Hey folks! I have one of the original batches of LCD Steam Decks, with an upgraded SSD.

My battery is still at around 99% of it’s original capacity, I love the device, finally found a protective case I enjoy after trying 4 different models, and I don’t like the OLED panels used in the OLED model so I’m fine.

But I always thought it sounded horrendously bad, specially at bed, with a whiny sound that starts even before the fan ramps up and only gets worse. I heard about replacing the Delta with the Huaying fan, but I didn’t think the difference would be that big… it will move the same amount of air, right?

Well… I just replaced mine and it’s a gigantic difference, I like this upgrade even more so than the SSD one. At maximum speed it does sound like air moving, which is expected, but that’s it: air. Not some terrible whining. And when it’s running at around 3500 RPM? Almost silence.

So if anybody out there is still carrying their original models with Delta fans… Do your ears a favor, it’s worth getting the better fan. Though I bought mine on Aliexpress for cheaper than iFixit sells it, original part.

If you have a revised unit with the new shielding and the Delta fan, there’s a membrane that supposedly helps muffle the whine, I’m not sure how effective that is though, I suspect it still sounds worse than the Huaying.