“My laptop has been serving me well for a couple of years. However, it is worrying me of late with some loud sounds like a jet engine whenever I turn it on. Why does my laptop sound like a jet engine?”
When your laptop sounds like a jet engine, it means that the laptop fan is working overdrive to cool the laptop. The fan and hard disk are the likely components producing the loud jet sounds.
Laptop sounding like a vacuum cleaner or a jet engine is the trade off you get for portability. You see, unlike a desktop computer which is well-spaced, a laptop is compact with little room for air to flow freely. This makes heat buildup pretty fast, resulting in fans overwork and produce a sound like a jet engine trying to cool the machine.
No need to worry. Your laptop ain’t lifting off any time soon! Just a few simple steps can fix the issue in no time. So let’s get to it.
Why Does My Laptop Sound like a Jet Engine?
The first step to understanding why a laptop is making a loud jet engine noise is pinpointing the issue. The major causes of the loud noises are the hard disk and the fan.
The Fan
The fan can make a jet engine sound if it’s too loose, too old, too small for your laptop or just not powerful enough. You see, the laptop graphics data, processor and motherboard produce heat as the laptop runs.
The heat is circulated around and out of the laptop by the fans. This ensures laptops remain cool after continued use. Without heating getting way, laptops get hotter, resulting in the whirring noise.
Overheating
It’s likely your laptop is a little hotter than usual too. After continuous use, it’s normal for laptops to heat. Fans work faster and harder to compensate for the excess heat. This leads to loud noises. However, the problem is less likely in modern laptops where silent fans are used.
Dust, Debris, and Smoke
Apart from excess heat, fans can make loud noises when there is a buildup of debris, dust, stray hairs, and even cigarette tar.
Any foreign debris inside the laptop can make components work inefficiently. For instance, smoke tar, dust, and hair strays can slow fans down. In addition, the components can coat cooling fins and other heat-generating components, making them overwork and heat.
In particular, smoke is damaging and can coat fan blades, fins, and other components, affecting their efficiency.
Faulty Hard Disk Drive
Hard disks can also make loud jet engine sounds. When defective, the head seeks data as the platter spins, producing loud noises.
Moreover, if you have a big and heavy laptop, then fans inside are higher in number, so the noises will be louder. This is why you need to get a compact laptop that can handle your tasks.
For example, laptops for geology students must be extremely portable yet powerful. You don’t want to hold a heavy laptop while taking field trips.
How to Make Your Laptop Quieter?
Now that you know why your laptop is making loud jet engine noises, it’s time to make it quieter. Depending on the parts making noise, you can take steps to make it quiet.
So, let’s find out how do you stop your laptop from making a sound like a jet engine.
1. Cooling the Laptop
Before getting to the internal components, you need to ensure cool air reaches your computer. Therefore, you need to-
- Make sure the laptop sits on a flat surface, and there are rubber feet on the bottom. This leaves ample space for cool air to pass through and cool it.
- Avoid using laptops on carpeted floors as this prevents cool air from flowing underneath. If you have to place the laptop on your lap, do it for a few minutes or get a portable laptop desk.
- If the room is hot, consider getting cooling pads. Cooling pads help dissipate hot air away from the laptop. Apart from cooling fans, you can also use clip-on vacuum coolers to dissipate heat away.
However, cooling your laptop is a temporary solution. If the laptop constantly makes loud noises, consider the next steps below.
2. Cleaning Fans and Vents
The next involves diving a little deeper and cleaning the laptop fans and vents. In most cases, a loud laptop is a result of dusty fans. Dust and debris buildup on the fans and vents prevents efficient cooling.
The buildup of hair strays, dust, and dirt means restricted airflow, thus poor heat dissipation. Cleaning fans and vents involve opening the laptop and physically cleaning it.
Caution: Never open your laptop if you’re unsure of what you’re doing. You might end up damaging internal components. In addition, opening a laptop under warranty will make the warranty void.
If you’ve decided to clean your laptop, then-
- Turn it off and disconnect all cables.
- Use a compressed air duster and blow it at an angle to your fans and vents.
- Blow the air in short bursts and remove all dust and debris on the vents and fans.
- Make sure the dust is blown outside and not inside the laptop.
- Use a microfiber cloth to wipe away any dust on internal components.
You can also blow air on the power supply to remove any dust. However, NEVER open the power supply.
Once done, plug all fans back and double-check to ensure they are in place.
3. Ensure Fans Are Working Properly
Apart from cleaning the fans, you have to make sure they work perfectly. If the fans are still making noise even after cleaning them, then it’s time you replaced them.
Measure your old fan’s dimensions and order fitting replacements. You don’t want to be stuck with new fans that won’t fit your laptop.
When replacing old fans, you want to confirm that the power supply works perfectly. If the power supply overheats, then it might not power the fans efficiently.
It is recommended you replace the fans and the entire power supply. Overall, make sure new fans are perfectly fitted in place and not loose.
4. Upgrading the Hard Disk
Is the hard disk failing? Listen for abnormal clicks. If the source of the loud noises is the hard disk, then consider upgrading to a solid-state drive (SSD).
Caution: You need to act fast and remove data from the hard disk before it fails completely.
5. Kill Most Processes
Most laptops make loud jet engine sounds because of huge demands placed on them. If the laptop fans suddenly spin into action, then they are responding to the huge laptop demands.
High demands on the GPU can make laptops heat and produce loud noises. You need to kill most of these processes. Visit the task manager on Windows and Activity Monitor on Mac to kill the unnecessary apps running on background.
When your laptop boots, make sure there are fewer processes running. Killing rogue processes can quiet a laptop and reduce heat.
6. Try a Software Fix
Can you control the laptop fan speed? Most laptops allow controlling of the fan speed through various software. Some advanced laptops even feature built-in controls.
The software enables users to control the fan speed. Technically, you can reduce loud noises by reducing the fan speeds.
However, this is not recommended as it might get the laptop hotter and reduce its lifespan.
7. Remove and Prevent Malware
Malware can infect your laptop and eat a huge chunk of space and affect its efficiency. Avoid installing malicious software and programs that overwork the laptop.
For example, cryptocurrency mining software can slow laptops and make them hot. Avoiding this malware will reduce the workload on your fans and prevent loud noises.
8. Get an Expert to Check Your Laptop
If the laptop is still new and under a warranty, consider taking it back to the manufacturer for a checkup. Visiting a PC repair shop is another great option.
You want to make sure your laptop is checked by a professional and the necessary steps are taken to reduce the loud noises.
Final Words
Well, that’s it from me! Did you find out why your laptop is making loud sounds like a jet engine? Solving loud laptop sounds is a lot easier when you know the specific issue causing the sound.
Make sure your laptop can handle the tasks you’re doing without overworking it. Also, you should clean the fans and vents regularly to prevent dust buildup.
Keeping your laptop cool is crucial in preventing loud noises. So, always place the laptop on a flat surface and have some space underneath for better airflow.