Loud computer
 

Help my computer is about 3 years old now and its pretty loud all the time any suggestions on what to fix

Try removing the fan guards on the case, that will lower the amount of turbulence that causes the noise. Also you can get a fan controller to run your fans at lower speeds when idle to also help lower the noise. This works very well if you replace the stock fans with some larger ones because they'll put out the same if not more air but run quiter. Fans are normally the noisiest thing on your computer, so these things should fix your problem.

DUST. The fans may be running overdrive to cool stuff down thats coated with dust. Turn the machine off, unplug it, and get rid of all the dust in the case, in heatsinks, on boards/memory chips, everywhere. Make it spotless.

use dynomat

1) Remove dust with pressurized air.
2) find out which fan makes the most noise by (CAREFULLY!) stopping them in turn with your finger(s).
3) replace fan with low-noise alternative.
4) repeat step 2 and 3 until you replaced all fans (CPU, PSU, videocard, case fans).
5) notice the noise your harddrive makes, and try to reduce that somehow.
6) Put in some dynomat or something similar to remove the last bit of sound.

Try <a href="http://www.silentpcreview.com">http://www.silentpcreview.com</a> for some silent alternatives. Generally speaking, Zalman CPU coolers (if possible for your CPU!), some kind of silent PSU, a silent alternative for your videocard cooler (zalman or arctic), and silent casefans (zalman, papst, panaflow) might be in order.

I have quite a silent PC myself (after loads of modifications), so if you need some specific pointers, just ask. I'd need some info on your system, though. What processor (socket!) do you have, what videocard cooling (passive/loud fan?), what PSU type (8cm fan at the back and light as a feather, or 12cm fan and heavy from all the cooling area?), how many case fans do you have, do you consider your system to be hot and *is* it hot? That sort of info. :)

If it turns out that your hard drive is generating most of the new noise, it may be that the bearings are worn and your drive is getting ready to pack it in. If that's the case, take the time now to do the data backups necessary to preserve your 'important' data.

thanks all

Cut out all the mesh/grills in your case and power supply. Not only does this increase airflow and cool down your pl, but it also makes it more quiet.

Unless you have some sort of overridin urge to stick your dick in your PC's fans don't bother with grills and the likes since they only cause noise and air resistance.

Dynomat made my computer louder. It isolated the noise and caused it to vibrate more. I personally dont recomend it for computers.

Depends on how you use it, where you use it, and what you use exactly.

Basically, you want some sort of noise-stopping foam inside the case to stop the high-pitched vibrations, and some heavier material to make the side panels stop vibrating. The foam alone should stop a lot of noise, but the heavy material alone might increase the noise.

You might want to shop around for parts that simply don't vibrate as much - stopping sound at the source is generally considered the best option. :)