Tips To Make A Computer Quieter (Full Guide)

This article will provide the necessary tips to make your computer more silent. Sometimes, depending on the severity, it is difficult to concentrate while seated near a noisy machine.

In more serious cases, it can also cause you to turn the speakers louder to drown out the competing racket.

I’ve seen something as simple as one noisy fan causing a noise that sounds like a power tool.

Here Are the Tips to Make a Computer Quieter

These are the most common problems I’ve encountered in my time.

1. Unplug one fan at a time and compare the noise levels

Important Note: Do not unplug your CPU or graphics card fan for this test.

To determine which fan in your computer is generating the most noise, comparing each one when it’s off vs. when it’s running is a useful test.

It will help you start isolating the worst fans. This way, you will know which ones to replace or apply a fix to.

2. How to fix some fan noise issues

There are many ways computer fans cause noise. Here are some things to check and apply to help them run more quietly.

Sometimes it’s not just the case to replace one. They can generate noise from several various factors.

What to know about fans

The ideal situation is to install large ones. This way, a fan can spin slowly while producing enough air volume movement for adequate cooling or extraction.

Small fans can be annoying. The smaller you go, the higher the pitch of the whine you will get.

If this is your situation, consider upgrading to a larger size. If this option isn’t possible, slow the fan until the noise level is acceptable.

When purchasing a new fan, opt for ball-bearing ones, at the very least. There are more sophisticated bearing technologies, but they won’t be necessary.

A plain sleeve bearing is the cheapest bearing option and wears out quickly.

Before you know it, the sleeve-bearing fan will use more power and become noisy. It often becomes noisy when first powering it up, and when the bearing heats up and expands, the noise becomes less.

A ball-bearing fan lasts much longer. It will remain quiet for a while, reducing the need for regular replacement.

How to slow down a fan’s RPMs

If the fan has four wires and is plugged directly into a motherboard’s 4-pin header, you can often adjust its speed in your BIOS.

Most motherboards have this functionality and can save lots of time tweaking a fan.

If the motherboard’s BIOS doesn’t offer a good enough adjustment for you, go and download a free program called SpeedFan.

It takes some time but offers excellent control over its speeds.

How to use SpeedFan:

Observe PC airflow

Ensure that the holes the air is moving through from the fan’s efforts are large enough.

If the airflow is restricted, you may find it challenging to reduce noise.

To gain an insight into how this affects them, take a spinning fan and put your hand in front and then behind it to restrict the airflow.

You should notice, at the very least on one of the sides you restricted, the fan speed increase and become noisier.

Ensure your filter material is correct and allows air to flow through easily.

You don’t need thick filter material. It will only hold more dust.

Filters are vital to keeping the inside of your computer clean.

Make sure you keep up filter maintenance to avoid clogged-up filters causing extra fan noise.

Mounting

Some computer case manufacturers go the extra mile to produce rubber mountings for case fans. But in general, a high-quality PC case goes a long way to reducing noise in general.

I have never felt this necessary when you have large enough fans and spinning at a low speed.

Ensure they are all screwed in with all their screws, and none are loose.

Also, ensure the surface the fan is screwed against is 100% flat.

When you screw it onto an uneven surface, it collides its blades into its own housing.

This happens from the twisted fan housing closing the gap between the blades and the inside of the housing.

2. Start your PC up with no drives plugged in

Hard drives can generate a fair bit of noise. As they age, they get worse.

With your computer fully powered off, disconnect all the leads connected to all your drives.

Ensure you know which cable belongs to which drive. Getting it wrong can change your drive priorities and cause your computer not to boot up.

After you start your computer up, observe the noise levels. If it sounds quieter, it’s time for a new drive.

A mechanical hard drive has platters that spin at high revolutions per minute. Sometimes, the bearings for the spindle wear and cause noise.

At this point, I highly suggest that you back up all your data and replace the drive as soon as possible.

When a hard drive becomes noisy, it strongly indicates that it has exceeded its lifespan.

In this case, an SSD would be worth it. They are quiet and deliver outstanding performance.

It is a blessing when your case has rubberized drive mountings. It will help a lot with head movement noise.

