Terence EdenOct 19, 2024

Advice sought for #repaircafe inclined people.

Anyone done a #NintendoSwitch fan replacement before?

@summerbeth 's Switch has a dying fan. Very loud and grumbly (the fan, not her!)

A professional repair is about £70.

Buying the parts and tools myself would be about £20. The video guides make the repair look tricky, with ample opportunity to screw up.

External USB fans are about a tenner.

Buying a new console - even 2nd hand - is at least £150.

What would you do?

Repair it myself
60.6%
Pay a professional
35.6%
Get a USB fan dock
3.3%
Buy a new Switch
0.6%
Poll ended at .
Show threadTerence Eden
Sod it! Let's go!
Oct 20, 2024 at 12:33pmWeb
Show threadTerence EdenOct 25, 2024

Buggeration!

The Y00 Tri-Wing screwdriver seems too big for the Nintendo Switch's screws.

At this rate I'm going to have a bigger tool collection than game collection!

Show threadTerence EdenOct 27, 2024

No going back now!

Thanks / blame to @skylar for the loan of her screwdrivers 😄

Show threadTerence EdenOct 27, 2024

ITS ALIIIIVVVVVVVE!

Huge thanks to iFixIt for their brilliant guide.
https://www.ifixit.com/Guide/Nintendo+Switch+Fan+Replacement/113058

Very little thanks to Nintendo for having about a hundred of the tiniest screws, each one a different size & shape.

Nintendo Switch Fan Replacement

Follow this guide to replace a broken or faulty fan in the Nintendo Switch game console. The Switch uses JIS screws, but you can use a Phillips...

iFixit
Show threadNatalyaDOct 27, 2024

@Edent Well done and thanks for sharing the journey with us all.

Hate things that have a billionty different sized screws so you have to mark them all separately.

Show threadTerence EdenOct 27, 2024
@NatalyaD I used an ice-cube tray to keep them separated!
Show threadNatalyaDOct 27, 2024

@Edent now that is cunning.

Just remembering one of the hideous things with different screws apart, we used a sheet of paper where we'd drawn stuff on to locate screws. It was a smoker's Macbook laptop in the mid 2000s... Don't ever want to repeat that job for sure. Although that was one where the hard-drive freezer trick actually worked...

Show threadCharlie HullOct 27, 2024
@Edent I've replaced the joystick controllers on a Switch a few times due to a known hardware issue - it's the only time in all my repairing I've ever needed triwing screwdrivers
Show threadSomeGadgetGuyOct 27, 2024

@Edent I keep hoping the Steam Deck philosophy gains a bit more traction with PC console handhelds, and this puts more pressure on Nintendo.

Nothing sells like the switch though, so it'll be a while before Nintendo feels like they need to adjust.

Show threadSignalElevenOct 27, 2024
@Edent now it's time for Zelda Echoes of Wisdom!
Show threadutopiaOct 28, 2024

TIL: iFixit has two logos

That’s an old iFixit kit! Bet it works perfectly fine though.

Show threadcuan_knaggsOct 25, 2024
@Edent look, what i'm hearing is someone justifying why they need to get more games
Show threadPointlessOne Oct 25, 2024
@Edent you might as well speedrun screwdriver collection and get ifixit kit with every bit possible.
Show threadRichardOct 20, 2024
@Edent Yay! Good luck
Show threadSkylar MacDonaldOct 20, 2024
@Edent
Show threadJames SewardOct 20, 2024
@Edent When I did a battery replacement on an iPhone, I had the Apple Store page for the device up next to the iFixit one, to remind me of the cost of failure :P