Support NeoGAF

[FoxhoundNL]

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

 

[deranged_666]

My PS4 is noisy too, but I wouldn't call it jet engine loud. It's almost completely silent on idle. 5 minutes into Infamous and the fan ramps up pretty audibly. Once I close the game, it takes literally 5-10 seconds and the fan starts ramping down again. Also interesting to note is that when the game first starts, the disc spins for about a minute and a half, but as soon as the disc spins down is the exact moment the fan ramps up. It also seems to ramp up more audibly when the game is paused than when it is running.

I think a lot of it has to do with sound perception. I do believe there are PS4s out there that have heat issues, and mine might be one of them. But we all hear different frequencies differently. We all sit at different distances, and have different sized rooms. I work in audio, so my ears are reasonably well trained, so it might bother me more than it would bother other people. For instance, the fan is definitely audible to me on standby as well. I also game in a small bedroom, so I'm sitting rather close to my setup. Also my room is rather quiet otherwise, so people who have more room noise might not notice it as much. That's also the reason why measuring the noise with a dB meter won't give accurate comparisons. If you sit in a room that you think is dead silent, I'd bet that any dB meter would still pick up 25-30 dB of room noise.

Only way to accurately measure the dB output of the fans at a certain distance is to zero in on the frequencies the fans are audible at, and measure those frequencies only. Hard to do when the fan throws out slightly different frequencies as it starts ramping up. Downloading a smartphone app to try and measure it basically pointless.

I bought the extended warranty from Sony, so I'm going to wait it out and see how my system plays out. If I'm still unhappy with my noise levels, I may try to get it serviced.

 

[jester_]

Yeah, mine is very noisy with or without a disc. If the APU is being stressed it is much louder than my HTPC and I need to turn the sound system up. I may send mine in to Sony if they accept loud units as defective (I see there's a ~3 week turnaround for those who have tried).

 

[LowSignal]

I'm glad I'm not the only one, My PS4 is laying flat in a entertainment cabinet but it's open to air and has 4/5 inches all around (ie tons of breathing room). My house is air conditioned so it's not like it's super hot. It's not really a huge deal unless there is a quite scene in a TV show or movie. I'm paranoid that it wasn't that way till after the 1.70 update. Still it has nothing on my 747 Xbox 360 launch system!

 

[GluedOnBeard]

I had to rearrange my unit so the receiver was on top and the PS4 is on the bottom with cooler air and more space and now I rarely hear it after the change.

 

[lightzGamin]

I hope you guys got extended warranty / insurance just in case. Would suck if your PS4 died after e3.

 

[GavinUK86]

My ps4 is is extremely noisy. In fact my PC at full load with all fans on high is quieter. I have them close so I can tell. The ps4 blows massive heat from the back as we'll, wtf...feels like is overheating

Pretty much the same as mine.

 

[Portugeezer]

Depending on the game the fans can sometimes get loud. For the most part its quiet.

 

[Bam Bam Baklava]

I hope you guys got extended warranty / insurance just in case. Would suck if your PS4 died after e3.

My PS4 was noisy as fuck and it broke 10 days ago. The RMA process is ridiculously slow.

 

[Quote]

My disc drive is terrible. I can't wait till that technology has died off completely.

 

[AllenShrz]

My Ps4 is loud when I insert a disc/install and quiet afterwards.

This. My PS4 is dead silent.

 

[Data Ghost]

I cant understand people who say theirs is whisper quiet. I have a brand new replacement coming today as my fans are very noticeable.

can someone try this quick test for me, start up the PS4 and load MGSV, once it gets to the title screen have your fans kicked into high gear? (if possible post a vid). Mine do and I cant for the life of me understand why they would kick in that soon. Check my vid to see what I mean:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6Oh71t2ees

As you can see, its in a well ventilated area and makes the same noise regardless of whether its placed vertically or horizontally.

 

[blastprocessor]

It really depends on where you store it.

I took it over to my brother and placed it inside a airy TV cabinet and the fan was louder than usual playing Killzone.

 

[Danlord]

Mine used to be whisper quiet every time I play, and when I'd play Infamous for a few hours a time it'd get a tiny bit audible. But after playing Watch_Dogs it's now very audible and I am concerned.

 

[breakfuss]

I cant understand people who say theirs is whisper quiet. I have a brand new replacement coming today as my fans are very noticeable.

can someone try this quick test for me, start up the PS4 and load MGSV, once it gets to the title screen have your fans kicked into high gear? (if possible post a vid). Mine do and I cant for the life of me understand why they would kick in that soon. Check my vid to see what I mean:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6Oh71t2ees

As you can see, its in a well ventilated area and makes the same noise regardless of whether its placed vertically or horizontally.

