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[AndyD]

Alright I finished adding the paste.

This is what it looked like when opened up (I have the launch version):

Worst part was removing the mother board and putting it back in.

Anyway my console is still loud, but not as loud as it was before. At least it was worth the shot.

Same with mine, did it last night. The paste was cracking dry and filled those gaps around the chip nearly completely. Plus it was full of dust.

Now it's clean and silent.

But it won't accept discs. It will eject, but not accept. It seems from waht I read on ifixit I didn't connect the big flat ribbon cable well enough, so I'll have to reopen and re-attach tonight. Unless someone else has a better suggestion.

Also, someone mentioned the eject screw for the drive, but which one is that?

Edit: done. The cable was loose as I suspected. Thankfully it's easy to pull up the power supply and reseat the cable.

It is so much quieter it's incredible. It now tops out at "lvl 2" which before kicked in after about 5 minutes on the homescreen, let alone games. 25 minutes of sitting in the MGS helicopter and it's barely audible. Next time I'll do the memory chips too if I need to reopen it.

 

[KurtSloane]

Cleaned out my launch PS4 and replaced the thermal paste.

Was quite dry and crumbly and the fan was pretty badly clogged.

Sounds a lot better and its cooler.

 

[rapid32.5]

I had a hairdryer level PS4 with auto eject issues. Nothing would work and I was moving in a week, so I traded it in and bought a Taken King PS4. New PS4 is as quiet as my Xbone now, bless. Thanks GameStop.

Do you know which newer console models are as quiet as yours without the bundle ?

 

[n0razi]

Just did this with my white Destiny PS4 which was pretty loud during most games. I replaced the TIM with Arctic MX-4 and replaced all the memory pads with new ones from newegg... made a huge difference, still runs hot but about 50% quieter

 

[BiGBoSSMk23]

Just did this with my white Destiny PS4 which was pretty loud during most games. I replaced the TIM with Arctic MX-4 and replaced all the memory pads with new ones from newegg... made a huge difference, still runs hot but about 50% quieter

What are the memory pads?

The waxy grey squares around the APU ?

I slightly damaged one of those when I replaced the thermal paste and now it's overheating.

Playing helldivers the screen flickers off and back on with audio drops .

I have it out of its shell and the metal harness on top is pretty damn hot. Not unbearably hot but still...

What should I check ?

 

[stryke]

Wow sony must be using some low grade shit.

The thermal paste in my PS4 wasn't even dry or crusting like some others here have found in their console.

My PS4 is a lot quieter now although it's only been 20 minutes but the fan hasn't gone into overdrive like it used to immediately when booting up TLOU.

 

[7DollarHagane]

I opened up and dusted my ps4 and changed out the thermal paste successfully. So much quieter now and loads more heat coming out of the back. There was a huge wad of dust nearly suffocating the heatsink.

Only problem is when I removed the shielding from the motherboard, one of the grey pads that goes on the vram chips was torn in half.

I ordered some thermal pads to replace it and ive left it running for about 4 hours with no issue.

I used an infrared thermometer and the top face of the ps4 near the USB side is about 93 degrees, while the back where the heat is coming out is around 120 degrees.

 

[N° 2048]

What paste did you use?

 

[Rezbit]

Oh hey, glad I saw this thread as I'm having issues with my PS4 being REALLY fucking loud.

I only got it in September, is it something that Sony fix as part of their warranty? I'm in Australia if it makes a difference.

 

[7DollarHagane]

What paste did you use?

Acrtic silver mx-4 like everyone else. Just a pea shaped dollop.

I was a bit concerned because I was left with 4 tiny philips head screws after reassembly but I couldn't find anywhere they should go and everything was in place tightly, so oh well.

 

[N° 2048]

Acrtic silver mx-4 like everyone else. Just a pea shaped dollop.

I was a bit concerned because I was left with 4 tiny philips head screws after reassembly but I couldn't find anywhere they should go and everything was in place tightly, so oh well.

Cheers, I had a few screws left over too

 

[stryke]

What paste did you use?

I used Arctic Cooling MX-4. I'm not too familiar with the minutiae of thermal pastes like curing so apparently MX-4 is good if you don't want to worry about things like that.

Oh hey, glad I saw this thread as I'm having issues with my PS4 being REALLY fucking loud.

I only got it in September, is it something that Sony fix as part of their warranty? I'm in Australia if it makes a difference.

Yes they will "fix" it. It's in quotation marks because I sent my unit in near the end of last year mainly for another issue but I brought up the loud fans as another thing and they said they'd look at it as well. Got the unit back but it was just as loud as it was before. I think other people have had luck with it though so your mileage may vary.

Just call the Playstation support line. First they'll run through the whole "is it in a confined space? Is it near other equipemnt? etc" spiel but after all that they'll send you a postage label via email for you to send it in. Turnaround for me was about a 8 days I think.

 

[Hypron]

Yes they will "fix" it. It's in quotation marks because I sent my unit in near the end of last year mainly for another issue but I brought up the loud fans as another thing and they said they'd look at it as well. Got the unit back but it was just as loud as it was before. I think other people have had luck with it though so your mileage may vary.

