Question Small Click Sounds when launching apps (Paranoia Question)

[gabrio81]

hi,

So, I just assembled a new PC, it runs extremely well but i observed some small "clicks" when you launch an app under Windows10 - perhaps i am just paranoid and i wanted to know if this is kinda "normal" or it's because it's drawing power, etc.

It seems to happen when there's a "load", i.e. when i launch Mullvad VPN or Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Photoshop, something a bit heavy, makes that "click". nothing strange happens, no warnings nothing, temperatures are good as well.

My hardware:

DeepCool LT 720 AIO - already disconnected all fans one by one, clicks still there
Asus Prime z790-A Wifi
INTEL CORE I7-13700KF 5.4GHZ LGA1700 Processor
SSD Samsung PRO 990 1 TB
Corsair HX1000i Fully Modular Ultra Quiet ATX Power Supply

Tuning done via Asus Suite3 and in BIOS shows the red one, it did the auto tuning thing, etc - runs at 5.5 ghz - no issues and temps are great

There's no other moving hard disk installed inside the case, etc and no mouse clicking as the mouse as "quiet clicks".

Here's the paranoia video, you can hear some "click" sounds at these minutes: 0:30, 0:48, 0:49, 0:50, 0:54, 0:58, 1:03.

Dropbox

www.dropbox.com

-> Question: Could the clicks be simply electrical current running through the transistors of the motherboard and when you launch an app there's more power draw?

Asus support said "It would not be abnormal for the capacitators or transistors to make a similar noise when being stressed. The sound however is more like a mechanical clicking noise from a mouse or fan."

thanks,
Gab

 

[Lutfij]

Just an FYI, your fans are oriented the wrong way, the air from the fans should be going into the case instead of exhausting out the front. The AIO should also be mounted to the top of the case to avoid cavitation in your pump.

You might want to get a hold of a sheet of A4 paper, then roll it into a tube. Hold on end of the tube to your ear and the other end to the case's innards to inspect for the source the click that you hear.

 

[gabrio81]

Thanks but that's not possible as it's a 360mm AIO and DeepCool also recommends this installation on this case this way, i already asked them. There's no space to put it at the top and i cannot put it with the tubes at the bottom, either. This is the only way possible. CPU Temps now are 30-35C idle and 70-80C max under full stress test load which is pretty good to me.

By the way If i put the fans the other way, they will put air INSIDE of the case, which isn't good either as well.

As for the clicky noise, that's a novel way of trying it, ehhe cheers

 

[Misgar]

I agree with Lutfij. It would be better if you could change the orientation of your radiator.

These (rather long) videos demonstrate air bubbles trapped at the top of the radiator can cause gurgling and popping noises.

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKwA7ygTJn0

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbGomv195sk

There's a lot of controversy about the "correct" way to mount an AIO system, but you've avoided the worst instance where the pump is at the top of the loop, trapping air which causes cavitation and reduces pump lifetime.

If your pipes are long enough, try inverting the radiator (pipes enter at bottom of radiator) and see if the clicking noises disappear. You should certainly hear fewer bubbling sounds, because air will rise to the top of the radiator, leaving the inlet and outlet pipes completely immersed in coolant.

If your pipes aren't long enough to invert the radiator, temporarily pull the radiator out of the case and hold it horizontally (above the level of the pump) then listen for clicking noises. Air will rise to the very top of the radiator, leaving both pipes fully immersed in coolant.

If you still hear clicking noises, use Lutfij's "sounding tube" to listen for cavitation in the pump. If that sounds OK, move the tube around the case, listening to fans (worn bearings), hard disks (click of death), PSU (coil whine) and anything else you're suspicious about.

 

[gabrio81]

ehm, do you guys read my replies?!?!?!

i said: you cannot mount the radiator at the top on this case, which is a Corsair 4000D, that is the ONLY location possible, already confirmed to me by Corsair and DeepCool.

YOU cannot put the pipes downwards either, there's simply not space unless i carve the case with a chainsaw.

 

[gabrio81]

Also, there are no bubbling sounds, there are just these weird clicks when i open an app - if i don't do anything there's no clicks, zero quiet. it's just a bit odd. but not disturbing at all.

It really sounds like electrical sounds to me, i will also ask Corsair since it could be a capacitor of this massive 1KW power supply as well, perhaps.

