How to Reduce Projector Fan Noise?

BenQ projectors use advanced DLP technology, or digital light processing. They feature an array with millions of tiny mirrors which they use to generate images, alongside an RGB wheel to provide color. The mirror array, or DMD (digital mirroring device) as well as the projector’s lenses need to be kept cool to prevent warping and image deterioration. The RBG wheel needs to spin to make sure color gets shown accurately. Thus, projectors have active cooling systems that use fans, and the RGB wheel’s mechanism allows for high speed spinning.

All of those moving parts, which are essential to keep projectors running at peak health, produce sound. Without them the projector would overheat and wouldn’t depict color. As of this writing, it’s impossible to manufacture a high performance home cinema projector with zero noise output. If someone tells you they have one such projector they’re either unrealistic or come from the future. Currently, some sound emanating from a projector has to do with simple physics and can’t be avoided, but nor should it be a source of displeasure for you as a home entertainment buff. 

Our engineering teams work hard to make sure sound levels on BenQ projectors stay as close to the unavoidable minimum as possible. We choose parts that generate minimal air turbulence with motors that do not produce annoying whining sounds. BenQ projectors also use smart cooling to moderate fan speed based on monitoring of projector thermals. These measures help reduce potential sound and create quieter projectors. 

Also, remember sound output may vary among different projector models. Depending on internal parts such as actuators to help regulate resolution, some projectors may make more noise than others. However, sound levels do not correlate to either resolution or HDR vs. SDR. In other words, a 4K HDR projector won’t be inherently louder than a 1080p SDR projector. 

With bargain basement projectors that use off the shelf, cheap fans and motors you’ll likely get a lot of noise because little to no optimization effort has gone into those projectors. With BenQ you’re guaranteed projectors designed and built in-house with a lot of fine-tuning invested in each model. Unbranded or lesser projectors often exceed 40dB sound output, but our 4K HDR models do not go over 32dB, which isn’t enough to drown out the sound of a movie or TV show. According to US OSHA, 32dB would be the sound level of quiet rural areas or the Grand Canyon, and is considered “very quiet”. Among PC enthusiasts, cooling fans that produce 32dB are also appreciated as quiet. A regular conversation runs up to 65dB while our projectors operate more quietly than most libraries – those average 40dB. 

BenQ projectors also employ Eco Mode if you want an even quieter environment. The mode lowers sound to 26dB-28dB by slowing down fans and even works with HDR content at slightly lower brightness levels, so keep that in mind. Looking at a couple of specific models, the 4K HT5550/W5700 operates at 26dB-32dB while the bestselling 4K HT3550/W2700 outputs 28dB-30dB. By all industry standards and compared to other entertainment devices such as PCs and even game consoles, those sound levels are very reasonable and non-disruptive.