Measure the top level at the exhaust after 30 min to an hour with a demanding game like The Last Of Us, Killzone, Infamous or Ground Zeroes and you don't need the differential. If you have the max noise level of it you know how loud it can get. The differential doesn't tell us anything except the interval a particular machine lies within. Point is that a supposedly silent machine stays under a certain value and it's that certain max value that is interesting.
PS4 Fan Noise
- Thread starter Darkgran
- Start date
Measure the top level at the exhaust after 30 min to an hour with a demanding game like The Last Of Us, Killzone, Infamous or Ground Zeroes and you don't need the differential. If you have the max noise level of it you know how loud it can get. The differential doesn't tell us anything except the interval a particular machine lies within. Point is that a supposedly silent machine stays under a certain value and it's that certain max value that is interesting.
Here's my take on fan noise!
As long as the air coming out the back is hot, then the fan is working correctly, and your PS4 noise is normal!
My reason is this:
The fan blows over the heatsink, so if the air coming out the back is hot, then that means the application of thermal paste is even/correct, as its doing its job of transferring the CPU/GPU heat to the heatsink! Hence the hot air!!
However, if your PS4 fan is relatively noisy, but is blowing out cool or only warm air, then It sounds to me like the CPU/GPU is getting hot, (temp sensor telling fans to ramp up), but that that heat is not being transferred to the heat sink due to poorly applied paste! Hence cool air out the back.
Simple see?
But if the air is hot and it's loud the cooling solution isn't working as it should since it should always be quiet by design while still being able to push hot air from it without getting loud. If it's loud it's a sign that the fan is working alright, but it's also a clear sign that it has to work harder than it should. So in the end it's not normal at all.
spoonablehippo
Member
Well, here's a post I made a while back on another forum which is firm evidence how much noise is perceived by different people lol
So, I was on the telephone to a friend and was talking to him about the noise my PS4 makes when playing BF4 and Knack. He responded with:
"Well, mine is silent! Even when playing games. It makes no noise at all and even the hum my Xbone makes in STANDBY is louder than my PS4 when playing a game, and it doesn't even feel hot"
As you can imagine, my heart sank, as mine ramps up sometimes when playing knack or BF4 and is very audible. Not overly or annoying, but I can defiantly hear it if I listen for it. And the air coming out the back is quite toasty! :-(
But yesterday I made a trip up to his, specifically to hear his PS4 and compare to see if mine is faulty and needs to be exchanged.
And I was relieved! It makes EXACTLY the same noises mine does!!!!
The same volume, pitch, tone, the way it rams up during BF4 and then dies down again as soon as you die and the screen goes black, everything I put my hand behind it, and sure enough, the same toasty warm air as mine lol.
My mates response when I pointed all this out?
"Oh yeah, I never noticed that noise before"
So there you have it. Firm evidence that noise is completely subjective from one person to the next.
PS4's DO make noise. And if someone says theirs doesn't, then they either haven't noticed it, have the tv volume quite high and its masked or have poor hearing.
So, I was on the telephone to a friend and was talking to him about the noise my PS4 makes when playing BF4 and Knack. He responded with:
"Well, mine is silent! Even when playing games. It makes no noise at all and even the hum my Xbone makes in STANDBY is louder than my PS4 when playing a game, and it doesn't even feel hot"
As you can imagine, my heart sank, as mine ramps up sometimes when playing knack or BF4 and is very audible. Not overly or annoying, but I can defiantly hear it if I listen for it. And the air coming out the back is quite toasty! :-(
But yesterday I made a trip up to his, specifically to hear his PS4 and compare to see if mine is faulty and needs to be exchanged.
And I was relieved! It makes EXACTLY the same noises mine does!!!!
The same volume, pitch, tone, the way it rams up during BF4 and then dies down again as soon as you die and the screen goes black, everything
I put my hand behind it, and sure enough, the same toasty warm air as mine lol.My mates response when I pointed all this out?
"Oh yeah, I never noticed that noise before"
So there you have it. Firm evidence that noise is completely subjective from one person to the next.
PS4's DO make noise. And if someone says theirs doesn't, then they either haven't noticed it, have the tv volume quite high and its masked or have poor hearing.
