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[Data Ghost]

Each house is unique. The room temperature and where your console is placed make a LOT of difference.
Take a picture and post. It can help a lot to get an idea how is the air flow in your case. For room temperature you need a thermometer

Mine is on top of a unit, with nothing around it. It couldn't have more room to breath and the room has a wood floor so no carpets etc. Also its worth noting that I am in the UK which is freezing most of the time.

 

[Architect]

Mine is very quiet, never hear it aside from when a disc is installing. I have it placed horizontally.

My PS3/360 on the other hand...

 

[SnakeNL]

This is my PS4 standing on MGS GZ (Digital) menu for a couple of minutes.
Don't mind the mess i'm moving soon, still i think my PS4 got room to breath.

Noise

 

[neobiz]

My ps4 was really loud for a couple of weeks before it shut down completely out of the blue. It was loud enough I could hear it with headphones on.

Turns out the vents were pretty dusty. Hit it with some compressed air and now it's as quite as the day I got it.

 

[Canucked]

My ps4 is fairly noisy for some games, but not Dreamcast level loud. I vacuum out the vents sometimes. Is that bad practice?

 

[Owzers]

This is my PS4 standing on MGS GZ (Digital) menu for a couple of minutes.
Don't mind the mess i'm moving soon, still i think my PS4 got room to breath.

Noise

i think that's more similar to mine than the op, which seemed slightly louder.

 

[RoadHazard]

Mine isn't "loud" (my PS3 is so much louder), but it definitely isn't dead quiet either. I can always hear the fan, if only just barely, unless the audio volume is turned up to a decent level. And when running heavier games it gets really noticeable. Which makes perfect sense, what with the fan running and all. People who claim they can't hear theirs at all are just less sensitive to this kind of noise, I suppose, or they have impaired hearing. I would actually be a little worried if I couldn't hear anything from my PS4, as that would suggest the fan isn't doing what it should.

What gets really loud, though, is the disc drive. Easily overpowers the fan noise. Thankfully it spends most of it time not doing anything once the game has been installed.

 

[SSPssp]

My PS4 is loud at start-up and when installing games, but it quiets down after the game is installed. Sometimes the fans go loud and then ramp down during gameplay.

I just think its weird that there are so many varied experiences here.

 

[Flo_Evans]

Mine is pretty loud but its not in the best space for airflow.

Probably due for a vent cleaning and find a new spot for it but it really doesn't bother me that much.

 

[goonergaz]

I love the PS4 but the noise level is very disapointing, I just hope it's reliable long-term...certainly the design seems flawed in that the vents block up too easily

 

[Dunan]

Mine is jet-engine loud AND the controller is terrible. Squeaky noises whenever I press the triggers, and occasionally the game will think I'm pressing the left or right directional pad when in fact my finger is nowhere near it.

I want to return it, but I bought it on Yahoo Auctions, so I'm not sure if it's possible.

 

[AnkhWeasel]

Yeah, kinda loud.

Also, if it's off-off (not just standby) I can hear an electrical whine coming out of it for some reason, even if it's totally disconnected from power.

Which, since it's in my bedroom, means it's always on standby. Which means I have to have something covering the orange glow.

Or maybe I just have super hearing.

 

[Dr. Zoidberg]

It could also be due to the plate lifting the system up, and giving the back vents a bit more airspace, and reducing the resonation from the metal shelf.

Hmmm. I wonder if adding some taller rubber feet might help mine not be so loud.

Does the trick of adding feet to the bottom of the console make a noticeable difference? Or any difference?

Yeah, This.

 

[Melchiah]

Hmmm. I wonder if adding some taller rubber feet might help mine not be so loud.

I also searched for laptop cooling pads (like this and this), but decided otherwise, as the additional fan would add to the noise, and they were all powered by the USB port, which wasn't what I preferred.

 

[Data Ghost]

Okay, set up my replacement PS4 tonight and it IS quieter. However the fans ramp up in exactly the same places (MGSV title screen for example) but the pitch / acoustics of the fan are different. I think thats all it boils down to. I can clearly hear the new PS4 ramping up in the same places but the fan doesn't have as harsh a sound as the other one. Its more of a smoother muted sound but you can tell the fan is doing the same thing.

So thats that really, its just the sounds of the fans seem to vary, but they are all doing the same thing at the same times. Im happy with my replacement and I do appreciate that it seems more sound proofed. Thats the best way I can describe it really, imagine you have two fans doing the same thing but one has better sound proofing than the other.

 

[Owzers]

Okay, set up my replacement PS4 tonight and it IS quieter. However the fans ramp up in exactly the same places (MGSV title screen for example) but the pitch / acoustics of the fan are different. I think thats all it boils down to. I can clearly hear the new PS4 ramping up in the same places but the fan doesn't have as harsh a sound as the other one. Its more of a smoother muted sound but you can tell the fan is doing the same thing.

