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Why Do So Many People Complain About Loud Consoles?

scoobs

Member
I've owned every console since the Genesis and not once have I been bothered by the noise they make. Do you people not have your stereos turned on? Do you play with the game muted?

Shit, I game on PC and I've got 5 fans and a radiator/pump in there making all kinds of noise and I don't even notice it
 

RootCause

Member
It can be annoying. A lot of people have different set ups too, which might make the situation even worse.

Personally the only system that has bugged me was the PS3. TLOU made it scream like a banshee. :(

Glad we got a ps4 version.
 

shark sandwich

tenuously links anime, pedophile and incels
Why can't people just enjoy their console of choice instead of doing damage control and trying to invalidate others' opinions?
 
I never had a truly loud console until PS4. I had an original PS4 and traded it in for a slim. So much better. I then bought a PS4 Pro and it was too loud so I exchanged it. The second one got too loud while playing FFXV so I had enough and just returned the Pro altogether. Noise matters so much to me that I rather play on a weaker Slim model than have a noisy Pro. I'll try buying a Pro again in about 6 months.
 
I have PS4 bought in late 2014 I have never cleaned it and currently playing FF XV and it really isn't that loud. Maybe I am just lucky. I have never had a problem with console noises though and I have owned consoles since PS1 (PS1, PS2, GC, X360, PS3, PS4). Maybe it's because I usually have rather high volume regarding of game sounds when gaming so maybe that hides the noise coming from console.
 
The only console I had an issue with noise was my PS3 Slim.

I don't know if it was my quiet apartment, or the TV stand I used, but disk read noise was loud and depending on the game it was pretty constant as well.

I'm not sure if I just don't play it as much these days, or if the only games I do play are digital, but I haven't noticed the issue in a long time thankfully.
 

Brandon F

Well congratulations! You got yourself caught!
Also have to say that until these threads about noise popped up on the internet I would have never considered it an issue. Both my launch PS4 and recent Pro have been nothing but whisper quiet.

The problem appears widespread enough that it has made me question if I am just not paying close enough attention, yet attempting similar utility tests with games that tend to cause the most trouble for posters and I just have never been able to replicate similar results.
 

tensuke

Member
You know, I'd have agreed with this thread before Tuesday. No matter what I played, GTA, Bloodborne, Fallout, Witcher, whatever, I never heard that "jet engine noise" that people complained about. It was always quiet. But with FFXV, even just playing an hour or two it starts going mental and you can really hear it. It's a launch PS4, so probably could use a cleaning, but it's still pretty ridiculous. Heck, I can hear it even when the TV is at a moderate volume.
 

Blinck

Member
I also didn't understand until I got a ps4. It's quite unsettling in some games to the point where I have to play with headphone só
that I don't hear it. Same for Wii u.
 

10k

Banned
Loud noises are annoying.

I play in my bedroom mostly with the only background noise being ambient noise from the house, the furnace blowing air when it's on, and my speakers for game audio.

If I can hear my console over that, it's too loud.
 

Azerare

Member
People are going to complain. I'm don't expect a absolute silence from consoles. That and I never noticed mine make noise except when booting up games.
 
This is the main reason I started using my Xbox One a lot more. Watching a Blu-Ray or Plex is just really annoying on PS4 compared to the smooth quiet Xbone.
 

CDV13

Member
I must sit far enough away. I never really notice it unless the game is loading and is making no noise at all on screen.
 

NinjaBoiX

Member
I started playing Until Dawn last night and my PS4 did literally sound like a hair dryer. I had to put headphones on to hear the dialogue.
 
D

Deleted member 752119

Unconfirmed Member
Some consoles are just louder than others. Cheap components, lots of plastic, assemble by wage dlaves in Chinese factories etc.

People's set ups differ too. They're going to be louder in warmer rooms/climates, rooms with no carpet etc to dampen sounds, less open tv stands/cabinets etc.

I generally don't mind as I usually play with headphones on, but my PS4 (bought March 2013) gets pretty loud at times, especially with Uncharted 4 and Final Fantasy XV.
 

FLAguy954

Junior Member
The perks of owning a custom-built PC: all fluid-dynamic bearing fans (on my case) and ball bearing fans (on my 1070) with minimal noise levels, even at full RPM.
 

jaypah

Member
My launch PS4 is still very quiet but 1) I understand that not all electronics will behave the same 2) I've seen videos of loud PS4s and 3) I'm not enough of an asshole to imply that others are overly sensitive to it, looking for a reason to fuss or exaggerating the loudness. It sucks for those with loud units, especially when other people paid the same amount for the product and don't have that problem.

And I know loud, my PC has a reference 290x in it and that thing always makes me think that my PC is about to hit the kill switch to prevent frying the system.
 

Mihos

Gold Member
except for a few clicks when the disk is accessing, none of the ones in my house (3) make any real noise at all.

My WiiU made some noise, unitl it died and I had it repaired, now it is pretty much silent also.
 

CamHostage

Member
Yeah, it sucks. Not sure why there's a post to man up and get over it, It sucks.

If the game machine is loud and you live in an apartment with other people and have to crank the sound up on the TV to not be distracted by mechanical whir and your roommates get angry at you, that sucks.

