clicking noise and monitor flicker

[caseyc]

Troubleshooting a machine for someone and they are having a problem with clicks and a screen flicker. The machine is a new Hewlett Packard running XP with a celeron chip and 512MB of RAM. I don't have the details of the graphics card or the sound card but I can find these out if someone thinks it will help in locating the problem.

The machine boots up fine and if the speakers are disconnected all appears normal but there is an occasional screen flicker. Also, moving the mouse rapidly results in the pointer stalling temporarily (split second). I have tried adjusting the refresh rate but this has not made a difference. I have also tried two different sets of speakers and the clicking occurs with both. Its hard to describe, it is sporadic and doesn't correspond to noise from the hard-drive. It does not increase in frequency if the machine is under load and can be heard when only the OS is active.
Any ideas?

 

[phaxmohdem]

try completely uninstalling the audio drivers, and then reinstall ones downloaded from HP's website., also get inside the machine and reseat everything, RAM, CPU if possible, addon/graphics cards.

Edit: Also as tigertunes suggested, when inside reseating, make sure dust is not clogging heatsinks/fans, and make sure everything is spinning as it should.

 

[tigertunes]

sounds to me like your cpu is overheating possibly if your getting short freezes , check your cpu fan is good enough for your cpu maybe , just a thought

 

[caseyc]

Thanks,
I'll give all that a go and post back the result.

 

[caseyc]

No luck with reseating graphics card, RAM and CPU. Trying to uninstall audio driver at the moment. I have noticed that the clicks coincide with the screen flicker and momentary freeze.
caseyc

 

[caseyc]

All sorted. Updated drivers and it works fine. Drivers difficult to locate - Realtek. Had to go to mobo manufacturer site (Gigabyte) and locate the drivers from there (sound is onboard).