PC Subtle Chugging Noise

[sunnybubblegum]

Hello,

I've just started getting a subtle chugging noise from my computer within the last day or so.

The chugging noise mostly happens when booting up my system, opening programs, closing programs, and visiting web pages. However, my computer is running as fast as ever, and appears generally unaffected by it. I can still play intensive 3D games without any performance hit.

I ran a test in my computer's Disk Utility program, and it says my disk is healthy.

This just started happening about two days after I reinstalled an old discrete graphics card.

While the case was open and on its side, I used a Q-Tip to remove some of the dust bunnies on the CPU fan.

Any insight is appreciated. Thank you.

System specifications:
Asus M4A78LT-M LE Motherboard
AMD Athlon II X4 645, 3.10 GHz
8GB RAM
Western Digital WD5000AAKS 500GB SATA
Nvidia GeForce GT 240
Nvidia Driver Version 331.38

 

[jkhoward]

Chugging noise?

Like a train?

I would see if any of your computer fans are going out. It could be the bearing is bad on a case fan or GPU fan that is causing the noise. While you system is under a load the fans try to spin fasting, kind of like chugging along on a train track, and yeah. Start with the fans!

 

[sunnybubblegum]

I guess it's more like a very light grinding noise, that happens in short fits or staccatos. Could this still have to do with the fans?

Chugging noise?

Like a train?

I would see if any of your computer fans are going out. It could be the bearing is bad on a case fan or GPU fan that is causing the noise. While you system is under a load the fans try to spin fasting, kind of like chugging along on a train track, and yeah. Start with the fans!

 

[jkhoward]

Definitely. It sounds more like the fans than anything else after that description. It is a horrible idea to stick your fingers into the fan to see if the noise stops. However, I do it anyways.. it is the easiest way to test to see if a fan is defective. You may even be able to feel play on the fan if you grab it, it may feel loose. This could be because the bearing inside of the fan has eroded away so much that there is play on the fan.



EDIT: Smarter idea.. unplug one fan at a time until the sound goes away!

 

[BigBadBeef]

One of your fan's bearing has worn out, when you boot up your computer, your fans will initially run @100% until the cool&quiet tech (or the intel/nvidia equivalent) kicks in. "Light" damage is only audible at full load. So then the compromised fan will still run for a while, but the next time you clean your case, hold your fans still before blowing dust off them to slow further deterioration of your fan bearings.