Steam Deck Fan Replacement

Written By: Carsten Frauenheim

Comments: 72

Difficulty

Moderate

Steps

Time Required

30 minutes - 1 hour

Introduction

Use this guide to replace the cooling fan in your Steam Deck, or remove it for cleaning.

Remember: follow general electrostatic discharge (ESD) safety procedures while repairing your device.

Tools

Parts

Steam Deck Fan

Step 1

Turn on your Steam Deck and allow the battery to discharge below 25% before starting your repairs, as a charged lithium-ion polymer battery can be dangerous if accidentally punctured.
As an extra precaution, Valve recommends putting your Steam Deck into battery storage mode within the BIOS before starting any internal repairs. Read how to do that here.
Power down your Steam Deck and unplug any cables.
If you have a microSD card installed, make sure to remove it before opening the Steam Deck. If you attempt to remove the back cover with it still installed, it could break in half.
During your repair, it can be helpful to lay the Steam Deck face-down into its case at times to protect the thumbsticks and prevent wobble.

Step 2

Use a Phillips driver to remove the eight screws securing the back cover:
Four 9.5 mm screws
Four 5.8 mm screws
Throughout this repair, keep track of each screw and make sure it goes back exactly where it came from to avoid damaging your Steam Deck.

there should be a picture of the SD card slot at the start of every Steam Deck teardown. i know the note is there but i generally use the pictures to guide me and forgetting to remove the SD card is a very critical step

Nathan Barrow -

I agree, I just broke mine...

Camille B -

What is the the #1 philips used for? Only the #0 is mentioned in the instructions.

Christopher Martin -

I wish they would specify which size to use for which screws.

Mark D -

I found it easiest to use a PH1 for the red screws, and PH0 for the rest (including the internals.)

Chris Clawson -

Be careful you can strip the screws take your time

I use PH00 bit

jaybush74 -

I used the PH1 bit for this. You can use smaller bits but ideally there should be no play of the bit in the screw head.

Charles Semple -

are there playstation replacements (circle,square,cross,triangle)

Deór -

I used the ifixit tools and used the 00 size for the screws on the back.

Luis B - 10/01/23

I've completed the guide and found it very helpful!

I think somewhere in this part it would be helpful to name the size of the correct Phillips driver to use:

Use a Phillips driver to remove the eight screws securing the back cover:

Four 9.5 mm screws

Four 5.8 mm screws

Maynard -

Step 3

Insert an opening pick into the thin gap between the back cover and the front shell, along the edge of the right grip.
Pry up on the back cover to release it from the locking clips.

I found it easiest to start this process at the top of the device near the fan exit.

Peter Lindberg -

second that and inserting the pick in the bottom middle and sliding the pick to each side

Sub -

I also found the top near the fan exit to be easier

Travis Patton -

Thank you for this tip, it definitely was easy starting at the top instead of by the bumper/triggers. After I opened the top I did the bottom and then it was way easier to gently open the sides. be very careful and go slowly to make sure that none of the clips are damaged

Luis B -

same; i pried from the top of the screen area. I was unable to find an opening on the side

Dennis Wu -

I also started from the middle of the deck and worked my way out since I couldn't get a grip with the pick on the deck's side grips. Since this is a common step for pretty much all guides for opening the deck I think it's also worth noting that you should be careful not to bend the trims/seams where the front and back covers meet with the pick. When I first opened my deck you can definitely see where I nudged the pick in between the covers since I was probably using too much force on the pick itself.

Kaleb McKone -

It would be useful to note here that if you want to insert the little blue triangular iFixit opening picks into the right side along the edge, there isn't actually a gap as the directions say, at least not on newer Decks. You'll be making the initial gap using the pick. Brace it on something because you will need to use enough downward force that you're flexing the pick a bit and it'll probably be digging into the skin of a bare hand. With enough force suddenly it will make a click and go in just a bit, and then you're in business.

