How to Quiet a Playstation 3/PS3?

rana · Post by **rana** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 9:37 pm

I'm using a Playstation 3 (PS3) as a "HTPC" of sorts (CD, MP3, Blu-Ray, JPG, DVD, SACD, mpg movies, etc.). I'm happy with nearly everything about it except the noise it makes (and a couple of unrelated issues like no IR).

The fan has 3 automatic speeds based on temperature: off, low, high. In off mode, the console is fairly quiet and only the slight noise from the 2.5" HD and optical drive spinning are noticeable. Once an audio track starts up, I have no problems with the noise level with the fan off. In low speed mode, the fan is audible, but not that bad. In high speed mode, even people without critical ears are annoyed by the noise.

The problem is that when I leave the PS3 out in the open (vertical, how it cools best), it usually reaches the low fan speed within a few minutes and stays there. The noise bothers me in low-volume areas of a movie. When I place the PS3 in my ventilated cabinet, it reaches the high fan speed within 10 minutes and stays there. The noise is similarly loud compared to to having it out on top of the TV stand, because the cabinet blocks some of the added fan noise.

The only solutions I can come up with are to purchase a replacement PS3 fan or to install a fan (duct, air control, etc.) inside the cabinet, to force more air movement. But, the PS3 internal fan is not a "normal" fan, but a large radial fan:
http://techon.nikkeibp.co.jp/english/NE ... =763397362
Does anyone know of a drop-in replacement?

Or, does anyone have suggestions how I could easily power a fan in the cabinet. I have some quiet 120mm fans, but I'd need to get a few volts of DC current in there. Maybe I could use the PS3's USB ports? Anyone have other ideas or links I might be able to locate? Maybe I could try some better thermal paste?

MC FLMJIG · Post by **MC FLMJIG** » Sun Jan 28, 2007 9:39 pm

Turn it off?

Shadowknight · Post by **Shadowknight** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 12:57 am

It depends on the size of the fan, I guess. Thermaltake makes a 130mm fan that's similar to being "rimless" like the PS3 fan http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6811999144 I suppose you could try modding the "rims" of a normal 120mm to fit. Going by the picture, which I don't have a basis of comparison for, it looks like the hub of the fan is bigger than out normal fans, and the size of the fan blades look much smaller compared to most 120mm fans. I don't know what they were thinking when they designed that, really. Maybe add on a noisemagic thermal controller http://www.frozencpu.com/cat/l3/g36/c17 ... Page1.html to ramp the fan up and down as necessary.

rana · Post by **rana** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 3:26 am

Thanks for the ideas. I'm not sure I can use any case fans, even if they were large enough (it would need to be 160mm or larger!). I think I really need one designed to move air from the center of the fan and then off the fin edges. I think the Thermaltake fan is still mainly designed to move across the fins from one side of the fan to the other (like all general case fans). I'm sure it would work somewhat, but it might also cause a lot of turbulence in the case since it wouldn't be creating pressure mainly toward the exhaust vents.

Installing a more fine-grained thermal controller might be an option, if I can't find a replacement fan. I may try that eventually. Once I open the case, I void my warranty anyway, so I may try adding a fan or two in the cabinet first, if I can find a good way to power them...

MC FLMJIG · Post by **MC FLMJIG** » Mon Jan 29, 2007 6:10 am

I would wait on anything like this./ There seems to be a few PS3 going dead and you will probably lose warranty the moment you open.

What you can do is make a custom box, put the PS3 in there, and have 1 fan bring in fresh air and one pulling air out.

~El~Jefe~ · Post by **~El~Jefe~** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 10:49 am

you do not lose warranty on ps3 if you open it. They encourage you to change hd's and modify the system (without the soldering gun of course!).

only m$ crapbox voids all warranties and is actually "illegal" to open it.

