How do I make my CPU quieter?

[i2004tor]

Hi,

I would appreciate any help re: this. My CPU is loud, mostly due to a loud fan, as far as I can tell. How do I make things quieter? Do I need to replace the fan with a quieter one? And if so, how costly and difficult would that be (for a novice as far as computer hardware is concerned)?

Thanks very much in advance for your help.

[BeaverLiquor]

i think you mean the heatsink from what you posted.

it can be relatively inexpensive from $20+

[willy]

Are you referring the "CPU" the computer case ? Or the actual "CPU" inside the computer with a fan spinning on top ?

Is it just recently or it has been noisy since day 1 ?

There are usually more than 1 fan inside a computer. Take a closer look (or listen). Which fan(s) is making noise ?

[ji2o0k]

If it is the CPU heatsink/fan you are referring to, do you know what socket your CPU is ?

You definitely will need to replace the heatsink/fan to make the CPU component quiet.

Try looking at the Zalman products. I recently bought a Zalman CNPS7000B-ALCU heatsink fan. Fits AMD SocketA/462/754/939/940 and Intel 478.

Thing is massive but very quiet when on silent mode. It fits my motherboard but I was scared since it almost touches a capacitor but the Zalman website says it is compatible.

http://www.cty.ca/details.asp?pid=1237 for $35

Oh but if you are newbie at computers and components, you might want to have someone help you out. This heatsink is huge and for my socket A I had to take out the mobo out of the case, which I wouldn't recommend for a newbie.

[mbg]

I would appreciate any help re: this. My CPU is loud, mostly due to a loud fan, as far as I can tell. How do I make things quieter? Do I need to replace the fan with a quieter one? And if so, how costly and difficult would that be (for a novice as far as computer hardware is concerned)?


If you've had the PC for awhile, check for dust buildup on any of the fans (there are normally at least three -- front of the case, on the CPU, and in the power supply). Cleaning out the dust can reduce the noise...

For a novice... changing the fan isn't difficult, but novices can be intimidated easily. From a Pentium 4 perspective, you have to use quite a bit of force and manoeuvring in tight spaces to get the stock heatsink off the mounting bracket.

After that, it's a matter of scraping thermal compound off the CPU and old heatsink, applying new compound, and putting the new fan back on (again may require dexterity.. some also require screws and can be tricky to put into place).

I don't enjoy doing it... it's a pain... but you should be able to do it.

[Amourek]

Step 1: dust everything out.
Step 2: identify the sources of noise
-momentarily stop each fan momentarily by either unplugging it or physically impeding the blades with a foreign object, say a pen
Step 3: come back, list your specs, tell us your results and ask your question again

[lhsonic]

Step 1: dust everything out.
Step 2: identify the sources of noise
-momentarily stop each fan momentarily by either unplugging it or physically impeding the blades with a foreign object, say a pen
Step 3: come back, list your specs, tell us your results and ask your question again

Yes, most computer novices will say CPU when refering to the computer in general.

If it is indeed the general computer itself, there are MANY factors to consider, mainly how old is it and the brand of the computer. In a basic computer, there are only 2 fans, the power supply fan and the CPU fan. In a mid-range comptuer, there will be about 5, adding a graphics card fan, a chipset fan and a computer case fan. In a high-range computer, there will be plenty more (all additional fans from here on will probably be extra case fans).

Identify which is the problem by opening the case (may void your warranty). What is stupid is that some brands of computers are incredibly hard to open or to change parts.

Now, if we're talking about the CPU fan, what we need is for you to download CPU-z @
http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php
and tell us your processor name and package (should be a socket number) and we'll help you from htere.

[Oni-kun]

CPU's are silent man. Cooling fans are what is noisy. Maybe replace the cheap sleave bearing fans your computer probrably came with with some ball bearing ones.

[felix]

Or it may not be a CPU at all. Could be a video card fan, power supply, etc.

[i2004tor]

Thanks for the help so far, guys. I'll take a look and update.