Tower Buzzing

I'm not sure if this is the right forum. Let me know.

I finally dusted out my tower the other day (compaq presario 6000), hoping that it would solve the high pitched humming problem. It was pretty dusty in there and I'm assuming that the fans are all running ok. Needless to say, the humming is still there and it's DRIVING ME NUTS!!! The only way I can describe it is, it's a high pitched hum that rises and falls in degrees. Any idea what it is? Can I W-40 the fans if that is where the noise is coming from? PLEASE HELP!!!!!

Thanks.

 

The only way I can describe it is, it's a high pitched hum that rises and falls in degrees.
With speed changes, my first guess it is the cooling fan that sits on top of the processor chip. For OEM types computers, you could be trapped into "only Compaq replacement part. Hopefully it is generic enough that local builder can supply replacement part.

 

The first suspect would be a fan. Try systematically disabling one fan at a time and see if you can track down the culprit (not disabling the cpu fan, of course).

And no, you can't use WD40. Bad fan--->trash can.

Another noise culprit can be the power supply. Not sure how you can "isolate" in that case unless you have a power supply tester so that you can power up the PSU but not the PC.

It could even be a bad fan within the power supply. In such a case, I would replace the PSU. Others have replaced that fan but I wouldn't touch that one due to the risks involved.
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To all you UK-ers on this board, my thoughts are with your countrymen and women.

Gary

 

Panda--Really not trying to be funny. Try putting a heavy object on top of the tower (not blocking any vents)--like a large paperweight, thick book, brick, etc. Does that affect the buzz?

 

With the tower open, you can carefully touch the frames of the fans and feel for vibrations. Drives can cause vibrations and noises can come from vibrating panels.
Check that the heatsinks for the CPU and graphics card (if it has a fan) are not blocked with dust. You may be able to remove the fans and clean the heatsinks, but do not remove the heatsink from the processor.
Loosen any dust with a soft brush, take it outside and blow it out with a can of compressed air.

Matt

 

Some ideas......

This can be a tough one to pinpoint but let's start in stages......

If you can open your case and you think it's a fan can you unlug your fans one at a time to isolate if, in fact, it is a fan ?

If all fans you can disconnect can't solve it there there are the, possibly, two fans in your powers upply depending on the age of your PC. This will require that you remove the power supply and put power to it and if you are comfortable open the PWR Supply case and disconnect each of these fans.

Fans are not that expensive to replace so you DO NOT have to replace the whole power supply.

Are you sure that this is not a chassis rattle of some sort ? Can you apply pressure to the side of you case and does the sound go away ? Try applying pressure to CD-ROM's or DVD drives.....also see if any of your hard drives screws are loose.....are you using only (2) two screws to hold things in or are you using (4) four screws ?

Noises in a case are very anoying and can be problematic to isolate but this is a start.

Oh......depending on your fan type....ball bearing or not it is not a good idea to use lubrication like WD-40. I have, at times, used Sewing Machine Oil and applied a drop or two on the fan "shaft" and problem has been solved...anything coming out of a can under pressure is NOT easy to control amounts of lubrication. I also have used Tri-Flow a teflon based lubricant and that has worked as well.

One LAST thing I promise....does the Presario also have the "heat plenum" above the CPU fan that is a rather large plastic funnel ? If so make sure that this is seated properly as if not this will "rattle" inside the unit.....there are plastic tabs on this to connect to chassis....look to see if maybe one tab or both have broken off......

Let me know how you make out.

 

WOW! So many cool answers, I hardly know where to start.

The heavy book didn't work.

I will try checking out the fans again with the case open and PC on. I know to be careful and feel comfortable enough to try this.

Another way to discribe the noise is.....if you've ever flown in a big plane and when the engines rev just before takeoff you get that high pitched whine. It's like that, only it stays constant. It didn't used to do it, but in the past 6 months I just can't take it any more.

WD-40....LOL. Was just kidding. I really knew better on that one. Was just hoping that if one of two fixer upper things (Duct Tape being #1!) would work, I would try it.

Thanks for the input, all. Will keep you posted on results.

 

Panda--

Oh, well, at least I kept up my reputation for low tech ideas.

 

welshjim....is that why you have 3,930 posts? LOL

 

Panda--You should have seen the other 3,929.
P.S. However, sometimes a really inane idea is the one that works especially when the more complicated ones have not.

 

Well, I took the cover off again and dusted some more. The fans are all running ok and are clean now. I sprayed a whole can of WD-40 on all the componants and the noise is still there (KIDDING!!! ). I listened real close and I think the noise is coming from the area where the disk trays are sitting. I don't feel comfortable taking those out. If I did, I wouldn't know what to do with them anyway. I think I may have to take it to a computer place and have them check it out for me. Darn!

Thanks for all your suggestions and tips.

 

Hi Panda

reading this one earlier I worried that it was a HDD noise

if the noise changes in (musical) pitch - sharpens / flattens - then it points to fan bearings...

but if the pitch stays substantially constant and the "screechiness" comes and goes then it's more of a pointer to the HDD's bearings - these can make a mindbendingly annoying din

describing it this way makes me think HDD

which probably isn't what you wanted to hear, I know...

==

If indeed it is the HDD making the noise, there's many folks would say "panic - imminent failure "... but that's not my experience with these. I'm not ruling out catastrophic (sudden) failure! - but the (3) HDDs which have done this to me have just continued on and on getting louder and louder - for months and months. In all 3 cases it wasn't the HDD which finally packed up, it was me! - not being able to cope with the racket any more

==

you can check out the HDD(s) quite easily without taking it (them) out of the computer:

- power off altogether for 30 seconds or so;
(not just turn the computer off: disconnect mains/line power altogether)

- unplug *both* cables from HDD;
(could cause damage if you try to power up a HDD with only one cable connected; but unplug both and you will be OK)
(ensure to reconnect these plugs the same way round as they were to start with!)

