Weird noises from somewhere inside my computer

Hassknecht

Hassknecht

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Some time ago something in my computer started making some sort of rattling noise on startup, which then disappeared after a second or so.
Then the rattling noise stayed, if I let the computer go to sleep mode and wouldn't go away until I fully powered down the computer.
Then the rattling noise would even stay until the computer completely cooled off over night.
Now it won't go away at all anymore.
The noise is kinda dependent on load, apparently. When scrolling through a PDF file the noise changes everytime the mouse wheel spins, for example.
And the noise does not come from a fan. I stopped or disconnected every single fan in the computer and the noise stayed.
It definitely sounds like a mechanical rattling noise, though, and I'm pretty sure it's coming from the power supply. I lubricated and even changed the PSU fan, but that didn't change anything.
Any ideas on what this could be?
I'm not exactly in the mood to buy a new PSU right now...
 
From your description of the sound changing with the mouse wheel I would take a stab at it being the hard drive but difficult to say without seeing/hearing it.
 
I also thought it could be the HDD, but I can still hear the usual HDD noises underneath the rattling, and I'm pretty sure that if one of my HDDs would make such a loud rattling it wouldn't function as well as they do.
/edit: I disconnected the HDDs, same noise. It would have been really weird anyway, the HDDs are mounted in a way that suppresses their noises to a very low level, and the rattling would have been some serious mechanical damage. And both drives work perfectly fine. As does the rest of the computer, btw, so whatever's causing the noise can't be too critical of a component, at least so far.
The noise also kinda 'winds up' like the rest of the fans, btw. It also immediately dies off when turning the computer off, so I'm pretty sure it's something electrical in the PSU, some electromechanical rattling.
It's also driving me crazy because it's super fucking loud.
 
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Loose screws rattling in the case? Some kind of wire vibrating against the side of something? Auditory hallucinations?
 
No loose screws as far as I know, no wires dangling.
Can't rule out hallucinations.
 
Hassknecht said:
The noise also kinda 'winds up' like the rest of the fans, btw. It also immediately dies off when turning the computer off, so I'm pretty sure it's something electrical in the PSU, some electromechanical rattling. It's also driving me crazy because it's super fucking loud.
Click to expand...

Think you're probably right and it's something electrical in the PSU. Aren't you like a quantum physicist or something? Just crack that shit open and fix the electrons... or something.
 
Fixing power units is a job for electrical engineers...
But that's a good idea, I'll just give it to the electrical engineers from my institute and claim that the PSU comes from a lab computer or whatever.
 
Never.
Anyway, the rattling stopped this morning. I love random mechanical issues.
 
I'm going to have to buy a laptop this July for my 21st birthday. I don't know if it was because I would leave mine on for 24 hours or longer at a time, but it suddenly developed a mechanical problem where sometimes when something runs (like a youtube video, game, etc.) the laptop fan will suddenly get REALLY fucking loud, the PC will lag out the ass (this can last from 15 seconds to 5 minutes, stop for a minute, and do it again, or it won't do it again for hours, or I will be fine the whole time I'm watching my video or playing my game. Really random but happens often), and the noise coming out the PC will be slow and distorted, like a computerized voice for example (It just did it to me, only lasted 5 seconds).

The shitty thing is, is I just bought this laptop last year for over a grand.
 
BigBoss said:
I'm going to have to buy a laptop this July for my 21st birthday. I don't know if it was because I would leave mine on for 24 hours or longer at a time, but it suddenly developed a mechanical problem where sometimes when something runs (like a youtube video, game, etc.) the laptop fan will suddenly get REALLY fucking loud, the PC will lag out the ass (this can last from 15 seconds to 5 minutes, stop for a minute, and do it again, or it won't do it again for hours, or I will be fine the whole time I'm watching my video or playing my game. Really random but happens often), and the noise coming out the PC will be slow and distorted, like a computerized voice for example (It just did it to me, only lasted 5 seconds).

The shitty thing is, is I just bought this laptop last year for over a grand.
Click to expand...

Hmm. If it's the graphix card fan then it might be worth having it replaced. It helps if you know the exact fault when having your cpu/laptop fixed. Also, check out you don't have any malicious software lurking somewhere.
 
It started out only doing it with games. Then it transferred over to doing it with videos, now it does it whenever my laptop seems to be working hard.
 
I'm having the same exact problem as Hassknecht. It's the PSU, but stopping the fan does nothing. Giving the top or side of the case a healthy tap makes it go away, but it returns a few seconds later. Annoying as hell.

Do PSUs have two fans? I can't understand what else could be causing this noise.
 
I dismantled mine, there's no second fan in mine.
My guess is a some kind of loose component near the transformer that rattles with the electromagnetic force. That would explain the change in intensity with the load.
 
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Yeah see mine is a laptop, core I7. I can't get in there to dismantle the fan like a normal computer. And I'm thinking if I did, it would only add to the problem.
 
I actually was wrong. Mine was just an exhaust fan right under the PSU. I tapped it a few times and it went away.

I still recommend giving a good whollop to the top or side of the case. Nothing approaching domestic violence. More like a healthy smack to send her to bed and make her think about what she did.
 
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