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Community Newsletter: Q&A: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns?
- 3/21/08 10:47 AM
Things that make you go "hum"
by Krackcode - 3/7/08 9:13 PM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
It could be many things...best way to diagnose it would be to remove the side panel, and see if you can isolate where the sound is coming from. Just be careful, especially if you're going to be putting your hand(s) inside the machine while running.
Another way to do it is via process of elimination.
First unplug all the fans, except the heat sink and system fan(on the main board itself), if there even is one. If the sound is gone, then plug in the fans one at a time until you catch the culprit.
If it's not the fans, next thing to check would be any add-on cards with fans and the fans on the main board. Make certain that the heat sink fan is spinning and the system board fan. If you have a Video Card, first check to see if the fan is spinning, if so, remove it and see what happens.
Next check the PSU. Is the sound coming from there?
Assuming none of the above were the cause, then it's time to check the Hard Drives. You may be able to find a utility here:
http://www.download.com/System-Utilities/3150-2094_4-0.html?tag=dir
You can also try chkdsk, Start>Run>CHKDSK and see if that detects any errors.
Another nifty little trick, would be to download Nvidia Utility Nmonitor, (I think), and enable S.M.A.R.T. status under options.
If you can't find it there, then check the dvd/cd drives. Are they spinning when this occurs?
What exactly are you doing when it happens, or is it constant?
HMMMMM....
by Sonal Maheshwari - 3/7/08 9:32 PM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Well, that's the sound it's making. There are a number of mechanical and even a few electrical components that can hum in any computer. Of course, if any of them fail, it could mean disaster. A good way to check your components for noise is to use an old mechanics trick, but be VERY careful when doing this that you don't touch any surface mounted components accidentally. Take a long screwdriver and touch it to suspected components then hold your ear against it. The vibrations will travel up the screwdriver and you'll be able to hear what's going on. I usually use a mechanic's stethoscope and that works much better. You can get those at almost any auto parts or tool store. Check all of the fans, including the one in the power supply and especially one that may be cooling the processor. There may also be a fan on your graphics card or other add-on cards in your computer. The smaller fans are especially prone to failure and can bring your system down very quickly if they fail to function. Other parts that can cause a hum are the transformer and filter capacitors inside the power supply. Your stethoscope would be very helpful in finding those problems, as well. Hope this helps. ---Gil---
Concerned about hum coming from PC
by Joseph Rubin - 3/7/08 9:33 PM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Mike, you did not specify whether the noise coming from the PC was a mechanical sound on an audio hum from the power supply. If the hum is mechanical (vibration) it is either the hard drive on one of the fans (rear vent fan) or the fan cooling the CPU. If it is an audio hum, it probably is the failure of the electrolytic capacitor (s) in the power supply. Take a piece of wood dowel (chopstick will do) and hold it on the coumputer case and the other end in you ear. If it is mechanical, you can detect the vibration. If the hum is audio, raising the volume will override some of the hum. Please advise if you find the problem. Joe Rubin W4CBJ (electronic technician).
A technical suggestion about the hum coming erom PC
by N.P.Tiwari - 3/15/08 10:28 AM In reply to: Concerned about hum coming from PC by Joseph Rubin1.Determine the type of Hum
Steps to diagnose
1.Put the speaker to mute position or Put of the sound section.If the
Hum stops,the fault is in the electronic circuit. If the Hum continues
even after putting off the sound,the Hum is being produced by any machenical device.
Machenical Hum can be located by substitution method.
The Hum developed in an electronic circuit is again of two types.
1.If the humming sound is controlled by the volume control, it is Audio Hum.
2.If the humming sound is not controlled by the volume control, it is
AC Hum.
Causes:
Audio Hum is developed in the Audio circuit/wiring because of improper
earthing.
A C Hum is produced in the Power Supply Stage Due to Defective/ not properly connected Filter Capacitors.
There can be no other reason other than the above ones.
