Or, for example, when you work with high-quality video materials, the cooler immediately lets you know about itself - a certain hum appears. During the day, when both the house and the street are filled with sounds, this noise is not particularly noticeable. But during night work, when you don’t want to wake up your family, the hum of coolers and the innards of the laptop draws your attention. Why does it make noise and what needs to be done to make the laptop work quickly and quietly - read on.
Why does the laptop make noise?
The internal structure of the laptop assumes three parts that can serve as a source of extraneous sound: a cooler, a hard drive, and a drive.
1. The cooler is always noisy, as it is a small fan that drives air to cool the "insides" of the laptop. If you do not give the laptop a large load, then the noise level from the fan will be barely noticeable. Increasing the load on the processor immediately intensifies this hum, as the cooler is accelerated in order to keep up with the supply of cold air inside the laptop case and prevent overheating of spare parts.
2. CD / DVD drives are also very noisy. Now, of course, information on discs is not very popular, but even an empty drive sometimes makes loud sounds, and when reading or writing to a disc, the noise becomes very loud. There are programs that regulate the baud rate of the drive, but they slow things down considerably. The best solution to this problem is to remove the discs on time after you finish working with them.
3. The last reason a laptop is noisy lies in the functioning of the hard disk. It is its magnetic heads that make grinding sounds with clicks. This is not always the case, but only during intensive work: when reading the "heavy" information, the "hard" is accelerated and starts to work in an enhanced mode.
What to do if the laptop is noisy, warm?
To improve the performance of the laptop and in order for the sounds it makes to become quieter, there are several optimal methods, one way or another related either to the features of the external device or to the laptop software.
Updating Bios and Drivers
Many users, while upgrading the technical components of their laptop, often forget about upgrading the software. It is no less important for sufficient hardware performance, especially when it comes to updating (flashing) the BIOS and drivers. If you visit the website of the laptop manufacturer every six months or a year and update the software in the form of at least drivers, then this will get rid of moments when the laptop is noisy or very hot. In addition, software enhancements will greatly increase the speed of your laptop.
Important nuances and tips for updating BIOS:
- do not download new versions from anywhere except the official site, and then, after you recognize the model;
- if the update takes place with the help of official programs, the process becomes simpler and clearer. There is also a "but" - you run the risk, as antivirus applications and other third-party processes can cause the laptop to freeze;
- during the update, you need to protect yourself from any problems with the power supply, since this can damage the motherboard significantly;
- it is recommended to save the old, familiar BIOS variation on a separate media in advance, in case of poor update performance;
- it is recommended not to select alpha versions in testing.
BIOS flashing optimizes laptop processes, including the rotational speed of the cooler.
Updating drivers is simple: visit the manufacturer's website, download them individually or in a pack, run and follow the prompts to install the drivers like a regular program.
Dust cleaning
Blocking into the cooler, small particles of debris slow down its operation, make it difficult to rotate, causing a loud buzzing and noise. Regular cleaning will help keep the machine running and avoid loud noises during operation.
1. take brushes with synthetic bristles - they shed less and clean the surface of the "insides" of the laptop better;
2. It is recommended to clean the laptop at least once every six months;
3. when cleaning, it is better to also change the thermal paste, lubricate the moving parts of the coolers;
4. The cleaning process is recommended to be carried out on a table, and not on a bed, floor or chair, otherwise all the necessary screws may be lost;
5. to unscrew the bolts, it is more convenient to use a magnetized one, so that it is easier to get the screws out of the grooves and not to lose them;
6. Laptops under warranty are advised not to clean them yourself, since opening the back cover will void the warranty;
7. experts strongly recommend to find materials on how to do it correctly before disassembling a laptop;
8. The necessary tools for physical cleaning are: a set of screwdrivers with suitable cue bits, fine brushes, alcohol wipes.
Regular care of the laptop, expressed in cleaning from dust and changing the thermal paste, will reduce the noise of a running fan and keep the laptop from heating.
Reducing the rotational speed of the cooler
Elimination of unnecessary noise is also carried out locally. You can download software that controls the fan speed. Such programs capture temperature changes inside the laptop case, automatically adjusting the pace of movement of the blades - so the cooler will work with optimal efficiency, and you will avoid a lot of noise.
