Fan noise increases when watching youtube videos

[Liz81]

I hear a fan in my computer in the background going up and the sound on youtube videos would decrease a lot. The more I hear the fan, the less I hear the videos. I know it must be a CPU issue and youtube increases the CPU. I tried an extension that would let me play the videos using H.264 and that didn't work. I tried different browsers and it's all the same so it's not the browser. I just updated my graphics drivers. I tried unchecking hardware acceleration and watching videos in lower resolutions. Actually, I looked at the task manager and the one process that goes up the highest when playing videos on youtube is the "system" process.

My specs: (I know, I know, I should be using Windows 10 but I'm comfortable and used to 8.1 right now until I need a new computer)

 

[Barman58]

I'm afraid what you are seeing is a normal result of the manufacture of laptop devices. These are made as compact as possible which is the worst possible thing for cooling. this will mean that as soon as you add a load, [like playing a video], the fan will be required to protect the processor. memory and other components against heat damage.

The only thing I can suggest in the short term is either headphones or more practical a cooler pad placed under the laptop when in use [the one shown is for illustration only and you could find a more discreet looking unit]

 

[RolandJS]

I use an external USB-powered cooling fan assembly for each of my two laptops -- I do not mind the noise at all, I would worry if the noise stopped, no fan noise means no fan means laptop get hot not just warm eventually causing a sudden shutdown without warning.

 

[Liz81]

I have a desktop as indicated in my specs, not a laptop. Any suggestions for a desktop or computer?

Roland, I can understand that. The problem is that it really drowns out the sound of the video, making it more and more difficult to hear the video unless I pause or stop the video.

 

[mrjimphelps]

Unfortunately you have the disadvantages that Nigel spoke of - your all-in-one computer is made as compact as possible, making cooling more difficult. However, since you don't have a laptop, you can't utilize a fan-equipped cooling pad. And since you don't have a regular desktop computer, you don't have enough room in the case to try some of the various cooling techniques, such as extra fans or liquid cooling.

If I were you, I would pull the back cover off of your computer and blow out any dust that is in it. I would then find as quiet of a fan as I could, set it up behind the computer, and blow it at the back of the computer. This may help enough to slow down the internal fans; and if your new fan is quiet, it will probably be an improvement noise-wise over what you have now. If the area behind the computer is hot, you could point the fan in such a way as to better ventilate the area behind the computer, rather than simply blowing the fan at the computer.