CaptFrost -

plastic picks didnt work for me but finger males did the job on prying this open

jacobbagsic -

I found it easiest to open starting with R1 or L1 buttons and proceeding to the center of the top edge

Karol Gro -

Step 4

Once the clips are disconnected from one edge, the rest disconnect easily.
Grip the back cover at the opening you just created and pull it up and away from the device to unclip the long edges.
Remove the back cover.

If you have an SD card, you will want to take it out. I followed the guide and didn't think about the SD card I had inside. When I went to snap the case back on it clapped shut on the exposed SD card, shearing it in half and leaving the bottom half stuck in the SD card slot. I am still endeavoring to get it out.

Novice -

Step 5

Use a pair of tweezers to remove the piece of foil tape covering the hidden screw on the board shield.
If possible, try not to rip or tear this tape so it can be reused. If necessary, you can fashion a replacement by cutting a piece of aluminum foil tape to fit.

Use some heat here from a hairdryer to make this part easier.

If you screw up here you can replace the little aluminium square with some aluminium tape from Amazon. No less than 50 microns thick, slightly thicker is fine. and the square is 13mm both ways.

Matt S -

Step 6

Use a Phillips driver to remove the three screws securing the board shield:
One 3.4 mm screw
Two 3.7 mm screws

The procedure ended here for me, used an ifixit PH 00 bit on the screw behind the aluminium tape, bit wouldnt bite too great, one wrong twist and the screw was stripped. Not sure who or what initially screwed in that particular screw as the rest of the screws on the shield were fine, but boy is it in there tight. So now i have a stripped screw and a botched ssd replacement, don't think valve will let me RMA for this, but i'll give it a try and update accordingly.

Y. van S -

Any updates? Did they let you RMA?

Emanuel Gjoni -

I found one screw to be ridiculously tight too, managed to undo it without stripping thanks to reading your comment beforehand and going extra careful. Not going to lie, it was a tense moment :D

Andy HL -

I think the tendency is to go too small on the screwdriver bits because you're working on small electronics.

I used the PH1 bit on the screw under the foil and the PH0 bit for the two remaining screws without any problems.

Charles Semple -

What does this shield actually do? Some kind of magnetic protection?

Corey Cleric -

if I had to replace the key (R2) and that's it, can I directly remove it or do I have to act here on the motherboard too?

pujattidanny -

have you gotten an answer yet? trying to change mines as well but dont wanna do too much to the deck

briaNN -

button Not key, i’m sorry

pujattidanny -

I used the ifixit tools and used the 00 PH for these screws with no issue

Luis B -

If only swapping the SSD, it is not necessary to remove the top left 3.7mm screw. The heat shield is flexible enough that you can move it out of the way to access the SSD screw. For me this was necessary as the 3.7mm screw was completely unmovable and quickly stripped.

Scott A -

FYI there is a little pin on the cover that slots into the board. It is located near the top screw. I needed that to be inserted for the cover to go back down properly.

Seth Robinson -

Step 7

Remove the board shield.
During reassembly, ensure that the fan cable lays on the side of the board shield and isn't pinched underneath.

When putting back on, run a pick along the edge of the shield between the wires to make sure nothing is pinching and the wires are clear of the shield before screwing down.

Matt S -

Step 8

Grip the battery cable by its pull tab and pull it directly away from the motherboard to disconnect it.
Alternatively, use the flat end of a spudger or a clean fingernail to gently push the connector out of its socket, then disconnect it completely by hand.

After fully reassembling my device I found that my battery was not showing any stats anymore. I couldn't start the device without being plugged in, however if I restarted it would stay on even if my power cable was detached. Battery showed 0%. It turns out I had not fully reinserted the battery cable at this stage during reassembly. MAKE SURE YOU PUSH IT ALL THE WAY BACK IN!

