Anybody know about computers?

[Argo]

I bought a new computer and I'm trying to figure out if it's working normally or if I should try to send it back. I bought a solid state drive computer. I've never had one before so I don't know what's normal for this kind of computer. It's pretty quiet most of the time but if I do something like run an antivirus scan, download or upgrade software then the fan runs very loud and the computer gets hot. I already ran diagnostics provided by the manufacturer and it found nothing wrong. The ventilation should be fine because it sits on a wood desk. When I upgraded the bios it sounded like a tornado. Is this normal for this kind of computer? 

I realize this is a little off topic, that's why I posted it here.

[Sapientes]

"It's pretty quiet most of the time but if I do something like run an antivirus scan, download or upgrade software then the fan runs very loud and the computer gets hot."

The fan will turn on whenever heat is being generated above a certain level. This is usually due to the processor (CPU) or the graphics card (GPU) or a combination of both. From what you describe, it sounds like the fan is kicking in because the CPU is doing some very intensive operations so the fan turning on sounds normal to me. Another thing that can cause heat (and therefore the fan to turn on) is if you have the brightness turned all the way way up or nearly so. I think you're OK unless it starts crashing frequently, freezing up, or you notice the screen glitching.

[quigongene]

The short answer is "it depends". The nerds here (myself included) would need more info about the computer. Laptop/Desktop? Brand/Model? CPU/Memory?

[bjcheung77]

It's very normal and since you didn't mention, I assume you're on a Windows 10 Laptop?  It won't really matter if you're on a laptop or desktop, I would check to see if there are too many background programs or services running while you're doing the scan/updates.  

When the system does get noisy, go into task manager and see what services are hogging up the resources.  You may want to disable anything from starting up that you don't need, as well as, disable any services that aren't from Microsoft when you start the PC.  

For my applications, I usually run it when I want to, and not have it auto startup.  You can change this in msconfig and task manager.  Do you like the system to auto update the software, or do you like to do it yourself?  You might want to configure your apps, including windows to manually update.

[MrBossmanJr]

The short answer is "it depends". The nerds here (myself included) would need more info about the computer. Laptop/Desktop? Brand/Model? CPU/Memory?

I agree with quigongene. I would need more information as well.

[Merlin]

As others have said, more info is needed, but without knowing more, this is my $0.02...

It doesn't sound normal to me unless it is a laptop. A laptop doesn't have much room to breathe, so they tend to get hot and need a lot of cooling, particularly when doing anything with a lot of number crunching, 3D graphics, or high resolutions. Since they only have tiny fans, those make a ton of noise when running full speed.

If you're using a desktop PC, then a lot of fan noise is not normal. Most retail systems should never get too loud. If they do, then it's likely that the CPU is overheating. That could happen for a number of reasons, but a loose heat sync is a typically the culprit there (they sometimes get loose due to jostling in shipping). Alternatively, the CPU cooler may be too small for the CPU and it has to run at full speed to try and keep up. But that is also unlikely since most retail PC's run lower-end CPUs that don't generate a ton of heat and for higher-end systems, manufacturers tend to match the CPU cooler to the TDP (temperature rating) of the CPU.

[davewill]

You would probably have better luck asking on a site with other owners of the same make and model.