If I had one and didnt care about messing with its really nice looks (eek) I would remove all covers and make my own enclosure with like 3-4 120mm fans. would be a decent weekend project or week project.

compared to my pc, I dont think I could tolerate a console, they are so noisy. of course though, the ps3 is a rocking fun item that I cant afford (60 dollar games, ouch)

Chocolinx · Post by **Chocolinx** » Tue Feb 06, 2007 9:49 pm

~El~Jefe~ wrote:you do not lose warranty on ps3 if you open it. They encourage you to change hd's and modify the system (without the soldering gun of course!).

only m$ crapbox voids all warranties and is actually "illegal" to open it.

If I had one and didnt care about messing with its really nice looks (eek) I would remove all covers and make my own enclosure with like 3-4 120mm fans. would be a decent weekend project or week project.

compared to my pc, I dont think I could tolerate a console, they are so noisy. of course though, the ps3 is a rocking fun item that I cant afford (60 dollar games, ouch)

Apprently we can all afford $1000 computers but we won't dish out a cent for the PS3 and here we are comparing it like a computer.

Besides playing games though and being a computer, it is one of the best DVD/BD players in the market today and with a little work around it's a great PVR lol.

Only thing I don't like or wish it had is, more RAM! 256MB System memory isn't enough to run lots of applications on Linux.

~El~Jefe~ · Post by **~El~Jefe~** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 4:29 pm

256?

thats it?

i dont know what is up with these machines. this is a really cheap part to make awesome. if they had like 512 they would roxorz.

Ever notice the bloat in current linux builds? Depressing. However, you should be able to run almost anything with like gentoo and command lines. of course, i would be too lazy for this.

now, good point about the 1000+ for my compy. I did not know you can make it a pvr. that is awesome. hm.

yes, the blu ray is awsome. I jsut dont have a TV! yeah, sux. a 22 inch mitsubishi CRT is what I have. amazing images but no real "TV". I want a 40 inch samsung 1080p but well thats a different topic for a different day and different wallet

of all the systems the ps3 is teh most economical from the large point of view. thats of course, if you own a hdtv. I have all-in-wonder 1900 card that could accept component inputs. hm.

anyways, I imagine silencing a ps3 is not that hard just kinda makes me sweat thinking about removing fans and such. I wonder if it has any automatic trips for sensing no proprietary fans. really, slapping that pupping in a antec SLK case on a block of wood as a tray would be easy.

anyone have 800 dollars for me to build this? eh?

acyf · Post by **acyf** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 7:31 pm

Chocolinx wrote:
~El~Jefe~ wrote:you do not lose warranty on ps3 if you open it. They encourage you to change hd's and modify the system (without the soldering gun of course!).

only m$ crapbox voids all warranties and is actually "illegal" to open it.

If I had one and didnt care about messing with its really nice looks (eek) I would remove all covers and make my own enclosure with like 3-4 120mm fans. would be a decent weekend project or week project.

compared to my pc, I dont think I could tolerate a console, they are so noisy. of course though, the ps3 is a rocking fun item that I cant afford (60 dollar games, ouch)
Apprently we can all afford $1000 computers but we won't dish out a cent for the PS3 and here we are comparing it like a computer. Besides playing games though and being a computer, it is one of the best DVD/BD players in the market today and with a little work around it's a great PVR lol.

Only thing I don't like or wish it had is, more RAM! 256MB System memory isn't enough to run lots of applications on Linux.

Believe or not, we can do a lot more with a $1000 computer...

rana · Post by **rana** » Sat Feb 10, 2007 8:18 pm

The word is that the new generation of PS3s in manufacturing now use a 65nm chip process and will produce less heat then the original 9nm chips. I might return my PS3 and wait for the new ones that should hopefully be quieter. Right now, I can't stand listening to the PS3's fan during the low-volume scenes of a movie, and the PS3 games just aren't quite there yet anyway...

belkincp · Post by **belkincp** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 3:41 am

JUST OPEN THE PS3 CASE UP AND MOUNT A NINJA ON THE CPU AND A THERMALRIGHT HR 03 ON THE GPU ..AND URSET!

