Static/Hissing noise from PC

[n00bz0rd2]

I've had this issue for a while now (matter of years) but never bothered to attempt to correct it.
Basically, I can hear this whine/hiss sounds coming from my processor. It's really hard to explain so I've recorded it. It's not any of my fans as I've stopped each one and the sound persists.
The sound gets louder when the CPU is under load. It also happens when I move the mouse. Pretty much, when I do anything, the loudness will change.
The recording was taken when the PC was booting into Windows. It sounds like someone is scraping their nails on a blackboard.

I want to get rid of it. Anyone encountered this problem before?

[Mickey]

sounds like static. Has the pc been properly grounded( motherboard). Does the pc have one of them round circular wotsits in. If it been working all this time cant be much drastic that`s wrong.

[n00bz0rd2]

How would I know/check if its grounded properly?
Erm, what circular thing?

[Mickey]

this might be your issue

http://www.tech-forums.net/pc/f12/fa...39/index2.html

or you could try taking out your processor if you really think its complaining ,clean it up and reseat it with some new thermal paste

[TwoPlAnKs]

You sure you've tried stopping every single fan, including the one in the power supply?

If it's not a fan then my money is on the hard drive. If you recall the nineties that noise was fairly standard, and one that is a bit knackered will make that noise today. Also explains why it only does it when you are doing stuff on the PC. Check by disconnecting the hard drive power cables and booting off an Ubuntu CD. Doesn't matter if Ubuntu works or not, just piss about with it a bit and see if it still makes the noise with no hard drive.

[DejaVu]

Have you made sure your using thermal paste? Cooking fat doesn't suffice!

[Mule]

It's a fan. Go back and try again.

[Over Carl]

My opinion is that sounds like knackered bearings, meaning either a fan or hd as others have said. You haven't missed a gfx card fan? (maybe pointing downwards towards the floor in a tower) as these tend to be some of the highest pitch fans in a pc.

[DejaVu]

It sounds like the inside of a factory. Something is seriously wrong and I do not just think it's one thing.

You have a rattling fan - bent spindle? A blocked fan outlet - dust?
Check your PSU for dust as well. That fan also makes a bad noise if it's clogged.
Also, eject the CD Drawer (disk in there that's warped!?)

If that IS your hard drive BIN IT, it's totalled. If my PC sounded like that, it would have gone a long time ago (mine's in my living room!)

Do the process of elimination, a moving part is DEFINITELY making that horrendous noise.

- EDIT
Sounds like a Spectrum 48K Tape loading up! PMSL!

[Mule]

To be a bit more helpful, processor, PSU and GPU fans are the only ones that are usually regulated so would be affected by your use of the PC.

The PSU will usually have 2 fans so make sure you check both.

It won't be a hard drive because that wouldn't change by moving the mouse.

[n00bz0rd2]

Thanks for the replies.

I'm 100% sure its coming from the CPU. I've used an old toilet roll tube and listened to all the components and it's coming from the CPU.

There is thermal paste as far as I am aware because when I bought the CPU, the fan and heatsink were already pre attached to it. I've seen dust in the heatsink so I'll grab a can of compressed air from work tomorrow and blast it out.

[Mule]

You can hoover it, just make sure you unplug it first or it'll work as a dynamo and could damage the motherboard.

[TwoPlAnKs]

Thanks for the replies.

I'm 100% sure its coming from the CPU. I've used an old toilet roll tube and listened to all the components and it's coming from the CPU.

There is thermal paste as far as I am aware because when I bought the CPU, the fan and heatsink were already pre attached to it. I've seen dust in the heatsink so I'll grab a can of compressed air from work tomorrow and blast it out.

Can you not just stop the fan with your fingers and see if the noise stops? Then you'll know for sure.

If it's any part of the CPU other than the fan then it's not the CPU. It just can't be, to get that sort of noise from a non-moving part you'd be looking at arcing, and quite a lot of it. A 3kW fan heater might cope with that sort of arcing, a tiny CPU would not.

Since you said you already checked every fan by stopping it, I am still suspicious about the hard drive. My old one made that noise (it was fucked and recently replaced) and hard drive noise or activity can occur at any time, not just the obvious times. Your OS will maintain a huge array of pages that can be written to disk at any time, and marked as needing to be written to disk at any time. The noise will be made based on seeking and not the amount of data, so even the tiniest update would trigger it. I'd not be slightly surprised if a mouse movement caused it, especially on a medieval operating system like Windows XP.

I still think a more detailed search for fans is needed before any further dicking about though, the PSU especially often actually has two in it and you could have missed one.

[n00bz0rd2]

Like I mentioned in my previous post, it is definitely the CPU. I will clean the fan and heatsink properly tomorrow and will let you know the outcome.

[DejaVu]

The CPU will NOT make that noise. It's a Chip and has no moving parts...
Moving parts are making that noise.

If you think that's your mobo/processor/memory/gpu your computer is unique to any I have seen before (I repair 5-10 a week!).

It's Fans usually, but it could be ANY moving part in the PC. I cant see a bog roll tube being any good for diagnosis, but if it works!

I think change the CPU fan and some of that noise will vanish, but like I said before, it sounds like the inside of a factory production line!

[n00bz0rd2]

Ok, I can't get hold of any compressed air.

I realised that the CPU has no moving parts so it cannot make a noise. Another thought that occurred to me (probably what Mickey attempted to describe ) is to disconnect the internal speaker cable from my mobo in case there is any interference.

I'm leaning toward getting a new fan after I do some more tests tonight. I will change the speed of my CPU fan to see if it gets louder. If it does, I'll change it.

I'll update once some time tonight.

[TwoPlAnKs]

Ok, I can't get hold of any compressed air.

I realised that the CPU has no moving parts so it cannot make a noise. Another thought that occurred to me (probably what Mickey attempted to describe ) is to disconnect the internal speaker cable from my mobo in case there is any interference.

I'm leaning toward getting a new fan after I do some more tests tonight. I will change the speed of my CPU fan to see if it gets louder. If it does, I'll change it.

I'll update once some time tonight.

The ASDA here sells compressed air in the computer cleaning section. Admittedly it is the biggest supermarket in about a 100 mile radius (~40 tills) but if you have a similar massive ASDA near your house you could probably pick up a can there. Otherwise, I imagine Maplin would do it.

You can tell for sure by just poking your finger into the fan and seeing if the noise stops when the fan stops though. I'm dying to know what it is now

[Mule]

Just use a vacuum cleaner, don't ponce about with compressed air.

You might need some white spirits and a cotton bud if the dirts really stuck on.

[TwoPlAnKs]

Just use a vacuum cleaner, don't ponce about with compressed air.

You might need some white spirits and a cotton bud if the dirts really stuck on.

But then you can't hold the can upside down and spray people with super chilled air. Or fill a balloon with it and watch it get bigger as it warms up.

[stimpy]

Are you sure it's not CPU Whine?

Chips may have no moving parts but that does not mean that they are not silent in operation. High frequencies passing through them can be audiable to the human ear as a high pitched tinny noise.

I have several things that I can hear if they are on – my immersion heater and one of the TV's upstairs (yes, with the sound off).