Reduce AIO Liquid Cooler Noise?| Here's How to Fix it

If you’re experiencing annoying noises from your liquid cooler, take immediate action. Noise is one of the most important factors when it comes to the performance of a custom liquid cooler, and any sound can quickly become annoying. Rattling, bubbling, and coil whine sounds can all make it difficult to enjoy your PC experience, so don’t wait – fix the issue today!

So many people have had these types of problems and the solutions are rather simple and easy to perform. This in-depth article will show you exactly what you can do to fix the issue.

Table of Contents

How to: Quiet a Noisy AIO Liquid Cooling pump from Asetek

AIO liquid coolers typically come with about 2-10% air inside their closed loop. Air bubbles trapped inside the pump can produce weird rattling, bubbling, and coil whine sounds.

When installing a liquid cooler, you may hear a lot of noise as the water flows through the tubing for the first time. The manufacturer typically recommends giving the cooler a few minutes or even hours to settle before it works at its full potential in terms of noise. In about 1-2 hours after installation, you should see its full potential in terms of noise.

There are 4 explanations for why the air bubbles in your cooler are making noises. You should also check to see whether the noise is coming from the pump first. I would highly advise you to take some time and watch the video. This will help you determine where the problem is and how to fix it.

1: Wrong Orientation

Solution

The reason you need to place the radiator at the highest point in your loop is that air will always try to find its way to the top. The radiator is designed in a way that it can handle bubbles much more effectively than the pump.

Problem

Some people place the radiator below the pump which causes all the air bubbles to get stuck inside the pump. This isn’t just bad because of the noise issues, but it can also reduce the lifespan of your liquid cooler altogether.

2: Trapped Bubbles

Solution

To help move the air bubbles through the cooler, gently lean your computer backward and forward.
Gently turn your computer back and forth while the pump is still running. This will help to evenly distribute the coolant.
If you’re still having trouble getting the air bubbles out of the pump chamber, try switching the pump’s performance mode to “Extreme” and letting it run for about an hour.

Problem

Although the orientation of your liquid cooling setup is correct, sometimes small air bubbles can get trapped inside the pump chamber.
This can happen after prolonged periods of usage and doesn’t necessarily mean that something is wrong with the cooler.

Reason 3: High-Speed Mode

Most people don’t realize that liquid coolers can get noisier as you increase their speed. If you set the profile of your cooler to high performance, it can produce more noise than the quiet mode. So it’s important to remember to keep an eye on your cooler’s settings to make sure you’re getting the best performance without too much noise.

“Now, if you have a brand-new cooler, the noise from the high-speed mode probably won’t be too noticeable. However, over time the AIO may start to produce more noise.”

Popular brands like Corsair, NZXT and Cooler Master offer you complete control with their software. Therefore, if your cooler is set to Quiet Mode and it’s still not quite enough for you, try changing the settings yourself.

Reason 4: Defective Components

If all other methods have failed, it’s possible that your liquid cooler is defective. The pump’s internal components are often to blame for this kind of problem, but there’s no practical way to determine which element is malfunctioning without being an expert.

In any case, you’ll want to contact the manufacturer if you need help or have questions about activating your cooler’s warranty. Please be careful when working with the cooler – trying to fix it yourself may invalidate your warranty.

Conclusion

I hope the suggestions in this article will help you identify and fix the noise coming from your liquid cooler. If you have any questions, please let me know in the comments below.