Buzzing sound coming from my PC

[MichaelM8]

Every so often whilst im using my pc, a constant buzzing noise comes from the back of my PC and ive located it to be around the PSU area, it stops for a while( or mabye its really quiet) and carries on for a bit. I just got a new PC during christmas and i spent alot on it. I am wondering if i should be concerned at all or its just something normal.

 

[the nerd 389]

It could be a couple of things, but they aren't good.

The least serious is a cable is getting hit by fan blades, and that wouldn't happen within the PSU. You can find it fairly easily if this is the case.

It could also be a fan bearing going out. If this is the problem, you can identify the one that's about to go by feeling around the fans. If any are vibrating particularly strongly, you can tap on it to see if the buzzing stops. If it does, it probably has some variation of a sleeve bearing, and it's on it's last leg. Order a replacement. If it doesn't stop, you just need to wait until the noise does stop, and feel around again. The problem fan would be shaking noticeably less when the noise isn't present.

If it's coming from within the PSU, replace the PSU. It's about to go. You might have a week, two months, or a few hours of life left in it.

If it's a hard drive, back it up ASAP. Same deal as with the PSU.

 

[MichaelM8]

Hi Nerd 389, ive opened up my pc and turned it on. I listened closely to the psu and i couldnt hear anything, but i heard a slight noise from hard drive. When i put my case on, i cant hear any noise.

 

[the nerd 389]

In that case, you should wait for it to start buzzing again. You described the issue as something that doesn't happen all the time, so you'll just need to try and look when it starts making the sound.

The hard drive will make some noise, but it's usually more like a click than a buzz. If you work the drive REALLY hard, such as with a random IOPS stress test, it can make a noise something like buzzing, but less harsh.

If you could upload a recording of the sound when it happens, I might be able to identify it. A parts list might also help.

 

[MichaelM8]

In that case, you should wait for it to start buzzing again. You described the issue as something that doesn't happen all the time, so you'll just need to try and look when it starts making the sound.

The hard drive will make some noise, but it's usually more like a click than a buzz. If you work the drive REALLY hard, such as with a random IOPS stress test, it can make a noise something like buzzing, but less harsh.

If you could upload a recording of the sound when it happens, I might be able to identify it. A parts list might also help.

I have intel i7, GTX 1070, EVGA Nexus 650G psu, 1tb HDD and 120ssd.
Only when i put my ear right up to back of the unit i can hear a very faint buzz from the PSU. Now less frequently, it buzzes louder, (btw i don't mind the sound). Here is what it sounds like: https://youtu.be/jSwhrZBy8c0

Also, i notice this noise comes from my TV and monitor, on a seperate thread someone said this noise could be due to poor grounding as ive just moved house a few weeks ago.

 

[the nerd 389]

It could potentially be poor grounding. It's more likely that there's a high power device on the circuit that's injecting noise into the power line. There aren't many inexpensive options to get rid of that sort of interference, and it's not good for most electronics. If you can find out what the source is, your best bet is to replace whatever it is with a modern version. The devices that cause that type of interference tend to be either very old or very cheap.

That said, it's certainly not a bearing failing, so you should be okay for now. I'd get a nice surge protector at the very least, though. A power conditioner might also help your electronics last a bit longer.