Computers are arguably the most utilized electronic machine in the current information age. We use computers for work, entertainment, education, and more in our everyday lives.
Since their first development, the underlying technology has evolved, evidenced by the size reduction over the years – from the first generation gigantic machines to the current generation’s portable laptops and personal computers.
Unfortunately, as with all electronic gadgets, computers are not without their nuances. After getting used for a while, computer fans can make a lot of noise which can be very annoying and counterproductive.
Fortunately, we’ve put together this short tutorial to enlighten you on the possible reasons your computer fan is so loud and possible solutions.
Computer Fans and Overheating
The portability of new generation computers ensures that the internal components are compacted and fitted together delicately to achieve optimal sleekness.
Inside your computer, there are a lot of sophisticated components – CPU, graphics card, power supply, RAM, and more. All these hardware components generate a lot of heat. Ironically, despite the massive amounts of heat these components release, they are vulnerable to high temperatures.
This is where the fans come into play. They are installed together with the internal components to reduce the heat inside the computer. They achieve this by spinning – circulating the air inside the computer, i.e., they push hot air out, allowing cold air to flow in to cool your PC naturally.
When you throttle your computer performance or use it for high-intensity tasks such as playing video games, running simulations, or editing large multimedia files, it’s normal for your fans to make noise due to their extra effort to cool the system.
Therefore, as long as your fans calm down after any high-intensity job, you don’t have to worry about anything. However, should the noise persist under normal circumstances, don’t worry; we’ll now look at the possible reasons your fan is so loud.
Why Computer Fans Make Noise
Since you know what the fan does, let’s now examine why your computer might be running in overdrive.
Here are a few reasons why your fan is so loud:
Dirty Fans
Dust, pet hair, and even lints can build up inside your computer, especially if you use a heavy desktop PC. Once dust and other debris accumulate on your computer fans, efficiency is lost.
Since efficiency is low, the computer throttles the fan speed to compensate for the low cooling efficiency; hence the louder noise is perceived.
Poor Ventilation
When your computer can’t ventilate heat, the fans won’t be able to spin out hot air for cold air entry. If you place your laptop on your lap, your legs will transmit heat to the system, rendering the internal cooling useless.
Also, if you position the laptop or PC so that the vent is blocked, your computer will heat up. The bottom line is that the fans will work in overdrive to compensate for the heat build-up and ensure that the system cools down.
Damaged Fans
Moving parts tend to wear down over time before they eventually break in all gadgets. If your computer fan is running very loud, it could be a loose screw or a damaged part.
There is also a possibility of lousy hardware firmware, meaning something might be structurally wrong with the hardware component supporting the fan.
CPU Overdrive
Sometimes, the causative agent can be unrelated to your fan. If there’s a process/program using up available CPU resources and exhausting programming power, it could easily cause your computer to overheat very fast.
If your computer fan gets so loud out of nowhere, it could probably be due to high CPU usage.
How To Fix A Loud Computer Fan
As with anything, prevention is always better than the cure. However, it is quite understandable if this isn’t achievable. So if your computer fan happens to make so much noise, give these tips a try to reduce your fan noise:
- Clean your fan and vents.
- Position your computer to prevent vent obstruction and increase airflow.
- Replace the computer fans.
- Use fan control software.
- Use a laptop cooling pad.
- Use your computer’s tasks manager to locate and close any unnecessary apps/processes.
If your computer fan continues to make a lot of noise, take it to a service center or contact the manufacturer as the solution for your specific brand might be different.
Summary
We’ve discussed why your computer fan is loud and tips that can help fix the issue in this write-up. Dust, debris, and high internal temperature are the main culprits of a computer’s loud fan noise.
With this guide, you don’t have to undergo the fan sound torture again. We hope we’ve been able to answer your questions about your fan’s noise so that you can go back to using your computer without any background noise.
Frequently Asked Questions
A loud computer/laptop fan can indicate a problem, especially if it persists for long periods. Since they serve as your computer’s internal systems heat regulator, loud noise only means that they are working harder than they usually have to.
If this symptom is left untreated, there can e varying consequences ranging from performance drop to blank computer screens and, in extreme cases, a system crash with a series of endless reboots.
When you play games, the loud noise you hear from your computer is your computer fan working in overdrive.
When you play games with your computer, your computer mobilizes almost all its internal components – graphics card, RAMs, CPU, GPU, etc. to deliver optimal performance.
These components generate a lot of heat and are ironically sensitive and vulnerable to heat. So, to compensate for the hyper-heats generation, your computer throttles the fan to spin faster to circulate out hot air more quickly so that cooler air can come in faster.
Depending on what you are using your computer for, your computer could suddenly start making noise if your fan is in overdrive or your hard disk is in overdrive.
If your computer uses a water cooling system for heat elimination, it’s most likely your hard disk making noise. Hard disks make noise platters spin, and the head seeks data, especially during high-intensity tasks.