Michael Hoffmann -

Awesome thanks for this tip!

petergeranio -

It is helpful to lift up gently with a the tapered end of a spudger underneath the tucked-in portion of the battery cable, creating a bit of flex in the cable before pulling on the pull tab. I found that without doing so, the fabric pull-tab simply tore off of the cable under light-to-moderate force (the fabric itself ripped cleanly across, like a paper towel). Careful, gentle pressure with a spudger can be used to remove the plug by prying gently on the rear ridge of the plastic plug (not the wire!) if this happens.

Gene Eckser - 08/08/22

This is exactly what happened to me. Maybe it was a pull tab previously, mine was a ribbon cable that tore - captured the image here: https://www.ianwootten.co.uk/2022/11/22/...

Ian Wootten -

I found it less scary and easier to remove the battery connection by using a fingernail on the ridge and pushing it off the connector. I felt like pulling on the battery cable was too harsh.

montgomery mchargue -

Upon plugging the battery back in, I found it easy to use two spudgers- one on each side- to pull/push the connector back into it's port. Be careful to not put any pressure on the battery wires themselves.

montgomery mchargue -

When reconnecting the battery cable, you'll know when it's inserted and power is restored, because the white LED will illuminate at the top of the Deck near the power button. You should be able to see it while you're reconnecting the battery cable

Michael Davis -

Why not just let the battery discharge completely and then not have to disconnect it?

Jeffrey Martin -

Completely discharging a battery reduces its lifespan. It's completely unnecessary.

Stefan Camporese (CENTER) - 12/11/22

Because no lipo battery is ever completely discharged -- you would not be able to recharge it if it was. There will always be enough power left in it to cause damage if shorted even if it isn't charged enough to power up the device it's connected to.

David Cameron -

I would personally not recommend pulling the tab. It doesn’t apply force at the correct angle. You should revise these instructions to advise using a combination of pulling on the tab, and careful pressure on the connector towards the right of the mainboard to carefully work it out.

Using the pull tab alone could cause problems if not done extremely carefully.

William Winborne - 09/01/23

This part was wayyyyy easier than I anticipated and I worried for nothing because I used the ifixit spudger to push it out a bit and then I literally used my finger nail and was able to slide it right off. Dont be afraid, its not that difficult and its not that delicate to break if you do it patiently

Luis B - 10/01/23

I inserted the cable very firmly with a spunger, being careful not to press down too hard on the cables, and even tried redoing it, but I don't see any LED illumination. I am now unable to boot the deck into the boot manager. Any additional tips?

junefish -

Step 9

Use a pair of tweezers to remove the sticker from the top edge of the fan.
If possible, try not to rip or tear this sticker so it can be reused. Use a little bit of heat if necessary to soften the adhesive.
If the sticker feels like it might tear, use tweezers to peel up one edge just until you can grip it with your fingers, then remove the rest by hand.

It's not super clear from the pictures but you're aiming to remove the black strip, not just the small white square sticker. Use heat and go slowly.

Matt S -

I didnt like using the tweezers for this part because the sticker was so stuck that it felt like using the tweezers was going to rip it. I used the tweezers to lift it a bit and used my finger to gently lift the rest.

Luis B -

You don't need to remove the sticker entirely from the heat sink, just the side where it sticks to the fan. At least on mine, the black sticker was 80% on the heat sink, so it was much easier to just peel off the thin strip from the fan

jamesmiglietta -

Step 10

Use a pair of tweezers to grip the edges of the fan connector and pull up to disconnect it from the motherboard.
Pull the fan cable by its connector, not the wires themselves.
During reassembly, be gentle while plugging in the fan connector.
If the connector is misaligned, the use of too much force can damage the fragile internal pins.

I had a much easier time grabbing the connector from a length-wise direction rather than trying to grab it from the sides as shown in the photos.

Michael Davis -

When putting the fan back, it's easier to plug the fan in first before screwing it in place.

Matt S -

the part that no one ever mentions in this step is what direction do these cables go when you are adding the new fan. I am a tech noob and this was my first time tinkering with anything so I was clueless and scared that I would connect it wrong. If its not fitting then you probably have the cable facing the wrong side. The cables showing the colored wire needs to face towards the left and the connectors are to the right.

