I thought the PS3 is meant to be dead silent!?

Hendrix89

Started noticing after about a day after getting my ps3 that I can hear the fan constantly. The ps3 starts up very quiet then after roughly 15 mins sitting idle i hear the fan speed increase and it stays like that...

I can hear it clearly from where i sit which is about 12-13ft away. I have tried placing the ps3 the furthest away from me as possible but can still hear it.

I have always heard that it is suppose to be completely silent...

Is there a problem??

Pacifico

Its not completely silent after being on for a while but it certainly isn't loud

mayto

Mines the same, it doesnt even lower the fan speed when you exit back to the dashboard from a game which is stupid (its even louder than my 360 with a game being played)!

projectmayhem

mayto wrote:

Mines the same, it doesnt even lower the fan speed when you exit back to the dashboard from a game which is stupid (its even louder than my 360 with a game being played)!

just because you exit a game doesn't mean the machine is hot...

my machine is as quiet as can be. probably the same level of noise as the slimline ps2. if it's as loud as the 360, something's seriously wrong, since the fan is built to be quiet, but the case itself acts as a noise buffer too...

McDermotX

mayto wrote:

Mines the same, it doesnt even lower the fan speed when you exit back to the dashboard from a game which is stupid (its even louder than my 360 with a game being played)!

Might want to have that checked out Mayto !!
The PS3 is not silent but it is certainly not loud, and nowhere near as loud as a 360 (even without the DVD spinning)..
There have been conflicting reports over the last few months as silence is a very subjective thing.......whats quiet for some is not so for others..
There appears to be 3 or 4 automatic fan speed settings for the main fan, but if it is really loud (as in 360) I would look into bringing it back for replacement or repair..

I assume you are cooling it properly, as in an open space all round, not placed on top of anything, plenty of airflow and if possible, stand it vertically as hot air needs to escape from the top and right side (when stood vertical)..

No doubt some are louder than others (my Japanese system is slightly more audible than the EU one, but in general I wouldn't class either as loud or even intrusive)..

mayto

My 360 doesnt seem to be that loud for some reason ( my hearing is probably going! ), its probably the fact that the fan still goes at full speed when you go back to the ps3 dashboard that probably makes me think its worse than it actually is added to fact that 360 goes pretty quiet when just on dashboard. I'll check it out later anyways to see if its bad as i thought it was the other day. Suppose it doesnt really matter when you have the surrind sound up loud anyways! Have the ps3 lying flat, i was thinking about lying it vertical earlier as im getting a bit stuck for room around the tv area. Cheers for the info.

Kevin2006

My PS3 is quiet, like there is some noise off it but nothing noticeable..

Hendrix89

alright guys for awhile i was just starting to inore it but after hearing from people that their ps3s are so silent i am really starting to find the fan noise unbearable now!!

okay putting my head right up to it, its almost as loud as a hairdryer....

do you think sony would replace it for being unusually noisy?

i bet no US ones had this......

i hate my ps3.......

mayto

there quiet when they start up as the fans dont go full blast till about 20 mins later and if anyone says theres is still silent there full of ****e!

Hendrix89

mayto wrote:

there quiet when they start up as the fans dont go full blast till about 20 mins later and if anyone says theres is still silent there full of ****e!

That what pi**es me off most! The machine is beautifully silent when just started up. Then it ALWAYS cranks up within a couple of minutes to a very audible level and does not go down ever... until i restart it...

So are some ppl hear unable to hear their system at all?? Thats in a totally silent room? Plz I now really need 100% honest answers cause I am now in the frustration stage!!!! Im damn angry too!!

steviec

Hendrix89 wrote:

That what pi**es me off most! The machine is beautifully silent when just started up. Then it ALWAYS cranks up within a couple of minutes to a very audible level and does not go down ever... until i restart it...

So are some ppl hear unable to hear their system at all?? Thats in a totally silent room? Plz I now really need 100% honest answers cause I am now in the frustration stage!!!! Im damn angry too!!

It depends what you're own personal tolerance is I guess, of course it's audible, but it's by no means loud.

Do you have any other consoles? 360 or PS2 maybe? If it's as loud as them its faulty, if it's quiet but just audible in a silent room then it's probably fine, you shouldn't be able to hear it unless you have the TV muted though, unlike other consoles which I can hear unless I raise the volume a fair bit.

Hendrix89

steviec wrote:

It depends what you're own personal tolerance is I guess, of course it's audible, but it's by no means loud.

Do you have any other consoles? 360 or PS2 maybe? If it's as loud as them its faulty, if it's quiet but just audible in a silent room then it's probably fine, you shouldn't be able to hear it unless you have the TV muted though, unlike other consoles which I can hear unless I raise the volume a fair bit.

Not sure if it's louder than my ps2 but I can't check cause I have misplaced the leads for the ps2.

Anyway I have read around a good few forums and it appears that it's only europe that has this problem. Exact same as mine. Starts up silent until 10-20 mins when it goes to full fan speed and does not change at all from there.

