CPU fan, too much noise

[briley]

I have an AMD socket AM3+ processor (FX 8350) and am using the supplied heat sink. The noise is OK under normal running conditions but when the CPU temperature creeps up the fan does get annoying with a whining noise. Things are getting worse as the room temperature creeps up to the 40C mark.

I do not intend to spend some 5,000 Baht on those super water cooling heat sinks but see a number of replacement fan / heat sinks around the 500 Baht mark.

Anyone any experience of these - are they any better, ie quieter?

[Myran]

Go for a cooler with a larger fan (120 mm). Bigger fan means lower RPM and less noise. I'm happy with my Hyper 212 EVO, but it's hardly one of the quietest coolers. I'd stay away from the no-brand fans and coolers out there – better spend a thousand baht extra and get something that won't start rattling and squeaking after a while.

[JaseTheBass]

I have 3 or 4 similar PCs in the office with the same issue. I just took the panel off the side of the PCs and the fans rarely kick in now.

[Tywais]

You might look through jedicools CPU coolers. http://www.jedicool.com/list.php?cate=3

[pedro01]

Might sound like a silly question - but are you sure the fan is plugged into the right slot on your motherboard?

They made this mistake on my last build - it made a horrible noise but once plugged into the right slot - silence!

[briley]

Thanks for the comments,

I tried having the case open, no difference. Mind I have 3 fans on the case (all silent) but the room itself is rather warm 33C at the moment.

I never mind a silly question if it solves my problem, yes it is in the correct socket so the motherboard can control the speed.

Looked at Jedicool - some interesting coolers, but which one works well and quietly? Any specific recomendation?

I will go down and look at the coolers and go for a larger radius fan - also see fans which have bigger blades, I assume they are better as well?

[innerspace]

Half decent coolers start around 1500 baht and much better than stock fans. No need to go crazy, just balance your preference of noise, performance and cost.

[rhythmworx]

What is the manufacturer of your motherboard, most these days come with software to control fan speed and allow to to set a fan percentage ramp per given temp.

Your fan may just be ramping up prematurely.

Download this and monitor/report what your temps are when it ramps up http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/core_temp.html

Are you sure your room temp is 40c, was that a typo? Even a watercooled fan will ramp up in ambient temps like that.

Edited March 12, 2016 by rhythmworx

[cyberfarang]

Thanks for the comments,

I tried having the case open, no difference. Mind I have 3 fans on the case (all silent) but the room itself is rather warm 33C at the moment.

I never mind a silly question if it solves my problem, yes it is in the correct socket so the motherboard can control the speed.

Looked at Jedicool - some interesting coolers, but which one works well and quietly? Any specific recomendation?

I will go down and look at the coolers and go for a larger radius fan - also see fans which have bigger blades, I assume they are better as well?

I guess your computer is getting on a bit in years and probably the reason the cooling fan is starting to get noisy. Not only the heat but it always means the CPU is working hard. Had the same problem with my old PC. No problem since I bought a new PC.

What you can try and it helps a little, is to place one of those miniature fans that plug in to a USB socket at the side of the computer blowing into a vent at the side of the casing or take the side off and let the fan blow directly into the computer. Besides that there is not much you can do about it.

[katana]

I've had the bearings go and make a noise in a few cooling fans on my computer. Finding which one it is can be tricky since the noise is transferred away from the source though the metal case. Often the only way to accurately find which one is making the noise is to momentarily stop it running with the edge of a cloth. In one case I took the cover off and listened and was sure it was the CPU fan. However, it actually turned out to be one of the case fans which luckily was only a few dollars on Ebay. Another time it turned out to be the graphics card fan.

[NeverSure]

Please don't run a hot computer with the case side removed. The case is designed as a wind tunnel to pass air over the CPU. The manufacturer designs an airflow plan for the case. When the side is removed the air isn't directed over the CPU but rather travels randomly.

An extra fan or two can actually be a hindrance if they are pushing opposite the direction the manufacturer designed for airflow already. When adding fans look at what's there already and augment, don't buck it.

Cheers.

[briley]

Interesting set of observations.

I have a new motherboard this year so it does control the fan - no noise problems when the ambient temperature is in the 20C range, but I do not run A/C so the current room temperature is 31C and will get a bit warmer this afternoon. It is actually the change in fan speed that is most irritating, silent to noise to silent to noise.

