing what you are playing and what clock speeds regardless putting it into sleep mode should only temporarily fix it as the switch underclocks in sleep mode

 

[PrinceOfBrains]

nobody can answer this properly without knowing what you are playing and what clock speeds regardless putting it into sleep mode should only temporarily fix it as the switch underclocks in sleep mode

okay, yeah, good point - so it's MOSTLY been happening while I've been playing No More Heroes III and Brilliant Diamond lately, although I remember it happening a ton earlier this year when I was working through Persona 5 Strikers. I play in handheld mode like 99% of the time so it's whatever undocked clock speed that runs at, and it's a launch day Switch model so nothing has really been done to it other than the usual wear and tear through age.