what's this noise if not the cpu fan?

  • Thread starter Thread starter poachedeggs
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poachedeggs

I thought I'd had a bad fan in my semi-homebuilt pc. I was getting a
terrible few minutes of noise, what seemed like friction buzzing/
grinding sound. After repeated oiling over a few weeks did nothing or
only solved - or more likely seemed to solve - the problem for a day,
I got in touch with AMD who eventually diagnosed a faulty fan and
heatsink, which they replaced. Within a few hours the same noises
were present, that to me seem consistent with a dodgy fan, but what
are the chances. As far as I know the paste is applied right - it was
pre-applied and i assume spread by the fitting pressure and clipping
in of the heatsink.

What else can make that kind of noise? The cpu itself? The power
supply? A motherboard fault? I've turned things like the Q-Fan and
Cool 'n' Quiet settings off or on in the BIOS, with no change.

The pc case is the cheapest possible CIT with a 450w power supply. i
don't know enough about these things but assumed that a bad power
supply was one that didn't work and a good one was one that did, i.e.
I was assuming that power would be constant and not lead ot any of
these noises.

It's often fine for most of the day but then will start ot make that
noise, and then that'll stop pretty abruptly as if the computer was
changing gears.

Any ideas? Thanks all.

(3ghz dual core AMD, 320 hd, 4gb ram, Windows 7 64 bit/ Ubuntu 10.04
64 bit/ XP 32 bit triple-boot, though the same symptoms have occurred
with any one or two of these installed.)
 
poachedeggs said:
I got in touch with AMD who eventually diagnosed a faulty fan and
heatsink, which they replaced.
Click to expand...

How did 'getting in touch with' AMD enable them to diagnose a noise in
your system? :-/ Pretty amazin' if you ask me.
The pc case is the cheapest possible CIT with a 450w power supply.
Click to expand...

That is the famous equation/strategy in which if the PS is a suspect,
you are 'required' to replace it and see what happens. :-)
It's often fine for most of the day but then will start ot make that
noise, and then that'll stop pretty abruptly as if the computer was
changing gears.

Any ideas? Thanks all.
Click to expand...

Maybe you should record the sound and post it somewhere :-)
 
I thought I'd had a bad fan in my semi-homebuilt pc. I was getting a
terrible few minutes of noise, what seemed like friction buzzing/
grinding sound. After repeated oiling over a few weeks did nothing or
only solved - or more likely seemed to solve - the problem for a day,
I got in touch with AMD who eventually diagnosed a faulty fan and
heatsink, which they replaced. Within a few hours the same noises
were present, that to me seem consistent with a dodgy fan, but what
are the chances. As far as I know the paste is applied right - it was
pre-applied and i assume spread by the fitting pressure and clipping
in of the heatsink.

What else can make that kind of noise? The cpu itself? The power
supply? A motherboard fault? I've turned things like the Q-Fan and
Cool 'n' Quiet settings off or on in the BIOS, with no change.

The pc case is the cheapest possible CIT with a 450w power supply. i
don't know enough about these things but assumed that a bad power
supply was one that didn't work and a good one was one that did, i.e.
I was assuming that power would be constant and not lead ot any of
these noises.

It's often fine for most of the day but then will start ot make that
noise, and then that'll stop pretty abruptly as if the computer was
changing gears.

Any ideas? Thanks all.

(3ghz dual core AMD, 320 hd, 4gb ram, Windows 7 64 bit/ Ubuntu 10.04
64 bit/ XP 32 bit triple-boot, though the same symptoms have occurred
with any one or two of these installed.)
Click to expand...

Any fan in the case can make that noise. You have the CPU fan, the power
supply fan, the case fans, plus you could have one or two video card
fans. Any one of these can make that sound.
The only other spinning parts are the hard drive and the optical drive.
But you would be having tangible issues if they were grinding I would think.
 
I thought I'd had a bad fan in my semi-homebuilt pc. I was getting a
terrible few minutes of noise, what seemed like friction buzzing/
grinding sound. After repeated oiling over a few weeks did nothing or
only solved - or more likely seemed to solve - the problem for a day,
Click to expand...

What is this "oil" you speak of?

If you say something like WD40, then that's your problem.
 
What is this "oil" you speak of?

If you say something like WD40, then that's your problem.
Click to expand...

No it was 3-in-1.

Yes, not a diagnosis as such but AMD surmised it and were unreluctant
to replace the fan and heat sink so it seemed worth a try.

Well, the noise was there before I got my graphics card, so my bet is
the power supply fan.

I would post and link the noise as an mp3 if I could catch the machine
at it in time, but in the meantime, if looking at and attending to the
power supply fan does nothing, is there a brand or two that makes
reliable power supplies, preferably UK-known, that aren't madly
expensive you can recommend?

Thanks.
 
I thought I'd had a bad fan in my semi-homebuilt pc. I was getting a
terrible few minutes of noise, what seemed like friction buzzing/
grinding sound. After repeated oiling over a few weeks did nothing or
only solved - or more likely seemed to solve - the problem for a day,
I got in touch with AMD who eventually diagnosed a faulty fan and
heatsink, which they replaced. Within a few hours the same noises
were present, that to me seem consistent with a dodgy fan, but what
are the chances. As far as I know the paste is applied right - it was
pre-applied and i assume spread by the fitting pressure and clipping
in of the heatsink.

What else can make that kind of noise? The cpu itself? The power
supply? A motherboard fault? I've turned things like the Q-Fan and
Cool 'n' Quiet settings off or on in the BIOS, with no change.

