Noisy tower

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  1. Posts : 194
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
       #1

    Noisy tower


    Compaq Presario SR5010NX Desktop
    Celeron D processor 360
    Windows 7 Home Premium
    1 GB RAM
    120 GB HDD
    Intel graphics media accelerator
    DVD/CD w/Lightscribe
    =================================
    I recently performed a clean install of Win7 HP on this older tower and it's been running very well. Trouble is, it sounds like a vacuum cleaner on its last legs...very loud noises. I'm not qualified to identify a correlation between the upgrade and the outrageously noisy internals, but I've been given suggestions about poor heatsink mounting a la dried up thermal compound, or bad fans' bearings, or hard drive, etc.

    I took a snapshot of the inside of the chassis with the side panel removed for uploading of the jpeg here, because I'm not savvy enough to understand where the heatsink is I'm happy to replace fans and even the heatsink if someone will please just tell me how to find it

    Thank you.

    sbuxman
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Noisy tower-old.samsung.jpg  
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 12,012
    Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64-bit
       #2

    Is it definitely louder than before the clean install, with no new components? That is, is this a new development?

    The heatsink refers to the CPU cooler in the lower right portion of that picture. If the heatsink were mounted poorly, it might cause the CPU fan to speed up in an attempt to lower temperatures. It wouldn't be my first guess for the source of noise, but that fan may be working very hard or going bad.

    Check your temperatures and fan speeds with a tool such as HWInfo.

    Fans spinning above 1000 rpm are typically audible--some more than others.


    Get your ear in there and listen. You can stop case fans or even the CPU fan for a second or two to see if the noise disappears---that's one way to determine if it is a fan issue.

    Listen near the power supply, probably upper left in that pic. It has a fan also.

    Does the noise sound like a wooshing? That's most likely fans or air turbulence.

    Whines can be drives, power supply coils, or even motherboards.

    Hard drives are probably lower left in your pic.

    Cases can be noisy in general, some more than others. You might have a vibration component to the noise from the front bezel rattling a bit--or just from poor design where noise leaks out through gaps or vents.

    It's not easy to quiet a noisy case. The best way to get a quiet PC is to assemble it from quiet components, rather than trying to quiet it after the fact.

    Some fans are noisier than others, even if working properly. You'd have to replace them with known quiet fans--preferably of the largest diameter that will fit the mount.
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  3. Posts : 194
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
    Thread Starter
       #3

    ignatzatsonic said:
    The heatsink refers to the CPU cooler in the lower right portion of that picture. If the heatsink were mounted poorly, it might cause the CPU fan to speed up in an attempt to lower temperatures. It wouldn't be my first guess for the source of noise.

    Check your temperatures and fan speeds with a tool such as HWInfo.


    Get your ear in there and listen. You can stop case fans or even the CPU fan for a second or two to see if the noise disappears---that's one way to determine if it is a fan issue.

    Listen near the power supply, probably upper left in that pic. It has a fan also.

    Does the noise sound like a wooshing? That's most likely fans or air turbulence.

    Whines can be drives, power supply coils, or even motherboards.

    Hard drives are probably lower left in your pic.

    Cases can be noisy in general, some more that others. You might have a vibration component to the noise from the front bezel rattling a bit.

    It's not easy to quiet a noisy case. The best way to get a quiet PC is to assemble it from quiet components, rather than trying to quiet it after the fact.

    Some fans are noisier than others, even if working properly. You'd have to replace them with known quiet fans.
    Thank you...what's a good means of stopping a fan for a second or two to see if it's the culprit? Would I damage the bearings if a fan already were whirring...and how would I safely (for the fan and for me) do so?
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 12,012
    Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64-bit
       #4

    sbuxman said:
    Thank you...what's a good means of stopping a fan for a second or two to see if it's the culprit? Would I damage the bearings if a fan already were whirring...and how would I safely (for the fan and for me) do so?
    You can use a finger on any spinning component of the fan--the axle or the blades. If you are worried about getting a finger hacked off, use an object.

    I use fingers and still have 10 of them.

    You could outright disconnect a case fan if you would rather just unplug it temporarily.

