PSU "Clicking"

[wesimmo]

There's a noise developed on my Corsair GS 650.

I think i bought it within the last 2.5 years from PC World (impatience, my new 5850 arrived and overloaded the old PSU and i couldn't wait to use the card...)

Anyway the noise sounds like when a fan cable is just touching a fan, that slight clicking noise.

It's been happening for a couple of days now and TBH i thought it was exactly that, a fan cable, as i had just replaced an SSD so assumed i'd dislodged a cable.

I finally got round to trying to sort it today and realised that the noise was coming from the PSU, confirmed by the missus.

Should i stop using the machine now until a new PSU is in place or is it safe to use with a view to replacing once i know how much Xmas as going to cost?

 

[EdgeDs]

The safest thing to do is Stop using it till the problem is identified at least but Corsair do tend to have good fail protections in place

 

[OhEsEcks]

I would use a tooth pick or something wood/plastic to prevent the PSU fan from spinning up when you power on the machine (NOTHING METAL) and if there's no noise it's definitely the fan (probably a bearing or two gone in it) as opposed to capacitors. If it continues to click even though the fan isn't spinning it's capacitors which means it's only a matter of time before those go.

You can replace the fan if you're handy with a soldering iron. But just make sure you leave the PSU to discharge before you go poking a screwdriver and soldering iron around in there or you'll light yourself up like a christmas tree.

I wouldn't bother trying to replace capacitors myself and would just buy a new PSU.

 

[OvEr_KiLL]

buy a differnt psu but not the same again and sell the one you get back from the rma

 

[rapt0r]

Check the fan isn't catching slightly on the grill too, had an old Antec that would make a similar noise for the first 30 mins or so until it had warmed up and the metal on the grill had expanded just a tiny amount so the plastic fan wasn't catching anymore.

 

[wesimmo]

It didn't do it at all yesterday so is suspect it's going to be something catching somewhere depending on the heat, i'll look into it more when i'm back at home, cheers for the input.