TheZink
Member
I think you're correct. I've played 3 different ps4's and all 3 made the same noise. Even used a decibel meter on them and all I high points were within 1-2 db if each other.Well, here's a post I made a while back on another forum which is firm evidence how much noise is perceived by different people lol
So, I was on the telephone to a friend and was talking to him about the noise my PS4 makes when playing BF4 and Knack. He responded with:
"Well, mine is silent! Even when playing games. It makes no noise at all and even the hum my Xbone makes in STANDBY is louder than my PS4 when playing a game, and it doesn't even feel hot"
As you can imagine, my heart sank, as mine ramps up sometimes when playing knack or BF4 and is very audible. Not overly or annoying, but I can defiantly hear it if I listen for it. And the air coming out the back is quite toasty! :-(
But yesterday I made a trip up to his, specifically to hear his PS4 and compare to see if mine is faulty and needs to be exchanged.
And I was relieved! It makes EXACTLY the same noises mine does!!!!
The same volume, pitch, tone, the way it rams up during BF4 and then dies down again as soon as you die and the screen goes black, everything
My mates response when I pointed all this out?
"Oh yeah, I never noticed that noise before"
So there you have it. Firm evidence that noise is completely subjective from one person to the next.
PS4's DO make noise. And if someone says theirs doesn't, then they either haven't noticed it, have the tv volume quite high and its masked or have poor hearing.
spoonablehippo
Member
Mines generally ok, but certain games really make the fan ramp up, and the heat coming out the back is "concerning"!
Specifically "the last of us!"
Yup, my fear was the hassle involved just to get the same noise...it's why initially I was asking everyone to use something to measure the noise. Sure a iPhone app isn't great, but if you have the level off (ambiant) and noisey then you have the level of noise the PS4 is making (over and above ambience).
Then with lots of data we can all make (better) 'informed' choices than the total bind guessing game we currently partake in.
Personally I'm really disapointed in the noise levels and will probably strip it down when the year is up. Then get a quieter model whne they are out. I'd rather Sony had a bigger & quieter unit.
Well, here's a post I made a while back on another forum which is firm evidence how much noise is perceived by different people lol
So, I was on the telephone to a friend and was talking to him about the noise my PS4 makes when playing BF4 and Knack. He responded with:
"Well, mine is silent! Even when playing games. It makes no noise at all and even the hum my Xbone makes in STANDBY is louder than my PS4 when playing a game, and it doesn't even feel hot"
As you can imagine, my heart sank, as mine ramps up sometimes when playing knack or BF4 and is very audible. Not overly or annoying, but I can defiantly hear it if I listen for it. And the air coming out the back is quite toasty! :-(
But yesterday I made a trip up to his, specifically to hear his PS4 and compare to see if mine is faulty and needs to be exchanged.
And I was relieved! It makes EXACTLY the same noises mine does!!!!
The same volume, pitch, tone, the way it rams up during BF4 and then dies down again as soon as you die and the screen goes black, everything
My mates response when I pointed all this out?
"Oh yeah, I never noticed that noise before"
So there you have it. Firm evidence that noise is completely subjective from one person to the next.
PS4's DO make noise. And if someone says theirs doesn't, then they either haven't noticed it, have the tv volume quite high and its masked or have poor hearing.
That's exactly why we have the objective and scientific measurement of decibels!
Measuring the noise level with this and directly comparing it to another product that it's supposed to be quieter than gives us the real story. No matter if you think it's loud or not. Decibels are decibels. They don't lie. More importantly. They're objective.
It doesn't have to be bigger. The chose a cheap cooling solution. That's all.
Said it before and I'll say it again. If a gaming laptop with half it's size can keep cool and quiet even under full load so can the PS4.
If it's jet engine loud return it. Mine was loud on its own and when I played a game like Infamous it would get insanely loud. Sony wasn't able to repair it and ended up sending me a new unit that is nowhere near as loud.
Probably haven't been entered in the system yet. Takes time. Live in the US? If so it shouldn't take long after they've received it. You seem to have a much shorter waiting time getting it back over there than here in Sweden. Had to wait a month for mine to get back.
That's like the least accurate way to do that. Unless you're playing while sitting behind your console with your ear stuck to the exhaust. Not to mention that purely blowing air into a microphone will give you a large Db read increase.
That's the only way of being accurate. That's the only way of telling how loud your console actually is. Measuring several meters away only gives you the entire ambient noise level of your room which says nothing about how loud the actual console is.
Placing your decibel meter on top of the unit pointed at the exhaust doesn't push air directly into it you know.
Wind's Howling
Member
I find it weird that certain games like The Last of Us make my PS4 fans go up a notch or two, but Second Son and Alien Isolation make it almost whisper quiet.
Is there a difference between disc and psn games? I honestly thought there would not be considering it installs everything.
Is there a difference between disc and psn games? I honestly thought there would not be considering it installs everything.
