Need advice on computer fault!

ryujinjakka · 22 Dec 2011 at 11:52

This morning i booted my my wifes pc, it posted as usual but then the hardrive started clicking continously, at first i thought it was a case of a dead hardrive so to test it out i stripped her pc, cleaned it an rebuilt it with my pc's hardrive in place (which i knew was working fine as i had been on it this morning).

The same problem has occured with my hardrive in, but both mine an my wifes hardrives work fine in my pc.

I replaced the sata and power cables for the hardrive but still same result.

Anybody have any idea what could be causing the problem? only think that comes to mind if the motherboard sata connectors have died since the computer still posts normally.

The hardrives we are using are 640gb black caviar's and the motherboard is Gigabyte GA-MA790FXT-UD5P

So anyone got any ideas on what the fault could be?

Stoner81 · 22 Dec 2011 at 11:55

Try all the SATA sockets on the motherboard and if non of them work properly (you get the same problem) then my guess would be the motherboard.

Stoner81.

ryujinjakka · 22 Dec 2011 at 11:56

Stoner81 said:
Try all the SATA sockets on the motherboard and if non of them work properly (you get the same problem) then my guess would be the motherboard.

Stoner81.

I've tried about 3 different ones so i'll try the rest an see if i have any better luck

olivier renault · 22 Dec 2011 at 12:01

The board looks like it's got two hard drive controllers. Try the other one.

mogwai · 22 Dec 2011 at 12:02

Try a different SATA cable as well. As a few of the Hp's at work have had issues with their sata cables.

ryujinjakka · 22 Dec 2011 at 12:06

Thanks for the advice, tested with new sata cables and testing each individual sata port now aswell, will post how i get on with it when i'm done lol.

InfiniteNoise · 22 Dec 2011 at 12:08

You should start backing up your data if you haven't done so, just in case, since your hard drive started to click.

ryujinjakka · 22 Dec 2011 at 12:48

It appears the clicking sound is coming from the motherboard itself, i unplugged cdrom drive and hadd from motherboard and power supply, and still had the same clicking.

Also took out some memory and took out power connectors from motherboard an put them back in, still same problem.

also put an old geforce 7600gt in instead of the radeon 6950 that was in there and still same problem.

Really at a loss what could be the cause now as it still posts, just starts clicking afterwards.

Tested without graphics card in at all aswell, and same response after the initial warning beep to say there wasnt a video card in.

Also power supply in it is a Corsair 750w modular one if that makes any difference lol.

So leaves either broken mobo or processor (which is amd phenom iix4 955 BE) which could be causing the problem, which do you guys think its most likely?

mogwai · 22 Dec 2011 at 13:04

Could it be the PSU as I have a Corsair HX750w that I bought for a recent new build and that click once just after post and then twice while the starting windows 7 animation is on screen.

I am currently choosing a new one to replace it.

ryujinjakka · 22 Dec 2011 at 13:36

I uploaded a video of the clicking sound if this helps.

All thats connected in the video is processor memory and graphics card, i unplugged all the case fans hardrives and cd rom drive. so the clicking has to be either mobo, processor or power supply, just dont know which one.

mogwai · 22 Dec 2011 at 13:49

Perhaps you could roll up a piece of paper and hold it to your ear to localise the source of the clicking.

olivier renault · 22 Dec 2011 at 14:37

yeah, isolate the origin of the sound, my guess is, the PSU.

olivier renault · 22 Dec 2011 at 14:40

hmm on second thought, swap out the GPU.

ryujinjakka · 22 Dec 2011 at 14:45

Got it all working again somhow, i stripped it all down and removeed/cleaned everything and erbuilt it and now its working so no idea what went wrong, it wasnt even particularly dusty as the cases had dust filters on them.

I think it was a psu problem though but no idea what was causing it. Thanks for all the advice offered, if it happens again i think i'll just rma the psu and test with a new one lol.

olivier renault · 22 Dec 2011 at 15:46

Maybe some gunk got dropped on the PSU fan, and the PSU cut off as a precaution.