psu making odd noise under high load

aardvark · 10 Jun 2020 at 18:33

Hi,

i am using a Golden Green HX 750W "80 Plus Gold" Semi-Modular Power Supply that i bought in 2005 from ocuk and its been making odd noises when my graphics card is under heavy load.
It only happens when my 1070Ti is working at 95% or more (and the gpu power is 95% or higher as shown by afterburner).

Its not coil whine, its sort of a crackling or quiet sharp 'ticks' - a bit like a fan catching but i'm pretty sure it isn't the fan.

is this a problem?
or fixable?

cheers

aardvark · 10 Jun 2020 at 20:53

Mcnumpty2323 said:
is that a typo?
did you mean 2015?

sorry yes, it was 2015

aardvark · 10 Jun 2020 at 22:07

james.miller said:
There can be any number of reasons why a component might tick, but if it's only under heavy load and the pc is otherwise stable i wouldnt worry about it. Just keep an eye on the 12v rail (with a multi meter, preferably). Also if you dont already, try limiting your framerates as that can really help with weird squealing and ticking.

yeah its rock stable, never had a problem.

i can put up with the noise, i was just worried that it might mean potential failure soon.

aardvark · 21 Jun 2020 at 11:41

Paul_RD said:
Sounds like my toaster as it heats up and cools down.

Is it still under warranty?
If it's out of warranty, you could take it apart and give it a good clean and visual inspection to check for signs of overheating/fan catching/something moving/flexing.

nope, not under warranty.

i had though about opening it up but i'm a bit nervous about doing so - i usually take things apart but i've never done it to a psu before.

aardvark · 21 Jun 2020 at 12:04

Paul_RD said:
You need to let it sit unplugged for a period of time to allow the capacitors to drain or else you could get a nasty electrical shock from them.
If in doubt and you don't feel confident, don't do it - perhaps you could find someone who can do it for you?
There is no guarantee that taking it apart will solve your problem anyway: If you find a fault - can you fix it? If you don't find a fault - would you trust it?
Perhaps it's best to look for and buy a new PSU whilst there are still a very few left in stock (not many, but there be none at all in stock soon).

cheers, i'll have a think and see if i'm brave enough