So thats that really, its just the sounds of the fans seem to vary, but they are all doing the same thing at the same times. Im happy with my replacement and I do appreciate that it seems more sound proofed. Thats the best way I can describe it really, imagine you have two fans doing the same thing but one has better sound proofing than the other.

Thanks for the update, still unsure if i should exchange mine or not. Does the new one still get fairly loud even if it's not as bad as the first?

 

[Nono]

People who claim they can't hear theirs at all are just less sensitive to this kind of noise, I suppose, or they have impaired hearing.

Or really quiet PS4's.

 

[EagleEyes]

I love the PS4 but the noise level is very disapointing, I just hope it's reliable long-term...certainly the design seems flawed in that the vents block up too easily

It had to be expected though considering its roughly the same size as a laptop and sounds virtually identical to one when under heavy duress. People love to crack jokes at the size of the Xbox One and it having a power brick but darn it if it isn't one of the quietest consoles ever even under heavy strain.

 

[Apath]

My PS4 is loud, but it could be due to my TV stand. When it is kept on top of the stand, rather than inside of one of the cubby holes, it is quieter. Though I still cannot say it is silent.

For reference: my TV stand

 

[MANGOD]

My ps4 is quite loud but what is really annoying me and ive only noticed it for the last month is when its turned off it makes a ticking sound. I only notice this when its completly silent in the room, I first heard this when I woke up one night and it was driving me mad finding out what it was. Ive got loads of av stuff in my bedroom and it turned out to be the ps4. Its not even in standby mode so theres still something going on with the console when its turned off completly. I have to turn it off at the mains godammit!!

 

[thenexus6]

Mine gets noisy sometimes when playing games normally its fine, however recently I have had the system in sleep mode overnight and its being much louder and giving off this humming that I remember it used too

 

[billy323]

My first ps4 was pretty loud after a while gaming but it developed a problem with the network port. My replacement is not as loud as my first one but I can hear the fan change speed. Especially on battlefield whilst in a match the fan is running fast and you can hear it wind down on loading screens then ramp back up.

 

[billy323]

My ps4 is quite loud but what is really annoying me and ive only noticed it for the last month is when its turned off it makes a ticking sound. I only notice this when its completly silent in the room, I first heard this when I woke up one night and it was driving me mad finding out what it was. Ive got loads of av stuff in my bedroom and it turned out to be the ps4. Its not even in standby mode so theres still something going on with the console when its turned off completly. I have to turn it off at the mains godammit!!

Even when its turned off it is not technically off as it is listening for a signal from the pad to switch on. also if you have it set up you can switch on remotely with a vita or the app.

 

[Dre_G_Writer]

My PS4 is noisy, yours?

Mines is dead silent. But I never put a disc inside it before so I can't say if it will get loud once the disc spins. But im going ditital only this gen, so I could care less about the disc reader.

Mine might be dying. Started with the PS4 kicking that fan hard than usual. Then started experiencing some weird issues. Like a white, noisy, intermittent flash on the bottom half of the screen during games/Netflix (even in the home screen while idle). And about 1-2 time a gaming session the complete screen will go blank black for 2 seconds, then comes back automatically again. My PS4 disc wouldn't eject either, and it showed in the menu as if there was none in there...

When I wanted to turn my PS4 off it didn't do so completely. It just kept on running with a pulsing light bar for like half an hour and no end in sight. So I pulled the plug as nothing else gave any kind of feedback of making a dent, lol. My PS4 rebooted in to safe mode, I let it run and the flashing noise and blank screen are still there.

So, yeah. I hope it doesn't have the same faith as my PS3 60gb

got damn brah, you better get that insurance ASAP.

 

[Ramza]

PS4's fine over here. Disc drive is a little loud, but other than that, it's not bad.

 

[JLeack]

Mine is loud as hell.

Vertical.

 

[Sword Of Doom]

It's obviously not silent but it's quiet

 

[tazz3]

Fine is fine,my friends ps4 is. Jet engine lol.mine is launch day he got his 2 weeks after mine launch unit also.

 

[Lokbob]

Mine was loud at first but I put it somewhere so the ps4 has enough room at the back and its really quiet now.

 

[Agent_ShortBus]

Infamous and KZ are the only games that make my ps4 go loud. Glad I bought their accidentall damage 36 month (I think) warranty. Not to worried about it when the fans or disc drive ramp up.

 

[Condemned]

My console its pretty quiet.

The only noise I hear from it is when the disc spins up but thats about it to be honest.

 

[Data Ghost]

Thanks for the update, still unsure if i should exchange mine or not. Does the new one still get fairly loud even if it's not as bad as the first?

Yeah the fans definitely ramp up to the same speeds with the same amount of air blowing out of the vents but this replacement has a quieter smoother sounding fan. You can still hear it clearly kick in when a lot is happening on screen though, it still ramps up when you hit the PS button during a game, it still kicks in on the MGSV title screen. The characteristics are exactly the same, its just the tone/pitch of the fan is more pleasant.

