Question Clicking sound from PC

[Spacekeleton]

Hello, so, I have my PC that I built for 2.5 years now and after half a year I was returning GPU(MSI 3070 X Trio) to manufacturer because of unbalanced fan which was clicking constantly and they fixed it.

After month or two while I was cleaning off dust I noticed that GPU was not placed on support bracket like it was before (the small soft pad on bracket was touching area near a fan, a bit lower than GPU main frame, seems I overlooked it when I was placing it back) and pulled the bracket back a little so GPU could lie down on it like it's supposed to and made it like it should have been. You can see what I am talking about here.

Anyway, sometime after this, I started hearing clicking sounds from PC. They are single clicks which usually happen 1-2 times after I turn PC on and launch/exit games. They also may happen couple of times after I turn PC off, and stop after half an hour. They are not very loud, but noticeable, something like monitor's plastic clicking when it's temperature is changing, or same effect with car engine cooling off. One time when I opened the case and started PC to listen to it, the clicks were sounding somewhere from front part of the case, at the edge of MB and GPU and where front fans are placed. I didn't try to mess with parts to fix it since I have no idea if it can go worse instead.

So I have this issue for like 2 years now, PC is working fine like it was after first launch, but I still have no idea what started it (cleaning dust? or that milimeter change for bracket height?) and what can be causing it. Definitely not moving parts since clicking can be heard long after turning PC off and wires are not touching fans, and I doubt it has to do something with electricity because it would be fried after such long time. Can it be caused by temperature change like with monitors? Can it be the case itself? Anyone experienced something like that? Am I doomed?

P.S. I have no HDD which can make sounds like that

 

[Lutfij]

You might want to a sheet of A4 paper into a cylinder and hold one end up to your ear. use the other end to probe for the sound and when it occurs.

Try and have the PC on it's side so it's not resting on the support bracket and see if the fans are being impeded when they are rotating. While in this state, you can remove the support bracket and see if that removes the noise you speak of.

Please list the specs to your build like so:
CPU:
CPU cooler:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:
include the age of the PSU apart from it's make and model. BIOS version for your motherboard at this moment of time.

 

[Spacekeleton]

You might want to a sheet of A4 paper into a cylinder and hold one end up to your ear. use the other end to probe for the sound and when it occurs.

Try and have the PC on it's side so it's not resting on the support bracket and see if the fans are being impeded when they are rotating. While in this state, you can remove the support bracket and see if that removes the noise you speak of.

Please list the specs to your build like so:
CPU:
CPU cooler:
Motherboard:
Ram:
SSD/HDD:
GPU:
PSU:
Chassis:
OS:
Monitor:
include the age of the PSU apart from it's make and model. BIOS version for your motherboard at this moment of time.

Sound happens after like 2 minutes I turn PC on and somewhere like it after I boot up a game or close it. The most exact place from where the sound is coming from is somewhere front side of PC, while GPU fans are closer to back/mid.

Specs are here, all are same age - around 2.5 years old.

Cannot check BIOS version right now, but I never updated/changed it.

 

[AnirbanB]

A morbidly long explanation.-

The clicking noise from your PC could be due to several reasons. Here are some possibilities:

1. Fan Bearings: One common cause for such a noise is a slight misalignment in the bearings of one of the fans. This can occur due to wear and tear over time. Large fans, especially those in the PSU or at the rear of the case, are often culprits.

1. Case Fans: Another possibility could be the case fans. If the fans are not properly secured or if they have become loose, they might produce a clicking sound. It's also possible that the fans are not functioning correctly, perhaps due to a worn-out fan blade.

1. Interference: The clicking noise could also be due to electrical interference on the motherboard. This could potentially be caused by other components on the board, especially if there are traces running near sensitive electronic components.

To troubleshoot this issue, you can follow these steps:

• Check the fans: Inspect all the fans in your PC, including the GPU and case fans, to ensure they are properly secured and functioning correctly. Also, check if the fan blades are not worn out.

• Inspect the motherboard: Look for any signs of damage or dirt on the motherboard. Also, check for any loose components that might be causing interference.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

Check the fans: Inspect all the fans in your PC, including the GPU and case fans, to ensure they are properly secured and functioning correctly. Also, check if the fan blades are not worn out.

Focus in on power supply fan also

 

[Spacekeleton]

A morbidly long explanation.-

The clicking noise from your PC could be due to several reasons. Here are some possibilities:

1. Fan Bearings: One common cause for such a noise is a slight misalignment in the bearings of one of the fans. This can occur due to wear and tear over time. Large fans, especially those in the PSU or at the rear of the case, are often culprits.
2. Case Fans: Another possibility could be the case fans. If the fans are not properly secured or if they have become loose, they might produce a clicking sound. It's also possible that the fans are not functioning correctly, perhaps due to a worn-out fan blade.
3. Interference: The clicking noise could also be due to electrical interference on the motherboard. This could potentially be caused by other components on the board, especially if there are traces running near sensitive electronic components.

To troubleshoot this issue, you can follow these steps:

• Check the fans: Inspect all the fans in your PC, including the GPU and case fans, to ensure they are properly secured and functioning correctly. Also, check if the fan blades are not worn out.
• Inspect the motherboard: Look for any signs of damage or dirt on the motherboard. Also, check for any loose components that might be causing interference.

I checked on all that when this was really bothering me, for like first year of problem, and from what I can tell, this could be one of the front fans, though I have no idea why would it make this sound after turning PC off and from what I checked on screws, they are seated well.

Forgot to mention the case fans are Noctua NF-S12A PWM, so these are not ones of the cheapest and are less likely to fail. But if one of them will just stop one day, I guess nothing catastrophic can happen since they are not CPU/GPU/PSU fans and I will be able to replace them without problem after that.

 

[JohnBonhamsGhost]

with a system produced sound like this the first thing i always do is start with all accessible fans;
with all running, gently press on the center of each until fully stopped.
if sound stops you found the culprit.
if no good move on to harder to access fans one at a time and do the same.

with fans out of the way start checking case panels in the same fashion;
hold each section in place and stop any possible vibration to see if the sound stops.

is still no good hold motherboard steady in place,
graphics card,
CPU cooler,
every separate component...

at this point if still haven't located;
breadboard the system outside of the case and really focus in on the sound as Lutfij described.