How do I Quiet Down Noisy Fans?
As processors, hard drives, and AGP get faster and more powerful, they produce more heat and so more cooling becomes necessary. This necessitates the use of more powerful fans which create considerable noise.
The noise intensity produced by CPU fans is measured in decibels which is actually a measure of the sound pressure level created by the fan operation.
Here are some ways to make your PC fans more âsilentâ:
- Oil it regularly: Take the sticker off the front of a fan and put some oil in it. That will help quiet down old fans.
- Insulating foam: Cut out a piece of foam and place it such that covers the outer frame of a fan. Now screw the fan back into the case. This helps reduce noise from vibration. Make sure that the foam is not too thick as it would damage the outer frame when the fan is attached back into the case.
- Install heat-sensitive fans: The heat produced by the PC while idle is considerably less compared to the heat generated while operating at full speed. Thus the fans need not work at full speed at all times. Thermostatically controlled fans use temperature sensors that help vary the fan speed with the internal case temperature. Some of these fans may use an external sensor which has to placed at an optimal location, so that the full use of the fan is obtained.
- Choose the right type of fan: It is preferable to use ball-bearing fans instead of sleeve fans since ball bearing tend to be smoother and run longer without scraping problems.
- Consider alternative cooling options: For PCâs that generate a lot of heat, consider investing in alternate cooling options such as water cooling, thermal paste and heatpipes.
Being new to computer hardware and it's terms, your article explained this very clearly to me. I've actually been looking for information on this for awhile now, and so far it hasn't gone well. This also gave me more than one thing to try for these fans that drive me nuts. Thank you for posting this. It's much appreciated!
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