mr_lewington
King
Over the last 3 days, my computer has been making "rattling noises". I've narrowed it down to the Power Supply. I know not to open it up, but I'd rather not have to take it in. Has anyone had this happen to them before?
Power Supply Rattling Noise
- Thread starter mr_lewington
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Perfection
The Great Head.
Well, if it's rattling, it's gotta have something to do with the fan. Either it's damaged or something caught in it. I'd shake the power supply a few times, see if stuff comes out or it fixes it, and look really good into it see if there's any noticeable damage. That's about all you can do without opening it up or sending it in.
mr_lewington
King
Shook it around and blew into it, nothing came out but dust. Its actually gone mostly silent over the last 15 minutes, but it is still faintly there. I'll probably have to take it in sometime this week. Thanks for the help though
Probably a ball bearing fan with a dieing bearing or a non-bearing fan with a worn bushing. Or could be something as simple as caked up dust on one or two blades throwing the fan out of balance.
No real reason to worry about it until the noise becomes intolerable; so long as the fan is actually running.
No real reason to worry about it until the noise becomes intolerable; so long as the fan is actually running.
If you can disconnect the cables and remove the power supply by the four screws, you can remove the lid of the case. The fan should be attached to the lid by four screws and one wiring connector. Avoid touching the other components. Take the fan in and buy a new one.
mr_lewington
King
I went to my class for 2 hours and came back and for about 2 hours now there has been no noise. There was a very weak occasional tapping noise for about 10 minutes but so far nothing. My only theory to why it stopped tapping is because i sometimes like to rest my feet on it, which im not doing right now. Would that push the fan down if i rested my feet on top of the PC and leaned back on my chair?
mr_lewington
King
How much does it cost to replace the fan (and on that note, how long does it generally take?)
warpus
Sommerswerd asked me to change this
Don't cheap out either - especially if this is a gaming pc with a nice video card in it.
Oh yeah, and stop resting your feet on your case; That's a carnal sin.
Oh yeah, and stop resting your feet on your case; That's a carnal sin.
mr_lewington
King
Since I stopped putting my feet on the chair, the noise is absent. Is there a chance that putting my feet on top of it just made it worse or could it be that was the whole problem altogether?
EDIT: it appears to have been replaced by a faint, occasionally tapping noise, which could've been there for some time, but never noticed before now.
EDIT: it appears to have been replaced by a faint, occasionally tapping noise, which could've been there for some time, but never noticed before now.
Genocidicbunny
Bug squasher
Replacing the fan isnt a difficult task. I'd be more concerned about what to do if the fan is hardwired to the PSU. The last 3 PSU's ive had had the fan hardwired. Its not a problem if you know what you're doing and are good with a soldering iron, but for an amateur, replacing the fan in such a case would be difficult.
With that being said, actually opening up the PSu and checking would probably not be overly difficult. Unplug it, wait a bit for any residual charges to dissipate, take it out and open the main body. Most PSU's are held by several phillips screws. After you take it apart, carefully examine whether or not the wires leading from the fan are hardwired or are just connected using the standard fan connector.
The tapping sound could be your hard drive head moving, especially if its moving a lot. If you really wanted to check though, disconnect your hard drive and boot your computer.
With that being said, actually opening up the PSu and checking would probably not be overly difficult. Unplug it, wait a bit for any residual charges to dissipate, take it out and open the main body. Most PSU's are held by several phillips screws. After you take it apart, carefully examine whether or not the wires leading from the fan are hardwired or are just connected using the standard fan connector.
The tapping sound could be your hard drive head moving, especially if its moving a lot. If you really wanted to check though, disconnect your hard drive and boot your computer.
mr_lewington
King
That fan is fine, I spent about a half an hour inspecting all 3.
From what I've read on other sites, that voids that warranty, and I wouldn't feel confident opening it.
I thought it was at first, but I opened the computer and put my ear to it and the power supply.
With regards to the warranty, the worst would be that you'd need to fork for a new power supply. However, if you lack the confidence then I think you have two choices.
Take the power supply in to a professional,
or buy a new one.
If you buy a new one, write down your processor and graphics card (like mentioned earlier), and take your old supply with you.
BTW, these fans can sometimes be quietened by removing the round sticker in the centre of the blade, putting a drop of light machine oil on the spindle and putting some duct tape back over it.
mr_lewington
King
I now know for 100% that the fan is being pushed down, as when the PC straight up it makes noises, and when I have the PC at an angle there is no noise
Maybe that's because you are uncoupling the case from the floor, or maybe some internal part comes away from leaning against the power supply or something similar.
A resonance that is not coupled to a specific mass is less effective. In other words, if you bolt it down or leave it to float, it won't be a problem, but anything in between might make noise.
A resonance that is not coupled to a specific mass is less effective. In other words, if you bolt it down or leave it to float, it won't be a problem, but anything in between might make noise.
mr_lewington
King
I just opend the case and when its on its side, the fan doesnt rotate that much. It goes around, but you can easily see the individual blades. The fan right beside it perpendicular to it goes at a normal pace, is that enough to keep my computer cool (I need my computer on Friday)
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