Have you ever noticed a strange sound while playing with the PS4? The noise might not be very noticeable, but sometimes the sound is very high, just as if some plane is about to take off.
If you have been in such a strange situation, then you are not alone. Many complaints are registered against this horrible sound. Nowadays, these noises are considered standard. If you notice them, you will need to get them fixed as soon as possible.
In this article, we will discuss some simple techniques to make the noises go low. We will also discuss the reason why this problem happens.
Funny noises coming from your PS4 Console are not typical. It might be an indication that something is wrong with your device. Most of the time, it happens because of dust as they are gathered inside the fan, which prevents the fan’s movement, resulting in loud noises. But dust is not the one problem behind these loud noises.
To fix the issue, firstly, you need to identify the source of the problem. If it is happening due to overheating of the CPU, you must open the Console and remove all the accumulated dust from the fan and the heat sink. It is also recommended to change the thermal paste for better results.
After the cleaning process, you might notice an increase in the speed of the Console. If you want to protect the PS4 from dust and damage, you can also buy a dustproof cover readily available in the market.
Why is your PS4 Fan so Loud?
You must know that the cooling fans in the PS4 get louder when they spin very fast. The cooling fans are mainly intended to lower the temperature inside the device. Some of the common reasons why your PS4 is creating noises:
1. Dust
Dust is one of the main reasons which is considered behind the loud noise of the PS4. You cannot control dust as it is everywhere. We all cleaned the Console from outside, but we never knew what was happening inside the box.
2. High Graphic Games
High Graphic demanding games are another main reason behind the loud noise of your PS4. Games with very high graphics look so attractive, but they are very damaging to the system, which results in overheating of the Console.
High graphic games put a significant load on the CPU, which results in transferring all the overheat to the fan. And the fan then tries to cool down the system, and it works faster than its usual speed, which results in loud noises.
3. PS4 Hard Drive
The PS4 Hard Drive is another prominent reason why your PS4 Console fan is creating loud noises. It mainly happens when the platters inside the hard drive are spinning to seek data. The noises from the hard drive are a bad sign.
4. Cooling Fans
The Cooling Fans are the most common reason behind the loud noises of the PS4. These fans’ primary purpose is to maintain the Console’s temperature by removing all the excess heat outside the device. They generally remove all the heat that processors and motherboards produce.
If the cooling fan is loosely attached, or dusty then they start to create noises. Sometimes, these noises can be booming. And at the time of overheating, if the fans fail to cool down the system, it will automatically shut down.
5. PS4 Console
Sometimes the PS4 Console itself starts to create noises when the screws inside them get loose, or the components inside are vibrating against the PS4 frame. The noise gets louder when the Console is not placed correctly.
6. Broken PS4
Over an extended period, dust and lint are accumulated inside the Console. This will result in blocking various parts, which on the other hand, makes them stop functioning.
The cooling fans and motherboards are most prone to dust and are easily affected. Also, some parts of the Console become loose with time, resulting in more noise than usual.
How to Make PS4 Quieter
Some easy solutions will help you lessen the loud fan noise. By keeping the Console cool and dust-free will must help you in reducing the fan’s noise.
1. Improve Ventilation.
Improving the Ventilation is the easiest solution that you can do to your Console to keep the fan noise low. You must know that the cooling vents are present on the rear and backside of the Console. The side vents are mainly for air intake, and the rear vents are used as exhaust fans. You must make sure that the area near the fans is free from any obstruction. There must be a healthy circulation of air through the Console. Otherwise, it will result in overheating.
It is recommended not to keep any unnecessary things beside or upon the Console. Keeping things in contact with the Console will result in the accumulation of heat. It would help if you never placed your Console inside any closed cabinet, especially when using it. Doing this will make the Console overheat, which will eventually result in increasing the fan noise.
2. Play in a Pool Area
While using the PS4 Console heavily will result in overheating it, so it is recommended to place it in a cool area. Temperature plays a vital role in loud noises created by the Console. It would help if you kept the PS4 Console for the best results where the room has a maximum temperature of 73 degrees F.
3. Clean It with Compressed Air
After performing all the techniques, the dust will still enter the Console through its vents. Without opening the Console, there is still a method to take away the dust. You must use a can of compressed air. Before you do this, you must ensure that the PS4 has been shut down and unplugged from the power source.
You must start the cleaning process by blowing air into the middle indentation of PS4 and all the USB ports. Make sure that you avoid those slots where the discs are inserted. After cleaning the Console with compressed air, do not forget to wipe it with a microfiber cloth.
Using compressed air will result in cleaning all the dust from the vents. It will eventually result in reducing the noise of the fan. But unfortunately, there is no way to clean all the dust from the Console.
You must repeat this method every 2-3 months. It will result in keeping your PS4 in best performance and without any issues.
4. Use Vacuum Cleaner
Many of the PS4 owners also use a Vacuum cleaner to clean the dust from the vents because the user manual mentions that using a vacuum cleaner is a safe way to clean the Console. It is recommended to use the vacuum cleaner with a narrow nozzle attachment.
