Question Can someone help me figure out if i have a serious problem?

[ShoGun0387]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1584565102488915968

I have a Nvidia GeForce 3080 with i9 10850k. This sound recently started happening. I first tried to remedy it with compressed air because the inside of the case was dirty because real life kept me away from my pc for 10 months. Now I'm back to it and I'm hoping this isn't really bad.

I should point out it does this when I'm playing games like fortnite, warzone etc. It continues doing this until several minutes after I close the game. Then eventually it gets whisper quiet again.

 

[Eximo]

Sounds like a fan is hitting something, and if it stops after GPU usage, almost certainly a GPU fan.

You didn't film them, so it is hard to say. But take a look and see if any of the GPU fan wires have come out of their little nooks. It is possible the fan has failed and that is the bearing you are hearing.

If it is a relatively new purchase, consider contacting the card manufacturer for a replacement fan or RMA.

 

[ShoGun0387]

Sounds like a fan is hitting something, and if it stops after GPU usage, almost certainly a GPU fan.

You didn't film them, so it is hard to say. But take a look and see if any of the GPU fan wires have come out of their little nooks. It is possible the fan has failed and that is the bearing you are hearing.

If it is a relatively new purchase, consider contacting the card manufacturer for a replacement fan or RMA.

I've had the PC for 2 years. Which was built by cyberpower. Do I need to take out the GPU to check this? I'm not sure how to do it without screwing it up. I can't open up the case and check the fans during a game because I'd get shocked or worse. How do I check this? New to the maintenance side of this.

 

[Grobe]

Serious problem, no - not so much really.

Ok, unless you've actually have being messing around in the cabinet yourself lately then you must ask yourself what inside is loose and can be moved in such way that it hits the fan. Unless you find a reason, I'd assume there is a fan bearing that is getting bad. The sound can in some cases be quite similar to the fan blades hitting some object too close.

The risk of running this way - when the fan stop spinning, then expect the cooling to be an issue, how much on an issue will depend on what particular fan is the problem.

 

[Eximo]

I've had the PC for 2 years. Which was built by cyberpower. Do I need to take out the GPU to check this? I'm not sure how to do it without screwing it up. I can't open up the case and check the fans during a game because I'd get shocked or worse. How do I check this? New to the maintenance side of this.

Computers run on low voltage. There is no real risk of shock with an open chassis. Plenty of insulation on the wires, and you are not expected to be touching the circuits on the board. As long as you aren't licking your fingers and intentionally bridging positive and negative leads anyway. Then you might feel a tingle. (See licking a 9V battery for a comparison (when fully charged this can actually be near 12V (6 2v cells))

Simply power down the system, remove the GPU power cables. GPUs are typically held in with 2-3 screws at the expansion slot/rear I/O and a tab at the end of the PCIe slot (towards the front of the computer) you have to depress while pulling on the card. Plenty of online videos can show you, just search "Upgrade GPU" or "GPU Removal".

2 years is a bit much and well beyond CyberPower's support, though depending on who made the GPU it may still be covered.

Replacement fans aren't impossible to find, would just need the exact GPU model to point you in the right direction.

 

[ShoGun0387]

Serious problem, no - not so much really.

Ok, unless you've actually have being messing around in the cabinet yourself lately then you must ask yourself what inside is loose and can be moved in such way that it hits the fan. Unless you find a reason, I'd assume there is a fan bearing that is getting bad. The sound can in some cases be quite similar to the fan blades hitting some object too close.

The risk of running this way - when the fan stop spinning, then expect the cooling to be an issue, how much on an issue will depend on what particular fan is the problem.

So it's not like it's going to blow up the PC or GPU suddenly or is that something I should worry about?

 

[Grobe]

So it's not like it's going to blow up the PC or GPU suddenly or is that something I should worry about?

No, its more subtle. If something goes, it usually doesn't go with a bang.

But - I seriously recommend you take your computer to a repair shop so they can identify the correct fan and replace it.