Now it depends on the effeciency of the engineer handling it, to locate the exact cause and remove it.It is a work of patience and
challange too.
Humming Coming from Computer
by vskidmore - 3/7/08 9:35 PM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
You could be looking at hard drive, other drives,powersupply, or a cooling fan.
The first and probably easiest way to elimate the hard drive would be to simply power down you PC and then disconect the hard drive and then power the computer back on. This would easily prove if it is the hard drive or not provided that the hum is always there.
Second thing that I recommend is to check the fan on any heat sync's such as on the processor. If it is the problem I highly recommend powereing down the PC until you can get to a computer shop and purchase a replacement. I have seen too many processors burn up when a cooling fan goes out on it. The fans are generally under 10.00 if you swap yourself and is certainly not a part if in question worth the risk of loosing your money on considering the cost of a new CPU.
General case cooling fans you can check just like the hard drive by powering down, disconnecting the power then powering it back on. Could be easily be done while the hard drive is unhooked so that you don't have to keep shutting down windows. Also don't rule out your cd and floppy drives if you have them, I have seen them spin and not stop for no known reason; which would cause your hum for sure.
As far as the power supply fan, I have always found to elimate down to it being the last option. When shoping for a power supply; if you have a standard case you may want to look at the option purchasing a new tower with a power supply versus just a new power supply. I know the last time I needed a new power supply I found that a new one was about 45.00 - 50.00 for a 300-350w but I found a cheap tower with a 350w power supply in it for 25.00 which I simply removed and then installed in my other tower since I liked it's case better but still saved 50%.
Also on the behalf of all PC Techs out there this is a great time to perhaps see a warning and backup all sensitve/important data in the event your hard drive does go bad. It makes exchanging it more just time taking versus heart breaking trying to recollect data. Also if it is the drive you can try and find a untility such as that allows you to connect both drives in one computer and tell it to simply duplicate your data from the old drive to the new one. Just be careful when running this that you follow the directions step by step, there is no recycle bin for most so if you say copy new empty drive to old full one....well just be careful. Trust me I made the mistake once. Luckly I had already backed up everything, but the untility does it automatically in a shorter period of time, and you just say go and walk off. No loading seperate pieces of software and importing data into time.
I hope that you will find this to offer some help.
Maybe not too much
by john3347 - 3/7/08 9:51 PM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Mike, there are several things that can cause a noise in a computer with a few year's useage. Harddrives sometimes make a noise before they fail, CD and DVD drives can make noise while spinning a CD or DVD. Power supplies can exibit a hum if certain components have gone south; BUT the most common noisemaker in a 2 to 5 year old computer is the fan. Cheap and easy to replace. Requires no configuration, no information is lost or needs special care. The power supply itself will have 1 or 2 fans within its own case which would require opening the power supply case as well as the access panel on the computer. there may be 1 to 3 additional fans inside the case. Take the side panel off your computer and boot it up and listen where the noise is coming from. If you only have a fan going bad, you only need to replace a fan. It should not cost enough to make it impractical to repair an old computer. There is a fan and heat sink attached to the processor which is a bit more complicated to replace than the others because the thermal conducting compound must be replaced between the heat sink and processor if removed. Still this is really no big deal. On the other hand, if you are looking for an excuse to get a new computer, this might be your chance.
If you're lucky, this one could be pretty straightforward...
by flared0ne - 3/7/08 9:56 PM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Since you've had this machine since 2004, you're fairly familiar with all the noises it makes by now -- in particular: the difference in noise levels between "on" and "off" (I'm serious), and any incremental noise involved in starting up a file system "search".
Disk activity is usually relatively quiet, but initiating a whole slew of disk access commands in a short time will usually generate a combination of "head seek" vibrations and an associated variation in rotational dynamics that may manifest as "bearing noise".
If that noise matches what you've started hearing more of, and you are inclined toward a "the glass is half empty" viewpoint, it might be time to consider upgrading to a higher-capacity drive with state-of-the-art internals. Doing a device-device copy between high-capacity drives will be simpler and faster than creating/reloading even DVD-density file-system backup copies. You will thank yourself later.
