New build makes noise

[bibabibab]

Grateful for help.

Just finished building my first PC (have not put in the case yet). Unfortunately it is making a consistent (but not uniform) light clicking noise. It is a noise that I have always associated with computers under heavy load, and always assumed it is the hdd making that noise.

But this system only has a ssd installed. I have disconnected the fans and it made no difference. So can't figure out what it could be or whether it is even a problem.

So I guess my question is, should a computer with ssd only be, other than the fans, absolutely silent?

 

[krzyimprt]

Grateful for help.

Just finished building my first PC (have not put in the case yet). Unfortunately it is making a consistent (but not uniform) light clicking noise. It is a noise that I have always associated with computers under heavy load, and always assumed it is the hdd making that noise.

But this system only has a ssd installed. I have disconnected the fans and it made no difference. So can't figure out what it could be or whether it is even a problem.

So I guess my question is, should a computer with ssd only be, other than the fans, absolutely silent?

You said it's outside of the case, should be pretty easy to determine where the noise is coming from.

 

[geofelt]

A good plan to assemble outside of the case first.

Take a paper tube and put it to your ear to locate the source of the clicking noise.

You should at least have the fan for the cooler running.

A clicking sound may be a fan blade touching a cable.
Or, it could be a unbalanced fan blade.

Look into the psu, the psu fan is likely running and it might be contacting a wire or such.
Perhaps it is a graphics card cooling fan touching something.

Sometimes a part will exhibit what is called coil whine, but that will not be a clicking noise.

 

[bibabibab]

It is definitely not a fan. PSU fan is not running, and I tried running it without the heatsink fans attached and I get the same noise.

Should a build without a hard drive or optical drive (and fans switched off) be making any noise at all?

I'll see if I can find a tube somewhere. May not be able to find one.

Maybe clicking is not the right term. Its more like tsch tsch tsch. It is not a constant and increases in frequency (not pitch) as computer starts working harder (particularly when downloading).

 

[geofelt]

Roll up a newspaper.

 

[bibabibab]

OK. Tried that to no avail. 🙁

 

[bibabibab]

Anyone else have any ideas?

 

[vMax]

Hmmm interesting. I have a 8700K and I too noticed a very quiet tsk, tsk rapidly repeating constant sound..I mean it is really, really quiet and usually I cant hear it, only when I go very near my computer to change or do some cleaning. I have localised it as I can best hear it when i listen right behind the CPU so the back side of the motherboard where the back plate of the CPU is...I have put it down to my pump...but I just cannot hear the pump from the front.

Thk...thk..thk very fast almost certainly electric in nature...probably my pump ..

 

[bibabibab]

Are you watercooled?

 

[bibabibab]

I was thinking that perhaps it is caused by bubbles int he thermal paste expanding and escaping (I removed the heat sink and reattached without cleaning the paste and reapply). But I am probably way off. It sounds almost like an old hdd.

 

[vMax]

Are you watercooled?

Yes, watercooled...And you are right, the closest thing it sounds like is the old HD activity sound but a lot quieter...

 

[bibabibab]

I disabled c1e, c3, C6 and c7 in bios and seemed to make a difference. Almost silent when idle, but as soon as I start doing anything the noise comes back but less intensely than before. So this at least narrows it down to something caused by voltage variation.