Hardware Switch overheating while in Dock or charging

[Preya]

Hi,

So I have bought a used and unpatched Switch lately and it first seemed to work just fine. I modded the Switch, but as i tried to play on it in the Dock it overheated after a while. This happened in the modded Version but also in the normal Switch system. I have then switched out the fan but it didnt help. Since I was curious I tried it while charging the console, where it doesnt overheat but the fan doesnt seem to work aswell and after I unplug the Switch the fan gets really loud. Because I have not found anything to my problem I hope to find some help here.

 

[Hayato213]

Change your thermal paste, it is probably dry out.

 

[SylverReZ]

Definitely use Arctic MX4 or Thermal Grizzly thermal paste.

 

[Preya]

Change your thermal paste, it is probably dry out.

Change your thermal paste, it is probably dry out.

I dont think thats the problem, because the fan just doesnt work properly when the Switch charges but normal in Handheld.
Also in the monitoring tool the fan is capped at 20%, but it isnt working at 20% in reality.

 

[Hayato213]

I dont think thats the problem, because the fan just doesnt work properly when the Switch charges but normal in Handheld.

Well you have to open it to take a look if the thermal paste was dry out or not, that would be one of the reason it is causing your overheating, since it is unpatched v1 so it is few years old, probably already dry out unless previous owner changed the thermal paste, by default Nintendo used pink thermal paste, so when you open it if it pink thermal paste, it is probably dry out, your other issue might be a bad fan if it doesn't move at all. Charging doesn't have anything to do with overheating.

 

[Preya]

Well you have to open it to take a look if the thermal paste was dry out or not, that would be one of the reason it is causing your overheating, since it is unpatched v1 so it is few years old, probably already dry out unless previous owner changed the thermal paste, by default Nintendo used pink thermal paste, so when you open it if it pink thermal paste, it is probably dry out, your other issue might be a bad fan if it doesn't move at all. Charging doesn't have anything to do with overheating.

As I said I already switched the fan with another that definetly worked since it was in a different Switch.

 

[Hayato213]

As I said I already switched the fan with another that definetly worked since it was in a different Switch.

Well you have a different issue here then you fan connector on the board doesn't work, it doesn't provide power to the fan if the fan work in another switch. Since you swap the fan I assume you changed the thermal paste

 

[Preya]

Well you have a different issue here then you fan connector on the board doesn't work, it doesn't provide power to the fan if the fan work in another switch. Since you swap the fan I assume you changed the thermal paste

I only put on a little bit thermal paste since I didnt have much anymore,but this does just not seem like the right solution

 

[Hayato213]

I only put on a little bit thermal paste since I didnt have much anymore,but this does just not seem like the right solution

Well you probably needed more thermal paste, you have to paste under the heat pipe, and on top of it at least if you don't do the section under the metal cover section. As for you fan goes you might got a bad connector if the fan doesn't turn on at all. If you run a graphic intense game like Breath of the Wild, the fan should run if the fan was working correctly.

 

[Preya]

Well you probably needed more thermal paste, you have to paste under the heat pipe, and on top of it at least if you don't do the section under the metal cover section. As for you fan goes you might got a bad connector if the fan doesn't turn on at all. If you run a graphic intense game like Breath of the Wild, the fan should run if the fan was working correctly.

The fan works in handheld normal, but while charging or in Dock the fan only works at bare minimum at most.

 

[Hayato213]

The fan works in handheld normal, but while charging or in Dock the fan only works at bare minimum at most.

It only kick in when needed that how the switch fan work, it isn't on 24/7

 

[Preya]

It only kick in when needed that how the switch fan work, it isn't on 24/7

Why does it overheat then?

 

[Hayato213]

Why does it overheat then?

Part of the problem is that you put little thermal paste. It does get hot in the dock anyway. V1 unit run hotter than V2 and OLED.

 

[Preya]

Part of the problem is that you put little thermal paste. It does get hot in the dock anyway. V1 unit run hotter than V2 and OLED.

I will get more thermal paste tomorrow and put it on then, but still it shouldnt overheat even if it is v1

 

[Hayato213]

I will get more thermal paste tomorrow and put it on then, but still it shouldnt overheat even if it is v1

You need 2 things though you need enough thermal paste, and a working fan since you didn't fulfill both condition, I can't see why it didn't overheat.

 

[britain4]

Did it switch off with the overheating message or is there another reason you think it overheated? What kind of temps are you seeing when the fan is running at 20%?

 

[Preya]

Did it switch off with the overheating message or is there another reason you think it overheated? What kind of temps are you seeing when the fan is running at 20%?

Yes the Switch turned itself down after the overheating message was displayed.