    I wouldn't disconnect the CPU fan (heatsink) to test it---the PC might not start at all or might get quite hot very quickly if it did start. So I'd use a fingertip or object on that fan. Just for a second or two.

    Get your ear within a couple of inches of all fans.
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 2,726
    Windows 7 Ultimate 64bit
       #5

    It's possible that one of the other fans is vibrating or is out of balance or even clogged with dirt, fluff, gunk etc. or is maybe seized/on it's way out and may need replacing.
    It's not good practice to test your machine with fans disconnected or stopped and is usually best left to the professionals. Alternatively you could test it with fully functional working fans that you could maybe borrow from a friend, this way you could check which ones are causing problems
    Attached Thumbnails Attached Thumbnails Noisy tower-fans.jpg  
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 194
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
    Thread Starter
       #6

    ignatzatsonic said:
    sbuxman said:
    Thank you...what's a good means of stopping a fan for a second or two to see if it's the culprit? Would I damage the bearings if a fan already were whirring...and how would I safely (for the fan and for me) do so?
    You can use a finger on any spinning component of the fan--the axle or the blades. If you are worried about getting a finger hacked off, use an object.

    I use fingers and still have 10 of them.

    You could outright disconnect a case fan if you would rather just unplug it temporarily.

    I wouldn't disconnect the CPU fan (heatsink) to test it---the PC might not start at all or might get quite hot very quickly if it did start. So I'd use a fingertip or object on that fan. Just for a second or two.

    Get your ear within a couple of inches of all fans.
    OK, so the heatsink is the cooler in the lower right, or what's under the cooler? You're talking about the ASUS component, right? What is the "box" in the upper right-hand corner with the orange/yellow sticker on it? It's a Bestec component and it continues on the outside of the case with an outlet for the plug. Isn't that the power supply? You say "Listen near the power supply, probably upper left in that pic." Did you mean upper right? Although there's a steel-type enclosure in the upper left-hand corner, it appear to me to only house a ribbon cable.

    Thank you...I'm getting therec:)
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  7. Posts : 194
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
    Thread Starter
       #7

    PooMan UK said:
    It's possible that one of the other fans is vibrating or is out of balance or even clogged with dirt, fluff, gunk etc. or is maybe seized/on it's way out and may need replacing.
    It's not good practice to test your machine with fans disconnected or stopped and is usually best left to the professionals. Alternatively you could test it with fully functional working fans that you could maybe borrow from a friend, this way you could check which ones are causing problems
    Thank you...how much $$$ am I looking at to replace all 3 fans, probably wholesale prices...I don't want to invest more $$$ than this old guy is worth, but I'd love to honor the time investment I made while struggling with the clean install.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 12,012
    Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64-bit
       #8

    Yes. The CPU cooler is at lower right. That fan you see blows down into a heatsink. The CPU itself is below the heatsink.

    On closer look, it appears your power supply is upper right with the orange sticker. I'd assume your DVD drive is upper left. Hard drive lower left.

    That's an odd case design. Maybe typical for a Compaq.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 194
    Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit 7601 Multiprocessor Free Service Pack 1
    Thread Starter
       #9

    ignatzatsonic said:
    Yes. The CPU cooler is at lower right. That fan you see blows down into a heatsink. The CPU itself is below the heatsink.

    On closer look, it appears your power supply is upper right with the orange sticker. I'd assume your DVD drive is upper left. Hard drive lower left.

    That's an odd case design. Maybe typical for a Compaq.
    I've always heard how challenging Compaq made some of their hardware to make techs' lives miserable...looks like this is no exception. I have a couple of older computers taking up space and collecting dust and some components for same still in their packaging...maybe I can find some fan/power supply/heatsink goodies there?
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 12,012
    Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64-bit
       #10

    The case fans you have elsewhere might work in the Compaq IF they are the same diameter. But who's to say if they won't be noisy as well?

    Less likely the CPU cooler laying around will fit.

    I wouldn't be surprised if the Compaq power supply and motherboard have some oddball connectors as well, which would make it less likely a "standard" power supply would work.

    That's why you try to stay with industry-standard parts, not stuff peculiar to an OEM.
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