Aris · Post by **Aris** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 4:20 am

other than gutting the internals and putting it into a custom made box with quiet fans and better more efficient heatsinks on the CPU/GPU...

i'd just turn it off like i do with my current (also too loud) PS2.

pyogenes · Post by **pyogenes** » Tue Feb 13, 2007 7:51 am

acyf wrote: Believe or not, we can do a lot more with a $1000 computer...

You can do more with a swiss army knife than a hammer, but what do you reach for when you are working with nails?

But if you really insist on comparing the capabilities of a PS3 to a computer, level the playing field and limit both to $500.

~El~Jefe~ · Post by **~El~Jefe~** » Wed Feb 14, 2007 9:18 pm

oo... tempting!

hm! fx-55 for like 150 dollars I saw a week ago, my asrock board for 60 dollars, 1 gig of ram, varies but not pricey considering its ddr400, vid card would be like a x1950 pro for 180 dollars.... hm.. 35 for case, antec SLK... psu could be like seasonic 430.... 70 dollars?... 12 for fan, 10 for fan controller.... 55 for asus dvd drive.... ooo hard drive, hm. thats a toughy as I only know of my 80 dollar 160 gb spinpoint 80 hd...

Well, I am close and that machine would do loads of frames and all sorts of stuff. would add in a xp120 or something like that and another 120 nexus, fan swap a zalman vga cooler... those are mods that would begin to add up. hm. could be done though possibly. but what I have costs like 700 dollars. would be a powerful gaming system however.

its 600 for the full version of the ps3 mind you, so one must compare there as it is what most people would want.

pyogenes · Post by **pyogenes** » Thu Feb 15, 2007 5:51 am

if you're going to insist on the $600 model because that's "what most people would want" then I'll have to insist on a PC with a quad core processor and two 8800GTX in SLI, because that's "what most people would want." j/k

Joking aside, that PC still lacks one of the key elements that makes a PS3 a good deal - blu-ray. That's another $500 to the cost of the PC. You also left out the cost of the OS. We're talking gaming here so Windows is a requirement, not an option.

If I were applying the same decision making process as I would in purchasing hardware for for business, I would factor in the expected lifespan of the system. That PC is decent for gaming now, but is unlikely to handle new games 2 or 3 years from now when DirectX 10 is a requirement for all games. We can expect the PS3 to run new games for at least 5 years.

~El~Jefe~ · Post by **~El~Jefe~** » Fri Feb 16, 2007 12:41 pm

"60GB version includes:
Built-in 802.11 b/g Wi-Fi
Flash memory slots -
MemoryStick/SD/CompactFlash"

memory slots are kinda retarded but i guess if you could boot off of a flash on a freak mod that would be cool.

but, for most, instant g/b wifi and 3x the size hd for 100 bux is really nice. i mean you could get a router for 50 and a new hd for like 50 but why bother as its all in there for 100 already.

500 hm. the one i would buy is the Plextor one and that is 100 dollars more than that price. I wish they made pci-e connectors for all such things. screw hdmi, pci-e would be awesome on a ps3. then i would buy it today. have it linked into my pc at full speed

well, we can all dream and think of 100x better ideas than billion dollar corporations but sadly it wont happen.

mb2 · Post by **mb2** » Thu Feb 22, 2007 11:14 am

when the fan is on quiet, as it is now.. yes i can hear it, but i can also hear the buzz of my tv, and traffic outside. its not too bad -- a *HUGE* lot better than the xbox 360. quieter than the ps2 i'd say, which is quite impressive in a box that size that uses 200W.

The 256mb ram isn't too devastating. VLC, a torrent program and firefox are running now with gnome fine (ubuntu). its not exactly fast at loading but neither is it optimised.

Y-3 · Post by **Y-3** » Fri Feb 23, 2007 5:07 am

i wouldnt mod anything on it as i wouldnt want to void the warranty on the ps3 blu-ray player.
perhaps you can put it away with longggggg Cables? the longest HDMi that wont affect quality is 20meters.