When the room is completely quiet and the PS4 is in standby I can also hear the console running very faintly. These consoles are not 'whisper quiet' I'm sorry. No way. Its only whisper quiet when its sitting on the dash or not doing anything taxing. I think I notice it more because I have hard walls with no wallpaper, hard flooring, and the PS4 is situated in a corner so the sound is enhanced as it comes out and bounces of the corner walls. I think the people who don't notice the sounds of the PS4 are people who have different room acoustics which can dampen sound.

(Also to the person who said they could even hear the console when its powered off completely, that will possibly be due to the HDMI link option which turns your TV on when you power on the PS4. When I activate the HDMI link option on my Sony amp it makes a high pitched whining sound when off. Turn that feature back off and the noise goes away)

 

[Bam Bam Baklava]

How is Watch Dogs when it comes to pushing the PS4 to make noise for you guys?

 

[Data Ghost]

How is Watch Dogs when it comes to pushing the PS4 to make noise for you guys?

Not tried it myself personally, Im still undecided whether Im going to skip WD altogether.

 

[theytookourjobz]

Mine gets loud as hell during Transistor of all games.

 

[Fliesen]

Mine gets loud as hell during Transistor of all games.

supposedly, this is due to transistor's menu screens (where you select your functions and limiters) not being frame capped. (similar thing happened in 2010 in Starcraft 2 which made people's GPUs run super hot because the menu screens made them push out frames like mad)
- if you pay close attention, the fans spin up dramatically after staying in an access point or one of those terminals for more than 10 seconds.

supposedly a known issue bound to be fixed soon ("source")

Spoiler

supposedly

 

[akachan ningen]

Mine purrs like a kitten

 

[Sledge Hammer]

Very happy with the noise level, it is silent. Horizontal and in an open back TV stand

 

[Fahrenheit]

I'm amazed how small and quiet my PS4 is. Now the bluray drive is loud but I'm all digital now.

 

[AyaisMUsikWhore]

Mine revs up on boot
Gets quiet by the menu.
Revs again upon loading a game
Gets quite in game menu after 2 minutes.
Revs up again once loading level
Get quite as it starts and stays quiet again
*sometimes* Revs up during an intense cut scene.
Gets quite again.
Stays quiet upon closing the application.
And then done.

 

[Data Ghost]

Also nice little tip to help reduce any unwanted noise. My PS4 is on the vertical stand but this counts for horizontal consoles as well. I have put 8 small balls of bluetak under the stand, 4 on the feet and the rest along the underside of the stand. It also prevents the console sliding off the top of the wood unit I have it on.

Bluetak absorbs sound and vibration. So when the disk spins up its much quieter all round. Previously the spinning of the disk would send a degree of vibration through the wooden cabinet its on. Its a little thing but its a nice improvement.

 

[Owzers]

Does your ps4 fan make a higher pitch noise when it ramps up in speed, much like a laptop fan? If you are close to it, it's more of a whirl/purrr noise but when you start to back up it's higher in pitch. That's what mainly bugs me and i don't know if that's the standard for the fan.

 

[MilkybKid]

Consoles not loud but boy does it pump a lot of hot air out the back of it, much more than the exhaust of my xbox one or WiiU (hell my pc while under load pumps out less hot air), guess its having everything crunched together in a smaller box while having a good airflow design.

Make sure you give the console extra clearance if its in a cabinet, it may be having to work harder than it should and harder than you think it has to (it really does pump out a lot during gameplay)

 

[Colonel Nasty]

How is Watch Dogs when it comes to pushing the PS4 to make noise for you guys?

Mine gets audible playing Watch Dogs. It was also loud during Tomb Raider

 

[Hendrick's]

Watch_Dogs is the first game where I even notice the fan is running.

 

[StevePharma]

Summer is Coming.....

 

[Stimpack]

Summer is Coming.....

Yeah, it's already hitting 100 degrees where I live. It doesn't normally get very loud, but with the weather and Second Son it started going. Still not as loud as the original 360, though. If something happens to it I'm comfortable that Sony will honor the warranty.

 

[Whipped Spartan]

Mine is as loud as a X360 phat model. I have used it horizontal since launch just stood it vertical today to try to remedy it. Fan is in the bottom right side facing down.

I should've returned it after buying it. I knew some weren't as loud. My system is also in a media rack in totally open air. Putting a disc in is a nightmare for me. As loud as X360 disc or PS3 Slim. Sounds like a lawn tool to me.

 

[d0nnie]

I'm curious to see if my PS4 will get any louder when I get Watch_Dogs. So far, it's been very quiet. Only the occasional disc-turning when loading a game.

My XBO's Kinect PSU is acually louder than my PS4.

 

[Data Ghost]

Honestly I think that if you aren't hearing the fans at all, that's cause for concern. If the fan isn't kicking in, then where is all the heat? Still inside the console surely?