• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

PlayStation 5 and noise: not all consoles have the same fan

IbizaPocholo

NeoGAFs Kent Brockman
Code:
https://translate.google.com/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&u=https://www.lesnumeriques.com/console-de-jeu/labo-playstation-5-et-bruit-toutes-les-consoles-ne-sont-pas-dotees-du-meme-ventilateur-n157521.html

b421da8a-labo-playstation-5-et-bruit-toutes-les-consoles-ne-sont-pas-dotees-du-meme-ventilateur__w800_wtmk.webp


Different fan models, different noise profiles

It was only after a few minutes of disassembly that the rose pot revealed itself: the two machines simply do not use the same model of fan. The differences between these models are far from trivial: the shape and density of the blades show pronounced variances. It is therefore not surprising that their acoustic performance is not similar.

In fact, while on our test console we measured an in-game noise at 39 dB (A) at the level of the air inlet, the noise emitted by the second console rises to 43 dB (A). The difference is therefore not monumental (in any case, the console remains infinitely less noisy than an original PS4 or a PS4 Pro!), But it is not anecdotal either. This is the difference between a console which is certainly technically audible, but which knows how to be totally forgotten once we are immersed in its game, and another which recalls to our memory as soon as the soundtrack of said game becomes quiet.

Of the five machines we have been able to examine so far - the test console and four consoles ordered personally by members of our editorial staff - two are equipped with the quieter fan A, and the other three with fan B. Note that there is even a third fan model that some users might find in their console: the one shown by… Sony in the “official” PS5 teardown video .

After all this, it would therefore be understandable for the consumer to want to make sure, at the time of purchase, that the console they are acquiring does indeed have the quietest fan. Alas, that's not possible: the only way to find out is to take the console out of its box and remove at least one of its side panels. The console model number, which is identical on all of the machines we reviewed (CFI-1016A), is of no use.
 
Last edited:

RJMacready73

Simps for Amouranth
after playing some Days Gone with ACDC whirring away in the corner, ill be making sure to snag me one of those silenter fan ones, that fucking Pro of mine is a fucking embarrassing joke of a machine the noise it makes
 

STARSBarry

Gold Member
I think I won the fan lottery because I made this video for the "coil whine" thread.



So if your PS5 don't sound like that... either somethings wrong or you have a stupid loud fan.
 
Last edited:

Muay Ninja

Member
Do people really expect equipment with moving parts to make zero noise at all? I think people take the term whisper quiet a bit too literally. There's always going to be some noise.
 

FrankWza

Member
Do people really expect equipment with moving parts to make zero noise at all? I think people take the term whisper quiet a bit too literally. There's always going to be some noise.

I wish the term whisper quiet would disappear forever. It’s so stupid.
I can hear my fan spin if I get close to the ps5 and the room is silent, it's way better than the ps4 though These threads are exhausting, it's a massive improvement over the ps4.
It also goes off once in a while on the disc version. I think when it authenticates periodically?not sure. At least that is something they can stop with firmware updates in the future. But yes, massive improvements over launch PS4 and Pro.
 
Last edited:

Birdo

Banned
I'm getting flashbacks to the NIDEC Vs Delta fans in the 360 days. NIDEC were the quiet ones, so naturally, mine had Deltas.
 

B D Joe

Member
I took the side panel off mine cos of the noise it makes and discovered its a nidec fan. It has an awful whine to it and I wish it was as quiet as that video above.

I always thought nidec was the best too since xbox 360 days but ill happily take a delta fan if its quieter
 

Nymphae

Banned
I'm going to try not to obsess over this, as far as I can tell mine is whisper quiet outside of the disc drive, and I am still basically in awe of how quiet it is in comparison to the 4. I got used to that so hopefully this never becomes an issue for me with 5
 

HoofHearted

Member
Do people really expect equipment with moving parts to make zero noise at all? I think people take the term whisper quiet a bit too literally. There's always going to be some noise.

As someone that lives with Tinnitus - it’s not really about the noise level or that there’s some sound from a device... it’s more about the frequency that can cause issues for some (including me).

That being said ... room acoustics also contribute to the problem as well and can enhance the sound to irritating levels.

Comparing my XSX versus my PS5 - both are certainly very quiet ... However, in my case I can “hear“ the PS5 more often - primarily due to the design of the fans.

The XSX I can only hear if I literally put my ear next to the top of the console and even then, the sound frequency is much lower (much more bass to the fan sound).

