Community Newsletter: Q&A: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns?
- 3/21/08 10:47 AM
Hum from PC
by ksue4664 - 3/16/08 11:15 AM In reply to: Potential winning answers by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I have heard you should NOT vacuum the fans because it makes static which can ruin your computer.
Is this false?
Ksue
comment about a noise
by itasara - 3/16/08 3:36 PM In reply to: Potential winning answers by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
My less than a year mac book pro had this terrible noise one day...not a hum, but very loud and irritating.It seemed to have happened after I downloaded and installed a stopwatch utility, but that made no sense to me. The noise came about at unpredictable times and not to often. Then it stopped coming until a a couple days later. So my computer person suggested it was the fan, and while I waited for a new fan to come, the noise never returned again. Being under warranty, we replaced the fan. Just before I had it replaced, I had to shut down my laptop and out of the blue I couldn't restart it unless it was plugged into the adapter. So my computer person tested it and we figured the battery was not holding a charge, although when it was charged I could take the computer off the adaptor and it would stay on, I just could not restart the computer from an OFF position. So now I have a new battery and a new fan, and although I'm not sure if the incidences are connected, or what the real problems were, I seem to be up and running so far.
Ellen, upstate NY
OS 10.5.2 (Leopard)
17" aluminum MacBook Pro
Processor: 2.4 GHz intel Core 2 duo
4 GB 667 MHz DDR2 SDRAM
Humming
by woodco - 3/14/08 7:38 PM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Hi Mike
I suspect your humming noise could be caused by a virus or malware or the like(fan on the CPU over working).
My machine has just had this problem requiring a complete format and reload.
Check to see if your hard drive is filling up. Mine gained 50gigs in a day causing it to crawl then did a start up loop.
Anyway before pulling the box appart check the hard drive free space it may save you a lot of time but not effort.
Good Luck.
RE: Humming
by chochopr - 3/14/08 8:08 PM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
It could simply be your fan in your computer that you need to replace cause I had an old Dell and it used to be the same humming sound and I just replace the fan and it took care of the problem. Open the side of your computer while it's on and try to listen where the humming is coming from, and if you hear it from where there is on top of the processor, then that the problem and it's about 20.00 dollars and under to get a new fan.
Re: Humming, an interim, Free solution
by eye144 - 3/16/08 4:35 PM In reply to: RE: Humming by chochoprWell, I am not the same Mike, but I posted similar problem. It is on a Dell Inspiron 1000, 2.2ghz about 2 years old, with a 15" LCD screen. I have identified the cause via a technician, but have a zero cost intermediate solution. I was told it is the florescent LCD starter. I haven't changed it yet due to a cost of about $200. But, I found if I press on the screen at the lower left, about 2" up from the bottom, after login, it will stop during that session. Cured! at no cost.
But if anyone finds anything better, please write. EagleEye4u2@Gmail Thanks, Mike
Computer Humming
by dkniskern - 3/14/08 8:58 PM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I don't have an answer to your question, I just wish my Dell Dimension 4700C was only humming. It sounds like a darn crop duster (remember Sky King?), and has since the day it arrived.
Check BIOS, it may need to be updated
by Rbecca1965 - 3/14/08 10:32 PM In reply to: Computer Humming by dkniskernHey everyone,
WOW, what a lot of responses! I did not have time to read all of them, but I recently had the same problem on my new Dell Ispiron 530, just purchased a couple of months ago.
It not only was humming, but ran loud, as though it was just starting up. I contacted Dell and the problem was that the BIOS (Basic Input/Output) had to be updated, which they did online with remote assistance. It fixed my problem immediately. Anyway, hope this helps.
Rbecca
Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns?
by pcdude12 - 3/14/08 10:47 PM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Mike,
As dust builds up on your fans, they hum and get loud. Open your case, and blow off the CPU, power supply, various case, and video card fans.
Your PC dust contains very high levels of lead, so do this outside. I use my lawn blower to do this.
Take Care,
Joe
the dreaded 'hummm'
by furbird67 - 3/15/08 2:37 AM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by pcdude12I see most all advisements detailed and thorough enough to come to a specific conclusion as to the hummer culprit, but let an old-schooler lend ALL of you some sage advice: plugging/unplugging, cycling the power several times is all well and good, but my method leans towards my believing my time is valuable: Once you take the side cover off take a piece of aquarium air-hose or similar flexible tubing and stick one end in your ear,(go ahead and laugh, but it works!)..... move the other end around component to component and I promise you will find the offending noise maker in one easy step. No unplugging or switching off and on - just have faith in your sense of hearing. A thorough cleaning is always a good idea regardless of your reason for being inside the tower. Be mindful of the moving parts and voltages of course, but don't make it any harder than it has to be.
