Community Newsletter: Q&A: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns?
- 3/21/08 10:47 AM
Finding computer hum.
by Robert Swaney - 3/8/08 9:28 AM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Use an inexpensive stethoscope to listen to the hard drive and power supply. Take the side off the computer, being careful to avoid touching anything but the case of the HD and PS, put the stethoscope on each area you think may be the source of the problem. Any unusual noises coming from either of these components should be obvious. You could even try the old trick used by alley mechanics and take a medium-sized screwdriver, put the handle up to your ear and then touch the HD or PS case with the metal end. This method isn't as sensitive as a stethoscope but it has helped locate many a strange noise.
Humming noise
by jfacteau - 3/8/08 10:45 AM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Could be a couple of things
1. unplug the hard drive and see if it continues
2. I fit does, unplu the cpu fan if it still continues then it is your power supply,
Just my guess
test Hard drive;
by bbrucemcn - 3/14/08 8:56 PM In reply to: Humming noise by jfacteauLike always shut down the computer and unpug it before you take the side cover off. pug in and start your computer up and if it is the prosser's fan you will be able to here it with the cover off. I have had the proccesor fan go out the most often; I've goten some two year old computers that were thrown away be cause they made noise and shut them selfs off. There problem was so much dirt\dust on the cooloing fins and the fan was so out of balance it was pulling the prosser out of it's socket. Some software will get access to cange the speed of cdroms\dvdrom witch will make humms. Reinstall widows drivers for all cd drives that you have will solve that problem. If the hard drive is the problem I would unhook the power to the HD then put a floppy boot disk (like win98 boot disk or winXP in your CDROM)to start the computer. If you have no hum then it is your HD. If you havent learend yet always keep a copy of important data.
humming noise
by foziebear - 3/15/08 6:40 AM In reply to: Humming noise by jfacteaumostly your fan dust and muck its labouring to keep going switch of computer give good kleen out be carful of static and the reply that iv just read unplug cpu fan what planet you come from BUSTMEUP
Check your temp.
by aqw8326 - 3/8/08 11:33 AM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
When my computer started that humming/running hard, I checked my temp. gages, turned out my CPU heat fan was bad and running hot. I would aslo run your virus scans. You might have a bug trying to borrow in.
Ann
Answers for Mike: Concerned about hum coming from PC, any ad
by djsaundry - 3/8/08 11:46 AM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I suspected that my 2004 PC was showing it's age so I bought so to protect my data I purchased a Comstar Platinum 500GB USB One Touch Backup external hard drive. The Comstar works great. Once everything is backed up you can work on your machine with assurance that your data is protected.
Doug
PC Hum
by denewton007 - 3/8/08 1:42 PM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
There are two categories for a PC hum (sound): audio (least likely) or mechanical. If the sound varies in volume when you adjust your PC speaker volume, the problem could be in sound circuit (Mother board or sound card). If, however, the sound changes in pitch (low to high) when the PC is power is applied, the problem rests with any number of fan bearings or the hard drive. Determine the physical location of the sound--processor cooling fan, case fan(s), or video card. Replace the offending fan, but before you do, make sure that debris has not entered the fan, in which case, clean the fan. Finally, if you determine the sound is coming from the hard drive, run--don't walk to your computer store to buy a replacement before it fails completely.
Custom PC Hum
by Zouch - 3/8/08 2:47 PM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi Mike,
I'm going to make a couple of assumptions - 1. The machine is a desktop and not a notebook and 2. From your description, the hum is mechanical, not electrical. You can get an electrical hum from transformers and such like but it's rare enough to discount. If the machine is a notebook, I'd recommend taking it to a specialist repairer - they are a pain in the butt to work on! But you could eliminate the disk as a problem by simply waiting for it to spin down (usually 10-15 minutes of non use, see your XP power settings) and see if the hum stops.
So, a mechanical hum must be coming from something that moves, a hard drive, more likely a fan or depending how custom this machine is, a water pump! My first guess is that this would be a fan, due either to a bearing going out or a build up of the dust bunnies around the shaft and blades. It could just be a fan working harder to cool the machine if there is a general build up of dust inside.
I'll prefix the rest of this post with "What I would do..." depending on your level of experience, you may or may not want to follow this suggestion.
I'd power the machine off and take the case off. Put the cables back and power up. WARNING - DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING INSIDE WITH A METAL OBJECT WHILE POWER IS CONNECTED.
You may now be able to hear where the hum is coming from. You can check the disk(S) and power supply by placing a wooden or plastic rod against the case and listen to the other end - it acts a bit like a stethoscope. DO NOT USE ANYTHING METAL and NOT a wooden pencil - the graphite "lead" is a conductor.