The PS5 I can hear it when standing close to it and has a higher pitch ... thus it’s more noticeable.. from a few feet away I don’t really notice it at all, however at time I can pick up the pitch occasionally when playing games from a normal sitting position in front of my TV.

I’m not sure which fan is in mine but I do know from personal experience with my PCs that certain fans make much more noise than others (which is why Noctua is so popular in PC builds).

Another note - When I got my X1X at launch ... it had a very high pitch fan whine that I knew I couldn’t live with... took it back to the store and luckily they had just got another shipment in and swapped it out. The second unit was much quieter overall but occasionally you could hear some sound when the system was under load.
 

Muay Ninja

Member
As someone that lives with Tinnitus - it’s not really about the noise level or that there’s some sound from a device... it’s more about the frequency that can cause issues for some (including me).

Can totally relate to that. My Sky Box is louder and by that I also mean at a higher frequency level too. At one point I thought it was my PS5 and was surpsied to be able to still hear the noise when I turned it off. Now it annoys me to the point I have to turn it off while playing on the PS5. :D

Compared to my PS4 the PS5 is so much quieter. It emits a barely audible hum when I launch a game. If I put my ear next to it I can just hear a bit of coil whine. It's pretty quiet. Nothing for me to complain about.
 

Malakhov

Banned
I'd have to open it and check what fan I have or if I have a fan at all cause the console is dead silent.

I'm getting digital games now even tho I was sold on disc before, since I don't want to even hear the disc loading, which is the only noise coming out of that console
 

hemo memo

Gold Member
I hear the fan when copying from disc and sometimes when playing games it goes little noticeable for seconds then silent again. I have a 55 inch TV and I sit fairly close to the TV and I can’t hear the thing. Even if your fan is worse one, it is a night and day difference between PS5 and the jet engine that is PS4.
 

EverydayBeast

thinks Halo Infinite is a new graphical benchmark
No one expects consoles to be loud, and want them to be as quiet as possible but less recognize that making games is difficult and will push these consoles to the limits which may make fans loud.
 
Last edited:

M1chl

Currently Gif and Meme Champion
I mean isn't different 39db and 43db double the noise? Decibels are logarithmic...
 

AJUMP23

Gold Member
Are they saying they sent review models out with a different fan, or is this merely a parts manufacturing issue. Where they found multiple parts within tolerance and use both in manufacturing.
 

Night.Ninja

Banned
I love people are suggesting buyers should put up with it because it's Sony 😄

It's embarrassing how far people will go to defend corporations. Ceny did that speech about the noise of the console and still some how messed up.

Benefits of that tempest audio extra gaming immersion 🤔😄
 

JORMBO

Darkness no more
Hopefully no one rips open their PS5 and returns it because it doesn't have the optimal amount of fan blades :messenger_grinning_smiling:
 

FrankWza

Member
I just checked mine. Apparently I have the “teardown” fan. It has different cutouts on the center than the 2 pictured in OP
 

STARSBarry

Gold Member
Woah thats really bad. I would seek a replacement.

Indeed, before I made that video the previous thread was that every single PS5 sounded like a juice loosener when on.



After that it decended into "well thats just you, mine sounds like a boeing 747 jet engine when on, I dont get that with my vastly superior xbox series x which 12 tera flops decimated my inferior PS5, THAT I TOTTALY OWN"

joking aside though if your PS5 dousent sound like that, there is something wrong.
 
Last edited:
S

SLoWMoTIoN

Unconfirmed Member
I think I won the fan lottery because I made this video for the "coil whine" thread.



So if your PS5 don't sound like that... either somethings wrong or you have a stupid loud fan.

Damn that alienware pc is huge.
 
PS4 Pro also had different models of fan, from Nidec and Delta. Pretty common for stuff like this to happen in large manufacturing runs. Don't know if it's the same these days, but in the past different iPhones would have different chips or cell modems and people would try to sniff out the "good" ones by serial number and stuff.

Regardless of which one you get, 39db and 43db are both going to be quiet in the context of the ambient noise of an average living space.
 

Larlight

Member
I love people are suggesting buyers should put up with it because it's Sony 😄

It's embarrassing how far people will go to defend corporations. Ceny did that speech about the noise of the console and still some how messed up.

Benefits of that tempest audio extra gaming immersion 🤔😄

In what world is the PS5 fan anywhere close to the sound of the PS4? Lol, now you people are moving goalposts. First, the fans are too loud(PS4), now the fan isn’t silent enough. (Although most people have silent PS5’s) What’s next, it’s not silent on a subatomic level? 😂
 
Top Bottom