No difference at all.
Mmm. As stated several times before it's not living up to the promised and confirmed standard under full load. Under full load it's according to Sony supposed to be quieter than a PS3. Which it is not.
EDIT:
The Evil Within is locked to 30fps and that can make it pretty damn loud as well.
In some games at certain areas yes.
Does anyone know of a vertical stand with built in fans? Pushing more cool air in at the base of that side should improve the cooling and help reduce the noise. As long as the fans in the vertical stand are quiet.
Data Ghost
Member
Not sure if my vids have been posted in this thread anywhere but here goes:
http://youtu.be/f6Oh71t2ees
And this one was the replacement PS4:
http://youtu.be/n6RizzBLG6w
Back at the time I thought that the new one was quieter but its not the case. Over time I think they are exactly the same. Fans always ramp up at the exact same points during games. Im baffled at how other peoples PS4's are NOT ramping up at points that seem determined by the game itself rather than the console.
Also when you press the PS button during a game the fans ramp up also. Again Im baffled at how some insist this doesn't happen and everything is whisper quiet as this seems to be by design?
http://youtu.be/f6Oh71t2ees
And this one was the replacement PS4:
http://youtu.be/n6RizzBLG6w
Back at the time I thought that the new one was quieter but its not the case. Over time I think they are exactly the same. Fans always ramp up at the exact same points during games. Im baffled at how other peoples PS4's are NOT ramping up at points that seem determined by the game itself rather than the console.
Also when you press the PS button during a game the fans ramp up also. Again Im baffled at how some insist this doesn't happen and everything is whisper quiet as this seems to be by design?
Have you tried having it horizontal? I noticed it seems to ramp up a step more when vertical.
Data Ghost
Member
I did and it didn't seem to make any difference for me with either PS4.
I see. Interesting to hear the replacement is the same in the end. I honestly believe it's a room layout/perception thing, because everyone of my friends' PS4's that I've heard is exactly the same as mine - slightly noisy, depending on the game you're playing.
AgentOtaku
Member
sounds just like mine did :/
Inceptional
Member
This is how mine and all my friends are as well. I seriously believe that the only people not having fan/heat issues are people who keep their rooms at 50 degrees or some shit. Either that or they're fucking deaf. This is how the PS4 was designed and unless you're keeping the system in refrigerator-like conditions, it's gonna happen.
This is the reason I recently bought COD: AW on XBOX ONE, because if after an hour my PS4 starts going apeshit, I can't imagine what would happen after the five-hour marathons I have in online multiplayer. Plus my PS4 makes my game room uncomfortably warm after spitting out so much hot air for an extended amount of time.
sephiroth7x
Member
I never hear mine... but again... due to where I sit when playing and the distance between myself and it and the amount of ventilation it gets... I dont expect to hear it. I don't hear any of my consoles... its all good.
Damn. I guess I have a goddamned magical PS4. Reading is 35-40 decibels max, ran Infamous, TLOU, Alien Isolation -- and that's with additional white noise of the loud-as-fuck family computer in the same room sitting 15-20 feet away (I want to turn it off but there's constantly windows and programs open on it 24/7 so I'm afraid to shut it all off).
If you only play Destiny or FIFA, that's probably why you don't hear it. Your report is useless if you don't tell what games you are playing.
And just where are you taking the readings? Unless you measure directly on top of the console at the exhaust it's a useless reading. That's the ONLY place to get an accurate reading of how loud the console itself is. Some sit several meters away when they measure. That way I could sit 10 meters away and claim it only gives away 20dB.
Also. For how long did you test the games? I assume you actually loaded a level in them and didn't just let them sit at their respective menus?
Yesterday I placed it to the right of the machine, and it was in the dead of night.
Tried it again just now, placing the device on top of the console above the exhaust. That, and the combination of it being in the afternoon (which creates more white noise from cars, birds, etc), made the decibel readings higher, but not by much.
It read 42-45 decibels on average (compared to the quieter reading of 35-40 at night), with random spikes that would read up to 51-53 decibels when the disk inside the PS4 would spin.
I played through a decent chunk of the winter chapter in TLOU as the game. It's kinda difficult with no sound lol.
45dB during TLOU. Hmm. Fuck I'd like a PS4 like that.
What model number do you have? Share the Date Code as well will ya?
Xander Crews
Member
Did you guys see this? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UUrFz_2l2Hg
He changed the thermal paste and pads and its not too much different.
