Really, really weird sound coming from my PC

Gas Panic! · 19 Sep 2006 at 14:11

PSU is making a Buzzing sound!

When I move the window around, I put my ear to the back of the PSU and it sounded like there's a short in there! It sounds like it's sparking or something. I swear that's not normal. :S

Er... help? It only does it when I move stuff around on the screen, so I guess the graphics card is drawing power from the PSU and that's causing it?

450w Antec SmartPower with an X1800Xt btw.

t31os · 19 Sep 2006 at 14:24

Never heard of memory making noise.

PSU or HDD would be the most obvious. If you have a sata hard drive (might be possible with IDE to) you can do a hard drive speed test in the device manager. It will stress the hard drive enough to see if it makes the sound again.

Gas Panic! · 19 Sep 2006 at 14:25

It's definitely the PSU, I put my ear to the back of it and I can hear it.

Ever so slightly worried now...

wibble1 · 19 Sep 2006 at 14:28

Replace it then?

t31os · 19 Sep 2006 at 14:29

wibble1 said:
Replace it then?

Indeed, if its definately the PSU.

Gas Panic! · 19 Sep 2006 at 14:38

I don't really want to spend the money if it's not a big problem. It doesn't make the noise when I turn my PC off, so it's not a blown capacitor or something, it's just when the GPU is drawing power.

I'll test a game, and if it does it still it's being yanked out.

Gas Panic! · 19 Sep 2006 at 15:05

Ok, I booted up CoD2 and it makes the noise the whole time while playing. I don't think it's normal, and typically any buzzing sound coming from the PSU should make alarm bells go off in your head, right?

Thing is, is it possible it could be the GPU, or is the fact that it's coming from the PSU concrete evidence that it's faulty?

Chronictank · 19 Sep 2006 at 15:32

Rivey said:
Ok, I booted up CoD2 and it makes the noise the whole time while playing. I don't think it's normal, and typically any buzzing sound coming from the PSU should make alarm bells go off in your head, right?

Thing is, is it possible it could be the GPU, or is the fact that it's coming from the PSU concrete evidence that it's faulty?

only one way to find out,
unplug everything except the PSU power up and see if the sound is still there

I had a crackling sound from my Seasonic, turned it off straight away and RMA'd it. Its really not worth the risk to the rest of your components when a PSU is concerned imo

ins0mn1ac · 19 Sep 2006 at 17:08

Chronictank said:
only one way to find out,
unplug everything except the PSU power up and see if the sound is still there

what he said ^

Gas Panic! · 19 Sep 2006 at 17:09

Right, will do this in a bit as unplugging everything is a PITA.

Thanks guys.

Sir Random · 19 Sep 2006 at 18:09

I remember reading a thread about PSUs that buzzed whenever you scrolled IE Explorer windows up and down. The tone of the buzzing would change depending on the screen content. There was also a similar problem with some Tagan PSUs which made a clicking sound when under load.

EDIT\

Here's another Antec Smartpower 450w with the same issue:
http://forums.overclockers.co.uk/showthread.php?t=17593771

fobose · 19 Sep 2006 at 18:15

I had a 365w Enermax which would make a slight sparking sound and it was all of the time, I replaced it about a year after hearing it as I just wanted a silent PSU.