Is fan noise a valid complaint from a customer?

Question

I built a customer a gaming PC and it works perfectly. The customer has had several complaints which I consider invalid and "nit picking". One of the ones he complains the most about is fan noise. He keeps telling me the fans are all running at full speed. The system temperatures are normal and thermal paste is properly applied. I have never cared about fan noise. I know I built him a good PC. I just want him to shut up and stop calling me. Is fan noise a valid complaint?

Answer 1

You are in business to keep customers not send them to another vendor because your people skills are lacking. If they have a problem with a fan and it's within a reasonable warranty time period then replace it. Otherwise you may lose a customer to your stupidity.. I build my own PCs and that includes designing and etching my own motherboards.. I simply dont have time for people like you whose only care is throwing a few components together and calling it a PC and selling them to people who expect to get what they pay for and get only crap service in return

Answer 2

it could be valid or unvalid, depending on what he was doing

if he was setting the fan speeds all the way up, that would obviously make noise

if hes just running too many heavy programs at once, then the fans will obviously be at full load, and the guy just doesn't understand computers



if it's doing it by itself you probably did something wrong

maybe it doesn't have enough airflow, or you're using a weak cooler with a warmer processor

the fans might not be installed properly, or they are just bad fans overall



so couple things to ask him:

did he change the fan settings?

how many programs is he running at once?

did he tamper with the computer at all?



either way, if you're making money from him, then you could just take it in and easily fix it

Answer 3

Valid complaint. If the fans on the CPU cooler are too loud under load, you should select a fan with better static pressure and/or change the fan profile in UEFI/BIOS. If the CPU cooler is an AIO, then you need to set the CPU_FAN header in the BIOS to run at full speed by default, and set the rest of the case fans on a mild fan curve, as they aren't going to be cooling the CPU, and just really have to move air in and out of the case.

Answer 4

VALID.



The fans should NOT be at full speed all the time. I would complain as well.



Change the settings to be temperature sensitive.

Answer 5

I’m almost totally with you on not caring about having a noisy PC. It’s nice to hear the gentle white noise but I have bought a few high performance fans that are too loud. These fans are industrial fans made by Servo.



However things have changed and now a Quiet PC with RGB lights is in style. Many of these aftermarket CPU coolers and AIO coolers come with fans that won't go beyond 1500rpm because people don't like noise. The companies that make computer cases cater to these people by putting 1000rpm-1500rpm fans in the case and using a Plexi-Glass side door so the user can see their motherboard light up. AIO coolers now come with a software program that allows the user to adjust the fan speeds. If you don't download the software then the fans and pump will run at around 50%, while being called "Balanced Mode"



It's kinda like ceramic brakes. They don't work worth a sh1t but manufacturers put ceramic brakes on automobiles because people want quiet brakes.



Sometimes I rebuild computers then sell them on Craigslist. I can say that a loud PC is too much for some people. What I’ve noticed is my definition of quiet is different than what someone else’s definition is. There are people out there that think a PC should be dead silent and somehow People have become weird like that over the last 5 years.



The customer may not have a leg to stand on if you sold him the system as is. However people can be vengeful and he could possibly write a nasty Craigslist ad about your service. This happens in my area occasionally. If you used a stock cooler then something could be wrong with it or possibly the fan speeds in the BIOS got cranked up to the maximum. it’s worth checking out.

Answer 6

I am the Statesboro PC Doctor yes certainly fan noise is a valid complaint the PC should not have to have the fans running full blast at all times to keep the system cool if those fans are having to run all the time something is wrong and if you're the Builder you should take a look and see what's wrong is it really worth your reputation? Word will get out all over the place that you build computers that are noisy with the fan running all the time and nobody will buy your computer anymore mine don't have the fans running all night and all day I have no problem at all with my customers and if I have a problem with my customers I offer them a refund and get rid of them once I give you a refund you don't have a valid complaint anymore and I can always take the computer back refurbished and resell it and at least break even. Why lose business over one dissatisfied customer give the man his money back and get rid of him and tell him I'm sorry I can't help you here's your money back

Answer 7

Some people want them quiet so it's a valid complaint. There are settings to make the fans run quiet when the PC isn't that busy. You'll have to explain to the customer that when the fans run at full speed, it's his fault for running too many intense programs.

Answer 8

actually yes it is and if you want them too stop calling fix it properly

Answer 9

How do you build computers and not worry about fan noise?

Fan noise is awful!!



If the fan is running all the time, you did not build him a good computer.

You built him a computer that the fan is going to overheat or wear out quickly.

Answer 10

Yes, it is a valid complaint.

A well built machine should be running smooth and quiet.

The fan should ONLY be running to deal with ehat, and should only ever be making noise when it is running at max power to deal with a LOT of heat. TOO MUCH heat.

Answer 11

The fans should not be running at full speed 100% of the time. It's a valid comment.



With that said, it will depend on what your client is doing on the PC. If their using the machine as a rigg for bitcoin mining then of course the thing's going to start screaming.

Answer 12

Watagatapitusberry

Answer 13

No........it is possible to have a sound

Answer 14

As a PC builder, you should have agreed with your customer beforehand what kind of noise the PC would be permittted to make - and what application he wanted to use the PC for. Having the fans run at full throttle all the time can indicate a serious problem - either in the hardware or in the configuration. But it would also depend on the type of PC and the usage. A home office or multimedia PC should be inaudible, a gaming rig can be somewhat audible, a mining rig (or a rendering station) will be.



As an example, my PC is basically noiseless in normal office mode - three case fans and the CPU fan would be running at their lowest RPM, the GPU fans and the power supply fan would be off.

When I load up my game in VR, that changes. It's still quiet, but audible. Not really noticeable while gaming, but after a sessions, when all the fans spin down again, you can notice it. I suspect mainly the GPU fans, they have the toughest job.

Answer 15

If you want him to shut up about it then I suggest your offer to fix the problem. If the fans are running at max speed all the time I would agree with the customer, there is no excuse for a noisy machine - the fans may configured incorrectly in the BIOS, or directly connected to the power supply making then run at max speed, either way it needs fixing or the power supply is of poor design and cheaply made and making excessive noise.

If the PC is only noisy during maximum load then this may be acceptable

Sorry but you are in the minority here.

Answer 16

yes, fans running fast means heat - too much heat why?

fans can also be loud, loud often means not properly in place, balance is off, vibrations

Answer 17

It would be for me. Just because it doesn't irritate you doesn't mean it's ok for everyone. That fan noise can drive some people nuts.

Answer 18

Not really. although next time I do believe it's worth disclosing. if he has such a problem with it he can get new fans for like 20-30 dollars.