But there is a slightly higher probability (and much more simply fixed) source for your noise: many motherboards implement various types of thermal management software to monitor processor temps and attempt to optimize control of the processor cooling fan... and when that fan builds up dust over time its efficiency goes down -- leading to increased "on" time and "why am I hearing that noise more often".
I'd start out with opening up the machine. It should be safe to turn on power after the chassis is opened up -- and if you can then HEAR the particular noise you stand a better chance of being able to localize it. You might need a flashlight to investigate the several fans you are going to find inside. Besides checking the obvious power supply fan(s), there is pretty much guaranteed to be a relatively accessible fan clip-mounted onto a heatsink on your processor chip.
Observing appropriate precautions (have the power off, keep some part of your body in contact with the chassis at all times to avoid any chance of static buildup, don't move anything you can't remember how to put back, etc) I would unclip the CPU cooling-fan assembly and blow the dustbunnies out of it and out of the air-channels in the finned heat sink it was attached to... You may have to use toothpicks etc if the dust has felted up like dryer lint.
Get everything back together and buttoned up, check how it sounds now.
Good luck!
Just a suggestion
by ackerliz - 3/15/08 7:13 AM In reply to: If you're lucky, this one could be pretty straightforward... by flared0neExcellent post, but I have a different recommendation re the pressure air cans. We used to suggest blowing out the dust in a computer using canned air. Based on some reported bad results of having cold compressed air come in contact with hot components in a computer, that suggestion has been replaced with "vacuum the dust out, not blow".
Care needs to be taken here as well...I suggest using the smallest brush attachment, or the thin wand attachment, adjust the suction to is lowest setting - the one you would use to vacuum drapes, for example. Never let the vacuum part touch the inside of the computer. Better yet, there are vacuum products that are designed specifically for computers and electronics.
I also use one of those large make-up brushes for getting into tight areas to brush the dust off components before vacuuming it all out. Its great for getting all the dust off fan blades, blasting with pressurized air can actually force the dust deeper into areas that you can't get at.
Blasting the inside of a CD or DVD player with those pressure cans can cause permanent damage to the lens, so again the big brush works well for gently getting the dust out of those devices.
Being a female, I have to clean everything before I can trouble shoot it ;o) so over the years this method has worked well for me. I recommend to all my clients that their computers/laser printers be thoroughly cleaned in this way at least twice a year.
Liz
Check and replace the fan(s)!
by Travisuberdownloader - 3/7/08 9:58 PM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Check and replace the fan(s)! The fan, or fan's in your PC are moving parts too! Usually, they pack it in first. You probably have a CPU fan (on the motherboard). You may also have a case fan or two. Fan's are cheap. 'Nuff said!
FOR MIKE AND THE HUMMING NOISE
by EZREMARK - 3/7/08 10:26 PM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
AFTER SPENDING OR BEING ROBBED! A CAN OF AIR THROUGH ALL VENTS AND FAN MOTORS SOLVED THE AWFUL NOISE!
Be Careful With Air!
by mrguy242 - 3/15/08 6:23 AM In reply to: FOR MIKE AND THE HUMMING NOISE by EZREMARKI'm an I.T. Technician, I've seen more than one PC owner fry their PSU (power supply) by blowing dust inside of it. If the sound is coming from the PSU, it's usually the fan bearings and I'd recommend a replacement. PC sounds mostly comes from fans, either on the case, video card (higher end cards), or PSU. New PSU's these days come with universal power connectors and should work with most boards.
How easy is this?
by WilliamHarper - 3/7/08 10:29 PM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Get a piece of rubber hose or tubing, about 1/2 in diameter. An aquarium or a home supply store will sell it by the foot - buy 2 or 3 feet.
