Humming Noise From Computer - Any Computer Geeks Here?

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I'm a bit of a computer geek myself but it seems to enough to solve this problem

Recently I've been hearing an unusually loud humming noise from my computer, and I also heard a slight crackling noise. I think it's coming from one of the fans (Includes possibility of power supply unit).

It's rather dusty as well, but does this noise mean that I have to just clean out the fan or do I need to replace it? Or could it just have come loose?I

If I'm gonna determine which fan is making the noise, should run the computer with the case open? Or is that a bad idea?

EDIT: At first I ruled out the possiblity of the humming noise being the hard disk, but now I take that back, and I'm suspecting that the humming noise is coming from around the hard disk, as it only seems to happen when I'm playing a memory-intensive computer game, and when the noise comes it usually throbs. I have backed up my files.

And I'm pretty sure the crackling is coming from the case fan now.

SpeedFan, tmperatures and voltages:


Fan1: 2926RPM
Fan2: 2100RPM

Ambient: 40C
Remote 1: 44C
Remote 2: 33C
HD0: 27C
Temp1: 19C

+2.5V: 2.42V
Vcore: 1.71V
+3.3V: 3.27V
+5V: 5.16V
+12V: 11.63V

+3.3V: 3.25V
+1.5V: 1.51V
+1.8V: 1.83V

Dust is the enemy of the computer.
Loud crackling noises usually come from partially broken wires.

Best advice I can think of is PM Kitsy. She's a kind of a computer geek, even though she's not a geek.

Btdt

sounds like you need to replace the power unit.

Shouldn't cost too much and its easy to do yourself.

This was a *slight* crackling noise, not a loud one hehe.

They sell aersol cans of 'air' to blow out computers. Dont shake.

probably the rattling of a bad fan bearing. I'd replace justhe fan and not the whole computer!...they are pretty cheap and not too terribly hard to install.

First you have to figure out exactly what is causing the noise. (or at least what part is).

Second clean the computer. Even if this isn't the cause of the current issues, it's a good thing and will help in the long run.

Three, unless you're doing serious overclocking or in a high heat environment, you can safely run with the side panels off of your case. The entire case structure (of good cases at least) is designed to funnel air flow where it is needed most. By removing the panels you change this air flow.

Once you figure out where the noise is coming from let us know. Crackling sounds could be a lot of different things. If it is electrical, it could be coming from the power supply which could mean just a simple cleaning will fix it or it may need be replacing.

Dust is bad. I've had a PC so packed with dust that when I powered it up for the first time back at my shop with the case off it burst into flames. So make sure to at least get that fixed.

I think I can rule out the PSU for the crackling noise.

I don't know about the unusual humming though.

I thought i might just mention the same thing happened to me, except I have a laptop- so the reason might be completely different

turns out the adaptor (im no expert so if it doesnt make sense it was the battery thing) was overheating, or something like that.

prob doesn't help you but I thought i might mention it anyway because i heard the same sounds as what you were describing

I'm a computer geek but it loks like i'm too late to be of any help

also if it's crackling are you sure the plugs in completely and not loose (not the mains plug, the other connections)

Depending on your definition of the "sound of crackling" it could be hair in the spindle of a fan. This can sound uncannily like crackling, especially if it knocks it askew and it is rubbing on a cage. Basically just need to take the fan off and remove said hair if that is what it is.

Other than that I can't really add anything new to anything anyone else has said.

If it is arcing however, and that is the source of the crackling, you might want to disconnect and cover all the LED's on your boards and then turn out any room lighting. Then turn your computer on and watch for any light where there shouldn't be light. Most cases it will be in the PSU, but if it is loud enough that you can hear it over the sound of your computer then it's probably gonna be big... well, big enough to see at any rate. The fact it is still going says something

Oh, and I'll just go ahead and echo the advice of everyone else and recommend cleaning it.

Remember, take care of your computer... and it will take care of you

There are various freeware applications that will let you monitor the voltage to different areas of your computer. That would possibly show a short circuit.

I'll post the voltages and temperatures using SpeedFan.