Computers generate heat, and if that heat builds up, then the hardware components inside could melt. To prevent this from happening, computers have fans that control airflow. Cool air enters the system and warm air gets pushed out.
The fans on computers generate noise. Sometimes, fans are quiet and virtually unnoticeable. In other cases, turning on the computer makes it sound like a jet is taking off. If you want to quiet down your noisy computer, then we have some important tips that can help!
Empty your CD/DVD drive
Remember when we said that PC noise is caused by fans and airflow? That’s not entirely true. The optical drive is another major source of PC noise. When your computer starts up, it might check the optical drive to see what’s inside. As the drive starts up, it generates a considerable amount of noise. And if your computer finds something important inside – like a system disc – then that drive will continue to spin throughout startup.
If you notice noise coming from your optical drive during startup, try removing the CD/DVD from the drive. That way, your computer will recognize that there is no drive inside and will not bother starting a scan.
Decrease fan speed in the BIOS
When some computer users see the word ‘BIOS’, they immediately stop reading because they feel the tip is too complicated. Although that may be the case with some BIOS tips, that’s not the case with this one.
Decreasing fan speeds in the BIOS menu is easy. Just restart your computer and press the Delete key (DEL) as soon as you see your motherboard’s logo pop up. Some BIOS menus will require different keystrokes for entry, although Delete seems to be the most popular choice.
Once in the BIOS, navigate through the menu until you find fan controls. Some BIOS menus have complete ‘Smart Fan control’ pages. BIOS menus aren’t very deep, and it shouldn’t take long to find system fan controls. Unfortunately, not all motherboards come with adjustable fan controls, so don’t get too frustrated if you can’t find it: just move on to the last tip to see if that helps reduce computer noise.
If you do find the adjustable system fan control section, simply tab through it using the arrow keys or mouse, then highlight the fans you want to adjust. Press ‘Enter’ on each fan and decrease its speed to 75%. You can safely do this with all of your system’s fans as long as you’re not using your computer to handle resource-intensive programs like games or video processers.
If you just use your computer to play browser-based games, browse Facebook, listen to music, or watch movies, then decreasing fan speed to a lower percentage point is a safe and effective way to quiet it down. If you notice that temperatures seem to be stable at lower fan speeds, you might even want to lower it further.
Install quieter case fans
If you built your own desktop computer, then you might have added new case fans over the years. Or, your case might have come with its own default fans. In any case (pun totally intended), you might want to replace those fans with ones that are specifically designed to be quiet.
Although these fans are generally more expensive, they still allow a considerable amount of air to pass through, which means the cooling ability of your computer is never at risk. Check out products like AcoustiFan and other noise-dampened hardware, then install it on your computer to notice an immediate improvement.
Install liquid-cooling
If you want the ultimate PC cooling system without the constant whirr of air flow, then consider installing a liquid cooling system. Liquid cooling systems pump special liquid onto the heatsinks of various hardware components, cooling down the heatsinks and allowing heat to dissipate.
Liquid cooling systems are quiet, effective, and they look very cool. However, they can be difficult to install and they’re generally only available on desktop computers. Still, if you’re dedicated to keeping your PC as quiet as possible while it handles resource-intensive tasks, then liquid-cooling is an ideal solution.
