Make your Computer Whisper Quiet

January 25, 2020 Computers

Have you just built a brand new gaming PC only to find that as soon as you play any games, it starts sounding like a helicopter? With standard cooling, most computers are noisy when they are running on full load. This is because the stock cooling solutions which come with Intel or AMD CPUs are normally noisy and relatively inefficient. Improving your computer’s cooling system can make it run cooler and quieter.

Indeed, there is now a big market for silent computer cooling solutions. There are even entire online retailers which specialize in providing everything that you need to make your computer as quiet as possible. The following provides some tips on how to make your computer run as quietly as possible.

1. Clean the Computer. You may have noticed that older computers tend to be noisier than newer ones. This rarely has anything to do with the age or the specification of the computer. More often than not, it is due to a buildup of dust inside the computer. An excessive amount of dust forming inside a heat sink and on the fan blades adds a thermal layer which causes fans to run faster than they would otherwise need to. Regularly cleaning your computer will keep it running cooler and quieter. It will also prolong the life of your hardware. Cleaning the inside of a computer can be done using cans of compressed air or even a vacuum cleaner.

2. Acoustic Dampening. Some retailers sell acoustic soundproofing kits which you can fit to the inside of the case. You can also make this yourself without too much trouble, but you will need to take care to purchase the right type of material. Many materials may help to deaden the sound, but they can also cause your computer to run hotter by absorbing and building up heat. Some high-end cases designed specifically for the quiet PC market already have some acoustic dampening built in, but these can be prohibitively expensive.

3. Replacing Fans. Stock cooling solutions tend to be very noisy when a computer is running on full load. If you want to have a quiet PC, you will almost certainly need to avoid using the stock heat sink and fan which comes with any new CPU. Replacing a CPU fan does not have to be expensive and a new fan can normally be installed in a matter of minutes. You can also purchase silent case fans and graphics card coolers. For case fans, you may want to go for one which has a built-in speed control.

The above three factors contribute to about 95% of all the noise a computer makes, and if you follow the tips, you can easily make it whisper quiet, possible with no investments, as well!

About the Author: Pierre Zarokian has Computer Science degree and writes for Search Engine Journal. You can also read Pierre Zarokian’s Articles at Visibility Magazine.