Often, such utilities are not needed for the high-quality performance of the laptop, however, some laptop models require this control of the fan speed, since initially they do not have sufficiently sensitive temperature sensors.
Due to the low sensitivity of these sensors, the cooler may slow down not immediately, as soon as the temperature has dropped, but after a while. This delay leads to quick wear of the moving parts of the cooler and to constant noise.
You should be very careful to use such software, as there is a possibility of program failure and, as a result, dangerous overheating of the laptop.
Reducing hard disk noise
The grinding noise of your machine is nothing more than the positioning of the hard drive's readheads, they make a loud noise. Do not rush to panic, plug your ears, look for a new device - just look at the settings of the "hard" itself. There is a head control function, a priori it is turned off by default. With the help of special programs, you can turn it on, thereby lowering the reading speed and removing the noise accompaniment. Of course, this insignificantly reduces the performance, while at the same time significantly adding years of service to it.
QuietHDD is considered the best program for this. It is not difficult to understand it:
- download and unzip the program, run as administrator;
- find the application icon on the taskbar;
- call the context menu with a right click and select “Settings”;
- go to the “AAM Settings” tab;
- move both sliders to the left to the minimum value;
- save everything with the “Apply” button.
After executing this algorithm, the working parts of the “hard” will slow down and it will stop humming, grinding or clicking. In order for the application to start its work simultaneously with turning on the laptop, you need to copy the startup file to the Desktop, mark the launch as administrator in Properties and move this file to Autostart, which can be found in the “Start” panel.
Programs for changing the rotational speed of the cooler
By right, SpeedFan is considered the simplest and most functional software for controlling a cooler. An intuitive interface and automation-based operation are the best companions to a program of this nature.
The application will easily adjust the rotational speed of the coolers - it will not cause any difficulties for you:
1. install software;
2. run it;
3. In a matter of seconds, the program will collect information about all working laptop coolers and display the data in a list;
4. memorize two blocks of information in the working window.
The first block shows the speed of the cooler, expressed in the number of revolutions, and the program determines which fan belongs where. Sometimes, of course, she is not able to perform this task, and then you can change the indicators at random.
The second block is changing the speed of coolers by percentage. By experimenting with these parameters, you can adjust the cooler speeds and, trusting your hearing, choose an acceptable speed. Keep in mind that your correct choice will also affect the temperature inside the laptop - it very much depends on the intensity of the blades. Therefore, the speed of coolers should be taken into account even more carefully: the volume of the device and the cooling of its “filling” depend on it.
To enable SpeedFan when the computer starts up, click on the fields in the equivalent items of the program option. You can enter them by clicking on the “Configure” button and selecting the “Options” tab of the same name.
Another good cooler control program is MSI Afterburner. This utility works exclusively with coolers. After installing and opening the program, you can see that there is only one cooler regulator slider. Since it works in automatic mode by default, you need to switch to custom mode for self-configuration. If the cooler of the video card makes a lot of noise, then you need to choose the optimal value for its rotation speed. The parameters take effect when you click the “Apply” button.
The right window of the application shows graphs of temperature changes, the speed of the blades both in percent and in revolutions per second.
This program is also known for the fact that it has a function that allows you to set different fan speeds under different temperature conditions. You can find this function by going to “Settings” and then open the “Cooler” tab. Select "Custom Auto". Set additional points on the graph that will be programmed by the fan. After the settings, the program will independently adjust the speed to the user.
All the actions described in this article are aimed at timely taking care of the laptop, both from a purely technical side and from the software side. And if regular cleaning of the laptop from dust is necessary in any case, then experts advise using other methods to reduce noise only in situations where the laptop is buzzing outside of heavy loads, games or resource-intensive programs.
Updating drivers should be done once every six months or a year if the new software on the official website has significant differences from the existing one, and the BIOS should not be updated unnecessarily. Nevertheless, most often the laptop makes unnecessary noise precisely because of the dirty cooler and old thermal paste, so it will not be difficult to get quiet operation from it.
