are laptop fans user replaceable?

[hahher]

this would pertain to dell or ibm laptops.

if a fan needs to be replaced, how easy is it? do they use generic fans you can buy at online shops or custom? if custom, do dell/ibm sell them at reasonable price (<$10)?

 

[Almighty1]

Not sure about IBM since I've never had to changed one yet but on Dell's, it is user replaceable although you'll learn how to take the entire machine apart and put it back together in the process. Dell's cost $14.95 for the Inpiron 8000/8100/8200, Latitude C800/C810/C810 and the Precision Workstation M50. You can buy the same fan but from Allied Electronics only at more than the price of Dell.

 

[Gage8]

Some are very easy and some are very hard to replace. It is a case by case basis. On my old compaq Everything was easy to get to. however, a friend asked me to replace a fan on his hp laptop and I had to practically take the motherboard out to get to the malfunctioning fan. I told him I couldn't do it because I didn't want to be held responsible for messing it up. If you feel comfortable taking it apart, try to locate the fan and then search google for someone who sells small fans for laptops. Not everyone carries fans that small.

 

[jschuk]

It will be hard to find any new fans under $10.00. The fans I see range from ~$20.00 to $90.00 for the fan/heatsink combos.