If the hum is coming from the disk, make sure your backup is up to date and plan on replacing the disk as soon as possible - it isn't worth the risk to your data.
If it's coming from the power supply, consult a qualified computer technician. Do NOT attempt to open the power supply unit.
But most likely it will be a fan, either due to a dust build up around the spindle or a worn bearing allowing the fan blades to run off centre or just a fan running harder than normal to compensate for a general dust build up.
Power the machine down again and unplug it from the power socket. Use a can of compressed air and a vacuum cleaner to clean out all the dust. Do NOT touch anything with these tools. You can clean fan bearings with a Q-Tip moistened with cleaning alcohol. Check that any air filters are clean and not clogged with dust. Replace as necessary.
When you've got rid of all the dust, reconnect the machine and power it up again. If the hum is gone, power down and put the case back on. If it hasn't, replace the fan or get a technician to do it for you. They are cheap and it isn't worth risking your PC overheating.
If your machine is water cooled and the hum is coming from the water system, consult a qualified technician - water and PC components do not mix!
If you've any doubts about doing any of this, consult a qualified technician.
Good luck.
Sav.
Time to buy!!!
by computerlegalexperts.com - 3/8/08 2:57 PM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Whether it is a power supply or a hard drive, back it up ASAP. I've seen and heard hard drives, with the "click of death" and I have seen power supplies surge and take out an entire system, including the hard-drive(s). My friend, after four years, the life-cycle is nearly at an end and it is time to junk it part it out or donate the old machine and pop the money for a new one. Keeping it on life-support will nickel and dime you, but eventually, it fails. Depending upon your computer skills, you can either transfer the data on the hard drive to the new one using third-party software (my preference) or if you want to use the old drive as a slave, you can reload your applications and tranfer what you need, e.g., documents, presentations, artwork, etc. I'd still stick with XP-pro as my O/S of choice reload my applications for a "clean approach." To save money, Pop 4GB of DDR-2 RAM in, stick with a dual core processor, since the software for quad-core has been released on a very limited basis and the motherboard can be upgraded to a quad-core, when the prices become more reasonable. Also, don't get cheap with a new power supply. Spend the extra $150 and get a 700 watt unit from a company that specifically makes power supplies and don't forget those fans. You can't keep your box cool enough. The cooler the box, the longer the lifecycle.
Hum coming from machine
by LouisRVazquez - 3/8/08 3:10 PM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
you don't say whether the hum is coming from your speakers or the tower. If it is coming from the speakers I would suggest you I check the connection to the tower, if it is coming from the tower, it could be a number of things including a bearing going in one of the fans. Suggest you pop it in to your closest reliable repair shop.........Dave
PC hum
by ringman69 - 3/8/08 3:20 PM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hello Mike. If you have any computer experience, even minor at all, you might want to open up the case and check for excessive dust, particularly around the CPU heatsink/fan.
You can get rid of dust by purchasing some canned air, found at most retail or electronics stores for a couple bucks. Simply aim and shoot away the dust.
If there is a bumch of dust collected at the heatsink/fan, it will speed up the fan speed, thus causing a hum to occur, because it is compensating for the extra heat it is conducting due to the dust preventing it from cooling.
Secondly you want to check the case fan, usually located towards the back of your case for dust and blow it clean. Finally, check the power supply and shoot some air in the vents to remove any dust that collected inside.
This is a cheap preventative maintenance method to start out at and see if the hum remains after completing this. If there is still a noise, you might want to check into problems with the harddrive.
It's Possible the Hum is comming from your system fan.
by rar31 - 3/8/08 3:45 PM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I actually had this situation happen to me once before, where a slight hum could be heard from the computer system while it was in operation. I discovered that the sound came from the fan mounted on the CPU Heat Sink. A quick replacement solved the problem. Do you know where the sound seemed to be coming from? You mentioned possibly the hard disk in the process of failing. You can actually check the integrity of a hard disk using a program called "The Ultimate Boot Disc for Windows". This is the address for it: http://www.ubcd4win.com/. In order to use this program though, you will need your Windows XP disc. Follow the instructions after download to create an image and run the disc as instructed. The disc includes various tools, including a couple of programs that will check the integrity of the hard disk. If you think its the power supply, the only way that I can think of checking that is if you were to mount another power supply from another computer and test it that way. Hope this helps.
Hummm: name that tune in 3 notes?
by kgloffice - 3/8/08 3:56 PM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Mike,
Hopefully you are comfortable with opening the computer case to check things out inside.
If not, you can do a few basic things even without opening it up.
When you first turn the system up and it is finished booting up...does it hum? If not, how long before it does hum?
If it doesn't hum right away, it could be that the CPU fan revs up faster when the system heats up. This could be to things like (a) a warm room, (b) dust in the fan assembly, (c) dust in a case fan for example.
