Desktop

Did they always make noise if so then that is the style of the fan and short of some type of muffler you cannot stop the noise. If the noise just started then you can remove the hub cap, sometimes held in place by a C clip and drop some machine oil in it. WD40 is risky since it is flammable and a small electrical spark could start a fire! This is not probable though only possible.

Generally, fans start making noise because the bearings have worn out.

While you may extend the life of the fan slightly by lubing the bearings, it is "best" practice to replace noisy fans.

Look at it this way, is it worth risking your PC just to save the $10 or $15 that you would spend on replacement fans?

Chas

Another thing worth a try is to open the case and make sure no cables are touching the fan itself. If they are you can pull them closer together and hold them with a tie wrap or something similair.

Two things cause a fan to become noisy.

Bad bearings or dust on the blades.

Look at the fan blades with a flashlight. If there is a coating of dust.

You can use compressed air to remove the dust.

NOTE: When you hit the fan with dry compressed air dust is going to go everywhere.

If the bearings are bad the blades will wobble if you grab the hub and move it.

If the bearings are bad it is best to replace the fan as it is not running at speed.


Good Luck Lee

Never spray lubricant on an electrical fan, you will burn it up for sure as it draws dust to it and sticks like glue...

Replaced the fan $10-$30, it will cause some hassle but you won't wake up one morning with a burnt cpu $100-$???

Most lubricants use some kind of petrolium distillate, which can break down the plastic in a cooling fan. You could go out and buy a new one, but this is much like buying a new VCR every time the heads get dirty. Hey, they're cheap, just buy a new one and throw the old one away! However, if you just peel back the adhesive sticker (or remover the rubber cap) you can extend the life of your fan by as much as tenfold by applying a drop of glycerin (USP)to the bearings. A bottle of glycerin is a lot cheaper than a cooling fan and will last a lifetime of repairs.