Question PC freezes after random flick sound ?

Aug 2, 2022
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A bit of info about my PC:
I've had this PC for around 8 years, and recently it has been making this random "flick" sound. The sound is the same as when I turn off the PC using the physical button (audio link attached below). It happens multiple times during boot-up and during medium-heavy load (like gaming), but sometimes also when just using Chrome. A few seconds after the click, the whole PC would freeze up for a couple of seconds and becomes super slow after (can't even open folders). I checked the temps and everything looks normal, but I did see a sudden spike to 100% in the task manager when the flick occurs.
(Audio: https://www.file.io/9OXI/download/fqxSv3AJt5Ps)

PC Specs:
  • CPU: Intel Core i5 3470
  • GPU: Gigabyte GTX 1050 (1 Fan | 2GB)
  • RAM: Micron 16JTF51264AZ-1G4M1 (2x4GB | 1333Mhz)
  • MBD: Asus P8H61-M LX3 Plus R2.0
  • PSU: Alcatroz Magnum Pro 275x (550W)
  • HDD: Seagate Barracuda 1TB
Question:
During the 8 years of using this PC, I've never encountered a problem like this. Does anyone have any idea about what's causing this and the solution?
- Thanks in advance
 
Aug 2, 2022
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Welcome to the forums, newcomer!

Source(don't buy) a branded, reliably built, 650W, donor PSU and then power up the system to see if the issue is alleviated.

Hi there, thanks for the quick reply and probable solution.

I won't be able to borrow a PSU for a few days, but is there any way to (maybe) temporarily fix the freezing or check the PSU itself to confirm it's causing this?

Also just wondering, I've had this power supply for almost 8 years with no problem, but it just suddenly does this out of nowhere. Do power supplies just normally this?
 

Lutfij

Titan
Moderator
You should consider yourself lucky since an 8 years for a PSU of that build quality can and will nuke your home(not kidding). Similar to how people age and become less agile over time, a PSU can and will degrade over time...effectively it looses it's ability to output necessary power to a system.

Also, I didn't ask you to buy into a new PSU, I asked you to source a PSU to see if that alleviates the problem. Troubleshooting is a process of elimination, not just pointing a finger and confidently saying "that is the culprit!".
 
I'm very suspicious of the PSU as well.
All power supplies have a lifespan of use, some shorter than others due to quality and the demands placed on the unit.
You could download and run HWInfo (free) and see what it reports on system voltages. It will show a history of peaks and dips, as well as current output voltages..look for those max and min voltages and confirm that they are within + or - 5% (5 volt no lower than 4.5 and no higher than 5.5v). Pay particular attention to the 12 volt output.
 
Aug 2, 2022
9
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You should consider yourself lucky since an 8 years for a PSU of that build quality can and will nuke your home(not kidding). Similar to how people age and become less agile over time, a PSU can and will degrade over time...effectively it looses it's ability to output necessary power to a system.

Ah I see, and also feel a bit grateful (Haha...). Thanks for the clear explanation too.

I'm very suspicious of the PSU as well.
All power supplies have a lifespan of use, some shorter than others due to quality and the demands placed on the unit.
You could download and run HWInfo (free) and see what it reports on system voltages. It will show a history of peaks and dips, as well as current output voltages..look for those max and min voltages and confirm that they are within + or - 5% (5 volt no lower than 4.5 and no higher than 5.5v). Pay particular attention to the 12 volt output.

Thanks for the suggestion.
I'll run a check tomorrow, and notify the results ASAP.

One more question, I did put this problem on another forum website, and they replied with something to do with the harddrive (since I don't use an SSD). Could that also be the source of the problem?
 
Aug 2, 2022
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Could be. Like I said, process of elimination. If you have an SSD at hand, install the OS onto it and see if there are any lockups.

I unfortunately don't have a spare SSD right now, but I'll run all the checks, both for the PSU and HDD, and update the post as soon as I get the results. Thanks once again.
 

Lutfij

Titan
Moderator
It'd be easier if you had a spare HDD at hand and then installed the OS onto it, to rule out the point about your current HDD being at fault. Also, you're advised to keep as little partitions on an HDD as possible. What OS are you working with?
 
Aug 2, 2022
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I'm very suspicious of the PSU as well.
All power supplies have a lifespan of use, some shorter than others due to quality and the demands placed on the unit.
You could download and run HWInfo (free) and see what it reports on system voltages. It will show a history of peaks and dips, as well as current output voltages..look for those max and min voltages and confirm that they are within + or - 5% (5 volt no lower than 4.5 and no higher than 5.5v). Pay particular attention to the 12 volt output.

I just did the diagnostics in HWInfo, but it seems that the program didn't manage to identify each type of system voltages (as seen in the picture). I placed a picture below and a log file. FYI, during the entire check-up, it made a flick sound 3 times. Could you help me check to see if there are any abnormalities down below?
(Link: https://file.io/rzKnLnkHF42A)
 
Aug 2, 2022
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It'd be easier if you had a spare HDD at hand and then installed the OS onto it, to rule out the point about your current HDD being at fault. Also, you're advised to keep as little partitions on an HDD as possible. What OS are you working with?

I believe it was only partitioned into 2 parts, since it only says "Local Disk C:" and "Data D:". It originally came with a Windows 7, but I did upgrade it myself to a Windows 10 a few years ago.
 

DSzymborski

Titan
Moderator
The PSU is quite frightening; it's a fake 550W and not even a 200W when it was new.

That should be enough to power the system, but something like this, it can very easily damage anything at any time and damage things over time. So even if there's a busted component in there and the PSU appears to be functional, it could be the PSU.
 
Aug 2, 2022
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The PSU is quite frightening; it's a fake 550W and not even a 200W when it was new.

That should be enough to power the system, but something like this, it can very easily damage anything at any time and damage things over time. So even if there's a busted component in there and the PSU appears to be functional, it could be the PSU.

I guess it's safe to assume it to be a PSU problem for now then. Alright, I'll try to borrow a branded power supply at a computer store or something and will give an update in a few days.

In the mean time, do you have any suggestions on how many wattage that would suffice the specs mentioned above and a good (but on tight) budget power supply?

Since there's really no good value upgrade options for this PC, I'd like to minimize the money spent on this machine. Also, thanks for the reply.
 

DSzymborski

Titan
Moderator
I wouldn't necessarily assume it's the PSU. It could be a contributing factor or it could be a coincidence. Your inclination to not invest money into a PC of this age is a good one. If the PC works well with another PSU, I'd probably source a Corsair VS just to keep it running.
 
Aug 2, 2022
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I wouldn't necessarily assume it's the PSU. It could be a contributing factor or it could be a coincidence. Your inclination to not invest money into a PC of this age is a good one. If the PC works well with another PSU, I'd probably source a Corsair VS just to keep it running.

Thanks for the suggestion. One more question, what's the difference between "buying" and "sourcing" a power supply? I'm still a bit confused.
 
Aug 2, 2022
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In case you haven't already, back up your machine.

To me that sounds more like HDD failure than PSU.

Hi, thanks for the reply. How do I check if it's really an HDD failure? I tries doing the SMART check with the command prompt and it came out OK, but is it actually valid?

The PSU is quite frightening; it's a fake 550W and not even a 200W when it was new.

That should be enough to power the system, but something like this, it can very easily damage anything at any time and damage things over time. So even if there's a busted component in there and the PSU appears to be functional, it could be the PSU.

Oh, another thinf is the other forum just pointed out about the really high temperatures on the motherboard. Is it just HWInfo failing to regocnize my old motherboard or is it really something to be worried about?