Nice camera, lol. I'm pretty sure mine did not get that loud on the MGS menu, but not 100% sure. However it does get that loud in other instances so I wonder if it's reason for concern. Have you played Transistor, btw? In-game my PS4 is completely silent but as soon as I pause it does what happened in your video. Strange.

 

[Canis lupus]

My China made first PS4 was quieter than my current Japanese made PS4.

 

[Super Rookie]

For those who say it's loud/quiet how far are you from the PS4?

I'm right next to mine since I game on my monitor and it gets pretty darn loud whenever I play a game on it.

 

[Carl]

I never hear mine

 

[Lucifon]

Has anyone tried taking apart their super loud fan system? Would be interested to know if there's a noticable flaw in these systems e.g poorly applied thermal paste. I'm someone who also suffers from the loud fan noises on my system and it regularly concerns me.

 

[Data Ghost]

Nice camera, lol. I'm pretty sure mine did not get that loud on the MGS menu, but not 100% sure. However it does get that loud in other instances so I wonder if it's reason for concern. Have you played Transistor, btw? In-game my PS4 is completely silent but as soon as I pause it does what happened in your video. Strange.

Not played Transistor yet, but another way of making my fans go into hyper-drive is by pressing the PS button while in most games. At that point the PS4 lifts off the unit and hovers around the room. Again I cant believe other people arent hearing the same thing, whisper quiet apparently. I reckon they have disconnected fans

 

[Gong]

My PS4 makes a helluva racket when a disc is first put in, then calms down once past the initial install/disc read. It sounds worse than the first 360 that red ringed on me all those years ago, which has me worried :-/

 

[Melchiah]

I cant understand people who say theirs is whisper quiet. I have a brand new replacement coming today as my fans are very noticeable.

can someone try this quick test for me, start up the PS4 and load MGSV, once it gets to the title screen have your fans kicked into high gear? (if possible post a vid). Mine do and I cant for the life of me understand why they would kick in that soon. Check my vid to see what I mean:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6Oh71t2ees

As you can see, its in a well ventilated area and makes the same noise regardless of whether its placed vertically or horizontally.

To my knowledge the PS4 is louder in a vertical position. The fan in mine was audible when I played Killzone, but it's been pretty quiet after I put this wooden plate between the system and the metal shelf. I haven't tried KZ since then though, so I don't know how it's now.

Dunno if the PS4s have similar differences like the PS3s had. My launch 60GB unit was loud, and apparently the Scandinavian (and possibly other European) models had a different kind of fan than the earlier NA & Japan models. My EU launch PS4 was manufactured in Japan, if it's of any consequence.

 

[Data Ghost]

I never hear mine

Thanks for all the info. Are you sure its on and the fan is actually spinning?

 

[hesido]

To my knowledge the PS4 is louder in a vertical position. The fan in mine was audible when I played Killzone, but it's been pretty quiet after I put this wooden plate between the system and the metal shelf. I haven't tried KZ since then though, so I don't know how it's now.

I'd have guessed metal is a better conductor of heat so putting a wooden plate would be worse as metal would have spread the heat? But maybe, deflecting the heat at the bottom so the deflected heat is expelled again, instead of a metal bottom getting heated is better?

 

[Melchiah]

I'd have guessed metal is a better conductor of heat so putting a wooden plate would be worse as metal would have spread the heat? But maybe, deflecting the heat at the bottom so the deflected heat is expelled again, instead of a metal bottom getting heated is better?

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.

EDIT: The metal shelf got pretty hot underneath the system, before I put the plate there.

 

[geordiemp]

This. My PS4 is dead silent.

We have 2 Ps4, both dead silent.

You can only hear them when disk installs

 

[Fluffhead14]

horizontal, and purrrrs very quietly..

 

[Data Ghost]

We have 2 Ps4, both dead silent.

You can only hear them when disk installs

Great well I hope this is true. Disk spinning noise is the least of my worries! My brand new replacement has been delivered so I look forward to silent gaming from here on in!

Its fantastic news to hear that your fan doesnt step up and down in speed and sound while you are gaming, its great to hear that the noise doesnt crank up when you press the PS button whilst in a game. Wonder what was up with mine as the air it blew out was never hot even when the fans cranked right up. Maybe some have dodgy thermostats making them kick in when not needed.