Humming PC, could it be due to Graphics Card?
by vewert - 3/15/08 7:55 AM In reply to: the dreaded 'hummm' by furbird67I recently replaced by old 128mb ATI graphics card with a new 512mb graphics card. I noticed a hum after the switch I believe and sometimes it sounds like the computer is straining itself. The power supply is only 350 watts which does worry me and makes me think I need a larger power supply. Other specs are Pentium D 2.8 gig processor, 2 gigs of ram, cd and dvd drive, standard 2 fans one of back of pc and one on processor I believe. Just wondering if it was normal to have a hum from switching to a larger graphics card which does have a fan looking adapter on it.
Physically isolating the hum.
by MikeEhrensing - 3/15/08 9:01 AM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Being an old mechanic, I have a tip to isolate any unusual noises.
1. Obtain a short length of flexible plastic tubing.
2. Hold one end near your ear and the other near the suspecting source of the problem. By moving the end from part to part, you can clearly identify the source of the sound. Sort of a poor man's stethoscope.
My experience with humming noises
by chanuk - 3/15/08 2:47 PM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
I've spent the recent week getting rid of a humming noise and I'd like to share my experience with you guys.
1st) Noise from a graphics card. I unplugged and remove the stock fan on the graphics card and replaced it with a 70mm fan that I just screwed on the graphics card heatsink - that works perfectly and removed a lot of noise.
2nd) I got a 120mm at the top of my Antec P182 case. There was a humming noise coming out of the fan. I spent a while just looking around for a replacement 120mm fan, as it appears out of the 3 identical fans in my case, it was just that one causing the noise. There are two screws securing this fan....whilst I was removing the fan, believe it or not, when I removed the one of the screws of the fan... the humming stopped. So I thought.. how strange... so I replaced the same hole with the 2nd screw and yet no humming. So all that time, it was a screw that was causing the humming noise.
So if you do hear any noise, inspect and try out things. You might fan its as simple as a simple fan replacement or as silly as a screw! I'm now one happy guy now running a quiet PC 
Good luck.
Solution to Humming PC
by pg44 - 3/16/08 6:54 AM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
Normally in a situation you are in I would first of all start off with switching machine off.
1) Open up PC with all leads disconnected, is the machine clean inside if not then clean fan at heatsink and clean the heatsink as well using a small brush and a tin of compressed air. Check fan at power supply clean this as well also clean motherboard get all dust out of machine. Front Bezel has either push clips or screws remove bezel you will be amazed the amount of dirt that gathers here.
2) Disconnect power leads to DVD/CD Drives and Hard Drive connect your kettle cable and Graphics lead to PC, then fire up and post screen are you getting any noise. Switch PC off and start connecting each item one at a time and keep post screening and switching off, if the noise appears then you will know which item is causing the problem replace item as it will have developed a fault.
The Humming is suppose to do that.
by Tinkatoy4000 - 3/16/08 7:02 AM In reply to: Humming coming from my PC, what should be my concerns? by Lee Koo (ADMIN)
That humming is really normal. Mine does it from time to time because I have a high end computer. I have 3 fans on my computer, fan in front, back and on my graphics card. When your fans get hot what happens is your computer hums so it can cool the fans, whether it is your video card when you play at shockwave or pogo or anyother things like your reading of your hard drive when your yellow light or green one blinks.
Humming sound inside the computer
by gspal - 3/16/08 12:23 PM In reply to: The Humming is suppose to do that. by Tinkatoy4000Here I am detailing my experience with a high humming sound that came on when the my PC was started. My assembled AMD64 3200+ system has two fans other than that of SMPS. One is right on top of the processor and the other is on a side panel of the box/case. Not getting a PC guy to come over and have a look, I unplugged the machine, opened the side panel and found a lot of dust inside especially on the fan above the processor. I just got hold of my household vacuum cleaner, set it on low pressure blowing action, and blew the inside of the box. You need to be careful that you do not blow too close less you loosen any connection. With the fans clean now, I set the panel back and switched on the machine. There were no humming sounds whatsover. Dust is an integral part of an Indian household. After all we do not necessarily use the machine in an airconditioned environment.
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