Tips for silencing a noisy laptop fan

Updated: February 17, 2023
6 min read
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Tips for silencing a noisy laptop fan
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by Hanna Finley
Tech Expert & Writer
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Quality Control team

You are in the middle of hard work and suddenly hear a loud noise. Is that from dynamics? No, it’s from your laptop fan. Why is it so loud, and can you fix it?

Before we start

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It’s your PC trying to cool down itself, so its micro schemes won’t burn, and your computer could last longer. We at Howly know how important it is to take the best from the devices, but at the same time, don’t overuse them. So we’ve gathered 5 self-tested tips on how to stop laptop fan noise.

Why is your laptop so loud?

When you open some high-consuming applications, the device starts to work at its full capacity. And when the workload exceeds some critical point, a laptop launches its fan.

Every computer has its own limits. The fan noise usually appears when the device reaches 60-70% of memory usage. You can check the current memory usage in the Task Manager. Here is how to launch it on various systems:

  • Windows. Right-click on the Windows logo or press the Win+X combo. Find a Task Manager in the menu and click on it.
  • macOS. Hold Command+ALT+ESC combo. It will open Activity Monitor, which is similar to the Task Manager.
  • Linux. Click on the application menu and type the System Monitor. You will see the Task Manager on the list. Click on it so that action will open the app.

This app looks similar in all systems, so the instructions are mostly the same.

How to stop laptop fan noise: 5 tips

You have 5 different ways to make your laptop quieter. We sorted hacks from the easiest to the hardest one, so you can start to fix your laptop right now, gradually switching tips until you find the best working solution to your case.

Stop the high-consuming apps in the Task Manager

Shut down the apps in the Task Manager

It’s the easiest way to cool down the hardware and stop laptop fan noise. We are describing this process in the Windows system, but it will look similar in macOS and Linux:

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  1. Use the instructions mentioned above to open the Task Manager tool.
  2. Find the Memory caption and click on it. It will sort currently used apps from the most to the least consuming.
  3. Find the list name of the app that you want to shut down.
  4. Right-click on it and choose End Task.
  5. Repeat until you stop hearing the fan noise.

Try third-party fan management tools

The most popular apps in this category are SpeedFan, EasyTune, and HWM Monitor. You can adjust the fan’s speed right in the app. So it will make a noisy laptop slightly quieter.

But it’s only a temporary solution because it just hides the symptoms but doesn’t treat the cause. And the cause is the overloading of the laptop, which lead to the higher fan speed.

Use an external vent to give the laptop more fresh air

Put your laptop on the stand

You can buy a laptop pad with a fan for $20-50. It will cool down the laptop even when you use some high-consuming tasks. This solution quickly stops laptop fan noise.

If you can’t buy a pad, give the device “room to breathe”. Don’t set the device on top of the pillow because it will block the vents. Instead, place the device on the desk or create a hand-made stand with extra space near laptop vents.

Clean your laptop

Clean the laptop from the dust

If none of those hacks helped you, try to clean your laptop from the dust. You have 3 ways to do it:

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  • Safest way. Turn up the hairdryer in cold air mode. Blow air into the holes of the laptop for 2-5 minutes. This tip helps to stop laptop fan noise for a few months. Warning! If your hairdryer doesn’t have cold air mode, proceed to the next step.
  • DIY way. Unplug the device from the power, open it with a screwdriver and wipe off the dust with the tiny brush.

Attention! Do this only when you have experience and confidence in your hard skills.

  • Service way. Go to the nearest service center. If you are not confident in your repairing skills, it would be better to seek professional help.

Beware that you may lose the warranty in all of these cases.

Replace the fan

Replace the laptop fan

If your laptop makes a buzzing noise, go to the service center. It can be a severe hardware problem. Something inside a device may be broken. So you should replace a broken detail to stop the laptop fan noise.

Summing up

It’s unpleasant to hear a loud fan noise from your laptop. But you can fix it even if you don’t have repairing skills. Sometimes shutting down the high-consuming apps is more than enough to stop laptop fan noise.

If this doesn't help, try a third-party management tool or use an external vent. Try to place the laptop on a stand.

If none of these solutions helped you, try more severe actions. Clean your laptop or change old details. It should fix the issue in the long run.

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