Does your laptop make noise while you work? Have you noticed that it began to get very hot, and not only the case, but also the keyboard becomes hot? Perhaps you even had to deal with the fact that the case vibrates a little or you hear a crackle from it? It's time to figure out what this is connected with, and what measures must be taken to prevent the failure of your laptop.
First, let's find out the main reasons why a laptop can make noise, and why it gets hot during operation.
So, the main "provocateurs":
Dust has accumulated in the cooling system.
As a result, the process of heat exchange with the outside temperature has worsened and the processor gets very hot. Thermal sensors installed to control this process cause a protective reaction - they give a signal to the cooler to work more powerful and increase its speed to cool the processor. If this process were not possible, the laptop would break down immediately after severe overheating. Thus, the noise in this case is caused by the speed of the cooling cooler, and the power of its speed is due to the accumulated dust.
The cooler is out of order.
The most common reason why a cooler becomes unusable is bearing bushings wear out. Moreover, the cooling system in this case continues to work at full capacity and the same cooler does not reduce the number of revolutions, but this whole process is accompanied by noise, and in some cases, putting your hands on the keyboard, you can even feel a slight vibration. The cooler fails, as a rule, again due to the accumulation of dust in the cooling system.
Overload, work with large-scale resources.
Laptop noise may not always indicate a problem with the cooling system. Very often, its appearance is provoked by excessive load, for example, if you have installed some kind of "fancy" game or are working in an application from the category of "resource-intensive". By the way, some laptops are not designed for games at all, at least they cannot be used for these purposes for a long time. Such loads, coupled with the weak power of the cooler, will inevitably lead to the failure of the laptop.
How can you avoid overheating your laptop? The answer is simple - you need to properly operate it, namely:
It is necessary to regularly clean the laptop from dust and, in general, do not use it in a room where it constantly accumulates.
If your laptop is exposed to heavy loads (you work at it for a long time, play or work with resource-intensive applications), be sure to use a high-quality stand with cooling ventilation.
During operation, the notebook should only be placed on a flat, solid surface. Only in this way will the ventilation system be able to cope with the load. If during operation the laptop will be on your lap or you will put it on the sofa, the processor will simply “choke” on it. air exchange will not be possible.
If, despite observing all the above recommendations, the laptop still continues to make a lot of noise, and at the same time, for no reason at all, it turns off or reboots itself, you need to urgently contact the service department. These "symptoms" can portend a failure of the motherboard. The cost of replacing it is sometimes identical to the cost of a new laptop.
Typically laptop computers - notebooks, laptops, netbooks, and ultrabooks - run relatively quietly. For them, special components are developed that have a lower heat transfer and a quiet cooling system is installed. But sooner or later, any owner of such a device may be faced with the fact that the computer will start making sounds - buzzing and buzzing. You should not immediately be afraid of this and run headlong into the service or call a computer wizard. First, you should try to figure it out yourself - why is the laptop humming?
The situations that arise can be divided into two groups:
The new laptop suddenly buzzed
The first reaction of an ordinary user is “broke”! Not really. It's just that the laptop gets very hot and therefore the cooler (fan) buzzes, trying to cool the processor. There are several ways to deal with this.
1. Setting up the power supply scheme.
Powerful and fast laptops, at maximum operating parameters, as a rule, get very hot. In this case, in most cases, maximum performance is not needed (of course, if you are not a fan of games). We do the following: press the key combination Win + R. The "Run" window will open:
Enter the command powercfg.cpl and click on the OK button. The Windows operating system power settings window will open:
If you have set the power plan - "High performance" - change it to "Balanced". After that close the window and reboot.
2. Using the laptop stand:
Now in any more or less large store that sells computers and components, you can buy a special cooling pad for a laptop:
It is usually a special platform with built-in fans that drive cold air to the bottom of the laptop, which is hottest. This is a very handy thing, which also allows you to position the laptop more conveniently and does not allow anything to cover the cooling system holes on its case.
Old laptop buzzing
If your old comrade suddenly buzzed with a cooler for no reason at all, then try to remember - and when you cleaned it. Want to see what its cooling system looks like after 2-3 years of active operation:
Dust and hair clog the radiator to the point where airflow just barely gets through. The cooler starts driving hot air. It is clear that this is not enough and the system starts to increase the fan speed. Therefore, the laptop begins to hum, that it simply cannot cope with such heating. The solution is simple - cleaning and blowing.
