Noisy PC - What part to blame?

DAMIENNOLAN · 2 Jul 2008 at 20:51

[UPDATE] Noisy PC - What part to blame?

I've recently put together a new pc comprising mostly new parts except for the optical drives and the case which i've had for the last few years.

The pc itself is running perfectly except that it is very noisy, a constant loud hum.

Can anyone identify what component might be at the root of the problem and/or suggest a solution.

Components (all new):
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM
Gigabyte GeForce 8800 GT OC 512MB GDDR3 HDTV/Dual DVI (PCI-Express) -
Arctic Cooling Freezer 7 Pro CPU Cooler (Socket LGA775)
OCZ 4GB (2x2GB) PC2-6400C4 800MHz Reaper HPC Enhanced Bandwidth Edition Dual Channel DDR2 (OCZ2RPR800C44GK)
OcUK Value IP35 Pro Intel P35 (Socket 775) PCI-Express DDR2 Motherboard
Akasa Ultra Quiet 650W PowerPlus Active PFC ATX2.0 PSU
Intel Core 2 Quad Pro Q6600 "Energy Efficient SLACR 95W Edition" 2.40GHz (1066FSB)

Case:
Chieftec Dragon MidiTower, w/Door, Blue

Beans on toast Dave · 2 Jul 2008 at 20:54

Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM

i reckon its that

Glaucus · 2 Jul 2008 at 20:59

challengedavid said:
Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 500GB SATA-II 32MB Cache - OEM

i reckon its that

I very much doubt it's that, As it's a constant noise.

Take the side of the case of and stop one fan at a time. Nothing will overheat by stopping the fan for a few seconds.

Beans on toast Dave · 2 Jul 2008 at 21:02

AcidHell2 said:
I very much doubt it's that, As it's a constant noise.

Take the side of the case of and stop one fan at a time. Nothing will overheat by stopping the fan for a few seconds.

well mine makes my case hum with another drive in its fine

Qdos · 2 Jul 2008 at 21:05

If you can, check the PSU fan as well. My brother had that on a recent build, it was bugging the hell out of me till I (foolishly or bravely) went in there and found the fan housing was loose.

I'd also check that the fans are seated properly as that can cause it, as can improperly seated HDDs. If you feel the case, you might be able to narrow down where its coming from - also listen in as close as you dare

Wayne~ · 2 Jul 2008 at 21:17

Usually case fan/ CPU fan

ash_scotland88 · 2 Jul 2008 at 21:20

AcidHell2 said:
I very much doubt it's that, As it's a constant noise.

Take the side of the case of and stop one fan at a time. Nothing will overheat by stopping the fan for a few seconds.

dont stop the fan using your fingers......

Glaucus · 2 Jul 2008 at 21:21

ash_scotland88 said:
dont stop the fan using your fingers......

it's fine, if you stop it by touching the centre.

challengedavid said:
well mine makes my case hum with another drive in its fine

That can't be healthy, it shouldn't be making a loud hum all the time.

ash_scotland88 · 2 Jul 2008 at 21:22

if it was myself i would have just shoved my finger in there XD

Beans on toast Dave · 2 Jul 2008 at 21:26

AcidHell2 said:
it's fine,

That can't be healthy, it shouldn't be making a loud hum all the time.

i have adjusted it now so its ok, was enoying me quite a bit

krooton · 2 Jul 2008 at 21:53

The GT fan is pretty noisy, that would be my guess.

Seagates are quiet.

Maybe the standard case fans, chieftec aren't exactly known for silence

Duke · 2 Jul 2008 at 22:08

HD vibrating in chassis?

DAMIENNOLAN · 2 Jul 2008 at 22:13

Duke said:
HD vibrating in chassis?

No, don't think so. It's not that sort of noise, much more like a hum than a rattle. I still have to investigate but i initially suspect fans or perhaps psu, all possibly combined with the case.

DAMIENNOLAN · 2 Jul 2008 at 23:34

by a crude process of elimination, I think the biggest noise culprits are the:
1) cpu fan (most noise)
2) psu (some noise, but acceptable)
3) the case (doesnt seem to carry noise very well)

what can i do to try reduce the cpu fan noise?
would replacing the cpu fan without the original intel stock fan make a difference?
(replacing the case isnt out of the question either)

Corasik · 2 Jul 2008 at 23:52

See if the motherboard supports heat dependant fan speeds. I allow my CPU to reach 60-65 degrees (setting in bios) and because of that the fan runs at a considerably reduced speed even at full load. Slower fan = quiet fan.

Glaucus · 3 Jul 2008 at 06:47

if you have some money get a new heatsink and possibly a new case.

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showp...Classic Series Silent Midi-Tower Case - Black

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showp...=Noctua NH-U12P CPU Cooler (Socket AM2/LGA775)
or

http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showp...=Noctua NH-U12P CPU Cooler (Socket AM2/LGA775) with http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showp...a NF-S12 800RPM 120mm Silent Case Fan - 3 Pin

But then you will find your psu noisey...

MontyUK · 3 Jul 2008 at 07:23

If it's a low frequency hum, rather than a higer frequency whine, it might be a loose piece on the case, or it's up against a wall. The whole case will vibrate a little and anything loose will rattle - like a car.

thefishdude · 3 Jul 2008 at 10:46

the ac7 opro can make a bit of noise when at full speed i hae one and yo can deffinatly ear it.

i run mine at 50% speed and cant hear it all now. i just use the bios to control the fan speed or as its abit board can use abit guru overclokcing thig wich can control fan speed also. soo that mineonly goes full speed when cpu reaches 60c, wich so far has been never lol

bledd · 3 Jul 2008 at 11:48

AcidHell2 said:
it's fine, if you stop it by touching the centre.

unless the fan says Delta EHE on it

DAMIENNOLAN · 9 Jul 2008 at 21:13

UPDATE

So, i replaced the Artic Pro 7 fan with the standard Intel stock fan. That has made a considerable difference however it is only half the problem, the psu is definitely creating a lot of noise as well.

I am considering replacing the psu as well and wonder can anyone recommend a very quiet psu.

One which I am considering is the the Corsair TX 650W ATX2.2 SLi Compliant PSU. Seems to have good reviews reagrding quietness.

All advice appreciated.

P.S. I tried swapping some parts with a mates pc so I am 100% sure that my current psu is the cause of the remaining noise. Only a small part is due to the pc case.