The PS4 is a great machine that offers fantastic gaming experiences even though the PS5 is already out and pushing the industry forward. The PS4 still has a great library of games and provides a great lifespan if well maintained. However, older PS4s start to break down, which becomes apparent when the fan becomes louder and louder.
Your PS4 fan may be loud because the console has a lot of dust and/or when a game requires a lot of graphics power. Make sure your PS4 is in a well-ventilated area so it can cool as designed, and clean it out periodically with canned air.
When the fan of this device kickstarts and begins to prevent it from over-heating, loud sounds can be heard often. The fan usually does this to keep the machine within operating temperatures, but that doesn’t make it any less annoying! So let’s find out how this sound is produced and what can be done to make the fan quieter.
5 Reasons Why Your PS4 Fan Sounds So Loud
Most gaming enthusiasts have proudly invested in a versatile entertainment device such as the Play Station 4. However, there are a few issues that many tend to combat now and then since it’s an electronic device by the end of the day.
A major one of these concerns is the PS4’s fan causing a loud sound. It’s necessary to analyze and find out the reason behind this inconvenience. This sound can be distracting and a total buzzkill for a passionate gamer.
You can check out these reasons for the PS4’s loud sound.
Cooling Fans
The device’s fans have proven to be a common factor for many users. These fans can be a concrete reason behind the noises your PS4 might be making.
Most of the time, the device does it to maintain the temperature. To ensure that the PS4 doesn’t heat up extensively, the fans kick it extra hard and create these loud sounds. As much as it causes a hindrance, this might just be keeping your PS4 safe.
In addition to that, the fans also tend to kick up hard and create noise when the external heat is exceptionally high and is affecting the device.
Dirt and Dust
When dusty particles land inside a body of the PS4 through various openings, they create a barrier and end up making a loud noise.
This surprises many users, but it’s pretty common.
While controlling dust isn’t easy, keeping the surroundings dust-free can help. However, it’s also tough to check what goes inside the machine. Hence it’s recommended to keep it clean and remove excessive dust often.
One should also ensure that the device is cleaned gently and that liquids do not contact it. Keeping it dust-free can make a significant difference in increasing a PS4’s life span.
Hard Drive
A technical reason also includes the impact a PS4’s Hard Drive can have on this entertainment device. Sometimes, the platters inside the hard drive begin to spin a lot more to retrieve and maintain heavy data.
The fans begin to kickstart during this lengthy process and produce a loud noise. This can be troubling since a hard drive plays a vital role in the PS4’s overall well-being.
Upgrading excessive or heavy hard drives can be another reason the fan begins to release heat while handling strain on the PS4.
Heavy Graphics Games
Gamers who are highly invested in a graphics levels of a game tend to put pressure on their PS4s often.
As a result, there are many challenging and well-made games which require a lot of power and higher speeds to run the graphics smoothly. These can, unfortunately, prove to be very damaging to the device’s system.
Once the CPU handles this pressure, the fan creates loud noises while releasing extra heat. Of course, the fans merely help the system cool down, but the noise signifies that the PS4 is battling heavy strain.
Damaged PS4
It’s hard to accept it as truth, but sometimes these noises are caused by the damage to the PS4. The device can deteriorate after battling dust, pressure, and hard drive issues.
If the system goes uncleaned and intact with dust particles, the motherboard can get affected by it eventually. This has a heavy impact on the efficiency and functionality of the PS4.
These loud sounds can indicate damage in some cases. Unfortunately, this can happen over time when the life of a PS4 comes to an end like any other electronic machine.
How To Stop Your PS4 Fan from Being So Loud?
Now that we’re investigated different reasons that might be causing this noise, let’s ponder over various solutions. These can help you make amends or sometimes even solve the problem without a lot of professional assistance.
A few ways to stop your PS4 from being so loud are mentioned and discussed thoroughly below.
Keep it Clean
Dust particles have been one of the most usual reasons behind the noise. This proves that keeping your PS4 tidy might solve the noise issue completely.