If you yourself can unscrew a few screws on the bottom of the case and get to the fan, then clean it carefully first with a dry and then with a damp cotton swab:
It is also not difficult to blow through the radiator - you either need to buy a can with compressed air at a computer store, or use some weak car compressor. Alternatively, you can blow it out with an old Soviet vacuum cleaner that can work in blowing mode. The main thing is not to try to clean it with a vacuum cleaner for blowing - it can end sadly.
Well, and lastly, advice - try to put your laptop on a flat, hard surface so as not to block the ventilation holes. It is also desirable to place it in a normally ventilated place. Then it will delight you with normal and quiet work for a long time to come.
If your laptop starts to make a lot of noise and freezes all the time, the most likely reason is dust contamination of the cooling system of the device. In this case, it does not fully cope with its task - the cooler is forced to constantly rotate at maximum speed. If, moreover, it cracks during operation, then this may be due to the drying out of the grease. About what else a laptop can make noise like a vacuum cleaner and what to do to eliminate these problems, we will tell below.
Dust and grease problems
Excessive noise from the fan, if it becomes loud and crackles, buzzes or freezes all the time, is caused by the deposition of dust or some kind of solid particles on the fan blades. Another common cause is the drying out of the grease on the axis of its blades.
To eliminate this malfunction, you need to do the following:
- Disassemble the laptop (how to do this will be discussed below);
- Wipe the fan blades and axle with alcohol;
- Apply a thin layer of grease, such as graphite, to the axle;
- Assemble the device in reverse order.
After that, you will probably feel that nothing in the laptop is buzzing much anymore, and in general it has become noticeably quieter and does not freeze. If the device is new, purchased less than six months ago, then the described problem is probably caused by other factors, for example, improper operation of the laptop.
Noise due to incorrect operation of the laptop
Sometimes users wonder why the laptop is making noise right from the store. The reason may be its improper operation. It will overheat if placed on a pillow or sofa while in use. The laptop should be on a firm, level surface. This is due to the fact that on the back panel in most models, manufacturers like to make additional ventilation grilles, which cannot be blocked either.
Note that it is normal for notebook fans to make noise when playing games or performing other resource-intensive processes. Under high load, the processor inevitably gets very hot, so the fan is forced to rotate at maximum speed to ensure proper heat dissipation. In this case, no measures can be taken to reduce its rotation speed and reduce noise - this threatens the laptop with overheating and failure.
Using outdated software
Sometimes the fan noise problem lies in outdated software, for example, the video card driver or the BIOS itself. For some device models, the BIOS is configured so that when the processor temperature exceeds 45 degrees, the fan turns on at full power. Since the processor temperature does not fall below this threshold almost all the time, the laptop makes a lot of noise all the time.
This problem has been previously noticed, for example, on Toshiba laptops. But after the release of the updated BIOS with the new logic of the fans' functioning, users were able to notice that their laptop was no longer buzzing and became noticeably quieter. Perhaps the new BIOS will help solve your problem, but first you need to check with the help of specialized software (Core Temp or similar) whether the cooler really "thrashes" in vain at a relatively low processor temperature. Only then can the update be done.
The procedure for cleaning a laptop
In order to properly and safely clean the laptop, after which it will stop making a lot of noise, you need to consistently do the following:
- Disassemble the laptop;
- Remove dust and other debris from all internal surfaces;
- Apply a new layer of thermal paste to the processor;
- Assemble the device.
The laptop should be cleaned at least once a year. This should be done if the noise appears even with a small load, or, for example, when the fan is already cracking like a tractor. This sound is often accompanied by overheating of the processor, which can cause the laptop to slow down and freeze. This phenomenon has an extremely negative effect on the reliability of the device - overheating often leads to premature failure of various computer components.
We disassemble the laptop and clean it
If the cause of overheating is dust accumulated on the internal surfaces and the radiator of the laptop, then the device will first need to be disassembled. For the vast majority of laptop models on the Web, detailed disassembly instructions are given. Nevertheless, we will give an approximate order of actions, since in general they are all similar for different models:
Then it remains only to assemble the laptop in reverse order. Remember that disassembling a new laptop will automatically void the warranty. Therefore, if the fan on the new device began to hum like a vacuum cleaner, if it cracks and freezes, go to the service. Old devices, with timely self-cleaning and proper operation, will not make noise and will fully serve for several more years without breakdowns and freezes.
