My comp makes alot of noise. Need help.

[Lonkut]

Its really anoying. I think its the fan and I really need help to make it stop. What can I do to make the noise stop appart from buying a new comp?

 

[Zakharov]

You need to find out exactly what is making this noise. Take the side panel off the case and switch the computer on. The places you should pay attention to are:

- power supply
- cpu fan
- any case fans
- graphics card fan
- hard drive(s)

Let us know which one it is so we can give you more specific advice.

 

[HAND]

I'm going to replace my cpu fan and psu to cut down on noise... I need to make sure i get a quiet graphics card too, to make sure im not shooting myself in the foot.

I've heard the Radeon X800XL is very quiet for the performance it gives.

EDIT : Also avoid Western Digital Raptor hard drives too .. They are awesome at everything but are very noisy, I've heard!

Look on the Coolermaster or Zalman websites for quiet/silent cpu fans/heatsinks, psu, cases and sound proofing..

www.coolermater.com

 

[Lonkut]

So by replacing the cpu fan the noise gets reduced? I don't want to buy another graphic card though but I'll buy a new fan if its necessary.

 

[HAND]

So by replacing the cpu fan the noise gets reduced? I don't want to buy another graphic card though but I'll buy a new fan if its necessary.

I would say the psu might be noisier. I would upgrade the psu first to a very quiet/silent model...but the cpu fan certainly makes a little noise..

Quiet cpu fan

Quiet PSU - Coolermaster again
The bottom model ( Real Power 450(RS-450-ACLY)) i'm getting going to get ... ultra silent!

 

[Zakharov]

I've heard the Radeon X800XL is very quiet for the performance it gives.

I don't know how quiet it is, but the X800XL is probably the best graphics card available in terms of price/performance ratio. It is PCI-E only though.

Also avoid Western Digital Raptor hard drives too .. They are awesome at everything but are very noisy, I've heard!

There is a reason they are noisy: they run at 10,000rpm.

I don't know why people have such a problem with fan noise (as long as it isn't a loud rattle or something similar). I have learned to ignore it.

@Lonkut, is this noise just irritating to you, or does it sound as if something is wrong? From your initial post I thought it was a malfunction.

 

[Lonkut]

Its irritating.

 

[GrandAdmiral]

As was already mention getting good case fans is important. Don't use the ones that come with your case.

There are some good fanless PSUs out right know. If you want to go totally silent then your gonna have to go with a fanless PSU and liquid cooling. Antect makes a good fanless PSU and coolermaster makes an internal liquid cooling kit that requires the least amount of work to install.

Case fans are usually the biggest cultprit. They can be really annoying if your computer is in the room you sleep in. If they make a vibrating sound you can get rid of that by getting silicone gaskets. If you want you can apply silicone yourself.

But the cheapest way to quiet down the wind tunnel sound in your case would be to get a fan controller for your case fans (about $30). You can usually turn the fans all the way down and maintain the same temperture inside your case. I have tried it and have seen a dramatic improvement.

 

[wit>trope]

They can be really annoying if your computer is in the room you sleep in.

Why not just turn it off or put it on hybernate?

 

[oldStatesman]

Why not just turn it off or put it on hybernate?

The noise doesn't bother me...but then I have worked in Data Centers and server rooms for the last 10 years.

I leave mine on all the time...off hours is when I run scheduled Virus scans, defrags and other maintainence programs. In fact, if I don't hear it I wake up....

 

[CIVPhilzilla]

Clean it out. Dust build up can really make your fans run loudly, as they have to spin a lot faster to keep it cool when there is dust and dirt blocking it. Open it up and clean it with compressed air.

 

[HAND]

I don't know how quiet it is, but the X800XL is probably the best graphics card available in terms of price/performance ratio. It is PCI-E only though.

Luckily Ati realeased versions of the X800, X800XL and X850 recently for the AGP slot. Hopefully a board maker will make a fanless version soon.. I've heard Ati's own model is the quietest out of the X800XL's.

 

[gonzo_for_civ]

@lonkut: You might want to open up your case and find out where the majority of the noise is coming from. If you are feeling up to it you can unplug your cpu fan(TEMPORARILY!!) to see how much that reduces the noise. If the noise is still unbearable then plug that back in, and start unplugging case fans one at a time until you find where your problem is. If it's still too loud then it's probably your PSU fan. Once you've located the problem then you can replace the offending components.

Note: Turn your computer off when plugging and unplugging anything. You run risks of damaging equipment even if you're just unplugging and plugging in fans.

 

[GrandAdmiral]

Why not just turn it off or put it on hybernate?

Some people use that time to let their computer do tasks such as downloading large torrent files, deframenting large hard drives, ripping and burning dvd's etc, virus scans plus I like to have mine ready at all times especially if you use it for multimedia purposes and have a remote control.

 

[Chieftess]

When my fan went up, it sounded like a lawn mower. If it sounds like that, you need a new fan.


BTW, I actually enjoy the soft hum of the fan... It's just TOO quiet went it's off (and when the electricity goes out).

 

[GrandAdmiral]

Yeah on the rare night that I sleep with my computer off I don't sleep as well.

 

[GenMarshall]

Yeah on the rare night that I sleep with my computer off I don't sleep as well.

I can tell that youre used to the white noise the computer makes to help you sleep .