One of the problems associated with a noisy computer are the various spinning fans as they try and keep the computer cool. There are a number of ways of quieting down a noisy computer, in addition to bundling it into another room, and these are covered in this article.

Internal Hard Drive Enclosure

A hard drive can be noisy for a number of reasons. It may be a particularly noisy unit (check if a quiet drive is available), be reaching the end of its useful life, or it may be vibrating too much. A vibrating hard drive can be noisy especially when it is sitting against the metal frame of the the computer casing. This particular problem can be dealt with using small shock absorbers, for an unusual idea try Silence Your Hard Drive with Elastic Suspenders, but generally you could go for something like the Acousti anti-vibration products.

Dealing with a noisy hard drive unit can be helped by an internal enclosure. The Nexus Drive-A-Way is a good example of an internal hard drive enclosure.

Fan Controller

The fans contained within a computer can often make quite a noise especially if they are slightly loose, misaligned or dusty so its worth checking them regularly (as long as you are comfortable inside a PC).

Implementing a fan controller on a healthy, but noisy system, may help quieten things down a little. However, it is worth keeping an eye on your computer temperature when adjusting fan speeds, a tool such as SpeedFan should help.

Amazon have a couple of interesting fan controllers on offer including the Akasa AK-FC-06BK fan controller for 3.5” bay and the spiffy eye catching Sentry LX LCD Meter which allows you to see and set the fan speeds.

Power Supply Unit

Noise may be emanating from the power supply unit (PSU) so it may be worth considering a newer, quieter, PSU for your computer. The quieter models typically focus on air flow and higher efficiency.

CPU Cooler

A good CPU Cooler can make a huge difference to not only the noise produced by your computer, but also to the overall performance of your processor. Keeping the CPU cool is key to fast performance and applying thermal paste is key to getting the best out of your CPU Cooler. A product such as the Arctic Cooling Freezer Extreme Multi Socket CPU Cooler is a good place to start.

Insulation Foam

This doesn’t mean spraying your computer with foam, but instead, inserting insulating noise dampening materials into your computer, such as the Nexus Damptek or AcoustiPack Noise Dampening Kit.

Chipset Cooler

Don’t forget the Chipset too, these devices take care of all the nitty gritty functions carried out by your computer and help it talk to the hardware. Check out TheCoolingShop for products covering coolers for your graphics process unit chipset, northbridge cooler, and other chipset coolers.