If your Windows PC sounds like a jet engine, there is probably one good reason: noisy fans. It may sound minor, but fans are essential PC components that require regular maintenance. If you’re not using water cooling, you need PC fans to draw heat away from components like the processor and keep them running.
Dust, dirt and other contaminants in the air can affect the performance of your fan, but other problems can occur, so regular maintenance is important. If your computer geeks are getting loud, here are six troubleshooting tips you can try to solve.
Give computer enthusiasts a good clean
When your fans draw in air, they carry other contaminants into your PC or laptop case. Just like a bookcase picks up dust from time to time without wiping and polishing, your computer fans will get louder and louder if you don’t clean them thoroughly from time to time.
This is easier on a desktop PC, where it is usually sufficient to simply remove the side panel of the PC case and access the fans for cleaning. Most chassis panels are held in place with a few screws, so keep a screwdriver handy. For laptops, however, the process is a little more complicated.
If you are confident that you are disassembling the laptop, this will give you full access to cleaning the fans, but only do so if you are confident (nor will you void your warranty). Whether you are using a computer or laptop, you can use a vacuum cleaner, compressed air, or a dedicated electric vacuum cleaner to remove the accumulated dust.
After removing the dust, your fans will have to work a little less to cool down your computer, resulting in a quieter PC overall (if the fans are working properly).
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Move your PC or laptop to get better airflow
It is important where you place your computer or laptop as it can tell if your computer fans have the right airflow to cool your machine. It is unlikely that computer fans will be attached to a heater or radiator, but you can place your computer in a cabinet on a desk with the fans stuck in the back.
This is bad for your PC as it provides more limited air flow to your fans, which causes the air around it to heat up quickly. The hotter the air, the hotter the PC, the harder your fans will have to work to cool your PC, which will increase the noise of the PC fans. The same principle applies to a laptop placed on surfaces that your fans might block.
Give your desktop or laptop fans enough air to do their job, and you will see a cooler computer (and quieter fans) as a result.
Laptop users: Use a laptop cooling pad
If you’re having laptop fan issues, you might not be able to get the same fan access as you do on a desktop PC. Luckily, there are options if you’re afraid to take your laptop apart, including the option to use an external laptop cooling pad.
A laptop cooling pad (or laptop cooler) is a set of external fans that you can place your laptop on, drawing heat away from the motherboard and dissipating it underneath it. It physically lifts your laptop higher by providing good airflow underneath so that the fans can effectively cool it.
This is a good way to keep your laptop cool if you don’t want to make more serious maintenance attempts.
Check Driver Software
Computer geeks tend to react hardest when your computer is running the most intensive applications. If your computer fans are running loudly when your computer is not in use, this could indicate a software or malware problem.
For example, some types of malware (like cryptominers) use your inactive computer for other purposes. You may not be aware of the infection, so it is important to regularly check for malware on your Windows PC.
If malware is not the cause, check all running processes using the Windows Task Manager, which can be opened by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Esc on your keyboard. In the Processes section, you will see a list of active applications and background processes, as well as information about resource usage.
If your CPU or memory percentage is stuck at 100%, it means your computer is overloading and you need to stop, disable, or remove any overactive applications that are causing the problem.
Use fan control software
If your computer fans are too loud, you can use third-party fan control software to reduce their speed. However, keep in mind that this is not a good idea if your PC has a heating issue that your fans won’t solve, as a PC or laptop that is too hot can fail.
Some motherboard vendors like MSI offer their own fan control applications, but there is a good third-party application called SpeedFan for Windows users. This application will allow you to see the current temperature of your PC and adjust the fan speed based on the needs of your device.
If you decide to reduce the fan speed, carefully monitor the temperature of the computer. If the temperature remains too high, you will need to restore the changed settings so that the fans can effectively cool your computer.
Replace your fans
If you’ve tried everything else, there’s only one option left: it’s time to replace the computer geeks. Like all other PC components, fans don’t last forever, even with regular maintenance.
One problem with older PC fans has to do with the ball bearings used to rotate the blades. After regular use, they lose lubrication and your computer fan gets louder.
Fortunately, desktop PC fans can usually be replaced fairly easily, as fans like these are generic in size and plug directly into the motherboard or power supply. Replacing laptop fans is usually much more difficult as they are designed specifically for some laptops and are suitable for smaller sizes.
However, this does not mean that this is not possible, as laptop fans can be purchased from third-party vendors, auctions such as eBay, or from the manufacturer itself. Don’t forget about the warranty: if your laptop is still under warranty, you can request a replacement laptop fan for free.
Regular maintenance for Windows PCs
A loud computer fan is usually caused by dust and dirt, so get out your compressed air cylinders and quickly blow your computer or laptop with clean air to clean them as part of your regular PC maintenance. Computer geeks are overwhelmed geeks that can impact the overall performance of your PC
Of course, your fans aren’t the only source of noise coming from your computer. Other computer noise can be caused by components such as a hard drive, especially if it fails. Your computer won’t last forever on its own – hopefully a little regular TLC will help keep it running for years to come.
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