Tek-Tips is the largest IT community on the Internet today!

Members share and learn making Tek-Tips Forums the best source of peer-reviewed technical information on the Internet!

  • Congratulations strongm on being selected by the Tek-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!

Buzzing sound from computer

Status
Not open for further replies.

livesfreely

Technical User
May 30, 2003
62
IN
I noticed a buzzing sound emanating from my computer this morning. Sometimes the noise is gone on its own. I know that this sound is not coming from the hard drive.

Any suggestions?
I'll appreciate any help or suggestions.

Thank you
livesfreely
 
check that the cpu fan is not making noise or the power supply fan.

Wayne

Life is a big Roleplaying adventure.

Wayne
 
Press on the case on all sides and all corners when it is buzzing.

I think you will find a vibrating panel at a corner that is making the noise. Use any sort of shim to prevent the vibration: a piece of foam, rubber, etc.

I had a site where I could not believe how noisy some Dells were. These boxes (Dimensions I believe) had a reinforcing bar that covered the card cage and spanned the length of the case. The local IT guys regularly threw them out because they were in the way.
 
Yes, I checked the screws; they are all tight.

I also thought that the cpu fan might be making the noise, but it seems to be working fine...and I don't know how I can tell that it is specifically the fan.

I have an HP Pavillion 9680c.
 
If you use your hand to block the airflow momentarily the noise should change frequency if it is a fan problem. Blocking the airflow puts a load on the fan, slowing it down.

Ed Fair
Give the wrong symptoms, get the wrong solutions.
 
You wouldnt happen to have any hard drive cooler fans, ide removable trays or firewire\usb external boxes would you?
These are all sources of very cheap fans that can make a lot of different noises.
You could unplug any fans for a short period to see if the noise stops, that is, all except the cpu fan of course.
I know loose screws have been mentioned but again, there could be 2 fans for power supply (screws), then system fans, and the other fans i mentioned above, all have screws, so they all have to be checked.
Could also possibly be a wire rubbing against a fan.


Good advice + great people = tek-tips
 
Blocking the airflow with hand doesn't cause any change in noise; i lready tried.

I will see if a wire is rubbing against the fan; I didn't even think of that. I will also check all the screws again as well as wires and then post back if it worked or not.

No, garebo I don't have any hard drive fans, ide removable trays or external usb boxes.
Thanks for all the suggestions.
 
Some power supplies starting buzzing when they are on the downhill. If you have a frequencey spectrum analyzer you should be able to see a different frequency popping up on the screen when the buzzing starts.
 
I've had that problem, too. Random intermittent buzzing with no obvious cause.

It turned out to be the chipset fan.

It would run normally at times, then stall to the point where the noise set in and go back to normal. I found that out when it became more frequent.


TomCologne
 
Good thinking on that one TomCologne, as some of these cpu fans run at different speeds, back and forth as cooling is needed.


Good advice + great people = tek-tips
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Part and Inventory Search

Sponsor

Back
Top