Check the feet/rollers on the bottom of the case and make sure that they are intact. A missing foot, or one missing padding could be the cause of the vibration.
Caution: make sure you are not touching components inside the computer case unless you have grounded yourself to the case first. A simple way is to keep touching the case from time to time. Or, you can purchase a wrist strap and/or special gloves. Components are sensitive to static electricity.
Caution: if you have just opened the case, components will be hot, so be careful! With the case open, it should cool down sufficiently in 15-20 minutes.
Now, before you open the case, make sure that (a) there isn't anything leaning against or on top of the the case that might vibrate (my wife made this mistake), (b) make sure that the panels on the case are tight and the screws are firmly fastened, (c) make sure the cables coming out of the case are firmly fastened in their appropriate plugs and slots and finally, (d) make sure the surface the PC is on, has not developed a vibration (in other words, did the hum show up when you moved it to another spot?)
If all this looks good, then unplug the unit from the wall and remove the case cover and take a look inside. It would be handy to have a can or two of "Dust Remover" (compressed air) available. Increased hum can be due to fans that are dusty in (a) the case, (b) the CPU and (c) the video card (if it has a fan - not all do). Whether this is the source of the hum or not, I'd recommend blowing out the fans and the case anyway. It helps the system run cooler thereby extending the life of components and reduces the likelihood of a short in the components (I once had a bug actually build a nest from the dust in the case which then shorted out the motherboard against the case, killing the bug and the motherboard - but I diverge)
Now, check that all cards in the case are firmly seated in their slots and that the screws holding them down are tight. Check the CD drive(s) and hard drive(s) as well. If they move when you touch them, then they can vibrate.
Now, leave the cover off the side of the case (or top if it is a desktop PC), plug the system back in and let it boot up. Is the hum gone? If so, you're done after you shut the system down and reinstall the side/top of the case.
If you still have a hum, then roll up a piece of paper tightly (If you have a medical stethoscope, this works as well, hold one end to your ear...and move the other end around the case from area to area to see if you can isolate the hum. After 4 years, it could be a fan or a hard drive if tightening and cleaning didn't resolve it. Listen with and without the paper roll. Plastic straws work, but you have to be careful next to your ear.
If the hum is near the power supply, then it could be the fan bearings on that unit and it may need to be replaced. (It might also be a feedback hum in the electronics of the power supply - in either case, the power supply would have to be replaced completely) If near the CPU, then it could be the CPU fan. If near the video card, it could be that fan....you get the idea.
Caution: do not stick the rolled up paper into the case. Imagine that the cover is still on as you move around the area. In other words, don't penetrate the plane of the case side/top with the rolled up paper.
Some motherboards have small fans on the chipsets which often go bad. They can be replaced as well, though with some systems, if you have adequate airflow through the case, you can simply unplug the fan and leave it alone.
Once you have an idea of what area the hum is in, you can decide to change out some components yourself or pay someone to do it. At the very least you will be more knowledgeable about what the problem is.
Changing out the components mentioned is not difficult if you feel confident in the task. Changing out a fan is fairly simple, while changing out a hard drive is more complex and involves backing up and restoring your data. If the drive is still working, most new hard drives come with utilities that allow you to mirror your new drive from the old one, essentially making a perfect copy of the old drive. This saves loads of time.
'New' hum
by DOSpower - 3/8/08 4:13 PM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
If you are trying to track down a partcular noise I would recommend getting hold of a long shafted screwdriver, removing the side panel from your computer and with it operating place the tip of the screwdriver on the various items and your ear on the handle end. This will work much as a doctors stethescope and will help isolate the noise.
You might also get yourself a can of compressed air and blow some of the dust out of the various parts. Computers suck up dust at a furious rate.
As another option, check to see if you are running the latest BIOS for your PC. I recently 'flashed' the BIOS on a relatively new PC and found it became a little noisier in operation than with the previous BIOS revision.
If your hard drive is the source of the noise, back it up fast and put a new drive on the shopping list.
PC Hummer, Oh what a bummer!
by johnofwgc - 3/8/08 5:24 PM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hey, Mike! One real quick consideration (and one I've had to deal with in all our computers, and, yes, we have had the same ones for at least four years!!) is the power supply cooling fan. Our network is a 'continuous on' system. Our first experience, I let the 'noise' continue to go on thnking that if the machine is 'going south' then we'll let it go lock stock and barrel. Like the Everyready bunny it just kept going, and going, and so on. I finally got curious and took the thing apart at the source of the noise. I have yet to have a hard drive wear out the rotating support assembly but I've had to replace the cooling fans through out the system. I hope this helps!!
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