I will be taking my ps3 back to SMYTHS this week and I bloody better be given a new one right there and then cause I should not have to suffer any waiting god dammit!!

Just to used to bad luck with electronics. Oh yeah it's my PC all over again....

Flaccus

Have a look at this test this guy did. He found that the PS3 had a larger dB increase when playing games then the 360. And I have been around to a couple of mates houses and I do consider the PS3 to get noisy when gaming. Same with the Wii.

http://www.pregamelobby.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2680

steviec

Flaccus wrote:

Have a look at this test this guy did. He found that the PS3 had a larger dB increase when playing games then the 360. And I have been around to a couple of mates houses and I do consider the PS3 to get noisy when gaming. Same with the Wii.

http://www.pregamelobby.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2680

That test is flawed because it didn't measure everything equally - in some cases having the meter right outside a vent in the air flow from the console, and in some cases not. The only way it could be representative is if you like playing games while holding your ear up to the side of the console you're playing.

Anyone who owns all three and a working pair of ears will tell you than in normal circumstances (whether idling or running at full blast) the 360 is always by far the loudest of the 3 consoles and the Wii and PS3 are both relatively silent in comparison to both the 360 and last gen consoles. I don't have my Wii here for comparison since I picked up my PS3 but I think it's general running is quieter than the PS3 but its disc reads are louder, I could be wrong on that.

Flaccus

It might be flawed but it shows none of the consoles are silent. And I personally don't think the PS3 is as quiet as people are making it out to be. Like the OP said the fans speed up after 20mins or so and don't slow down unlike the 360 whose fans slow down when in the dashboard. From the 2 PS'3 I have seen this is also the case. So in my opinion the PS3 is NOT a quiet machine...far from it.

peepingtom

turn up your speakers you winging feckers ... fook me, its almost as if you enjoy complaining.

monkeyfudge

I have a DB Meter myself, so I'll have a go at measuring each one later on if I get the chance.

My 360 is horribly noisy though... makes it frustrating when watching a HD-DVD.

I haven't had any problems with noise from the PS3 and I often forget about it and leave it turned on.

Flaccus

peepingtom wrote:

turn up your speakers you winging feckers ... fook me, its almost as if you enjoy complaining.

Kind of hard to do if you are watching a movie and there is a quiet bit...or if you are have to play a game and keep the volume down. Some people have to show consideration for others you know.

monkeyfudge wrote:

I have a DB Meter myself, so I'll have a go at measuring each one later on if I get the chance.

Ta. I haven't got my PS3 yet. Still mulling over it. I did find the 2 I checked out not exactly quiet, but not enough to put me off buying one. Still looking to see if there are are switch boxes around to let me plug the dvi from my pc and the hdmi to dvi lead from the ps3 into it, and from there to my LCD screen.

Pacifico

Flaccus wrote:

Have a look at this test this guy did. He found that the PS3 had a larger dB increase when playing games then the 360. And I have been around to a couple of mates houses and I do consider the PS3 to get noisy when gaming. Same with the Wii.

http://www.pregamelobby.com/forum/showthread.php?t=2680

Rubbish. The PS3 is no where near as loud as the 360 especially when playing games

peepingtom

Flaccus wrote:

Kind of hard to do if you are watching a movie and there is a quiet bit...or if you are have to play a game and keep the volume down. Some people have to show consideration for others you know.

ah come on its not like you have to drowned out the sound by annoying the neighbours .... i havent noticed any sound out of mine at all to be honest. I just think people like complaining too much ... especially those who havent even got one.

the thing is, if you want to hear it, you will

Hendrix89

Guys I just contacted UK playstation support (Ireland doesnt have one, big surprise..) and the guy told me that it is not normal for the console to speed up the fans just sitting at the XMB and remaining at one constant speed. He said I should go to my retailer to get a new replacement. Now thats comming from Sony. When I go to ask for a replacement I will make it clear that Sony themselves aknowledge it not working properly so I am entitled to an immediate replacement.

I wonder if Ireland got a bad batch of PS3's? Just a thought because it seems quite a few here are claming to be able to hear the fan...

hottstuff

My us import is virtually silent.
Well compared to my 360 its a mute.

notahappycamper

Hendrix89 wrote:

Guys I just contacted UK playstation support (Ireland doesnt have one, big surprise..) and the guy told me that it is not normal for the console to speed up the fans just sitting at the XMB and remaining at one constant speed. He said I should go to my retailer to get a new replacement. Now thats comming from Sony. When I go to ask for a replacement I will make it clear that Sony themselves aknowledge it not working properly so I am entitled to an immediate replacement.

I wonder if Ireland got a bad batch of PS3's? Just a thought because it seems quite a few here are claming to be able to hear the fan...

Do you have the no. for the UK Playstation support?

I notice that mine is quite but when playing PS2 games it becomes more noisey than normal. You can hear the disc spining / searching - is this normal anyone heard this?

peepingtom

notahappycamper wrote:

Do you have the no. for the UK Playstation support?