Put one end to your ear, and use the other to probe the PC's innards. Mechanics do this with your car , as it conducts sound, even in the presence of other overarching noises. Once you isolate the noise, you can consider the fix required.
find the source of the hum
by LloydSchulz - 3/7/08 11:07 PM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Because you are asking for advice, I assume you don't want to take it to a repair shop. Even though I know how to change a power supply fan or CPU fan etc, I would still take it to a repair shop. A good shop can quickly determine which part is defective for you, and will know which is the correct replacement part (there can be many variations).
But if you are not afraid to open the case and want to attempt the repair yourself, or even just "know" what the problem is before you take it to a shop, I recommend that you use a 'stethoscope' to listen to the potential culprits. For a simple home-made stethoscope you can use almost any long narrow article (like a pencil, a piece of rigid wire, or even a kitchen knife). A wooden dowel or plastic rod is recommended if you are nervous about electricity, and more caution is advised when using metal objects. Hold your thumb over one end of the pencil and press your thumb into your ear (your thumb transmits sound from the pencil to your ear, as it would not be safe to put the pencil directly in your ear) and hold the other end of the pencil against the hard drive case, the power supply case, the CPU fan case, etc. The only cautions are to avoid connectors and circuit boards or sticking the object inside a fan etc. You will be amazed how vividly you can hear what is happening inside various parts, and you will very quickly hear which part is making the louder sound.
Be a Detective
by dlauber - 3/7/08 11:17 PM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Ah, the hum problem, a real hummer, so to speak.
You'll need to be a detective, but your initial sense of what may be wrong is very likely on target. First, before you turn on your computer, remove the side of your computer case. Then, when you turn on your computer put your head next to the open side and see if you can identify from whence the hum is coming.
If you can't identify the source that way, a little trial and error may work. With your computer off and unplugged (make sure that the little light on the motherboard is off -- as long as your computer is plugged in, it will be receiving some electricity -- so unplug it and the light should go off after a few seconds). Then unplug one of the case fans. Plug in the computer and reboot. IF the hum is gone you know that the fan you unplugged is the culprit. Replacing case fans is inexpensive and easy -- although it is possible that the fan is simply really dirty. Try each case fan this way, one by one.
Another possible culprit is the fan atop your heat sink on your CPU. Chances are pretty good it's clogged with dust if you've never cleaned it in the four years you've had the computer. First, though, test the fan by unplugging it's power cord from the motherboard while the computer is unplugged. Then turn on the computer and reboot. If no noise, you've found the culprit. Quickly shut down the computer (within a minute or two at the longest) and replace the fan or clean it as explained in the next paragraph. Do not run the computer longer than a minute or two without the fan on the heat sink -- you don't want to let the CPU overheat (which could destroy it).
If it looks dirty, you might to try spraying it (when the computer is off and unplugged) with compressed air like Perfect Duster or Dustoff -- cans cost $3 to $5. Just be sure to follow directions and do not tilt the can while spraying (if you do liquid could come out in addition to the air). If the CPU heat sink's fan is clearly dirty and you're comfortable working inside the computer, you might be better off removing the fan and then cleaning it or replacing it. Some fans are easily removable from heat sinks; some are not. If this is stock heatsink/fan combo, you can probably remove the fan via four screws -- just very careful and don't let any screws or washers fall into the computer. Take the fan to your local computer store and get the same size to replace it -- making sure you have the same sort of connector to the motherboard as your original fan.
If the hummer isn't one of these fans, it could be the power supply or a hard drive. Frankly, if it's the power supply, I would think you could determine that via the hearing test described above. But if you can't tell, the only way to test the power supply is to try another one in its place. Since places like Best Buy and Fry's Electronics allow returns without penalty (as long as the item is resellable with full packaging etc.), buy a new power supply there that has at least the same wattage as your current one (it should say what it is on the side or in your computer's documentation). One possible hitch -- if your computer is a Dell, it might use only Dell's proprietary power supplies. Replacing a power supply is a pain, but not really difficult, just time consuming and exacting. You'll need to unscrew the 4 screws that hold it in (from the back of the computer case) and make sure that it doesn't fall into the case. First, you may want to unplug the power supply's various cables from the motherboard (you'll need to squeeze a small "handle" on the one or two cables that go to the motherboard) and from the components like the floppy drive, hard drive, CD/DVD drive, possibly some fans, maybe even the video card. Since your machine is four years old, it probably has an IDE hard drive, so you won't have to worry about Serial ATA cables. To play it safe, you might want to make drawing of where all the power cables plug in.