- power up computer, don't worry if you get stuck at the BIOS screen (you probably will), just *don't accept any changes* to the BIOS settings

(if more than one HDD try one at a time, find out which one is failing)

keeping your other hand on the case of the computer will avoid any possible hassles with static

good luck & best wishes, HJ

 

You can carefully put your finger on the drive casing while the machine is running. It is grounded through the power connector.

My sister had a very noisey 52X CD burner. I relocated it slightly in the drive bay and made sure it was not touching the front covers. Tightened the bolts securely. No more loud noise.

Matt

 

Sorry it took so long to get back to this letter.

We finally got around to taking it to a computer shop. Good and bad news. Good news is that it wasn't the DVD drives. Bad news, it's the HARDDRIVE! The tech says it isn't going, but that some drives just make that noise. Sometimes it's quiet, and sometimes it's loud. According to him there is nothing we can do about it. I guess I'll just have to wear earplugs when I'm playing on the puter. This is soooo frustrating!!!

Thanks, again, for all your help out there. You guys and gals are great!!!

 

THANKS for taking the trouble to let us know the outcome.

If it was me and it was getting me down, I would consider getting another HDD. The HDD utilities should allow you to copy the old drive to the new (check the information about the utilities at the HDD website). The old drive could then be used for data and backup. It should then only be noisey when it is accessed (which sounds like the way it is happening now when it is loud or quiet).

OR
Wear headphones and listen to soothing music

Matt

 

Ahhhhhhhh, I have been messing with 'puters for over 25 years and have never seen or heard of a hard drive that didn't have a problem just making a noise like your describeing without there being a problem.

Assumeing that the drive really isn't failing and the tech isn't hopeing to get bigger money off of you when you start getting failures... (Sadly I've seen this done) Here are a couple of things you might try. The only realistic thing that I can think of for a drive causing a lot of noise when there isn't a problem is harmonics. That is when vibration causes other things to vibrate... on and on... can make quite a din.

Note that what I'm going to suggest requires removing the drive.

With the drive out check all screws on the case to make sure that none have become loose. DO NOT loosen any, just make sure that all are tight. If any are loose makeing tight will probably cure the problem. The other suggestion would be to get some small felt washers and put them between the drive and the mount. It will be a tight fit and you will have to 'work them in to position'. An important issue on that is to take some fine, bare, wire strands and wrap them around the felt washers to maintain the ground between the drive caseing and the chasis. This isn't really a functional ground, it's to prevent static buildup.

 

Hi Panda, Matt, Jay...

I still think this is bearing squeal from the description - "jet engine" has it down to a T - mindblowingly annoying

fitting new HDD very good idea! and as Matt says it's quite easy to copy the files over... although if the noise is as bad as I suspect the old HDD will be going rapidly bin-wards!

...BUT this is a Compaq and you will lose the hidden setup partition (what most PC's do with BIOS settings, Compaqs tend to do with a hidden partition)

This doesn't necessarily matter! - I've fitted a new HDD into my Compaq Prolinea5100 without needing to go into the setup. The new HDD autodetected OK - never needed to go into setup.

AND the computer works fine without it ! if anything, better than before. Plus, it feels really good to un-OEM the machine - cuts some of the apron strings.

The setup is required for fitting new ports and things like that.

Even when the setup partition is lost, you can do the setup and diagnostics tasks from floppy on most Compaqs - certainly on mine. Can download what you need to make the floppies from Compaq. The diagnostics for a Presario6000 appear to be SP3263 - check this page (lots of languages! keep looking down...)

but I couldn't the file for the setup functions floppy. Maybe they don't have one for this range? But there will be a download available which leads to the recreation / upgrade of the setup partition (generally involving three floppies I think)

Panda - if you could try to find the full number for the computer - there are quite a lot of sub-types of the 6000 series - try looking at the back or open the CD tray and see if there's a sticker there...

...and the other thing we'll probably need to know is what OS you are using

best wishes, HJ

 

I now remember reading an article in my (Australian) hardware magazine. A fellow had a noisey HDD in a Compaq computer. It was still under warranty, so he asked for a replacement. Compaq refused saying that noise was not covered under warranty. He asked for his money back. They refused. When he wrote to the hardware magazine, they wrote to Compaq. Eventually Compaq refunded him. The magazine said that "excessive" noise would be seen as a "fault" and he would have been entitled to a refund under the consumer laws.

Maybe a test for the harmonics. Take the drive out of the drive bay and run it for a day or two sitting on the bottom of the tower or in a 5 1/4" drive bay resting on a rubber mat (mouse pad?). If the noise continues, it is the drive itself.

The felt washers sound good. I don't see how you would be able to fit them between the drive and the drive bay mountings. You might be able to use them with a 5 1/4" to 3 1/2" drive bay adapter.

Matt

 

That's a very good idea to test for harmonics!!

And the felt washers will fit on most of today's boxes if it proves necessary. Most of today's cases are pretty flimsy on the mounting areas. They actually rely on the installed hardware to act as part of the structure. It WILL cause a minor distortion of the mount but they are usually flexable enough to form to it.

My actual money rests on the tech either not wanting to mess with it or looking for bigger money when things really go south due to a faulty drive.