Luis B -

Step 11

Use a Phillips driver to remove the two 3.7 mm screws securing the fan.
No, your eyes don't deceive you! The other two fan screws were removed earlier in the disassembly: they double as two back cover screws.

I used the PH0 bit for these screws.

Charles Semple -

Step 12

Remove the fan.
When installing a replacement fan, peel off the plastic liner on the cable adhesive and adhere it to the fan body in the same location as the cable on the old fan, so it'll lay on the side of the board shield and not get pinched underneath.

I would like to buy this replacement part - but it's sold out - for months. No pre order possible. I'm disappointed ☹️

David -

Just checked and they're out of stock again. At least the Notify Me button has returned though. Hope you can get one soon.

Justwanttocheckorderstatus -

I had the same issue but have just bought one. I hope they're still in stock, and that you get a notification about me replying to your comment, so you can get one now too. Looking forward to quiet Steam Decking!

Justwanttocheckorderstatus -

Conclusion

To reassemble your device, follow these instructions in reverse order.

Take your e-waste to an R2 or e-Stewards certified recycler.

Repair didn’t go as planned? Try some basic troubleshooting, or ask our Steam Deck answers community for help.

Author

Carsten Frauenheim

Member since: 10/03/20

87825 Reputation

16 comments

Hi ifixit Team, as the cooler seems to be a non factory one: how does it compare noise wise to the standard Steam Deck cooler, which is unbearably loud?

Peter Black - 27/05/22

I addition to Peter's comment, in would be helpful to know the manufacturer and model. It would seem that there are at least two, perhaps more models being used; one brand in particular being prone to the high-pitched "whining" issue.

Cameron -

To those asking, you want a huaying fan as opposed to a delta fan. The delta is terribly bad with its acoustics.

Christopher Stanton -

is this the delta or huaying?

Mono Chrome -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2EEtzhs...

Mono Chrome -

Just completed my "fix" thanks to iFixit and this guide. I replaced my noisy delta fan with a huaying model. It's a very straight forward process and I recommend it to anyone that's ever done any fixes on an electronic that they've owned. For reference, I had already upgraded the SSD in my Steam deck and I've done SMD soldering on keyboards.

Judson Anderson -

i would like to buy this piece but its always sold out :(

David -

Personally I think this is a poor guide, as it makes you damage the metal shield just to disconnect the battery. You can easily leave the shield in place, and after peeling off the black sticker, tilt the fan upwards (bottom first) to slide it out. This avoids a lot of complication, and you are only touching the fan connector which isn't near anything electrically risky and should contain no power if the deck has been shutdown.

Richard Perry -

How do I know which version fan I will get if I buy now? I want Huaying of course!

Diego -

Just replaced mine and the differance from delta to this one is huuuuge. The guide was clear and helped immensly, thanks so much!

alexander wosten -

I got a silent fan and the guide was very helpful. Difference is night and day!

Martin Düren -

I bought one in the last available batch from iFixit and it was a Huaying fan.

Charles Semple -

Not a very big difference, in the end it's not worth changing the fan.

Stephan -

Could you please provide the detail of the fan? I need sth. like a data sheet, which can help me replace it by my own. Although the guide itself is a big help, I do not think I could do all of the work without knowing the data. I certainly do not want to write a negative review on this page Steam Deck Fan , but like I said before your information dose not help.

Tao Jin - 23/12/22

And I guess I will not get any answers from the official or the community. And it turns out that you said you were open, but the fact is the opposite. It is just open for us to buy from the same market (yours) without the possibilities to compare with other parts through price or the quality.

Tao Jin -

You can just search the serial number of the fan online. It's not like it's hidden. PWM fans also aren't too complicated, and the power requirements are listed. The issue is that this fan uses a custom housing so the only one that fits without modifications will probably be one of these models. I've seen a lot of third party sellers selling the huaying fan, give it a try if you don't need a warranty.

Dominik Kurz -