Either that or yours are slowly cooking themselves inside due to lack of fans :/

 

[d9b]

Noisy? Nope.

 

[Owzers]

Great well I hope this is true. Disk spinning noise is the least of my worries! My brand new replacement has been delivered so I look forward to silent gaming from here on in!

Its fantastic news to hear that your fan doesnt step up and down in speed and sound while you are gaming, its great to hear that the noise doesnt crank up when you press the PS button whilst in a game. Wonder what was up with mine as the air it blew out was never hot even when the fans cranked right up. Maybe some have dodgy thermostats making them kick in when not needed.

Either that or yours are slowly cooking themselves inside due to lack of fans :/

Can you test it out with the same game/set-up to see if it is quieter? My ps4 is somewhat noisy when playing some games like infamous/killzone, i don't want to replace it for nothing. If the air conditioning is running it usually drowns the system out, but if the room is quiet it's fairly loud. I tried one replacement system at launch through a store, noise was about exactly the same when i was testing it.

 

[Data Ghost]

Can you test it out with the same game/set-up to see if it is quieter? My ps4 is somewhat noisy when playing some games like infamous/killzone, i don't want to replace it for nothing. If the air conditioning is running it usually drowns the system out, but if the room is quiet it's fairly loud. I tried one replacement system at launch through a store, noise was about exactly the same when i was testing it.

Yeah will do. Part of me thinks it will sound exactly the same and this is just what they sound like. I hope I am wrong. If you have clicked my youtube link above you will see that mine is nowhere near whisper quiet. So to all the people who have these silent machines, Id love to know what they think after watching it?

EDIT: Just for clarification, my system is completely quiet if I am just on the dashboard without a game running in the background. Im also pretty sure its silent when watching Netflix etc.

 

[gooner4life]

The fans go HAM when I play Killzone or Watch_Dogs, generally whisper quiet on things like Fifa 14.

 

[ngower]

Mine isn't noisy, per se, but I've definitely noticed it getting a hell of a lot hotter lately, especially when watching disc-based movies. It's pretty well ventilated, and I do my best to combat North Carolina's heat, but the system practically adds 5-10ºF to my room's temperature! Does the trick of adding feet to the bottom of the console make a noticeable difference? Or any difference?

 

[Owzers]

Yeah will do. Part of me thinks it will sound exactly the same and this is just what they sound like. I hope I am wrong. If you have clicked my youtube link above you will see that mine is nowhere near whisper quiet. So to all the people who have these silent machines, Id love to know what they think after watching it?

EDIT: Just for clarification, my system is completely quiet if I am just on the dashboard without a game running in the background. Im also pretty sure its silent when watching Netflix etc.

both of mine were near silent when watching netflix too, if i get close and the room is completely quiet i can hear the fans going slightly, but it's very quiet. Room temp is around 80 degrees usually too.

 

[Yopis]

Mine isn't noisy, per se, but I've definitely noticed it getting a hell of a lot hotter lately, especially when watching disc-based movies. It's pretty well ventilated, and I do my best to combat North Carolina's heat, but the system practically adds 5-10ºF to my room's temperature! Does the trick of adding feet to the bottom of the console make a noticeable difference? Or any difference?

Raleigh heat and humidity doing the same to my system.

 

[DistortionOfReality]

Sorry guy, mine is whisper quiet. Its not even that well ventilated either, not a lot of room at the back, horizontal, nestled under the 'arm' of the tv on the same shelf as the tv stand. (will post a pic tonight)

It doesn't even get that warm really, and this is through Infamous, Watch_Dogs and digital titles, with and without discs (almost always has a disc in though). Only time there is really a noise increase is
a) for about 3 sec after a disc is inserted
and b) during the heat wave a week or so ago after being on for about 6 hours straight
Even these aren't as loud as the ground zeroes vid posted above though.

I would try and get a replacement if I were you.

 

[Data Ghost]

Sorry guy, mine is whisper quiet. Its not even that well ventilated either, not a lot of room at the back, horizontal, nestled under the 'arm' of the tv on the same shelf as the tv stand. (will post a pic tonight)

It doesn't even get that warm really, and this is through Infamous, Watch_Dogs and digital titles, with and without discs (almost always has a disc in though). Only time there is really a noise increase is
a) for about 3 sec after a disc is inserted
and b) during the heat wave a week or so ago after being on for about 6 hours straight
Even these aren't as loud as the ground zeroes vid posted above though.

