Wondering why your PC fans are very loud when gaming? You are not alone, it’s a really common problem that most of us have faced at least once while gaming.
Usually, PC fans loud when gaming is because your computer is working hard to keep things cool. When you’re gaming, your computer is working extra hard to process all of the information and graphics. This causes your computer to heat up, so the fan is working to keep things cool.
But constant loud noise can be a sign of something wrong with the fans. It is always better safe than sorry.
In this article, I’ll walk you through some of the causes of loud PC fans and how you can get them back to normal.
Should I Be Worried If My PC Fans Are Loud While Gaming?
When you are pushing the PC for better performance when gaming, it needs to work harder and consume more power (especially CPU and GPU).
This raises the temperature of the hardware and inside the casing. The cooling fans are assigned to control airflow and keep the heat in an optimal level.
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When the workload gets heavier, the fans have to spin much faster. This can create a loud noise, like a humming or a buzzing.
There is nothing to worry about this as it is EXACTLY what fans are meant to do. Maybe the sound can be a little loud but as long as it controls the temperature well enough, your fans are working properly.
But if the sound is unusual, more like a cracking or a grinding noise, you should probably check it out.
Additionally, if the noise is loud even when you are not running any games or apps, there might be something wrong with the fans.
You can check the temperature inside with a monitoring tool to see whether the fan is working properly. If the temperature keeps rising even when the fan is working loudly, you should be concerned.
Why Are PC Fans Loud When Gaming?
Here are some of the reasons why your PC fans might be louder than usual when gaming:
Dust On The Fan
Did you clean the inside of your PC recently? If not, there can be a considerable amount of dust accumulated on the fan.
This will reduce the fan’s performance and make it hard to spin with the increased weight.
Plus, the dust will affect the air ventilation inside the casing, making the heat stay inside rather than going out.
All these leads to a loud noise when the fan is working.
Regular cleaning of the interior is the best solution if this is the cause. Remove any dust or other stuff that’s on the fans and other parts. This will let the air flow more freely and fan blades should work properly after cleaning.
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If you are not confident about doing this yourself, go to the nearest PC service shop and get it done easily.
Quality And Number Of Fans
If you are playing games with enhanced graphics, the hardware has to work under heavy stress. This generates more heat and the fan should be capable of controlling it.
If your PC fan is unable to deal with heat and is not up to the standards, it will be forced to rotate much faster, which in turn will produce a loud noise constantly while gaming.
Use a good cooling fan or add more fans if you feel like 1 fan is not enough with your PC build and gaming pattern.
You can check the fan with a technician to clarify if it has any problems and whether it needs to be replaced.
Water cooling systems are also very effective (but expensive) against heating problems, if your air cooling system is not up to the mark.
Disturbances To The Airflow
The internal airflow is very important for cooling down the PC. The air circulation can be blocked with cables and other hardware inside.
Maybe the fan is placed so close to a wall that it can’t blow out air properly. This leads to high temperatures inside the casing and forces the fan to work at maximum speed, causing loud noises.
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Make sure the cables are well organized and fans have enough clearance from the wall or tables.
Plus, try to keep the PC away from windows where the air flow is disturbed by outside winds.
More Tips To Reduce The Noise Of PC Fans
Apart from the fixes we talked about earlier, you can try some of these as well if the previous ones didn’t work.
Check For Malware Infections
Some viruses affect the CPU performances and cause the PC to overheat excessively.
Hence the fans have to spin harder and that will produce a loud noise.
A good antivirus software should be able to detect and remove the viruses.
Update Your Hardware Drivers Regularly
If your drivers are old, the software-hardware compatibility gap will reduce the performance of your PC.
This prevents the system from working smoothly and can be another reason to raise the temperature and stress out the fans.
Control Fan Speed Manually
Although it is not the best solution, you can use a software to adjust the fan speed.
With this method you can limit the fan speed without reaching maximum speed and make loud noises.
This is not recommended if your PC gets heated a lot, because lowering the fan speed will damage the inside of your machine due to heat.
Conclusion
Abnormal loud noises from fans often means that it needs a checkup or an upgrade. There are few areas to check that can affect the fan’s performance.
PC cooling fans are intended to work heavily depending on the casing temperature, especially when gaming. If your PC temperature is under control while the fans are spinning hard, it means they are working properly for now, but may struggle to continue doing so.
Hope you found this guide helpful and it solved your issues.