5 Steps to Silence a Noisy Laptop Fan

Why does the laptop fan sound loud/noisy?

Laptop fans could become loud for several reasons.

Dust/dirt pileup: The dust buildup is lethal for laptop fans. The gunk and muck can get stuck between the fan mechanisms, making them run harder and wear out quicker, also producing a rattling noise.

Vents blockage: Vents blockage can also make your laptop heat up like a fry pan. So, when the hot air gets trapped, the fans become noisier as they run hard to extinguish the heat. Older models of notebooks even used to get on fire due to overheating as a result of this type of carelessness. Modern laptops also pose this risk.

Old machine: It could be that your machine is so old that the fans have worn out naturally, making a loud noise that distracts you from work.

Too much load on the CPU and GPU: When you use the laptop for performing intensive tasks like HD video editing or 3D gaming, it puts a lot of load on the CPU and GPU, causing them to produce immense heat. That’s where the fans come in and speed up the process of cooling down by running faster but also noisier.

What can you do to silence the fan noise?

You can silence the fan noise by following the methods below.

1- End background processes:

You may end the background processes that are weighing down on the CPU and GPU. Window users can go to the Task Manager via the Start search bar. Meanwhile, Mac users can go to the Activity Monitor and quit the software programs that are consuming power unnecessarily when they are not using them.

Users can also control what programs start during the startup to put less stress on the processor and fans. On Windows 10, you can go to “Startup apps” via the search bar. You can then sort out what apps you do not want to run during the startup and disable them.

Mac users may go to “System Preferences” and select “Users and Groups.” Clicking on the login items tab will show you a list of startup programs where you can remove unwanted apps. 

2- Unblock the vents and clean the fans:

You must ensure that you do not use the laptop on soft surfaces like a bed or a cushion or even your lap. The vents get blocked when put on soft exteriors; however, a hard surface like a table may be ideal to use the laptop on. Cleaning is also important to unclog the vents and the fans. 

You may use a mini vacuum cleaner to unclog the vents and fans by eliminating the dust and grime stuck inside the machine. If you can manage, open the backplate of your laptop and thoroughly clean the fan using a brush, a mixture of isopropyl alcohol and water, and a lint-free cloth.

3- Refresh the thermal paste:

Thermal paste is a silver-colored product that helps in conducting heat from the CPU to the heat sink. So, sometimes when the thermal paste wears off, it can cause the CPU to overheat, putting ample pressure on the fans, and allowing them to be louder.

Therefore, to silence the fans, you can refresh the thermal paste by removing the previous application and applying a new one.

This task would require you to open the backplate of the laptop and carefully remove the existing thermal paste from the heat sink and the processor. Using a lint-free cloth damp with rubbing alcohol (90% concentration), you may undo the older paste. And apply a new coating of the thermal paste on the heat sink and the processor.

Check out the iFixit guide for detailed steps.   

4- Use cooling equipment:

If your laptop has an issue heating up which leads to fan noise, you may use external cooling equipment like a mini cooler or a cooling pad. Also, you may try to avoid environments with hot temperatures and keep the laptop in a cool place.

Cool environments help the laptop maintain an optimal temperature, allowing fans to run at a normal pace and be silent. If you perform intensive tasks on the notebook most times, you may want to put a mini cooler beside the machine to assist the fans in the cooling process which will again help them remain noiseless.

Another trick you could try is to shut down the laptop for an hour or so and let it cool down. This may allow the fans to operate silently the next time you open the laptop. However, it’s not a permanent solution. 

5- Replace the fan:

If you hear a rattling noise from the laptop, it means you should get the fan replaced. Usually, the fans in a years-old notebook make loud noises that sound like clanking due to the natural wear and tear of the mechanism. At this point, you must get the fan replaced or it could spread the damage to other components, thanks to the overheating. 

You could use a DIY tutorial to complete the task or get professional help from a PC/laptop expert, depending on what suits you best.

Final Thoughts:

Noisy laptop fans can annoy sensitive users, but there are ways to counter it. People also use third-party utilities to control fan speeds manually, so they can reduce the noise, however; we don’t recommend that to every user. It’s not safe to mess with the fan speeds as they maintain the temperatures. So, it’s best not to opt for these options, especially if you don’t know how to use them. Lastly, if none of the fixes help you, get professional help from a PC/Mac repair shop.