Today's question
Good afternoon.
Tell me, I have a problem with a new laptop (it is 1 month old). At night I can clearly hear a slight hum when you start the game WOT (tanks) - the volume of the hum grows, and over time the laptop hums like a tractor! It bothers me very much, tk. it happens that loved ones are already asleep (and I get in their way ...).
Is it possible to somehow reduce the noise? Under the warranty, I can not hand over the laptop, more than 2 weeks have passed since the purchase of the device (it so happened that I did not check the device completely, because I was leaving).
Alexey, Moscow.
Hello.
Alexey, I want to say right away that there is a difference between noise and noise. Moreover, if there was no noise before, but now it has appeared, this may signal the appearance of hardware problems with the device. In your case, most likely, when buying, you simply did not pay attention to the peculiarities of the laptop. However, there are still some things you can do.
In this article, I will cover the main reasons why a laptop can make noise, and what you can do about it ...
I want to say right away that there are much fewer mechanical devices in a laptop than in a PC, from which there can be noise. On the one hand, this fact helps to quickly determine the source, on the other hand, due to the compactness of the device, it is not always easy to eliminate the cause ...
Cooler. Probably the biggest source of noise found in most classic laptops. As a rule, if you do not overload the device (i.e. do not run games on it, watch high-quality video, etc. tasks), then its operation is practically silent. Although some laptops have a slight hum when approaching the side vents on the device.
HDD... The most insidious source of noise. Firstly, some models can easily click and crackle during operation (some models do this under load). You can hear this noise only in complete silence (i.e. at night in silence 100% will be annoying). Secondly, this is not a warranty case, and for this reason, you will be refused to replace the device.
Also, under high load on the disk, a barely noticeable hum can be heard, similar to the noise of a cooler.
CD | DVD drive... It emits a fairly strong noise during operation: there is both a rumble from the rotation of the disk, and light crackles. By the way, many users forget to simply remove the discs from it, and the laptop often spins the disc in the tray because of this, and noise appears.
Reason # 1: the cooling system is clogged (if the cooler rumbles)
Perhaps the main reason why the cooler starts to hum (or, as many say, "rattle") is a large accumulation of dust that closes the ventilation holes, accumulates on the impeller and interferes with normal air circulation.
Due to dust, the cooling system cannot cope with the load, the cooler starts to work faster, and as a result, the noise increases.
The difficulty of cleaning a laptop from dust depends on its configuration. Some laptops will not be difficult to clean on their own, even for a completely novice user, while others - to get to the cooler, you will need to completely disassemble the entire device!
Therefore, see here for yourself: either to the service, or an attempt to try to do everything on your own. I gave my thoughts and recommendations on how to do this in one of the articles (link below).
Details on how to clean a laptop from dust on your own -
In general, 1-2 times a year it is highly advisable to clean the device and remove excess dust. It will not be superfluous to lubricate the cooler during this procedure. If the impeller makes a noise, periodically touching the case (for example, it can be damaged by careless cleaning), then it is easier to replace the cooler completely.
cleaning the impeller with a cotton swab
Reason # 2: high temperature and load on the laptop
Perhaps this reason partly overlaps with the first. The fact is that the laptop cooler works dynamically - i.e. rotates at different times with different speeds. The higher the processor temperature rises and the higher the load on it, the faster the cooler starts to rotate in order to cool more and have time to remove heat. And such a cooler operation, in turn, leads to the appearance of hum and noise from the laptop ...
By the way, during this hum, when the cooler is working at its limit, hot air usually starts to come out of the laptop vents on the side. The keyboard can also get warm, and it can become uncomfortable to work (especially Acer notebooks with AMD processors are a sinner of this).
And so, how to find out the temperature of the processor, video card in a laptop?
The easiest way is to use a special utility - AIDA64 (link to it is given below). To view the temperature of all components in AIDA64 (CPU, video card, hard drive, etc.) - go to the tab "Computer / Sensors" .
