Really annoying sound from CPU cooler (Arctic Cooling Freezer64 Pro)

AdladUK

AdladUK

AdladUK

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6 Jan 2007
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Hello!

I purchased an Arctic Cooling Freezer64 Pro for my AMD X2 4000+ CPU as I'd only heard good things about them.

However, there is this really annoying noise constantly from the cooler. The best way to describe it is like the noise a hard drive makes when it accesses data. Only this is constant.

Here's the weird part... When I play a game it completely goes. The thing is quieter under stress than it is idle in Windows.

I've tweaked the motherboard BIOS setting for quiet, and granted the overall noise level is very good when this is done, however I simply cannot stand this annoying background buzzing. Surely there must be a way to stop it.

Any help/advice appreciated
 
Just to add...

There is no overclocking on the CPU or motherboard. Everything is stock.

There are no loose cables, or anything that could be interrupting the CPU fan itself.

What really gets me about this problem is how the noise completely goes away when I load or play a game. Shouldn't it be the exact opposite?
 
Is it on a fan controller, or on the mobo's temperature and speed control ?.
Some fans can make odd clicking noises on lower voltages, which may sound like you describe. If the mobo is spinning it slower on temp control, this could be why the noise goes away once its in game and generating enough heat to spin the fan up.

If you go into the bios and disable the fan/temp control and set it to 100% you can soon find out :)
 
Vogon said:
Is it on a fan controller, or on the mobo's temperature and speed control ?.
Some fans can make odd clicking noises on lower voltages, which may sound like you describe. If the mobo is spinning it slower on temp control, this could be why the noise goes away once its in game and generating enough heat to spin the fan up.

If you go into the bios and disable the fan/temp control and set it to 100% you can soon find out :)
Click to expand...

Hi,

Yeah that's the first thing I did. I turned off the controller in the BIOS and then not only was the fan really load, it also still kept the annoying sound.

It's really weird, I don't get it :(
 
I can play a game for hours and not only is the fan quiet, but there's no annoying sound.

Then as soon as I tab back to Windows the stupid things starts up again.

It's driving me nuts
 
try stress testing it with prime95 or something, see if it goes away.....
try taking the side of the case off and pining down where abouts on the cooler it is coming from...
 
I'm actually getting very similar problems, I'm pretty sure it's the PSU fan, though. I have(had) a Hiper Type-R II 770w PSU and all the time there was what seemed like "some" CPU load, it made some terrible sound like a cross between hard drive activity and whistling. I temporarily replaced the PSU with a borrowed BFG 1000w one and the problem disappeared.

When I say "some" load, at the Windows XP desktop, there was no sound, as soon as you do anything at all, it starts making the sound quietly, there's a game I found it most noticable in called Jets 'n' Guns, during the intro sequence of that, it's practically screaming. But for some reason, when running the Crysis demo or any other extremely demanding application, it's barely audible. Very strange.

I'm in the process of having it replaced with a Hiper Type-M 880w PSU as it has a different fan, more power and no USB ports, which were suggested as a potential problem, although I haven't heard any other reports of the USB ports causing problems.

But seeing your post makes me really think it's the PSU fan, maybe its jumping between high speed and low speed really quickly and that's what's causing the sound. :S
 
hterag said:
But seeing your post makes me really think it's the PSU fan, maybe its jumping between high speed and low speed really quickly and that's what's causing the sound. :S
Click to expand...

Hello,

I can assure you 100% it's not the PSU fan. If I disconnect the CPU fan for a second, the noise stops.

Also, the noise doesn't happen under heavy load... Quite the opposite.

No noise in games. Loads of noise in Windows running nothing.

Very annoying, and makes no sense at all
 
Do you have any applications in windows tryig to control your fan speed? Also, see if you can grab another fan abd stick into the CPU port, see if it does the same. could always just be a dodgy fan
 
Its sounds almost defiantly like the PWMOUT clock. They tend not to give out a constant voltage but a pulse and I have found different fans can react this way at different frequencies.
If you install speedfan you can change the frequency in configure/ advance then select the motherboard chipset. Down the list of controls you should see PWMOUT, try increasing the frequency or if high try lowering it.
 
Skeeter said:
Do you have any applications in windows tryig to control your fan speed? Also, see if you can grab another fan abd stick into the CPU port, see if it does the same. could always just be a dodgy fan
Click to expand...

Nope nothing at all controlling fan speed within Windows.

Unfortunately I don't have another fan to test on it. Guess I'll have to buy one
 
YZFAndy said:
Its sounds almost defiantly like the PWMOUT clock. They tend not to give out a constant voltage but a pulse and I have found different fans can react this way at different frequencies.
If you install speedfan you can change the frequency in configure/ advance then select the motherboard chipset. Down the list of controls you should see PWMOUT, try increasing the frequency or if high try lowering it.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip, but I tried that and it make no difference.

The PWMOUT was set at 3, so I tried 1.5, then above 15. Neither made the slightest bit of difference
 
Do you have an option in the bios for controlling the fan speed? Mine has an option for controlling the fan by voltage or PWM out. PWM makes them buzz but the voltage option is ok.
 
YZFAndy said:
Do you have an option in the bios for controlling the fan speed? Mine has an option for controlling the fan by voltage or PWM out. PWM makes them buzz but the voltage option is ok.
Click to expand...

Yes you can set it to 'Performance' 'Optimized' or 'Silent'

Tried all 3, no difference on any
 
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