Most likely cause of noise in this PC?

[TechnoPro]

I get a call and a friend puts the phone up to the PC. It sounds like an electric shaving razor - that deep, steady vibration. If he lifts the PC slightly and drops it (brilliant, I know!) the noise goes away for a while.

Only 3 moving parts in his PC:

[1] PSU

[2] CPU fan

[3] HDD

My money's on the CPU fan. Any other educated guesses?

 

[Muse]

For ten bucks or so you can buy a stethoscope - auto repair supply shops (such as Kragen) have them. Or you can get similar devices at drug stores. People tell me they use long-handled screwdrivers or similar. Press the blade against an object and the end of the handle against their ear. The stethoscope, seems to me, would work better.

 

[GasX]

If you take the side off the case, you should be able to pin point the source quickly.

A bad HSF will fry your CPU.
A bad case fan will make you run hot
A bad PSU could cause all sorts of problems.

If it is just a loose screw, problem solved. If it is something more insidous, it'll pay to take care of it...

 

[Appledrop]

prob a wire near a fan, hitting the blades or something, open case and tidy it up

 

[TechnoPro]

I'm not on site, hence the guesswork. My friend wants is asking that it be fixed in 1 shot so I am simply going to buy both a repalcement PSU and CPU fan. Will report back tonight with results.

 

[TechnoPro]

Originally posted by: Muse
For ten bucks or so you can buy a stethoscope - auto repair supply shops (such as Kragen) have them. Or you can get similar devices at drug stores. People tell me they use long-handled screwdrivers or similar. Press the blade against an object and the end of the handle against their ear. The stethoscope, seems to me, would work better.

I think I might just buy the stethoscope for dramatic effect when I am doing repair work. I can see it now as I am holding the end up to the case: "Deep breath in..."

 

[PingSpike]

Why don't you just open the case? Tracking this stuff down is usually pretty easy...just unplug things until it goes away.

My money is on loose wire hitting a fan.

 

[TechnoPro]

Originally posted by: PingSpike
Why don't you just open the case? Tracking this stuff down is usually pretty easy...just unplug things until it goes away.

My money is on loose wire hitting a fan.

Like I said, I am not on site.

 

[Rike]

Originally posted by: TechnoPro

Originally posted by: Muse
For ten bucks or so you can buy a stethoscope - auto repair supply shops (such as Kragen) have them. Or you can get similar devices at drug stores. People tell me they use long-handled screwdrivers or similar. Press the blade against an object and the end of the handle against their ear. The stethoscope, seems to me, would work better.

I think I might just buy the stethoscope for dramatic effect when I am doing repair work. I can see it now as I am holding the end up to the case: "Deep breath in..."

LOL! That would be excellent!

 

[Metron]

Send him to EndPCNoise.com...

my money is on the PSU.

Metron

 

[sandorski]

Sounds like a fan problem. You can usually tell for sure by tapping the fan, the noise will either change or stop.

 

[Operandi]

Hah, This thread is ridiculous... it could be almost anything...

Originally posted by: TechnoPro
I get a call and a friend puts the phone up to the PC. It sounds like an electric shaving razor - that deep, steady vibration. If he lifts the PC slightly and drops it (brilliant, I know!) the noise goes away for a while.

Have you considered the possibility that there may really be an electric razor inside the case?

 

[Jeff7]

I'll also say that it's a fan. PSU fans, especially those in cheap generic PSU's, tend to have junky sleeve bearings, which will make a fan either stop spinning, or make a horrible vibrating groaning sound. Replacing one involves opening the PSU, exposing the inexperienced folk to potentially dangerous currents, courtesy of large capacitors, and splicing a new fan in.

Or it could possibly be the CPU fan. Too little information at this point to tell for sure.

 

[modedepe]

Originally posted by: Azzy64
prob a wire near a fan, hitting the blades or something, open case and tidy it up

I'd put my money on that. Has happened to me a few times before and sounds just like what the OP described.

 

[TechnoPro]

And the noisy culprit was...

I have no fvcking clue. The unit was not making the noise when I arrived. I repalced the PSU and installed a new HS and fan. I did check, however, for cables that could be whipping or banging and they were not to be found.

 

[Mik3y]

Originally posted by: Azzy64
prob a wire near a fan, hitting the blades or something, open case and tidy it up

i highly doubt that. the blade would brake if it were to even slightly touch the wire. i know because i accidently did that once. lol.

 

[oogabooga]

not on all fans mik3y, some lower speed fans would be able to not break (the smart fan II definatley does not count, RIP smart fan #4 in my case)
but if it was that, dropping the computer i dont think would do anything, also i dont think it would produce a razor noise

the running joke with some buddies of mine is : Once you ask a friend about a problem, and he comes over to fix it, it fixes itself.
I will be running out to buy a stethoscope, cause that is a great idea 🙂

 

[Operandi]

Even though its almost completely impossible to make an educated response. I'm going to put my money on a combination of a somewhat to very flimsy case and high speed vibratey fan.

If I'm right I better win something.

 

[TechnoPro]

Originally posted by: oogabooga
not on all fans mik3y, some lower speed fans would be able to not break (the smart fan II definatley does not count, RIP smart fan #4 in my case)
but if it was that, dropping the computer i dont think would do anything, also i dont think it would produce a razor noise

the running joke with some buddies of mine is : Once you ask a friend about a problem, and he comes over to fix it, it fixes itself.
I will be running out to buy a stethoscope, cause that is a great idea 🙂

Your running joke is fact! A client can swear that something is malfunctioning until I come on site to look at it. When they ask me what I just did, I will then whip out the stethascope!

 

[TechnoPro]

Originally posted by: Operandi
Even though its almost completely impossible to make an educated response. I'm going to put my money on a combination of a somewhat to very flimsy case and high speed vibratey fan.

If I'm right I better win something.

Almost impossible to make an educated response? Why?

Only 3 noise-producing devices... One or more device is either failing or transmitting noise to another medium. Not rocket science.

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: TechnoPro

Originally posted by: Operandi
Even though its almost completely impossible to make an educated response. I'm going to put my money on a combination of a somewhat to very flimsy case and high speed vibratey fan.

If I'm right I better win something.

Almost impossible to make an educated response? Why?

Only 3 noise-producing devices... One or more device is either failing or transmitting noise to another medium. Not rocket science.

Yeah well I'm exadurating, my point is that it really could be any or all of those.

 

[TechnoPro]

Originally posted by: Operandi

Originally posted by: TechnoPro

Originally posted by: Operandi
Even though its almost completely impossible to make an educated response. I'm going to put my money on a combination of a somewhat to very flimsy case and high speed vibratey fan.

If I'm right I better win something.

Almost impossible to make an educated response? Why?

Only 3 noise-producing devices... One or more device is either failing or transmitting noise to another medium. Not rocket science.

Yeah well I'm exadurating, my point is that it really could be any or all of those.

I know.

The funny thing is that even though it is fixed, I have no clue what the real culprit was.