Computer Making Strange Noises

Eilistrae

Eilistrae

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Eilistrae
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Occasionally my computer will start this loud whirring noise. But everything still functions normally. Could this be a failing piece of hardware such as a fan?
 
High pitched or a dull noise?
 
Eilistrae said:
Occasionally my computer will start this loud whirring noise. But everything still functions normally. Could this be a failing piece of hardware such as a fan?
Click to expand...

Probably, and a borked fan is not good. Heat is a computer's archnemesis. This will be worse if the fan in the power supply is dying, so make sure where it is first.
 
I just had to deal with the same issue. My video card fan went GRSLKDFJDLGRRRRRRRRR GLDKSJFLSDK GRRRRRRRRRRRRRR pop.... and that was the end of my video card ><
 
its just a low dull whirring sound and its pretty constant at the moment. It comes and goes. It hasn't happened for a few months now though.
 
Well, could be a couple reasons. Besides fans.

Could be a CD you have in one of your drives. That randomly kicks in. It happens with mine when I have one in from time to time.

Most likely, like the others have said. It's a fan. Just means something is heating up above normal most likely and it's just giving an extra boost to cool it off when it's running hot. Maybe do to the winter months your house has been warmer from using the heater, which adds extra heat to the computer. Happens with my PS2. The fan seems to run, but it doesn't cool it fast enough. During summer, I need to put an additional fan onto it to keep it from over heating. Though in Florida, winter months are fine and I can play it no problem for 24 hours and it wont over heat with no fan on it.
 
My house temp is only about 65 degrees. Also, there is no CD in my drive, I checked :P cause it does kinda sound like that.

I guess my next question then is, how do I figure out which fan it is that needs replaced? If its my graphics card, thats a problem, because graphics cards are expensive :(
 
I used to have that problem with my desktop. It worked just fine, it just liked to complain every once in a while. It made a noise similar to a jet taking off ;p

I only got rid of it because it was outdated.

A previous laptop had a similar problem but it ended up being the card/motherboard. Sounded like a campfire before it went (crackling).
 
Well, pop open the computer panel on the side. Check the graphics card fan (if one applies) if it's not moving and the computer is on, and it's hot. Then it's that. (Since most I believe only kick it when it hits a certain temperature). You can usually check the fans by just looking at them. Or check by just listening to one fan to check for the "whirring" noise.
 
Eilistrae said:
My house temp is only about 65 degrees. Also, there is no CD in my drive, I checked :P cause it does kinda sound like that.

I guess my next question then is, how do I figure out which fan it is that needs replaced? If its my graphics card, thats a problem, because graphics cards are expensive :(
Click to expand...

I went balls-deep when my graphics card fan stopped a few years ago. I removed the old fan, took it down to the local radio shack, bought an identical fan, took it home and spliced the wires together. Worked fine for years afterward.


How do you find out which fan it is? Listen closely lol.
 
I haven't cracked open my PC yet, I was going to do that sometime today. However, I shut my PC down for the night (I never do that) just to let it chill out. This morning when I booted it up, the VERY first thing that happened, before any boot process started, was that noise. Hard drives cant make funky whirring noises can they? D:
 
I am guessing this is a desktop not a laptop. If it is not a audible repeating clicking then it is likely not the HDD. Fans are turned on as soon as the machine gets power to make sure they run, its part of the POST. If its constant take off the side listen for it and see which fan it is to know how bad it is. Might be something simple as the case fan is dusty and the bearings are going bad and needs a replacement to the bearings in the Power supply are going bad and you need to replace that. Till you test it to see which is faulting hard to say what you need to do to resolve it.

Do you ever take a can of compressed air to the computer and dust it out at all? That is generally the main issue to a bearing going bad is the additional stress on the fan to move itself plus the accumulated dust.
 
Nugotugo said:
I am guessing this is a desktop not a laptop. If it is not a audible repeating clicking then it is likely not the HDD. Fans are turned on as soon as the machine gets power to make sure they run, its part of the POST. If its constant take off the side listen for it and see which fan it is to know how bad it is. Might be something simple as the case fan is dusty and the bearings are going bad and needs a replacement to the bearings in the Power supply are going bad and you need to replace that. Till you test it to see which is faulting hard to say what you need to do to resolve it.

Do you ever take a can of compressed air to the computer and dust it out at all? That is generally the main issue to a bearing going bad is the additional stress on the fan to move itself plus the accumulated dust.
Click to expand...


I concur with this statement. I've got a desktop that this has been happening with for a while. It is the power supply fan, and I have been way too lazy to replace the PS.
 
ok cool guys thanks :D Your suggestions made me worry much less
 
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