Knock Out The Noise - Five Top Tips For Silencing Your PC

For anyone who utilizes a computer on a regular daily basis, the noise a PC makes can be loud and irritating. There are several things a computer user can do to help silence older computers and get some of the peace and quiet back to the computer workstation.

The first step to silencing a noisy computer is to listen to the sounds it makes. Decide which noises are the loudest and most irritating. Maybe the sound that is driving you crazy is the constant whining noise of the hard drives. Maybe the air moving through the computer's fans are driving you insane. Old hard drives might even make a clanking, clicking noise. If you are experienced at repairing and fixing computers, start by opening the computer and listening. Try to disconnect the fans and hard drives one at a time to determine what is making all the noise.



Case fans are the biggest contributor to the noise that a computer makes. Every computer has fans and every computer needs them for cooling. Fans are a must in order to move hot air out of the computer and to move cooler air in. Without fans, the computer will overheat and burn inside. Fans can create two types of noise. The actual spinning of the fans causes one type of noise. It can sound like a screeching or humming or it can be a whirring noise. The other sound a fan makes is a hissing. Air moving through the computer causes this sound.

If you notice your computer fans are constantly running the first thing to do is to move the computer where the air will flow more freely. If your computer unit is located near a wall or is enclosed, check to see if the air is flowing. Many times, placing the system too close to a wall or other obstructions can stop air altogether. This will cause the fans to run more frequently.

Noisy fans can also be fixed by replacing existing fans with a better-designed fan that has lower rpm rotation. Also, you can help your older fans run more efficiently by rewiring the fan connecter. This will allow the fan to run at about half the speed as before.

If you are not experienced with replacing computer parts, it is best to have a technician replace the parts. Also, it is recommended that after you have replaced fans or attempted to fix a noisy fan, to keep a close watch over the fans afterwards to ensure they are cooling the computer properly.

Another option to replacing the fans in the computer system is to purchase a new power supply unit. A new power supply unit will help the computer run more efficiently and can help regulate the temperature in the computer.

CPU units are big and they generally make a lot of noise. Because they are an important part of the computer and operate continually, the fans tend to run more to cool the system. To quiet a noisy CPU unit, try to install a fin cooler. These are inexpensive, quiet and help keep the CPU cool, allowing the fans to run less. Plus, fin coolers are easy to install. Another option to quiet a loud CPU unit is to try a radial fan cooler, which can be quieter than axial fan coolers. The downside of a radial fan cooler is that they can be large and might not fit in the computer.

Hard drives are another source of noise in a computer. It can cause a high pitch noise caused by the rotation of the platters or a clicking noise from the moving heads. The only option for silencing a noisy hard drive is to replace the hard drive altogether. Many newer hard drive models are much quieter than older versions. If purchasing a new hard drive is not an option, it is recommended that hard drives can be mounted in a cushion, such as brackets, that absorbs vibrations.

Last of all, peripherals such as CD ROMS and disks can make noise. With CD ROMs the noise can be caused by the fast rotation and spinning. They are louder when more active. There are programs that can be downloaded to help curb this noise.