You have successfully installed the CPU cooler in your PC without any major issues. It was working perfectly for a few weeks but now, all of a sudden, you are hearing a clicking noise.
I know how frustrating that is.
Why is my PC making a clicking noise?
Don’t worry, you don’t have to lose sleep over this simple issue. I have actually faced this issue multiple times and managed to fix it every time without any problems. I will go over everything you need to know about this annoying noise and how to fix it.
So, get some snacks or a cup of coffee and follow me till the last paragraph if you want all your confusions and problems to just vanish into thin air.
Why Is My CPU Cooler Making Buzzing Noise?
CPU coolers usually start making a ticking, clicking, or buzzing sound when there’s too much dirt and dust accumulating in the case. You must also check your CPU fan temperatures to make sure that nothing is wrong with it.
When the fan temperatures are very high, then it would mean that the fans are running at the maximum speed and this causes the noise.
You can use several third-party softwares like CoreTemp, SpeedFan or Speccy and the BIOS to check the CPU temperature. They provide reliable results even if they are not always one hundred percent accurate.
There is usually a fix for these annoying noises but if, at the end of the day, nothing works for you, then you might have to accept the fact that your CPU cooler is dead and needs to be replaced.
But before you are certain, you should know if the CPU cooler is working properly or whether the cooler has gone bad. These articles will help you find out what’s wrong with your cooler.
How To Fix CPU Cooler Clicking Noise
I have collected a total of five ways that will definitely help you play games in a much quieter and more peaceful environment.
You don’t have to worry about them being too complicated as I’ve tried my best to simplify it as best as I can for beginners.
Here are the ways to fix CPU cooler clicking noise:
1. Clean Your CPU Cooler
Sometimes, the most complicated problems have the simplest solutions. This can be applied to your issue as well.
You already know that your CPU fans bring in the air but what you probably don’t know is that they also bring along other contaminants with them.
When those contaminants or dirt start gathering in the CPU fans, you will start to hear a sort of ticking noise.
That’s why, you need to clean your CPU cooler case with compressed air or an air duster every once in a while, the same way you dust off your books.
You can do this very easily if you are on a desktop PC, by simply removing the side panel of your PC case.
It’s a little difficult for laptops because you need to take apart your laptop and that might cause issues with your warranty.
2. Make Sure The PC Has A Good Airflow
Good airflow is an extremely important step to ensure good performance from your CPU.
Without good airflow, your fans will be unable to keep your computer cool and might end up reaching higher temperatures.
This is exactly why you shouldn’t keep your computer in a desk cupboard with the fans stuck at the back because that might lead your fans to work harder which means they will have to work louder.
So, change the position of your CPU fans quickly!
For more information on airflow, check out our complete PC airflow optimization guide.
3. Check The Running Processes
Computer fans or coolers will usually have to work harder when your computer is running some really power hungry applications in the background.
You might be complaining now that even when you are doing nothing the fans are still loud. Well, that might be happening because of malware.
A variety of malware like crypto miners will use your idle PC for other reasons. You probably won’t know whether these exist until you scan your PC with a reliable malware scanner like Malwarebytes.
If you already know about malware and regularly monitor your computer then you should check the running processes in the task manager.
If you see that your CPU is running at a hundred percent, try disabling some processes until your CPU is stable.
4. Use Software To Control Your Fans
Your fans start to make noises like clicking or ticking noise whenever the fan speed is too high. You can use a third party software to gain access to your PC fan’s speed.
You will then be able to lower the speed manually to a desirable amount that doesn’t affect the performance too badly but reduces the noise either partially or completely.
You should know that this is not a good idea if your computer is known to have overheating problems that the cooler is unable to fix.
There are a few motherboard providers that provide their own fan control apps, but Windows users can use a really good software called SpeedFan that offers very good control over your PC fans.
Just keep in mind that you need to monitor the CPU temperatures after the fan speeds have been changed. If you see that the temperatures are getting high, you need to immediately reset the settings.
5. Replace Your CPU Fans
If you have tried all the other fixes, then I’m afraid your CPU fans have reached the end of their life cycle. Regardless of whether you took good care of your fans or not, every component in your PC probably won’t last forever.
But don’t worry. Replacing the fans of a CPU cooler is a pretty simple task. You can also swap it with a case fan.
FAQ
Question: Is it bad if my computer fan is loud?
Answer: Yes, a loud computer fan is generally a very bad sign and if your computer fan is behaving too loudly, you need to deal with it as soon as you can or get an expert to fix it.
Question: Why is my hard drive making a clicking noise?
Answer: There is a printed circuit board in your hard drive that connects electronic components and that could get damaged due to power surges. This could lead to a damaged hard drive that makes a clicking noise.
Question: Should I be able to hear my computer fan?
Answer: Nowadays, most of the fans are usually very quiet but you should still be able to hear it slightly, especially when it is running at a high speed. The fan should not be annoyingly loud, however. In that case, you would need to get it replaced or fixed.
Question: How can I clean my laptop fan without opening it?
Answer: Find a place that you won’t mind getting a bit dusty and place your laptop there. Grab a can of compressed air and point it at the laptop’s cooling vents and give them a few short bursts of air. After doing this for a while, your fans should be cleaned.
Final Thoughts
Your PC can get annoyingly loud sometimes and the noise isn’t always coming from the CPU cooler. The good news is that there is always a fix for that.
I hope you are finally able to relax properly without any CPU cooler clicking noise getting in the way. If any other component starts to make noise, you can always visit our webpage to find the right fix.
