Steam Deck fan screaming? iFixit is looking to, well, fix it
In our Steam Deck review, Wes made a note of just how high-pitched the fan inside this little, portable gaming device can get. People have been complaining all over the web, and it seems companies like iFixit are starting to take notice.
It's likely one of the first downsides you'll come across if you fire your Deck up in a quiet space, and could easily see yourself getting kicked out of bed to sleep on the couch. So it's no wonder Steam Deck users have put out a call for fan manufacturers to come up with a quieter solution.
The Deck's fan «will ramp up to an annoying pitch even under relatively light loads,» Wes explains. «During testing Valve did update the fan profile to be less erratic and run at a lower RPM in lighter games, but the Deck fan is absolutely louder and more annoying than the Switch.»
When answering the question "How loud is the Steam Deck" our Dave made it clear the Deck failed the 'significant other' test. «The combination of the pitch and the whine means the Deck's fan is just too pronounced to be happily ignored. Even when I was gaming on my own I found I had to boost the volume of the speakers because they too are competing with the chat from the exhaust port.»
In the words of our Alan, «It's not loud per se, just perfect mosquito in a beer can levels of annoying.»
Steam Deck review: Our verdict on Valve's handheld PC.Steam Deck availability: How to get one.Steam Deck battery life: What's the real battery life of the new device?How loud is the Steam Deck? And will it pass the Significant Other test?Steam Deck — The emulation dream machine: Using Valve's handheld hardware as the ultimate emulator.
One Reddit user notes the difference between their Q1 256GB Deck's fans, against their Q2 512GB. There
Read more on pcgamer.com
