# Funny Computer Noise **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 16, 2003, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-computer-noise/202024 "2003-09-16T22:00:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-computer-noise/202024/1 "2003-09-16T22:00:41Z")
Now the minute you read that, you should tell me to take it in to be checked out. But my stepdad says it’s been making the noise all day, and it hasn’t melted or anything. It sounds almost like static, coming from the tower. When I turn off the computer, it fades out, instead of just stopping. When I restart, it doesn’t stop at all. It’s really annoying, and I have no idea what it could be. I even cleared all the cat fur from in front of the fan ports! Any ideas? ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-computer-noise/202024/2 "2003-09-16T22:07:36Z")
Sounds like something stuck in a fan blade. Check your power supply fans and perhaps your video card fan. I had a buzzy noise I eventually tracked to a little one-inch fan that sat on my video chip. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-computer-noise/202024/3 "2003-09-16T22:09:56Z")
Another vote for a fan. Check especially the rear power supply fan and the CPU cooling fan. Particularly with CPU fans, wires or cables can get too close to them and get hit by the blades. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-computer-noise/202024/4 "2003-09-16T22:38:16Z")
Is it a Dell? The Dells in my office buzz and hum constantly from the cooling fan. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-computer-noise/202024/5 "2003-09-16T23:11:39Z")
See, it’s not a buzz or a some-thing-hitting-something-else noise. It’s like static, or a muffled “ssshhhhh” noise. Maybe something’s rubbing as opposed to hitting. ---
**Author:** ![Rob\_V](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Rob\_V](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rob_V)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-computer-noise/202024/6 "2003-09-16T23:24:41Z")
So’re you sure it’s coming from the case and not the speakers? ---
**Author:** ![leenmi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f1d935/32.png) [@leenmi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leenmi)\ **Post date:** [September 16, 2003, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-computer-noise/202024/7 "2003-09-16T23:41:27Z")
I have cheap speakers on my computer. They buzz. A lot. They are also on separate power than the computer, so when I turn off the computer, they stay on. I have noticed that the buzzing fades in and out. In short (too late!) I second the speakers. ---
**Author:** ![LordVor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90ced4/32.png) [@LordVor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordVor)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-computer-noise/202024/8 "2003-09-17T00:29:00Z")
Is it a “fan wobbling and making a new resonance frequency” noise? -lv ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 1:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-computer-noise/202024/9 "2003-09-17T13:46:02Z")
Actually, one of the first things I did was make sure it’s not the speakers. They’re attached to my monitor, and my case is on the ground, so there’s not much opportunitity for confusion. And **Lord** I have no idea what that sounds like. ---
**Author:** ![Schnauzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@Schnauzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Schnauzer)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 2:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-computer-noise/202024/10 "2003-09-17T14:09:17Z")
Processor fans aren’t terribly reliable and will start to rattle after a while. This is what your noise sounds like. Take the top off the computer (if you’re feeling confident) and physically restrain the processor fan to see if the noise stops. The safest way of stopping the fan is to slowly increase pressure with your thumb in the centre. Don’t keep it stopped for longer than it takes to ascertain if that’s the problem. ---
**Author:** ![Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@Speaker\_for\_the\_Dead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Speaker_for_the_Dead)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-computer-noise/202024/11 "2003-09-17T21:56:01Z")
The problem is our computer doesn’t have a “top.” The access to the tower is by pulling everything out the _back_. After undoing many screws, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Nanoda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ce73a5/32.png) [@Nanoda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nanoda)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-computer-noise/202024/12 "2003-09-17T23:02:15Z")
You’re sure there aren’t panels on the side, or that the top and sides aren’t part of one sheet of metal that can come off? What’s the brand of your computer? P.S. - I too vote “Fan” ---
**Author:** ![LordVor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90ced4/32.png) [@LordVor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordVor)\ **Post date:** [September 17, 2003, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-computer-noise/202024/13 "2003-09-17T23:55:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Speaker for the Dead \* > \*\* > And **Lord** I have no idea what that sounds like. \*\* It’s the noise that goes away if you put a bit of pressure in the middle of the fan blade. If you use your finger for this, you can usually feel the wobble. -lv ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-computer-noise/202024/14 "2003-09-18T01:49:55Z")
I overheard a conversation in the health club locker room about an electrical kind of buzz or interference. They reloaded the OS and ran some diagnostics, adjusted some values in ?control panel? and got rid of itl ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [September 18, 2003, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/funny-computer-noise/202024/15 "2003-09-18T02:15:55Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by spingears \* > \*\*I overheard a conversation in the health club locker room about an electrical kind of buzz or interference. They reloaded the OS and ran some diagnostics, adjusted some values in ?control panel? and got rid of itl \*\* Come to think of it, this actually solved a buzzng problem for me. I opened up the Volume control panel and muted the Line-in and Mic ports. But my buzzing didn’t “fade” after the computer shut down, it stopped as soon as I killed power. You might try muting every volume control except for Wave Out and Master. You may have to click on Advanced and enable all of the volume controls in order to see every available one.