You must note that even after using the vacuum cleaner, it is impossible to clear all the dust away. After the cleaning process, you must wait for a few minutes to allow the temperature to normalize before turning it on.
5. Fix Corrupted System Files
If your Console’s database file is corrupted, it will also spice the fan faster, eventually increasing the fan’s noise. This will also happen when the games are not correctly installed on the system. It will cause the CPU to overheat, which results in making the Console overheat.
How to Disassemble Your PS4?
Note: This will result in voiding the Warranty of your Console. If your PS4 is new, you can send it to customer service as the professionals know better than you.
If all the tricks mentioned above fail to solve your issue, you must deep clean the Console, requiring you to open the Console.
Opening the Console is not a complicated process, but you must know that the PS4 does not use regular or standard screws. You will need a unique set of screwdrivers named T8 Torx Security Bit.
These screwdrivers consist of a simple dimple in the middle of them that matches the tiny protrusion on the middle of PS4 screws. You must make sure that the PS4 is shut down and disconnected from the power source before disassembling it.
Firstly, you must remove all the three screws which are in the bottom portion of the Console. Some screws are hidden behind the warranty stickers, so you must first remove those stickers to unscrew them. The act of removing these warranty stickers will result in voiding the warranty of your PS4.
After unscrewing all the screws, you need to turn down the PS4 in an upside-down manner. Then, you must remove the plastic bottom cowling. You must take care while removing the cover, and you must take it out very slowly without causing any damage to PS4.
After removing the cover, you can see the fan. Now, you can perform the deep cleaning of the fan, including its drills using compressed air. While using the compressed air, you must make sure that you hold it in a vertical direction, which will resist the blow of moisture into the fan.
After the cleaning process, you must leave the fan uncovered for fifteen to twenty minutes. This is for a safety precaution if you have mistakenly sprayed any moisture on the fan. After doing everything, you can carefully place the lid back to its original position and tighten up the screw.
How to Fix Noisy Fan Without Opening It
If you do not feel comfortable disassembling the PS4 by yourself, you can try these fixes, which may fix the loud noise issue of your PS4.
Step 1: Use Vacuum Cleaner
Using a vacuum cleaner regularly will help in keeping the dust away from your Console. It might not permanently remove the dust, but it is the best option for a temporary fix. The high-speed airflow from the vacuum cleaner can remove all the small and unnoticeable dust particles from inside the PS4.
Step 2: Place the PS4 Vertically
As the PS4 is usually placed horizontally, you must try placing it in another way. This might help in removing all the excess heat and lessen the fan noise. If this method is not useful, then you must try some other approaches.
Step 3: Use Vibration Pads
Placing the PS4 on a vibration pad is another best strategy to lessen the noise of the fan. As the PS4 creates vibration while running, it is best to keep it on a vibration pad to absorb all the vibration.
There are some different kinds of rubber bands also available which you can use. They will surely help in changing your gaming experience. These rubber cushions also enable more air intake inside the PS4 and make the fan cool better.
Step 4: Purchase a Cooling Stand
The Cooling Stand is one of the best methods to keep the temperature of the PS4 to normal. It will help in letting the air from the fan go outside rather than hitting on any object.
This will result in reducing the overheating of the Console.
Step 5: Using Dustproof Cover
After cleaning the Console properly, you must make sure that no dust gathers on the Console again. For that, you must use a dust cover. You can purchase it easily online from any website.
Less dust will result in less noise.
What if Nothing Works
1. Clean the Heatsink.
At the time of disassembling the Console, we mostly deep clean the fan only. We missed the most crucial part of PS4 – The Heatsink. Most of the dust is gathered there. That is why sometimes deep cleaning the PS4 will also fail to lessen the noise.
So, it is recommended to clean the heatsink of the PS4 very carefully. Nowadays, technology has become so advanced, and most people started using SSDs in place of hard disks in their consoles.
It will help in delivering faster load times for games and other applications. Solid-State drives use less energy than hard disks, which will result in running the system at a cooler temperature.
2. Apply Thermal Paste
Using a Thermal Paste is the last option you can do to your PS4. It might be a little risky, but it can help you in getting better results. It will result in reducing the noise and maintains the overheating of the CPU. The thermal paste replacement is useful for many users.
Final Thoughts
As you know, the root of all problems is dust, and the dust will clog the fan, resulting in more noise. This will also result in ruining the gaming experience. Now, you know all the possible reasons why my ps4 fan is so loud and how to solve this problem.
In some of the cases, the problem is fixed by some more straightforward methods, but on the other hand, it requires you to disassemble the Console to fix it, which eventually results in voiding the warranty of your PS4. With the help of the right tool and patience, you can quickly diagnose and fix the problem. With a little maintenance and a proper environment, you will easily resist this problem.
I hope that this complete guide will help you to deal with the problem faced by most of the PS4 users. If you have any better ideas and want to share them with us, you can post them in the comment section below. We will be delighted to read them.