Question What could cause this sound on a newly built PC?

[Boris0110]

Hey guys I just built a PC like 3 days ago and it's sometimes making some weird noise. Only noticed it today and had to somehow try to trigger it for the video (mostly happens at random times) here's what it sounds like

View: https://youtube.com/shorts/4uT7sih_2WQ


MOBO: Gigabyte B650 Aorus Elite AX on newest BIOS
PSU: Seasonic Focus GX850
GPU: Gigabyte RTX 4070 Ti Windforce OC 12G
CPU: Ryzen 7 7800x3d
Cooler: Deepcool AK620
RAM: Kingston Fury Beast 2x32GB 5600 MHz CL36 (tried with EXPO and without it)
M.2 Samsung 980 PRO 1TB
Case: Fractal Design Pop Air

 

[Darkbreeze]

Are you talking about the clicking noise, or the continuous droning noise? Keep in mind, as we always tell everybody, it is VERY hard to tell anything from a recording like this. Much harder than it is in person because it never sounds remotely the same via recording as it does in person. Often you will need to eliminate other sources of noise.

In fact, that is usually the first step in determining this. Unplugging each case fan one at a time, then plug back in and move to the next one, while the system is off and then power on of course, is often very helpful in determining where the problem is. If it is none of them, then you can move on to CPU cooler fans, doing the same for that fan or for each of those fans if there is more than one as with a push pull air cooler or radiator.

If it is none of the fans, and if it is the clicking noise, my first thought would be that it is a relay on the motherboard but it could certainly be the sound of voltage jumping a gap somewhere like the PSU or even a relay in the PSU. Using a rolled up piece of manilla envelope or something similar to create a "funnel" with the big end at about 3" wide and the small end in your ear, and using that to search around might help narrow down exactly where it's coming from. Helps to eliminate all noise except exactly what you're pointing it at.

 

[Boris0110]

Are you talking about the clicking noise, or the continuous droning noise? Keep in mind, as we always tell everybody, it is VERY hard to tell anything from a recording like this. Much harder than it is in person because it never sounds remotely the same via recording as it does in person. Often you will need to eliminate other sources of noise.

In fact, that is usually the first step in determining this. Unplugging each case fan one at a time, then plug back in and move to the next one, while the system is off and then power on of course, is often very helpful in determining where the problem is. If it is none of them, then you can move on to CPU cooler fans, doing the same for that fan or for each of those fans if there is more than one as with a push pull air cooler or radiator.

If it is none of the fans, and if it is the clicking noise, my first thought would be that it is a relay on the motherboard but it could certainly be the sound of voltage jumping a gap somewhere like the PSU or even a relay in the PSU. Using a rolled up piece of manilla envelope or something similar to create a "funnel" with the big end at about 3" wide and the small end in your ear, and using that to search around might help narrow down exactly where it's coming from. Helps to eliminate all noise except exactly what you're pointing it at.

Yeah the "clicking" noise, I'm pretty sure it's coming from the motherboard area and not the case fans or PSU. I noticed it only today after I enabled AMD EXPO but now I tried disabling it and it still made the noise so I'm not sure if that could be the cause.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Do this.

Unplug all the connectors going to the motherboard from the case front panel and then start the machine with a small flat tipped screwdriver as outlined here:

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




That click isn't uncommon on a lot of boards when starting up but it should not be doing it continuously. The fact that it is means there is either a problem with the board itself OR there is a problem with something connected to the board continuously triggering that relay. The most likely reason would be something from the front panel connections like a faulty power switch. Eliminating those connections will also eliminate any of those things as a potential source of the problem. If the problem continues after disconnecting them ALL, then you can go ahead and put them all back. At that point it would pretty much have to be the board or maybe a very slim chance of something with the PSU triggering it.

I'm also curious, how exactly did you "trigger" it to happen for the video and is there anything else at all that you've notice that either tends to make it happen more OR that seems abnormal even if you believe it to be unrelated?