I notice that mine is quite but when playing PS2 games it becomes more noisey than normal. You can hear the disc spining / searching - is this normal anyone heard this?

I wouldnt embarass yourself mate ... its not built for ps2 games

Hendrix89

The number is 081 8365065. Took me ages to get.

Doesnt seem like you have much of a problem though... Fan speeds up during a game.. kinda normal.. Least it's not at full speed all the time like my f'd up one.

Hendrix89

Alright cool I talked to SMYTHS (where I got the system from) and they said to take it back to them and they will test it. If it shows the problem I explained to them they will give me a brand new one over the counter!

Is there any chance I might get another defective fan unit again seeing as it will probably from the same batch??

Hendrix89

Well surprise, surprise... The second one does the same thing!! This is just ridiculous! I paid for a system that I expected to perform just as it's meant to, and as claimed by Sony! So seeing as the replacement I just recieved has the exact same fan issue it's clear that Sony have made Europe's (PAL) PS3's with cheaper, lower quality parts and I, and many others, have been ripped off... Of course people in the US can go and buy a fully functional PS3 for cheaper than europe but also much higher quality and 100% functional. Mines 99% functional...

All I ask is a ps3 that adjusts it's fan speed, as it's supposed to...but NO I don't get that feature even though as a consumer I paid the full amount!!!!!!! Brilliant. Well I've learnt my lesson.

Back to my PC gaming...until I get over this hate for the ps3 in the corner...

Sorry for the rant, and the thread resurrection but I just couldnt hold it in and I just want to make this issue clear.

thefinalstage

Hendrix89 wrote:

Well surprise, surprise... The second one does the same thing!! This is just ridiculous! I paid for a system that I expected to perform just as it's meant to, and as claimed by Sony! So seeing as the replacement I just recieved has the exact same fan issue it's clear that Sony have made Europe's (PAL) PS3's with cheaper, lower quality parts and I, and many others, have been ripped off... Of course people in the US can go and buy a fully functional PS3 for cheaper than europe but also much higher quality and 100% functional. Mines 99% functional...

All I ask is a ps3 that adjusts it's fan speed, as it's supposed to...but NO I don't get that feature even though as a consumer I paid the full amount!!!!!!! Brilliant. Well I've learnt my lesson.

Back to my PC gaming...until I get over this hate for the ps3 in the corner...

Sorry for the rant, and the thread resurrection but I just couldnt hold it in and I just want to make this issue clear.

A solution: Turn it off, silence is beautiful!

AceCard Jones

My machine has been incredibly quiet, I only ever hear the fan(s) kick in after about 3 hours of use.I don't agree with the statement that the PS3 is as quiet as the Slim-line PS2 but it hasn't been in anyway noisy for me.

***Edit***

Out of curiosity, when your PS3 isn't in use, do you leave it on stand-by?
Or do you switch the machine off fully when you're finished?
If you leave it in stand-by the machine is still going to be generating heat so that could be the reason you notice the fan at work all the time from the get go.

Hendrix89

AceCard Jones wrote:

My machine has been incredibly quiet, I only ever hear the fan(s) kick in after about 3 hours of use.I don't agree with the statement that the PS3 is as quiet as the Slim-line PS2 but it hasn't been in anyway noisy for me.

***Edit***

Out of curiosity, when your PS3 isn't in use, do you leave it on stand-by?
Or do you switch the machine off fully when you're finished?
If you leave it in stand-by the machine is still going to be generating heat so that could be the reason you notice the fan at work all the time from the get go.

I mostly switch off the power to it completely, but I sometimes leave it on standby.

I want so badly to hear it adjust the speed accordingly just so I know it's working but it just won't... Maintains the same speed no matter what. Even sitting idle... Don't know why I always get dud electronics. Believe me, happens everytime...

GrahamG

Hi Hendrix,

I'm in the same boat as yourself - bought from Smyths about a week ago. Mine must have been in the same batch as yours as the fan is doing the exact same thing. I have read about this on another popular UK forum and sure enough my fan goes up to the third speed setting after 14 minutes or so whilst just sitting on the opening screen. I have tested this with the unit sitting out of the cabinet in totally open space and upright for optimum cooling.
I'm glad that Smyths are cooperating and i'll be calling in to them at my next opportunity. Some people in England have had Sony deliver new PS3's to them to rectify the problem.
Maybe ask Smyths to test the new one before you take it?
Don't give up until you get it sorted. It will be worth it when you get sorted cause the picture and sound are exceptional otherwise.

mickg007

GrahamG wrote:

Hi Hendrix, Some people in England have had Sony deliver new PS3's to them to rectify the problem. Maybe ask Smyths to test the new one before you take it? Don't give up until you get it sorted. It will be worth it when you get sorted cause the picture and sound are exceptional otherwise.

I have just picked up my 3rd PS3 from Game. The guy in the store tested it and confirmed fan should not come on while sitting idle in the XMB.

Is there no Sony in Ireland ? If you wanted to get Sony to send out a new one here what would you do?