The best utilities to view computer performance (including AIDA64) -
He told in this article his humble opinion about what temperature I consider normal, and at what temperature something needs to be done:... I recommend to review!
- use the laptop only on flat, dry, hard and clean surfaces (otherwise, many people use the laptop lying on the couch - and because of this, the ventilation holes may be blocked, which leads to overheating);
- regularly (1-2 times a year) clean the device from dust;
- if you like to play games (and also indulge in heavy applications: video and graphic editors, etc.) - purchase a cooling pad for your laptop. It is a way to lower the temperature by 5-10 degrees (though note that some of them make noise ☺);
- see if the heavy load on the CPU is connected with something else, and not just with the running game (I recommend that you read this article here:);
- you can also manually adjust the cooler rotation speed (be careful! do it step by step, without rushing and keeping an eye on the temperature) -
- if it is very hot outside your window - try not to use your laptop in the sun, if possible, load it in the morning, evening hours, when the temperature gets lower.
Reason # 3: hum, crackles and clicks from the hard drive
Some models of hard drives emit mechanical noise during their operation: crackling and clicking sounds. If the room is very quiet, then these clicks are very annoying. This happens due to the rapid movement of the block with magnetic heads. Looking ahead, I will say that the speed of movement can be reduced, thereby reducing the noise ...
How to reduce the noise level from the disk:
- replace the disk with another one (which does not make noise). The best option is to install an SSD drive (it is a priori silent, since it has no mechanics), besides, such drives are much faster! A comparison of an SSD drive and a classic HDD is presented in this article:
- check in task manager (to call it - press the combination Ctrl + Alt + Del) - is there any application that heavily loads your disk (most often these are torrents, p2p programs for downloading files);
- reduce the speed of head positioning using the quietHDD and HDDScan utilities. For how to do this, see this article -
- if your hard drive did not make noise before, but now it has started - this is an alarming symptom, I recommend checking the HDD -
Reason # 4: forgot to remove the CD | DVD disc from the drive
Many computers and laptops have a CD / DVD drive (although some new ones do not install it at all). Because this is a mechanical device (like a HDD) when the disk is spinning up (especially at maximum speeds), it starts to hum a lot. The noise from it is stronger than from an actively working cooler.
If you forget to remove the disc from it - then every time you open the explorer (folder) - the drive will spin up the disc, trying to provide you with information. As a result, noise will appear, and for 1-2 sec. the computer will freeze ...
Here's what you can do and the reasons why your CD / DVD-ROM drive is making noise:
- check if there are scratches, chips on the media (disc), is it even? Warped discs are much louder;
- you can try to install specials. utilities that can limit the speed of rotation of the disk, for example, Nero Drive Speed;
- try to insert different discs: CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, etc. I also recommend trying to use licensed discs of a well-known brand, and not purchased in the passage at an unknown counter;
- if there is a label on the disc, then perhaps the reason is in it, it may be applied unevenly (some thick labels can also affect the noise level of the drive);
- noise in the drive may appear due to foreign objects, for example, a piece of a chipped disc (did you have one, did anything get into the drive?).
Reason number 5: not optimal performance of BIOS and drivers
Many people underestimate the performance of BIOS and drivers, however, they can have a big impact on the performance of a laptop. As for the noise - as you probably already noticed - the cooler in the device works dynamically, i.e. the higher the load and temperature, the faster it spins. This mode is enabled by default in the laptop BIOS (sometimes it can be configured, sometimes not). It is usually called like this: Q-Fan, CPU Fan Control, Fan Monitor, Fan Optimize, etc.
In some BIOS versions, this cooler adjustment mode works very badly. the cooler works much faster than it is required from it at a given time. As a result, there is constant noise and hum from it (regardless of the load).
There are a couple of exits here: try updating the BIOS (be careful! when updating - you can easily spoil the device's performance) to a newer version (if available on the manufacturer's website).
The second way out: turn off the automatic mode in the BIOS and set up the cooler yourself using a special. utilities. You can see an example of how this is done in this article:
I hope my humble advice helped to get rid of the "loud" noise and calm the nerves ☺.
For additions to the article - a separate merci.
That's it, good luck!