My PS4 seems like it has gotten better somehow. It used to be noticeable for sure during the title screen of Metal Gear: Ground Zeroes and some parts of Killzone. Now, it doesnt seem as bad. The only other time I really hear it is in the title screen of The Last of Us where the light is shining though the window. This is totally subjective though. I have measure the sound level in a previous post.
Overall it seems to always get to the same level and stop. No longer as loud as it used to be on Metal Gear.
He changed the thermal paste and pads and its not too much different.
My PS4 seems like it has gotten better somehow. It used to be noticeable for sure during the title screen of Metal Gear: Ground Zeroes and some parts of Killzone. Now, it doesnt seem as bad. The only other time I really hear it is in the title screen of The Last of Us where the light is shining though the window. This is totally subjective though. I have measure the sound level in a previous post.
Overall it seems to always get to the same level and stop. No longer as loud as it used to be on Metal Gear.
CUH-1001A, and it says manufactured May 2014.
I sit my console flat horizontally on a very open air media stand, pretty close to the ground. I put it on auto sleep mode if I don't touch it for an hour.
I changed thermal paste and it got much quieter. It's all in the paste used and the method used to apply it. A correct/more suitable amount of paste makes a difference as well.
I have a CUH-1116A from July I think. After a thermal paste exchange it sit's at ~55dB max while playing Infamous, Killzone or Ground Zeroes. I wonder what could be different in yours. Guess it must be from a factory that has/had access to higher quality components.
Hidden One
Member
Idk but after the 2.00 patch my PS4s fan sounds really loud.
Markitron
Is currently staging a hunger strike outside Gearbox HQ while trying to hate them to death
I have a problem and was gonna make a thread, but here may be a better place.
About a month ago my PS4 start making a loud buzzing noise when a disc is inserted. I know the disc drive can be quite loud and all but this is definitely not normal. It stops after a couple of minutes when the disc stops spinning but it has me worried. My warranty is up on the 29th and I'm not sure if I should send it back. Has this happened to anyone else?
About a month ago my PS4 start making a loud buzzing noise when a disc is inserted. I know the disc drive can be quite loud and all but this is definitely not normal. It stops after a couple of minutes when the disc stops spinning but it has me worried. My warranty is up on the 29th and I'm not sure if I should send it back. Has this happened to anyone else?
orthodoxy1095
Banned
That sounds like a faulty disk drive. But wait and see what other people think.
More OT: Why exactly do games differ in loudness? KZ:SF, I:SS, BF4 have all been quiet. But I put it TLOUR today and it's godawfully loud...
They put a different amount of stress on the system. Still though. It should be quiet even under full load. Need decibel readings from you though. Saying it's been quiet means nothing. We need hard objective facts.
I'd send it in. Take advantage of the little warranty you have left.
It should not buzz.
orthodoxy1095
Banned
Earlier this evening, I:SS was hovering around 35-40 dbs. Basically too quiet to hear from where I sit. A little hum is noticeable, but nothing that my other systems don't do on occasion. TLOUR was anywhere from 60-70 dbs, and was really, really annoying.
Weird part. I moved the system and now no matter what game I put it, it doesn't get above 40dbs. Could it have just been my placement of the system?
Markitron
Is currently staging a hunger strike outside Gearbox HQ while trying to hate them to death
Thanks, I'm gonna wait until after I play through Assassins Creed. As long as I call them before the warranty expires I should be covered right?
How long were you playing infamous? I know that the battle arena in first light while looking up at the sky gets the system running as much as it can. But yeah. Your placement must have been the issue if it's only reading 40dB even after at least 30 min. That though is rather logical. Don't enclose the system. Have at least 10cm of free space at the back and preferably no objects hindering the vents on the sides at all.
What's your model number and date code?
I know someone that had a loud PS4. The PS4 was sitting in a closed space with only the front open, but the PS4 had more than enough free space all around. After some time playing on the PS4 you could feel the air getting warmer around the PS4.
He now built in a fan in the back and the noise levels are a lot better now, almost whisper silent. You can also feel that the air around the PS4 is much cooler all the time.
People that have a noisy PS4 could try to place it in an open space to see if that gives a difference.
He now built in a fan in the back and the noise levels are a lot better now, almost whisper silent. You can also feel that the air around the PS4 is much cooler all the time.
People that have a noisy PS4 could try to place it in an open space to see if that gives a difference.
Then it clearly didn't have enough space all around. If it did it wouldn't have gotten loud. The air didn't disappear anywhere before he had a fan at the back and that's why.
Caayn
Member
Could Sony have changed the values for the fan speed in the 2.0 update? Mine got a bit louder, if I remember correctly, since the 2.0 update.