The pc case is the cheapest possible CIT with a 450w power supply. i
don't know enough about these things but assumed that a bad power
supply was one that didn't work and a good one was one that did, i.e.
I was assuming that power would be constant and not lead ot any of
these noises.

It's often fine for most of the day but then will start ot make that
noise, and then that'll stop pretty abruptly as if the computer was
changing gears.

Any ideas? Thanks all.

(3ghz dual core AMD, 320 hd, 4gb ram, Windows 7 64 bit/ Ubuntu 10.04
64 bit/ XP 32 bit triple-boot, though the same symptoms have occurred
with any one or two of these installed.)
Click to expand...

I have run into similar problems that once defective fans were ruled out
proved to be a loose wire or cable bundle that was close enough to a fan
to randomly sag or get sucked into the fan blades. When the case was
opened to check on the problem it was moved just enough to stop doing it
and masking the problem. In one chassis it was a wire too close to a
CPU fan and on another it was a chassis fan. Both times repositioning
the wires fixed the problem.

Try using some string and loosely tie your cables together so that they
can not possibly sag and hit any of the fans and see if that clears up
the noise. If so then it's time for a little rerouting of the cables to
permanently eliminate the problem.
 
No it was 3-in-1.

Yes, not a diagnosis as such but AMD surmised it and were unreluctant
to replace the fan and heat sink so it seemed worth a try.
Click to expand...

Better effectively viewed sealed for the life of a non-maintenance
item bought for brandname reputation (or user-review polls) over
bearing/sleeve construction considerations.
I would post and link the noise as an mp3 if I could catch the machine ...
Click to expand...

Bloody hell you will. . .there's better things to do besides recording
ants building hills. Get a piece of wooden dowel and put it an end to
the bone directly behind at the crack of your ear. With the usual
care due at the other end, poke around listen to the PC parts... it's
a technique that's proven immensely productive to busybodies waiting
on shipment for the greatest and latest PS everybody else is raving
about.
 
On Sep 4 said:
No it was 3-in-1.
Click to expand...

TROLL!

You're pulling our leg. If you think 3-in-1 can be used on a CPU
fan. I looked at one recently carefully, and with the 'brushless'
design I don't see where you can insert any lubricant of any kind
without shorting out the same. BTW, to those regulars reading these
threads, I did get a new heat sink and fan and replaced the old one,
and everything seems kosher now, with temperatures a lot lower on my
Pentium IV. I will post a link to what I found helpful in another
thread.

RL
 
 oblem for a day,





TROLL!

You're pulling our leg.  If you think 3-in-1 can be used on a CPU
fan.  I looked at one recently carefully, and with the 'brushless'
design I don't see where you can insert any lubricant of any kind
without shorting out the same.  BTW, to those regulars reading these
threads, I did get a new heat sink and fan and replaced the old one,
and everything seems kosher now, with temperatures a lot lower on my
Pentium IV. I will post a link to what I found helpful in another
thread.

RL
Click to expand...

No, I think I must just have read out of date websites/forum posts, as
I was following apparent advice. I was sort of relieved when the AMD
man said the fan did not need oiling, and had been baffled about where
to put the oil myself. Troll-spotting is as pointless and daft as
trainspotting, I think I and 99% of people who've been called one have
got better things to do than tap nonsense online.
 
TROLL!

You're pulling our leg. If you think 3-in-1 can be used on a CPU
fan. I looked at one recently carefully, and with the 'brushless'
design I don't see where you can insert any lubricant of any kind
without shorting out the same. BTW, to those regulars reading these
threads, I did get a new heat sink and fan and replaced the old one,
and everything seems kosher now, with temperatures a lot lower on my
Pentium IV. I will post a link to what I found helpful in another
thread.

RL
Click to expand...
On the top or sometimes bottom of the fan, there is a smal circular peice of
tape or sometimes a rubber stopper that when removed exposes the clip that
holds the fan in place to the fan motor. A single drop of 3 in 1 or sewing
machine oil works wonders to extend the life and to quiet a fan.
 
No, I think I must just have read out of date websites/forum posts, as
I was following apparent advice. I was sort of relieved when the AMD
man said the fan did not need oiling, and had been baffled about where
to put the oil myself. Troll-spotting is as pointless and daft as
trainspotting, I think I and 99% of people who've been called one have
got better things to do than tap nonsense online.
Click to expand...


http://www.zdnet.co.
uk/news/processors/2003/06/03/fix-noisy-computer-fans-with-a-drop-of-oil-21355
14/3/


http://www.techrepublic.com/images/contentPics/r00320030603shu01_D.jpg

http://www.techrepublic.com/images/contentPics/r00320030603shu01_E.jpg
 
TROLL!

You're pulling our leg. If you think 3-in-1 can be used on a CPU
fan. I looked at one recently carefully, and with the 'brushless'
design I don't see where you can insert any lubricant of any kind
without shorting out the same. BTW, to those regulars reading these
threads, I did get a new heat sink and fan and replaced the old one,
and everything seems kosher now, with temperatures a lot lower on my
Pentium IV. I will post a link to what I found helpful in another
thread.

RL
Click to expand...

TROLL my ass. LOL!



http://www.zdnet.co.
uk/news/processors/2003/06/03/fix-noisy-computer-fans-with-a-drop-of-oil-21355
14/3/


http://www.techrepublic.com/images/contentPics/r00320030603shu01_D.jpg

http://www.techrepublic.com/images/contentPics/r00320030603shu01_E.jpg
 
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