I would try and get a replacement if I were you.

Thanks for the info. Looking at it from a different perspective though, do you ever wonder why the fan DOESNT crank up during longer gaming sessions of graphically intensive games such as BF4, KZ, Ground Zeroes, Second Son, etc? Titles that are putting the console under more pressure.

I guess I'm just finding such varying reports bizarre.

Like I said though, my replacement has arrived today so I'll see how this performs when I get home from work.

 

[Chuck Norris]

Quietest console I've ever owned, hope it stays that way

 

[Data Ghost]

Quietest console I've ever owned, hope it stays that way

I hope so too, on the plus side though it makes a cracking hair dryer / fan heater.

 

[TheZink]

I cant understand people who say theirs is whisper quiet. I have a brand new replacement coming today as my fans are very noticeable.

can someone try this quick test for me, start up the PS4 and load MGSV, once it gets to the title screen have your fans kicked into high gear? (if possible post a vid). Mine do and I cant for the life of me understand why they would kick in that soon. Check my vid to see what I mean:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6Oh71t2ees

As you can see, its in a well ventilated area and makes the same noise regardless of whether its placed vertically or horizontally.

Mine isn't loud but you can definitely hear it but it's nothing like this. Yours sounds like a hair dryer.

 

[Nokterian]

No noise here. Very silent when playing.

 

[goombatommy]

Nope. No noise here.

 

[DJ Lushious]

My PS4 is definitely loud. It's in an open air entertainment center, with plenty of clearance all around it. It's on the top shelf, with a Power Center and PS3 underneath it, which either don't radiate heat or don't radiate heat while the PS4 is on. I don't have any animals, so pet dander wouldn't be clogging up the vents. And I last dusted the PS4 maybe six months ago. Surely it is time to do so again.

My 60GB PS3 unit still puts the PS4 to shame. So, in that context, the PS4 could be louder.

 

[Caayn]

Playing for a while will get the system to make noise but this is usually drowned by the game audio. Could be more silent though.

 

[angrygnat]

My PS4 sits in a completely open space. Since my TV hangs on the wall, we just have a long thin table just under it. That allows for all our living room electronics to sit in open air comfort. I also have a dog. That means I have to dust constantly. Part of my dusting regimen is using a vacumme and sucking out the intake ports on my PS4. Once in a while my Playstation makes noise but more often than not I never hear it. Maybe those measures contribute to its silence, maybe not but I figure it can't hurt.

 

[xinek]

I cant understand people who say theirs is whisper quiet. I have a brand new replacement coming today as my fans are very noticeable.

can someone try this quick test for me, start up the PS4 and load MGSV, once it gets to the title screen have your fans kicked into high gear? (if possible post a vid). Mine do and I cant for the life of me understand why they would kick in that soon. Check my vid to see what I mean:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6Oh71t2ees

As you can see, its in a well ventilated area and makes the same noise regardless of whether its placed vertically or horizontally.

I've noticed over the past few days that my PS4, usually completely silent during gameplay, has started running the fan quite a bit. It does it for BF4 multiplayer, which seems reasonable, and maybe I just never noticed it before? But it's also running for the Now beta. It really does seem like it's running more, and I'm a bit worried. I plan to give it a really good vacuum today, but is it possible to take these apart and find dusty buildup inside? I remember seeing pictures of people finding loads of gunk inside their PS3s.

It's nothing compared to the noise in your video, though. Your fan is going crazy when the game is just sitting at the title screen ... that seems bad.

 

[Nibiru]

I barely use the thing so I'm not even sure. I really should run it through the paces and see if it starts making noise.

 

[Jotaka]

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

 

[Zen_Arcade]

It's usually pretty quiet, but it was getting pretty loud when I was playing Transistor.

 

[Data Ghost]

I've noticed over the past few days that my PS4, usually completely silent during gameplay, has started running the fan quite a bit. It does it for BF4 multiplayer, which seems reasonable, and maybe I just never noticed it before? But it's also running for the Now beta. It really does seem like it's running more, and I'm a bit worried. I plan to give it a really good vacuum today, but is it possible to take these apart and find dusty buildup inside? I remember seeing pictures of people finding loads of gunk inside their PS3s.

It's nothing compared to the noise in your video, though. Your fan is going crazy when the game is just sitting at the title screen ... that seems bad.

Yeah I had noticed the fans kicking in before that, but that was the final straw. Surely there is no need for the fans to go turbo what the game isnt even doing anything :/