When replacing the power supply, reverse the process. You must first mount the new power supply first by screwing it in place, and then connect all the power cables. Be gentle, but firm, especially with the one or two cables for the motherboard since you do not want to bend the motherboard (which could break it). A lot of power supplies come with printed instructions. And don't buy some cheapo-cheapo power supply -- you get what you pay for. Stick to a name brand like CoolerMaster, OCZ, Thermaltake, X-Infinity. I'm cautious about Antec since I've had nothing but hassles with their overpriced power supplies -- so I haven't used them for at least 4 years. Maybe they've improved their quality control by now. You might want to go to newegg.com and read the user comments about a board before you buy it.
If it's not a fan or power supply, the hum could be coming from a CD or DVD drive or your hard drive. With the computer off and unplugged, unplug the power supply cable from your CD or DVD Drive. Then restart the computer. If the hum doesn't come back you've got your culprit (actually if you get the hum only when there's a CD or DVD in the drive, that's a sure sign that's the culprit). New recordable DVD/CD drives are available on sale for as little as $25. You should be able to score a good one for $25 to $45 online like at egghead.com or mwave.com. Replacing it isn't hard depending on your computer case. Follow the printed instructions that come with the drive. Be sure to unplug the computer, unplug your power cable and data cable. Removing the drive depends on your case -- there are too many variations. Most likely, though, it's screwed in with two screws on one side (and maybe two on the other side as well - in which case you'll have to remove the other side of the case too, pun intended). Slide the drive out through the front of the case. (Of course, replacing it can get funky if it's one of those propriety cool looking drives matched to the case in which case you'll need to get the replacement from your computer manufacturer.) Be sure to set the jumper on the back of the new drive to the same setting as the old drive (those wonderfully offensive terms "master" or "slave" -- why can't the IT industry use "primary" or "secondary" instead?).
If none of these is the culprit, it's likely to be your hard drive -- and it's likely that your hard drive could be on its last legs. Hard drives tend to last three to six years depending on use. Buy a new one (if the data cable is a wide cable, it's an IDE drive; if it's a narrow, say 1/2 inch wide cable, it's a serial ATA drive) that is the same type. If your current hard drive's capacity is less than 130 gigabytes, check with your computer's manufacturer to see if the computer's BIOS can support a larger hard drive. You may need to update the bios (the manufacturer will give you instructions online). If it can support a larger drive, go wild and get one. Hard drives of 160 GB size can generally be had for as little as $60 these days. Stick with name brands like Hitachi, Samsung, Western Digital, and Seagate.
You will want to clone your current hard drive to the new one. You'll need to install the blank new hard drive and format it. This can get complicated. It's very likely that the printed instructions that come with your new hard drive will walk you through the process. (Just make sure you buy a boxed new hard drive.) The drive will likely include a CD with software to install the new drive and clone the old one onto it. If not, software like Acronis True Image Home works great for cloning. There are also freeware programs available as well as other purchasable ones.
That pretty much covers all the possibilities. Put on your Sherlock Holmes cap and start detecting.
Great thurough answer
by appman67 - 3/14/08 7:57 PM In reply to: Be a Detective by dlauberI think you covered all the basis, I work with electronics and usually a serious hum is a simple transformer on its way to the grave. But, most people don't relize that a transformer can fuse and cause an out-put overload that can cause serious damage and destruction to any and all components it supplies power to. This can be a rare occasion - but I like your thouroughness... OA
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