3. Check the CPU cooler

Most of the time, if a CPU fan is noisy, it needs replacement. It’s very seldom they go noisy from a design standpoint.

While I have seen a few instances of CPU fans designed with improper mounting or undersized size, it’s the least likely scenario.

If you have the standard CPU fan that came with your processor, I highly recommend upgrading it to an aftermarket cooler.

It will be of better quality and designed in such a way as to keep your CPU cooler compared to the stock fan.

If possible, choose a vertically mounted cooling solution that can blow in the direction of the exhaust fan in your case.

To check if a large amount of noise is being generated from your CPU fan, take the rear of a pen or any plastic object that is relatively tough and slowly approach the center of the fan with it.

Hold it up against the center area of the fan (smooth center part) until it stops. If the noise goes away, you will have to replace it.

Warning: Don’t push the object against the fan blades. You could end up damaging it or end up with fragments inside your case.

Do not hold the fan too long. A few seconds to compare the noise will be plenty of time.

Ensure it is secure. Some CPU fans have mounting screws or clips. If they aren’t secure, you could be experiencing some vibration noises from them.

If you need the very best cooling while keeping your CPU cooler as quiet as possible, I recommend that you consider an AIO cooler.

4. Check the graphics card cooler

The same test can be conducted to figure out if your graphics card fans are noisy.

Hold a piece of strong plastic against the card fans to stop them and take note of the noise levels.

Again, don’t hold the fan(s) in the stopped position for too long, as you risk permanent damage if something overheats.

If the noise is greatly reduced, observe the type of noise generated by the graphics card fans.

If it sounds like an abnormal noise, like a worn fan, you will need to look at some alternate graphics card cooling kits.

If they sound like they’re running too fast, install MSI Afterburner and set a fan speed curve to your liking.

This way, the fan speed will adjust to an appropriate speed based on its temperature.

5. Check the PSU (Power Supply Unit) fan

You can close off the fan area of your power supply using a piece of cardboard. If you hear a distinct difference in noise, you will need to replace the power supply.

I do not recommend replacing the PSU fan unless you are qualified to work inside a power supply.

Capacitors inside a power supply hold a serious amount of electrical charge for a long time. So, it’s best to avoid opening the power supply up altogether.

A good power supply in a computer, and one that is rated appropriately with the correct Wattage, is one of the most important components.

Make sure the power supply has all screws screwed tight to the case.

6. Stop the computer case from vibrating

1. Secure the fans: Check all of them to ensure they are secured. Make sure that any wiring is clear from them. It is easy to overlook it, so check it carefully.
2. Secure the fan filters: Check the filters and finger guards, if any, to ensure they are secured.
3. Secure the drives: Check all your drives are properly mounted and secure. With mechanical drives, you stand the risk of extra vibrations causing noise.
4. Secure the motherboard: Check all mounting points to ensure proper grounding and no rattling or vibrating noises can occur.
5. Secure structural case parts: Check everywhere inside the computer case. Anywhere where there are brackets, rivets, or screws especially.
6. Check the rest: Ensure everything else is secure, and nothing inside your case can vibrate from being loose.
7. Secure the cards: Make sure all cards are secure. There is usually a screw holding each card in place. Check that the screw is holding the cards securely.
8. Secure card brackets: If you have a bracket system holding your cards in place, see if it’s at all possible to add screws to secure them instead.
9. Secure motherboard assemblies: Check all the shrouds and heatsinks on the motherboard to make sure they are secured. It is easy for them to vibrate and create noise.
10. Secure front case section: Check the plastic areas around the case so they aren’t loose. A plastic section usually secures the front of the case that houses all the USB sockets, the power switch, etc.
11. Secure rear case section: The same is true for the back of a lot of cases. Sometimes, internal clips break or become unclipped and a vibrating noise occurs.
12. Secure side panels: make sure the side panels are screwed or secured properly. If there is an acrylic window in either panel, ensure the mounting clips are secure. Sometimes, metal fold-over clamps need to be resecured.

Conclusion

There, you have my top tips to make a computer quieter.

I hope this has helped and you can get your computer close to whisper-quiet using these tricks.