Noisy Computer Fan -

I just wondered if there was some way to make the computer fan quieter. Did the Google thing and read to make sure screws were tight, did that. Have tried moving the computer to a cooler place etc. Help!

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Originally Posted by bluerose

Noisy Computer Fan -

I just wondered if there was some way to make the computer fan quieter. Did the Google thing and read to make sure screws were tight, did that. Have tried moving the computer to a cooler place etc. Help!

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Lolz... good one! I understand your problem... I thin k the one way could be by replacing this habit with something else like... listening to music for instance or talking on the phone or watching TV or you no things like that...
Hope that works..

Well it depends which fan it is. There are 3 possibilities: case fan, processor fan and power supply fan. Would you happen to know which one it is?

It is the processor fan.

You're luck since that is one you can actually change somewhat easily [if it was the power supply then it gets more complicated and expensive]. It would involve opening up the case and seeing what the existing fan looks like in order to buy a new, quieter one. You may want to get a local computer shop to do this in you're uncomfortable inside the guts of a computer. When doing a project like this i.e. having the case open, it's a great time to get the vacuum cleaner out and suck up all those dust bunnies that accumulate inside the computer case - they are the major cause of fans getting noisy.

I have no problem getting inside computer. Replaced the motherboard last week and then put it all back together. Working fine but I'm sure the fan was quieter than it is now. It sounds like the vacuum has been left running. Lol

Is buying a new one the only option and how will I know if new one is going to be quieter?

Lol.. the newer the better! (im sure it will work perfectly)

They are only about $15. All new ones should run quiet, if not return it and get a different brand.

If you want a real quiet one get a dual-ball bearing 12" fan (but you may be limited to the size you can use by the heatsink). The bigger they are, the slower they can run while moving the same amount of air.

You can try slowing your current fan down, by limiting the power you are supplying to it, you should be able to change this in the BIOS. You almost certainly don't need it running at 100% if you aren't gaming or doing anythign that is processor intensive for a long time. (the processor fan is the easiest to slow down)
BUT: keep an eye on the processor temp, you don't really want it going above 65 degrees Celsius when at full load, and it should be under 50 at idle.

Also you can try taking off the fan and oiling it up a little around the bearing, if it's a sleeve bearing then they can start getting noisy if they are old.

You should try oiling first, followed by limiting the power, then if it's still noisy it is something wrong with the fan, you can get nice ball bearing ones for £10 (under $20).

You want to check how the fan connects to the heatsink, as you're probably limited to the size fan you can use.

I just built my new PC and am using 2 12" fans. The loudest by far is the mobo fan which is tiny, I opted to slow it to 50%, purrs like a kitty now!

Only loud thing left now is the DVD drive that sounds like something is taking off. But I rarely use it so I'm coping with that :)

Hope this helps!!

Regarding the BIOS, if you don't know what you're doing, don't poke about too much in there, it can really mess things up. There should be a fan power setting in there somewhere, this is certainly the easiest way to reduce noise but like I say be careful of under-cooling the processor. - reducing the fan speed to 50% should reduce the noise ouput by much more than 50% (yay for logarithmic hearing) :)

Good luck and let me know how it goes :)

There are 2 DIY things you can do, 1st put rubber between screws and motherboard, so that motherboard vibrations caused by the CPU fan do not spread to all the chassis and amplify. Secondly, you can cover the inner walls of your chassis with egg cases or foam! They reflect/absorb the sound inside the chassis. Do not obstruct the ventilation holes. But I haven't done it so I guarantee nothing! The best solution is a fanless heatsink. Check the Thermaltake Fanless103 Heatpipe CPU Cooler at

Thermaltake Fanless103 Heatpipe CPU Cooler - Articles / Reviews | TheTechLounge

There is a comparizon there with other cooling systems.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bluerose

Noisy Computer Fan -

I just wondered if there was some way to make the computer fan quieter. Did the Google thing and read to make sure screws were tight, did that. Have tried moving the computer to a cooler place etc. Help!

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Probably worth repalcing. Not expensive. Have a look at Acousti Products - AcoustiFan™ DustPROOF - Dust-Tolerant Quiet PC Fans for quiet fans

I forgot a 3rd DIY thing: You can even cover the ventilation holes with wool! Wool is also an excellent insulator + the air can still go in/out! Just cut an old cloth/scarf, something woolen! But also the fan suggested by Suffolsilver is really quiet. Whatever fan you see with less than 20dbA at max speed, should be pretty much OK.

Thank you all so much. I had a fiddle around with it today but nothing worked. Looks like I need a new one. I have to get it soon because I just sit here at the computer, Don't watch TV, I REALLY NEED IT TO BE QUIETER! Lol! Lol!

What exactly did you do and didn't work?

I took it out, cleaned it, oiled it a little, put it back making sure all the screws were tight, used rubber feet under screws, and replaced some of the small covers on the back. Fastened the casing back on tight. Set it up, plugged everything back in - it seemed quieter. But now I'm sitting here at 2.15am and it sounds awful loud like the vacume cleaner has been left running. Lol

Oh and I went into bios system thingy but fan could not be altered it said?

Was going to try to slow it down.

Think that about covers what I tried today.

Any other suggestions?

Oh and I draped a crocheted shawl over it but it only helped a little. Then I got scared of that catching fire so I took it back off - I mean the fan is supposed to cool it down… Only God know what covering it with a blanket would do - maybe I should have given it a pillow!? Lol! Lol! Lol!

Sorry but my daughter and I were working on it today and it was like we were operating on someone. Lol

Lololololol!! A shawl! Lol! I don't know what "crocheted" means, I'm non english, I'm greek, but don't put anything over the fan! Try, if you have time (and want to have more fun), covering the INNER part of the chassis cover with eggcases and it's corners & ventilation holes with thick wool (it still lets air flow), and you will sure have more success than with the shawl! Happy, successful operations, lol, and let us know!

Crochet is like knitting. It was a small shawl/blanket I had made. I simply draped it over the outside of the computer, trying to cut down on the noise…. My daughter almost wet herself laughing - wrapping the computer in a blanket. She thinks I've gone bonkers! Lol! Lol!

I'll save my egg cartons for a while and try that. Thank you for your time and patience.

Hey! You inspired me and I covered mine with my sleeping bag today! It makes A LOT OF difference!! The thicker the better! Lolololo!! In the beginning I thought you covered the fan with the shawl, sorry. The chassis is fine with whatever you cover it, don't be afraid of fire! Lol

Well, you don't want to block any vents, as this will heat the PC, you may as well take the fan off if you're going to block the vents.