The case is old. I've just tried changing one of the fans so it blows into the case - the second fan blows out and see if I do end up with a wind tunnel. Does sound a little better after just a minute or two.

I am going to get a bigger fan for the CPU - it is only about 70mm so a bigger fan can shift the same amount of air for less noise (hopefully).

Don't know why but the Core Temp software refuses to install. However I do have other CPU temp software and was interested in a comment that the temperature reported by the CPU core is rather inaccurate, especially as it is not reported in temperature but just as a number that has to be converted to a temperature.

--Change in the fan direction seems to have helped - still sounds quieter. Fingers crossed.

[Daffy D]

Download the free version of Speccy - it will give you lots of information about your system including system temperatures.

http://www.piriform.com/speccy

[Myran]

As NeverSure mentioned above, running the computer with the case side removed will rarely or never improve anything. The proper air flow will be disrupted and you'll only get dust in there.

Also make sure that the cables are drawn well inside the case, otherwise they can ruin the air flow and make the computer hotter than it needs to be. If you have a case with a small area behind the mounting plate for the mother board, make sure to run most of the cables there to keep them out of the way.

As for the cooler, just Google search "quiet AM3 cooler" and you should be able to find tests and guides to help you out.

[JaseTheBass]

Except of course when opening the case fixes it like it has done for 3 of my PCs running similar equipment.

[briley]

OK, went out and bought a hyper 212X from Cooler master. Choice of 9cm or 12cm fan. I went for the 12 cm as recommended above at 1290 Baht.

Rather a pig to fit, had to take the motherboard out to fit a plate underneath and it is big. I thought the fan would sit above the mother board parallel to it but no, it stands up 12 cm. So it doesn't allow the cover to be fitted by a mere smidgen. But that can be sorted out.

Boy is it quiet - totally. Probably could have got away with the 9cm fan at under 1,000 Baht but no complaints.

Temperature is wandering just a few degrees above the room temperature - 38-40C. Who could ask for more?

One problem, the sound card is also totally silent. Windows says it is fine and everything produces pretty bounding lights but nothing comes out. Hope I didn't break something on the motherboard.

Thanks for all the comments.

[manarak]

Please don't run a hot computer with the case side removed. The case is designed as a wind tunnel to pass air over the CPU. The manufacturer designs an airflow plan for the case. When the side is removed the air isn't directed over the CPU but rather travels randomly.

An extra fan or two can actually be a hindrance if they are pushing opposite the direction the manufacturer designed for airflow already. When adding fans look at what's there already and augment, don't buck it.

Cheers.

err... this is the case for notebooks, but for desktops, the case is just a metal box containing the rest with some air in- and outlets here and there, the airflow "shaped" by the case is so weak it doesn't make any difference.

It does help though to position case fans, one to intake air and one to expel it.

The best method for cooling a CPU better is to replace the fan and heatsink with a better performing model.

As suggested, 120mm fans on large heatsinks using copper heatpipes will cool best.

As a last suggestion for OP, doing anything on a computer at room temperatures of 30 degrees up is just torture. What about an aircon?

[briley]

manarak - agreed:

"As a last suggestion for OP, doing anything on a computer at room temperatures of 30 degrees up is just torture. What about an aircon?"

I was sweating like a pig by the time I had finished. But I do not like aircon - just a personal choice. A shower and a swim afterwards and I was (almost) human again. Oh yes, the computer is quite happy, if I could get the sound to work.

[manarak]

manarak - agreed:

"As a last suggestion for OP, doing anything on a computer at room temperatures of 30 degrees up is just torture. What about an aircon?"

I was sweating like a pig by the time I had finished. But I do not like aircon - just a personal choice. A shower and a swim afterwards and I was (almost) human again. Oh yes, the computer is quite happy, if I could get the sound to work.

you have a separate soundcard? nowadays I can't think of any motherboard that doesn't have integrated sound.

maybe you disconnected some cable?

[briley]

No, integrated sound card in the motherboard. Got a USB plug in, suppose it is a sound card, works fine for 99 Baht. Not complaining.

[manarak]

No, integrated sound card in the motherboard. Got a USB plug in, suppose it is a sound card, works fine for 99 Baht. Not complaining.

I didn't understand what the USB plug in is and what it has to do with the intergrated sound module (no card here as it's integrated)?

[crabdog]

Right click on the volume icon in your Windows taskbar and select "Playback devices" and make sure that the correct one is set as the default playback device.