Just call the Playstation support line. First they'll run through the whole "is it in a confined space? Is it near other equipemnt? etc" spiel but after all that they'll send you a postage label via email for you to send it in. Turnaround for me was about a 8 days I think.

When I contacted them they outright replaced the console with a new one. I sent my one in and got a new one the next day. Still as noisy as the other one so I take it first gen PS4s are just loud.

 

[N° 2048]

Yea my gf has the new model and Rocket League murders my PS4 but hers is whisper quiet

 

[randome]

Really hope there's a revision that significantly reduces noise levels. It's one thing i love about the PS3 slim.

 

[stryke]

Really hope there's a revision that significantly reduces noise levels. It's one thing i love about the PS3 slim.

I haven't heard one in person but people say C-chassis is already an improvement in that department.

 

[7DollarHagane]

Really hope there's a revision that significantly reduces noise levels. It's one thing i love about the PS3 slim.

Part of hr problem is the enclosed case design. After opening it up and seeing how the intake and outake of air works it feels like almost all ps4s will eventually get bad airflow and dust.

I use my ps4 on a desk in a 12x12 room or so where no other people usually come through with one heat/air vent and the windows closed majority of the year. No pets, no smoking. And still I had a wad of dust inside the size of a pair of aa batteries.

A lot of ps4s in worse condition are going to struggle to get ventilation over the next few years.

I don't know why they don't have a user accessible dust filter that pulls out of the side of the machine where the fan and heatsink are. My pc has one over the power supply intake and it works great for catching intake dust..

 

[Dazza]

I don't know why they don't have a user accessible dust filter that pulls out of the side of the machine where the fan and heatsink are. My pc has one over the power supply intake and it works great for catching intake dust..

They do have these though they are aftermarket third party
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HEC2Z0A/?tag=neogaf0e-20

I think having them inbuilt would be a good idea, but such design practices usually go against what manufacturers want and have to be customer driven.

 

[Live Free or Die]

I have a launch PS4 and I didn't want to tear apart my PS4 to change the thermal paste. I came across this guide, http://imgur.com/gallery/UGxHR and it was like a night and day difference.

 

[7DollarHagane]

I have a launch PS4 and I didn't want to tear apart my PS4 to change the thermal paste. I came across this guide, http://imgur.com/gallery/UGxHR and it was like a night and day difference.

It's a lot more involved but I would really recommend getting at the actual heatsink because that's where the majority of the dust accumulated in mine.

Also the power supply because the exhaust heat goes out through the power supply.

Just cleaning the fan is only part of the problem.

 

[SixStringPsycho]

Just opened up mine. Did some research though, there are 2 fans that ps4s are using. Ones Nider, the pther is Delta. Delta fans are the loudest of them all. Im thinking into buying a Nider later on ebay to see how well it works. Black ops makes that fan go crazy. SFV too. Gotta try some other games to see the difference. To the touch its cool. Not hot as it was before. Maybe, it needs curing. Also I used some Cooler Master thermal paste. Not the one you guys are talking bout here.

 

[ironcreed]

I just upgraded to the new all matte version and it is pretty damn silent and seems to run cooler as well. Though my old one only got about as loud as my old PS3 slim, which sounded like a fan on low. Regardless, there is still a definite difference with this new one.

 

[Fliesen]

I got my thermal paste remover, my Arctic MX 4 and my iFixit toolkit ready.

Anyone mind posting the _best_ step by step guide around?

i'd have used the ifixit motherboard replacement guide

 

[backbreaker65]

Open up my PS4, removed about 90% of the dust on and around the fan and heatsink. My PS4 was loud now it isn't.

 

[rafaelr]

I got my thermal paste remover, my Arctic MX 4 and my iFixit toolkit ready.

Anyone mind posting the _best_ step by step guide around?

i'd have used the ifixit motherboard replacement guide

i´ve opened mine up 5 times using the ifixit guide and recommend it!

 

[foxbeldin]

I've been tearing apart PCs for almost 20 years yet i'm afraid to do this.

Why?

 

[Ninja Sharingan]

PS4 is deffo the new jet engine system. Atleast I know when it's on right? lol

Can be a bit annyoying. was really getting into Until Dawn and it just kicked into overdrive. Really spoiled the atmosphere of that game.

 

[rafaelr]

I've been tearing apart PCs for almost 20 years yet i'm afraid to do this.

Why?

1st time is "exciting". but imo the only steps that may get a bit tricky are disconnecting the power supply and disconnecting the fan (you really don´t want to break the connectors, but sometimes they´re hard to pull out).

 

[stryke]

I've been tearing apart PCs for almost 20 years yet i'm afraid to do this.

Why?

It's understandable because a pc is a lot more modular.

Break just one vital component in a PS4 and you might have to replace the whole thing.

 

[spwolf]

I've been tearing apart PCs for almost 20 years yet i'm afraid to do this.

Why?

i suggest cleaning the fans first and seeing if that helps... it should. you still have to open it up, but at least you dont have to take everything apart.

