Why is my PS4 Pro fan still loud after cleaning?

As an avid PlayStation enthusiast and content creator focused on the PS4 platform, one issue I continue to see popping up is owners complaining of loud fan noise even after attempts at external cleaning.

Trust me, I understand the frustration. That high pitched whine coming from your console can utterly ruin immersion while gaming or streaming media. It often leaves PS4 Pro users wondering — why is my system fan still blaring like a jet engine after blasting it with compressed air?

Well after plenty of first-hand troubleshooting on half a dozen personal PS4 Pros, I‘ve identified several common culprits that I want to break down for you today:

#1 – Your External Cleaning Didn‘t Clear Internal Dust Buildup

One major issue is that clearing dust from the outer vents does little if debris remains trapped inside the console. The tight spaces between heatsink fins, caked thermal paste, and internal fan housing are breeding grounds for compacted dust and pet hair to accumulate over years of use.

Any kind of blockage inside the densely packed unit will drastically affect airflow, causing the fan to run faster and louder to compensate. Short blasts of compressed air through the outer vents can sometimes help clear minor buildups. But often the only way to fully clean out every nook and cranny is taking your PS4 Pro apart.

Now I‘ll be upfront in saying teardowns require quite a bit more technical skill and the right tools to avoid damaging any delicate components. Refer to online step-by-step guides at your own risk! But if done properly, accessing the insides allows clearing debris from the heatsink, replacing the thermal paste, and directly cleaning the fan.

Pro Tip: When reapplying thermal paste during teardowns, I highly recommend using Arctic Silver 5 for optimal heat transfer between the CPU/GPU dies and heatsinks. It‘s a bit more expensive but provides superior performance compared to generic pastes in my experience.

#2 – Your PS4 Pro‘s Cooling Fan is Starting to Fail

The constant heat cycling paired with accumulated dust exposure over years of use puts quite a strain on the PS4 Pro‘s internal cooling fan. The bearing lubricant dries up, materials warp and degrade, windings start to fail — rapidly accelerating wear compared to fans in less extreme environments.

Eventually failure manifests in the form of loud grinding, rattling, screeching, or odd humming noises as aged fan blades struggle to rotate against friction. Performance also declines with failing fans no longer able to push adequate airflow to cope with rising internal temps.

Replacement PS4 fans run just $15-20 and are fairly straightforward to install yourself if you‘ve already got the console opened up. Try monitoring noise changes and keeping usage logs — fans tending to get louder after 2-3 years of moderate play may need to be swapped out.

Pro Tip: I recommend using free apps like PS4-waker to monitor fan RPMs in real-time while gaming. Track the speed increases over long sessions to help identify failing fans.

#3 – You Haven‘t Optimized Airflow Around Your PS4 Pro

Another major factor that I see many owners neglect is ensuring proper ventilation and airflow around the external console body itself. The densely packed PS4 Pro needs adequate intake and outlet spacing for air to carry heat away from the internal components.

Check where you have the unit placed — is it crammed into a tight TV stand? Are the side vents blocked against other devices? Is the back outlet pressed right against the wall? Do trap doors or shelves restrict airflow? Are exterior vents clogged with dust bunnies?

All of these prevent hot internal air from adequately dissipating. While the fan speeds up to try compensating, it has to work overtime fighting an uphill battle. Maintain at least 4-6 inches clearance around the full perimeter of your PS4 Pro, including any shelves above.

I also highly recommend avoiding vertical orientation if possible, as the staggered inlet/outlet vent positioning causes hot exhaust to recirculate back into cool intake air before escaping. This forces your Pro‘s fan to run faster to account for the unintended heat recycling right under the hood.

#4 – Nearby Conditions Are Too Hot for Efficient Cooling

Here‘s an easy factor to overlook — the ambient temperature of the surrounding environment impacts the PS4 Pro‘s ability to keep internal components cool. If your entertainment center itself is already warm, the console has to work much harder to push out rising heat against that gradient.

Pay attention to the existing area temps before turning on your PS4. If you‘ve tucked it tightly into an AV cabinet or enclosed space, the surrounding insulation effect causes temperatures to ramp up quickly. Thermal overload then kicks the fan into overdrive trying to compensate.

Ideally you‘ll want to keep ambient temperatures around your positioned PlayStation 4 Pro under 30°C/85°F if possible. This gives a reasonable gradient for heat to dissipate efficiently. Any hotter than that and the fan spins faster to evacuate rising temps, leading to extra noise in the process.

So consider external cooling fans to help augment airflow, adjust thermostat temperatures in your gaming room, and maintain decent clearance around your Pro. Keep things cooler and you’ll be keeping noise levels lower!

#5 – You‘re Running Games & Apps That Push Hardware Limits

Let‘s be realistic – today‘s complex video games demand a lot more graphical horsepower than the PS4 Pro can muster natively. Modern titles meant for 4K gaming rigs end up really taxing the mobile-derived Jaguar CPU cores and dated Radeon GPU.

So when playing these intensive games, expect more heat output and corresponding fan noise as the console is pushed to its limits trying to maintain playable framerates. The same goes for demanding VR modes and graphically rich media applications.

I definitely notice certain titles like The Last of Us Part II, Ghostwire Tokyo, and Horizon – Forbidden West ramping up fan speeds significantly more than simpler games like indie 2D platformers. This is purely indicative of the extra computational workload piling onto the CPU and GPU.

During these times of peak load, take occasional breaks to allow your PS4 Pro to cool off and prevent sustained overheating. All the usual methods of external cleaning, ventilation improvements, and ambient temperature control will help ease the burden when running hot applications.

And there you have it – the top reasons why your PlayStation 4 Pro may still sound like a jet engine even after attempts at cleaning and troubleshooting noisy fan issues. Hopefully breaking down those common culprits give you some renewed insight into taming your console‘s screaming cooling fan once and for all!

Let me know if this overview has helped explain some of what you may be experiencing after cleaning attempts. I‘m happy to offer additional tips for keeping your system quiet and running optimally. Game on!