Why Is My Computer Fan So Loud? Causes and Fixes That Actually Work

Article Summary

• Fan speeds indicate if there is a problem: A fan that speeds up now and then is doing its job, but one that stays loud all the time usually means something needs attention.
• Causes are simpler than you expect: Most of the time, the cause is simple, like dust inside the vents or a program working your processor hard in the background.
• Routine cleaning and maintenance are a must: A gentle cleaning and a quick look at what is running will quiet many machines, though grinding or rattling sounds mean it is time to call for help.

Is your computer fan loud enough to be heard across the room? It shouldn’t be, and if it is, you may want to sit down and read through today’s guide by My Computer Works. We’re unpacking what you need to know about why a noisy computer fan is happening.  

We’re discussing what your fan should do, the common reasons you may be asking, ‘Why is my laptop fan so loud?’, and how to address the issues. Hopefully, with our expert insights on your side, you’ll have your fan working as it should in no time. If not, we can always lend a helping hand.

What Your Computer Fan Is Supposed To Do

Your computer’s fan literally has one job, and this is to keep your machine cool by moving heat away from the parts inside. What many don’t realize is that your computer’s fan is tied to the processes you complete on your PC. This means that when you open up many tabs or run a heavy program like Photoshop, AutoCAD, or even a game, the fan speeds up and things get noisier, but that’s normal.

What isn’t normal is a computer fan always running at full speed even when you’re doing something as simple as reading an email, clicking through a photo gallery, or posting on Facebook. So, if there is a constant loud noise, your machine is telling you it’s struggling to stay cool, and you need to fix it.

Common Reasons Fans Become Loud and the Fixes

You would be surprised by how many everyday things can push your computer’s fan into overdrive. In our experience helping individuals with their overheating computer woes, here are the usual suspects to troubleshoot on your own or with the help of a professional:

Dust Buildup

Many of us fail to realize just how dusty a computer can become in places you don’t see. For example, dust buildup is common inside your computer’s vents, along the edges of cooling fans, and on the dense metal fins of heatsinks. That’s why routine dust cleaning is a necessity. 

Programs Running

As we said earlier, if you have too many programs running at once, your PC’s fan could become loud, but there is a point when loud becomes too loud. So, try to always close tabs and programs entirely after using them. 

Intensive Programs

Sometimes a single program can be the culprit of a loud fan. Usually, this is the case when your PC cannot handle the program because its processing demands are too extreme, so your fan works harder to compensate. In these situations, you may want to consider upgrading parts of your PC to better handle intensive programs without damaging it.

Malware

This may come as a surprise, but more than 450,000 new malicious programs and potentially unwanted applications (PUAs) are detected every day. Not to mention that the total number of known malware variants exceeds 1.3 billion. So, unsurprisingly, malware is on many PCs and can even make the computer fan run loudly by overworking CPUs or GPUs. That’s why it’s important to have an antivirus.

External temperatures 

At times, a computer fan can run very loudly due to high external temperatures. So if you live somewhere with high summer temperatures, it could be a cause for concern. It’s usually best to keep an air conditioner running in the room where you use your PC to offset these temperatures. 

Ultimately, a good rule of thumb is that the louder the fan, the harder it is working to cool your system, but don’t immediately assume the worst. 

How To Check Which Programs Are Causing Fan Noise

According to HP, even a small background process using just 3 to 4 percent of your processor can keep the fans spinning faster than they should.

If you suspect programs are causing excessively loud fan noise, start by checking what you have open when the fan kicks into a louder gear.

For example, when the fan gets louder, have you left a browser open for quite some time with many tabs open? Or did you leave a program running in the background? Both situations could cause your PC’s fan to struggle.

If you want to identify the exact program and cannot tell from just checking the basics, you’ll need to:

1. Open Task Manager by right-clicking the Start button on Windows and choosing Task Manager.
2. If using a Mac, open Activity Monitor.
3. Once in one of these menus, look for anything that uses a large share of your processor, and close what you do not need. This should immediately help lower the fan volume if the program is the culprit.

Why Is My Computer Running Slow?

Believe it or not, slowness and fan noise often share a cause. Usually, when the machine overheats, it deliberately slows itself down to cool off, so a loud fan and a sluggish computer usually point to the same problem, which is too much heat or a program working too hard.

How To Safely Clean Your Computer

When you’ve determined that a fan’s loud noise is due to dust buildup, you can usually safely clean it yourself at home. To help you figure out how to clean computer fan vents the right way, we’re sharing a few simple-to-follow steps below:

1. Turn your computer off and unplug it before you begin.
2. Get a can of compressed air to blow dust out of the vents in short bursts.
3. Hold the nozzle a couple of inches away so you do not force moisture inside.
4. Spray away the dust buildup using the compressed air.
5. It might be tempting to do, but keep household vacuums away from the parts, as they can generate static that can harm them.
6. If there is leftover dust in places like the base of the tower, you can use a dry cloth to wipe it away.

Usually, the simple act of clearing out the dust in a PC can lower the internal temperature by several degrees, which lets the fan slow down and rest. If you do this every few months, along with regular updates and the occasional health check, it will keep your machines running cool.

When Fan Noise Indicates Hardware Failure

There are some loud fan sounds that are more than dust, intensive programs, malware, or high external temperatures.

Sometimes, sounds like grinding, rattling, or even a sharp clicking noise from inside can mean there may be a hardware failure underway. What we mean by this is that it could be your cooling fans failing, a hard drive issue, a liquid cooling pump failure, or even disk drive issues.​

When you hear any of these, stop and have someone take a look before what could very well be a small problem grows into a bigger one that’s far more costly.

Still Hearing That Roar? We Can Help

If your laptop fan is loud or you’re experiencing overheating on your PC or laptop, there are steps you can take as we discussed today. However, if the noise stays after a good cleaning, or you would rather not open the machine yourself, we are glad to step in. 

Our Remote Computer Repair service lets a friendly technician connect to your computer and see what is running hot, then guide you on what to do next. It is part of the everyday Home Computer Support we provide at My Computer Works, so you can trust it’s a service we perform regularly, so we know what we’re doing.