 

[Demoskinos]

I dunno I've had my PS4 since launch and it can occasionally get really loud but it will eventually even out to a acceptable noise level.

 

[Dazza]

I've been tearing apart PCs for almost 20 years yet i'm afraid to do this.

Why?

It's no different from any laptop, if you're familiar with taking them apart

 

[zoodoo]

There's a new ps4 model coming?
What did I miss?

 

[foxbeldin]

Thanks for your answers guys. I bought the screwdrivers and the thermal paste.

Let's make my PS4's fan noise great again.

 

[Fliesen]

yup, i just followed the ifixit guide and my PS4 is certainly 1 'level' quieter. My thermal paste wasn't quite as dried out as some others' but cleaning out those fans and replacing the paste did help.

starting a game of Garden Warfare 2 made it go up to 'level 2' - now it stays at 'level 1' fan speed. (the minimum)

really sweet.

A few pieces of advice:

I utterly recommend getting the iFixit toolkit. It helped me out so many times already.

The sorting tray and magnetized plate make it less likely for you to lose screws and the plastic and metal spatulas help opening up plastic casings without breaking / snapping any clamps or stuff like that.

dat spatula. perfect for loosening the cable connectors

i ended up with all screws re-used

my only issue with the guide was the fact that step 1 had already had the HDD cover removed, only to have it removed again in step 13.

also, step 5 shows the disc drive circuitry already missing the metal shielding.
(a step that has been left out, because you don't need to remove said shielding)

 

[Stranya]

Could someone please help with a question? When you use a spudger to scrape off the old paste, how do you avoid getting the scraped-paste-bits over the board etc? I.e. How do you avoid making a mess?

Sorry if this is a stupid Q, or if the answer is stunningly obvious.

 

[rafaelr]

Could someone please help with a question? When you use a spudger to scrape off the old paste, how do you avoid getting the scraped-paste-bits over the board etc? I.e. How do you avoid making a mess?

Sorry if this is a stupid Q, or if the answer is stunningly obvious.

if you´re careful it won´t be a problem. i used q-tips (with a bit of ethanol on it), working around the edge of of the chip.

 

[User 479360]

How loud are we talking here? I've thought I belonged in this club, but I've come to realize that mine isn't really THAT loud. It's just different in comparison to the Xbox.

It's loud enough, but not crazily loud AFAIK.

 

[Sora_N]

How loud are we talking here? I've thought I belonged in this club, but I've come to realize that mine isn't really THAT loud. It's just different in comparison to the Xbox.

It's loud enough, but not crazily loud AFAIK.

When I booted up MGSV my system was really fucking loud. I couldn't even think.

Sunday night it didn't shut down properly and was on all night too.

I'm gonna take it apart tonight and see

 

[Forsete]

Uncharted 4 made me replace the paste.

They had added a very generous amount.

New paste, squirted out a little more than I wanted to.

It worked, the system is now more quiet.

 

[AdanVC]

Oh my just when I was about to trade my 3DS XL for a PS4 now I see this thread and is making me regret the trade. Do I really have to make all this process??? The PS4 I'm aiming to trade is the CUH-1200.

Ugh

 

[Tal Shiar Agent]

I cleaned out my fan today opening the PS4 up and it's so much quieter than before. It isnt silent but it's much better.

 

[N° 2048]

Going to give it one more shot with new thermal pads. Last time I changed past it helped only for a couple weeks.

 

[benzy]

If there is a trade-in program for Neo, doing this will pretty much disqualify us from trading in right?

 

[N° 2048]

If there is a trade-in program for Neo, doing this will pretty much disqualify us from trading in right?

Unless the worker at EBGames is half asleep and doesn't check the warranty sticker they won't take it

 

[Transistor]

Did this last night on my PS4. Replaced the paste with some arctic silver and cleaned out the fan. Booted up some Dark Souls 3 this morning and it's damn near silent.

 

[AndyD]

If there is a trade-in program for Neo, doing this will pretty much disqualify us from trading in right?

Most people advise to wait til the warranty is up anyway.

 

[joanot]

Welp I can´t take it anymore, my PS4 ( last of us bundle ) has been really loud from the begining but this is too much for me.

The noise is so unbearable that is affecting my desire to play, yesterday I was playing the doom demo and I had to stop 5 minutes in, same happens with Uncharted...

The system is still under warranty, should I send it back to Sony ? Do they replace the loud systems ?

 

[catashtrophe]

My PS4 which i bought in December last year bricked on my on tuesday.

Came back from work and tried switching it on and nothing, no lights, no beeps, no sound nothing. My copy of Dark Souls 3 is stuck in the machine and i also don't think i saved any of my save files to the cloud (i remember seeing my upload save files set to manual and i never bothered changing it)


Is there anything i can do to get it back on or do i have to send it to Sony? Also what are the chances they could repair it or will they most likely swap it with a refurb/new one.

Can't believe it died after 6 months

 

[PhantomZhu]

Really helpful thread, thanks OP.

Was wondering if I could possibly reduce noise, even ran a vacuum across the fans, sometimes there's ALOT of dust.