 

[gabrio81]

Lastly, i might remove the radiator and keep it outside while flipping it, just for testing purposes, but that's a bit too much work with these temperatures in Summer

thanks for tips anyway

i just emailed Corsair the same question anyway, let's see if they add anything to this....about the PSU.

 

[Misgar]

If you've tracked the noise down to the Corsair PSU, it could be a spark jumping between two layers inside the foil wound 400V bulk electrolytic if it's failing. In a 1kW PSU, this capacitor could be quite large at 4,700uF or 5,600uF. There's also the vague possibility of breakdown in the Class-X and Class-Y EMI filter caps.

The PSU design should incorporate sufficient creepage and clearance distances between the HT and SELV circuits, but that doesn't prevent the possibility of other component failure or poor construction.

 

[gabrio81]

If you've tracked the noise down to the Corsair PSU, it could be a spark jumping between two layers inside the foil wound 400V bulk electrolytic if it's failing. In a 1kW PSU, this capacitor could be quite large at 4,700uF or 5,600uF. There's also the vague possibility of breakdown in the Class-X and Class-Y EMI filter caps.

The PSU design should incorporate sufficient creepage and clearance distances between the HT and SELV circuits, but that doesn't prevent the possibility of other component failure or poor construction.

thanks for the view - i haven't isolated this noise just yet. For now i just sent the same question to Corsair and waiting their reply. For now that's just a wild guess if it's power-related. Apologies if you did already watch the video, but it's really very small this noise, did you hear it?

 

[Misgar]

So you've asked Corsair if their power supply might be making a click noise without confirming it's the source of the noise? You should ask your AIO and cooling fan providers the same question. They're just as likely candidates.

A PSU of that calibre will have a bypass relay for the varistor in the AC line input, but that should only click once.

 

[gabrio81]

So you've asked Corsair if their power supply might be making a click noise without confirming it's the source of the noise? You should ask your AIO and cooling fan providers the same question. They're just as likely candidates.

A PSU of that calibre will have a bypass relay for the varistor in the AC line input, but that should only click once.

It's really tricky to pinpoint the location with the case as-is, and i don't even know if should be bothered by it or not. but hey perhaps that Corsair PSU has this behaviour when you demand power = opening an app, i DONT know.

I did ask the AIO people and they suggested to test the fans by disconnecting them one by one, which i did. Disconnect 1 out of 3, restart, then back, switch, next fan and so on. I didn't want to keep more than 1 fan disconnected at any given time, don't know if it's gonna damage the system etc.

DeepCool Support said:

"we are not sure where the click noise from, we are afraid you need to test PC components one by one to have a confirm.

you could remove the fan off the radiator, or remove the radiator off your case to test."

Anyhow, it does not make any noise if the PC is at idle, with windows just hanging there or while playing a video,, etc - it only happens when you launch one app, then the next one "click", etc. and not even 100% of the time, super bizarre.

 

[gabrio81]

While waiting for Corsair, i just opened the side of the case and carefully inspected it with

Lutfij's paper tube method​

It's 100% coming from the Corsair PSU....even from the back of the case you can hear it better, with the ear on.

It will be interesting to hear what CS say. It's not the radiator, it's not the fans, it's not the GPU, not the motherboard.

 

[gabrio81]

Looks like i am not the only one...

Corsair HX1000i (2022) relay clicking?

Hi, Just some time ago I bought new Corsair HX1000i (2022) psu. It seems to work well but ,,clicks" every time some load is applied to it, for examp...

hwbusters.com

Corsair HX1000i weird single clicks while in use

Hi everyone, I recently finished a build and I hear this noise from the PSU that has me baffled. Every time the power jumps to 200w or above (checked this with the corsair's icue software) a soft click like a quiet mouse click is heard from the psu that sounds part electrical part mechanical. Thi...

linustechtips.com

look what i found from other users:

"the hxi1000 produces strange click noises during operation, non-periodical but with a certain repeatability....starting programs for example"

"The power supply has excellent efficiency, the iCUE allows you to monitor absorption and numerous other parameters, zero coil whine. The only major flaw are the relays. My system is almost inaudible, and it is possible to hear the relays that go off more than a meter away."

"Just some time ago I bought new Corsair HX1000i (2022) psu. It seems to work well but ,,clicks" every time some load is applied to it, for example; starting FurMark, ATItool or some other stress test."

and - >

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Muh2Q_ypleU


that's it then.