Noisy CPU Fan

[Tosspot]

Hi,

In May I bought a new Dell 4600C, which is the version with the compact and lightweight processor that fits on a desk.

I have noticed that increasingly as time goes by, this computer's fan gets noisier and noisier. The computer sits in my bedroom, and I can often hear the fan blowing even through my earplugs while I'm in bed.

So I started turning the computer off at night and when I'm not home. Now, for a few minutes after startup, the fan doesn't make any noise, but begins whirring after a few minutes, to the point that it's louder than any other computer I've seen or heard. The longer the machine stays on, the louder that fan gets, even if the computer isn't being used and all applications are closed. Could something be overheating inside the computer? Or is something wrong with the fan?

I thought I'd ask here first, because Dell's tech support quite frankly doesn't know their @ss from a hole in the ground, judging by my previous dealings with them.

Thanks

System specs
Dell 4600C Media Center Edition
Pentium 4 3.2Ghz
1000 MB Ram
120 Gig Hard Drive

 

[globalcitizen]

Your fan is probably clogged with dust. You have to open up the case and clean it up. Use compressed air to blow off the dust and suck it off with a vacuum.

 

[imported_Phil]

Is that Pentium 4 a Prescott by any chance? If so, try what globalcitizen suggests about cleaning the fan out, but other than that, you may just find that it's because the Prescott runs hot, thus the fan will speed up to keep the CPU as cool as it can.