You can either dust it out from the outside or open the machine up to do a thorough dust release. Getting rid of collected dust from different parts, such as the motherboard, processor, or hard drive, is necessary; this alone has the chance of improving the noise issue significantly.
Better Ventilation
This solution has helped many get rid of the loud noise. However, giving your PS4 the chance to ventilate better is more of a process.
You can implement this by ensuring that nothing is in the way of your PS4’s venting space. Letting the air flow through these openings is very important as well.
Wrapping, covering, or storing a PS4 in a closet space should also be avoided. This tends to increase the heat and harm the ventilation process.
Fix the Technical Issues
If the gaming database has become corrupted, it can result in extra pressure being sent to the CPU. And the overheating will lead to these unwanted noises.
A few system upgrades, running a few checks, and troubleshooting for technical issues can help you solve them. Once the data and games are updated, the sound should eliminate itself.
Opting for a system software re-install is another way to eliminate issues. Even if the problem does stay, carrying these checks out will assure you that technicalities have been sorted and something else needs to be corrected.
Change the Thermal Paste
Thermal paste is a silver liquid that could be applied to a process. This liquid can help you transfer from heating to cooling. Once this dries out, the PS4 begins to heat faster, leading to fans coming to the rescue again and causing loud sounds.
Considering something like changing the thermal paste might be slightly intimidating since there’s a high chance you’re unable to do this yourself. The best option is to get a professional to walk you through the process or change it.
The good news is these are available and come as a set like the cooling fans with thermal paste (on Amazon) or an alternative replacement set (on Amazon) and end up solving the issue most of the time.
Purchase Vibration Pads
Investing in a vibration pad is one of the best decisions you’ll make to fight the excessive noise problem. These vibration pads (on Amazon) are widely available in the market and work wonders when decreasing the noise or vibration produced by the PS4.
These are made of rubber, which absorbs the noise and results in a relatively peaceful and less distracting user experience. This might not be a permanent solution, but it does the job just right.
How To Protect Your PS4 From Dust?
While analyzing many reasons and solutions above, it’s safe to say that dust particles have significantly impacted a PS4’s overall health.
If dust meets the PS4 excessively, it can cause sounds and decrease the machine’s life span. Therefore, a few ways to protect your PS4 have been compiled and explained below.
Change Air Filters (in Your House)
We’ve often heard that the air quality of the environment can significantly impact your well-being and the machines around us. The PS4 also requires safe and good quality air around it. Excessive smoke, pollution, or dust can cause big trouble if it sits inside for too long.
To keep this issue at bay, many suggest changing the air filters of your house frequently, which will keep the air quality level balanced.
Vacuum Regularly
If you keep the surroundings clean and vacuum often, the chances of dust or dirt flying around are much lesser. This will require effort and time, but it can save the PS4 from unwanted dust, which can damage the device.
Dust Frequently
To fight the tiny particles of dust everywhere, one should make time to dust off the PS4. This can keep it free from unnecessary dust particles from going inside and resting in deeper parts without us knowing.
Damp cloth clean for the outside is also recommended by a few users, but liquids are something one should be careful with.
Keep Your PS4 Elevated & Off the Floor
Experienced users have also recommended keeping the device in a slightly elevated position. Once placed up top, dust going in the device from around the floor or other items is much lesser.
Avoid Opening Windows When it’s Dusty Out
Open windows allow many dust particles to enter and move around easily. So if you’re looking to keep your PS4 safe from dust, it’s advisable to keep it in a room where you can avoid opening windows frequently.
Especially in the spring, when there may be a few weeks of very high pollen loads, you want to be aware of when the window is open and when it’s windy enough that particles are being blown in and then circulated in your air, sucked into your devices, etc.
Final Thoughts
A PS4 is one of the most successful devices Sony has made so far and has been able to change the entertainment industry completely. But the problems that users face daily can sometimes be agitating.
While various tips and tricks can solve the issue of excessive noise, it all comes down to maintenance.
If you’re willing to invest in a promising device like a PS4, it is essential to make sure it’s well maintained. This will prolong the device’s life span and keep problems away from the machine.