If you have your game machine in your bedroom instead of a big, spacious living room and the sound reverberates because you have it in the only corner available in your confined space, that sucks.

If you're trying to watch a DVD or BD movie (man, it seems like my console is particularly sucky with noise when playing a disc movie, but that could be partly because I rent and they have stickers on the disc that spin them oddly) and when it gets to an emotional scene and you just here your console grinding away, that sucks.

If you're still young and continue to have nice, sensitive cilia in your ears that catch high frequencies the oldsters have long since fried and so you get an extra dose of that machine's whine, that sucks.

...What's the benefit for you in having a machine that's too quiet? Does it make you nervous you won't know when it's on?
 

jroc74

Phone reception is more important to me than human rights
My launch PS3 was atrocious. The worst. The PS3 Slim is a wonderful piece of design in comparison. I've never heard a single peep from it.

My PC behind my TV gets a bit noisy if I don't hoover the vent on top every now and again.

There is no excuse for fan noise imo. I live in a terrace so can't shit things up with a load of volume and sound woofer, plus my kids are in bed @ 8, so I can't vibrate them out of their beds with gaming on at top volume.
And one reason why like some said its gonna be different from person to person...

I hate the PS3 Slim design. The cover is too flimsy IMO. If that's the quietest PS3 I just wont have the quietest PS3 then when I get my replacement.

So yea some of us will take the noise over other things.
 

Golgo 13

The Man With The Golden Dong
I've owned every console since the Genesis and not once have I been bothered by the noise they make. Do you people not have your stereos turned on? Do you play with the game muted?

Shit, I game on PC and I've got 5 fans and a radiator/pump in there making all kinds of noise and I don't even notice it
Thank you, this is what I'm saying.
 
So I'm mansplaining and you're digging up my post history and conveniently leaving out the imo from the sentence you quote? I guess I can't have an opinion? Can people not have different levels of tolerance on a different subject?

The ps4 is a loud console in comparison to what?

Its significantly quieter than the ps3. http://www.gamepur.com/news/12477-ps4-noise-level-measured-and-compared-ps3.html

Its also only marginally louder than an xb1s.

It's literally the most powerful console ever, in an extremely small form factor. I can understand that people have different levels of sensitivity, but it's not a "blow dryer" or a "jet engine." I only meant to comment on the hyperbole and voice my oppinion. I'm sorry for offending you.

I don't agree with comparing the console to other equipment in order to make sound complaints seem less valid, or pointing out that it's the most powerful console ever. It shouldn't be the customer's concern how loud other equipment is and if loudness was justified by the amount of teraflops, every new console would be louder than what came before. Sony simply skimped out on cooling. The Xbox One not only has a bigger fan but also a bigger heat sink despite having an external power brick and less overall power draw than the PS4. Its larger size can be mostly explained by the numerous empty spaces inside the case which don't serve any cooling purpose and it's larger than necessary blu-ray drive (the PS4 has a stripped down drive).

My experience with the PS4 has been different than tests have shown. My friend's PS4 is also loud. The customer service guy who's company sold me the console, his PS4 was loud too. Maybe it's region specific and it had something to do with how the consoles were put together, I don't know. My fat PS3 in comparison was quieter than my PS4. In most games it's fine but seriously, the games that push it over the edge make out sound very loud.
 
OP, there's a thing where you can comprehend things that you have not personally experienced through the accounts and explanations of others. Just because you haven't experienced it doesn't mean it's not a thing.

Yep, it's called empathy, and seems to be surprisingly uncommon even outside Asperger / autistic spectrum which is defined partly for its absence. Apparently mine is quite above average (for better or worse), but it seems to be lacking when it comes to understanding people that make thread like this one ("I can't understand people's distress, so I should publicly complain about their complaining even when it doesn't affect me at all").
 

KentBlake

Member
What country do you live in?

That's the most important question that nobody here is asking...I live in Brazil, so it's damn hot in here. This causes everything to overheat, and the PS4 turns into a jet engine in the summer.
 

Goro Majima

Kitty Genovese Member
Console noise is fine even in the loudest scenarios for my needs.

Vigorous button presses on the other hand will wake my girlfriend up (when I play games in bed next to her) if I'm not too careful. I wish controllers were quieter way more than the consoles.
 

LOLCats

Banned
well some people have small rooms. You said you've been gaming 35 years. At this point you probably have a decent sized room for your consoles and entertainment center which is far enough away that it doesnt bother you.

But i will say this, my HTPC is quieter than my PS4 Pro. But it has only integrated video :)
 

jroc74

Phone reception is more important to me than human rights
Console noise is fine even in the loudest scenarios for my needs.

Vigorous button presses on the other hand will wake my girlfriend up (when I play games in bed next to her) if I'm not too careful. I wish controllers were quieter way more than the consoles.
Yup. This and quieter keyboards and mice.
 

theBmZ

Member
I never had noise problems with my PS2 or PS3.

