Very noisy PS3.

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Shadowprice

2[H]4U
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Jun 7, 2005
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I"ve had my PS3 for almost a year and almost the whole time it's been very noisy. Not sure what's going on. I was under the impression that PS3's were supposed to be really quiet? It's very very loud... and just doesn't sound too healthy. Did I just get a defective unit or something? What can I do for remedies?
 
Any particular type of noise? Does it do it as specific times? (Like only when playing games, movies, demos etc)
 
Pretty much at all times. It's just a loud fan noise. Not sure how to really describe it.
 
try removing some of the dust from the inside.
the fans are likely compensating for additional heat.
 
Probably doesn't help the fact I live in Arizona and it's hot, but I wouldn't think it would make that much noise.

Can't view the YouTube vid right now.. I'm at work. How do you remove dust from the inside?
 
I remember this "secret" to the ps3 to clear dust from inside:

1. Turn off power switch
2. Hold eject button and flip the power switch on.

This should make the ps3 fan spin really loud inside to clear dust from the inside. It should last about 10secs. and it'll power off by itself.
 
Okay, did a few tests last night.

I do apologize for the post yesterday as I was at work and couldn't determine what really did it off memory, but when the system is sitting idle, its pretty whisper quiet, only a very very faint low hum. (Normal yeah?)

When putting Madden 10 in, it seems like it kicked up a level. You can definitely hear it, but it's not too loud... but its there. Is it normal or should it still be quiet?
 
Despite what some people say, these things aren't silent. If you have sensitive hearing or you're in a quiet room, you'll hear it.

You should only worry if it's making the sort of noise in that vid.
 
I also live in AZ, my 60GB is quiet during the winter and loud during the summer. It only gets loud if I have been playing games or watching movies for a while though but I just close the door of the cabinet it is in (has fans in the back).
 
if it is too hot, the fans will spin up.
enter cleaning mode as explained above let it run until it shuts off.
if the back vent is to close to an object, like a wall, it will get hot and the fans will spin up.
also if its in a closed area like inside a tv stand, make sure that when your using it, that its in a well placed spot so it can ventilate properly. if its in an area with other equipment that heats up, keep it far enough away so that it doesn't share the heat with the other objects.

if your feeling confident, you can find out how to clean it manually, just look it up on you tube.

the loud fans are not necessarily a bad thing, since they adjust to different temperatures, but i do understand that the noise does get annoying.

other than that they are pretty much whisper quiet in a well cooled room.
 
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Ok, so after reviewing the video, my PS3 does get that loud, infact, they sound completely identical.


But it kicks up to that level once I get a bit into a video game... when turning it on at first, It's pretty quiet.


What do you guys think?
 
My 20GB PS3 (launch system, but now has 160gb HD) is quiet as a hum... no matter what i'm doing.
 
Yeah, basically mine stays quiet and then the fan starts about 5-10 mins into a game.

Could it be because of the hot room? is it normal?
 
You got any downloaded games you can test it with? Take the drive out of the equation?
 
Only PS1 games. I don't think they draw enough resources to kick the fan on.

Basically I've been playing Madden 10 and the fan kicks on after about 5 minutes, It's not incredibly loud, but very very noticible when you have the volume on mute, but when the volume is up, it's hard to notice.

I have a 80GB backwards compatible PS3. It's a launch system. I have it in a entertainment center sitting on glass, but it's not up against any sides or walls or anything, it looks like it has plenty of room to breathe, but still fairly enclosed in a space from top to bottom, if that makes sense.. but it doesn't seem like a place that would cause overheating.
 
Xan433 said:
Ok, so after reviewing the video, my PS3 does get that loud, infact, they sound completely identical.

But it kicks up to that level once I get a bit into a video game... when turning it on at first, It's pretty quiet.

What do you guys think?
Click to expand...

My PS3 is loud on a comparable level. It also kicks in when the console is idle when in the main menu, or when I am just browsing through PS3 Media Server. It always bothered for some silent scenes in movies, but once the action or background music kicks in, you can't really hear it.

I always thought it was normal, specially compare to my X360. But now, I need to know if its really normal.
 
My 40GB gets LOUD when it's horizontal. It's nearly silent vertical - convection seems to help. If it's not standing upright, try doing so and see if it quits.
 
I've had two PS3s and both were louder than I care for, but this is coming from someone who takes extreme measures to silence my gear.

My launch model 60 GB was more quiet than the new 80 GB model I bought a few weeks ago, but still much more quiet than a 360.

I think all PS3s will seem noisy to some and acceptable to others. As far as I'm concerned, the thing is loud even without the fan going full speed.
 
CJRP said:
I've had two PS3s and both were louder than I care for, but this is coming from someone who takes extreme measures to silence my gear.

My launch model 60 GB was more quiet than the new 80 GB model I bought a few weeks ago, but still much more quiet than a 360.

I think all PS3s will seem noisy to some and acceptable to others. As far as I'm concerned, the thing is loud even without the fan going full speed.
Click to expand...

i think its a model thing, or a room heating issue.

my ps3 is whisper quiet, even when gaming.
just to test, after a half hour of gaming i put my tv on mute and silenced any noisy devices in the room, i put my ear up to the ps3 vents and it still was very quiet, i could barely hear it even when close up (and no, i don't have a hearing problem :D).

but the fan did get loud once when i had the back of the ps3 too close to the wall and heat wasn't escaping very well, but i just pulled it forward did a reset and its been quiet ever since.

just to note, i do keep my room at a cool temp of 21.5 to 23.0 °C
 
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My PS3 is setup in a basement in Michigan, with the AC on. It is so cold down there that you have to wear wool socks, sweat pants, and a light jacket when it's 80 degrees outside to keep from shivering. It is also sitting out in the open with lots of room to breathe and no hot components next to it. Cleaning and dusting happens on a weekly basis, so there is no dust blockage either. It's just noisier than I prefer. What model do you have, sirsnits? I'm thinking some SKUs might be noisier than others.

I'm thinking of picking up a slim PS3 if they turn out to be near silent...
 
CJRP said:
My PS3 is setup in a basement in Michigan, with the AC on. It is so cold down there that you have to wear wool socks, sweat pants, and a light jacket when it's 80 degrees outside to keep from shivering. It is also sitting out in the open with lots of room to breathe and no hot components next to it. Cleaning and dusting happens on a weekly basis, so there is no dust blockage either. It's just noisier than I prefer. What model do you have, sirsnits? I'm thinking some SKUs might be noisier than others.

I'm thinking of picking up a slim PS3 if they turn out to be near silent...
Click to expand...

Model CECHG01
40GB later replaced with a 320GB HD and still very quiet.

not sure if the power usage in certain machines can contribute to the fan spinning up, do you have extra bells and whistles attached to your ps3?
 
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