I had a tremendous amount of problems with the original Xbox 360. 4-5 repairs. Disc drive failure made a terrible noise. Power brick going out sounds like someone putting a piece of paper in a box fan. The system fan would get very loud when the console was hot. I have my games and movies at a decently high volume and I could always hear the fan, or other noise the console would make.

The Xbox 360 slim console never gave me any problems. The power brick did start making noise a few years after I bought it. If I lightly smacked it, the noise would stop.

I haven't had any noise problems whatsoever with the Xbox One, Xbox One S, or PS4. I must be lucky with the PS4, because I see complaints about that one all the time.

Except for the Xbox 360, I haven't had noise problems with all the consoles I've owned. But I know that it is a real problem that does happen to people. And it is a very noticeable one.
 

Celcius

°Temp. member
When I was younger it didn't bother me at all. My phat PS3 sounded like a vacuum cleaner and I really liked that system. As I've gotten older however I notice these things more.
 

-VipeR

Banned
Not everyone plays on a traditional TV.
A lot of people play consoles on a monitor or a tv that acts as a monitor (sit close to it).
So it's about how close you sit next to your console.
 
giphy.gif

I was just playing FFXV and this is how my PS4 sounded. I play in my room and it's not far away, it's why I resort to wearing headphones whilst gaming, because the piece of shit is just too loud.
 

SummitAve

Banned
My PS4 is super fucking loud. It didn't always used to be like this, and even after a thorough cleaning it still is loud. My annoyance is a result of the noise and the direct comparison from the period of time before it turned into a jet engine. I'm also annoyed that it often seems to be a software issue with unlocked frame rate during menus. I though Rocket Leagur was going to break my console before they patched it. I just don't get how it gets overlooked and never specifically addressed, especially by Sony when they are releasing revised consoles.
 

ZOONAMI

Junior Member
What country do you live in?

That's the most important question that nobody here is asking...I live in Brazil, so it's damn hot in here. This causes everything to overheat, and the PS4 turns into a jet engine in the summer.

This probably is a big factor. I live in MN and my apt I keep at about 60 degrees Fahrenheit in the winter. And spring and fall I don't even use the heat. In the summer I don't really play videogames all that much so I'm probably much less likely to encounter a loud ps4, and it pretty rarely breaks 90 degrees Fahrenheit here even in the summer. Generally 70s to lower 80s.
 

RockmanBN

Member
Not everyone plays on a traditional TV.
A lot of people play consoles on a monitor or a tv that acts as a monitor (sit close to it).
So it's about how close you sit next to your console.

I sit 15 feet away from it and can easily hear the console make whirling noises when playing Pro supported games. Guess some people have their hearing aids toned down.
 

RangerBAD

Member
It legitimately scares me that my console will die. If I get my room cold enough, playing FF15 doesn't make the console run as loud. It's the latest game to scare me.
 

Varg

Banned
Remember op that gaf is he hivemind of hyperbole statements. Either something sucks ass and is the worst thing ever or it's the greatest thing since sliced bread. People tend to over exaggerate (jet engine? 3 rooms away? Sure). Also people will bitch about anything these days. Not suprised that console noise is the next thing to come to fruit. It will be something new next month.
 

Blam

Member
Trust me OP, the sounds that my launch PS4 makes, I can hear it from 3 rooms away when playing something like Uncharted 4. It's bad and almost scary because it sounds like its going to blow soon.

This is the first console that I've owned that's this loud.

I can agree, people say its no problem. But my PS4 is really really really fucking loud. https://vid.me/p4eW

This video might be quiet so just to give you a small gauge. It IRL is actually 5 times louder than that.

My PS4 is super fucking loud. It didn't always used to be like this, and even after a thorough cleaning it still is loud. My annoyance is a result of the noise and the direct comparison from the period of time before it turned into a jet engine. I'm also annoyed that it often seems to be a software issue with unlocked frame rate during menus. I though Rocket Leagur was going to break my console before they patched it. I just don't get how it gets overlooked and never specifically addressed, especially by Sony when they are releasing revised consoles.

I believe its honestly that all developers just force the fan to go 100% all the time because only a small amount of users actually have fans which are that loud.
 
This is a big ass place. There's bound to be people in whatever parts of any given spectrum. The dudes that aren't bothered by any amount of noise in their electronics, and the guys that feel physically ill and dismayed because of the deafening roar of theirs, as well as everything in between. Might be that the guys in the extremes of that spectrum are the most vocal and more prone to make threads about it.

I mean I have seen people here say they would rather smell rotting dog shit than smell cigarette smoke, or people being aghast at the thought of touching anything in a public restroom. People complaining about loud consoles tend to look like amateurs compared to those.
 
Empathy, how does it work?
I laughed.

Loud consoles never bothered me too much, 8 guess i always just assumed it was normal for disc based consoles. Though obviously some systems are louder than others. My launch PS3 sounds like a lawnmower. But I just crank the volume on my speakers and forget about it.
 
Yeah, I don't get it either. ALL MY CONSOLES ARE QUIET. My ps4, my Elite 360, heck even my original 360 is quiet. 😂
 
If you're like me then if you have a loud console you worry that something might be wrong. It can also be annoying if you worry like this and can hear it over loading screens or even while gaming at a decent volume.
 
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