# 'Puter making buzzing noises! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 9, 2002, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puter-making-buzzing-noises/123060 "2002-08-09T00:45:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![a\_gherkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f6c823/32.png) [@a\_gherkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/a_gherkin)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puter-making-buzzing-noises/123060/1 "2002-08-09T00:45:04Z")
my comp it maybe two or three years old, and has been making these noises for maybe 6 months. it isnt a huge problem, it is just i read a copy of PC Gamer and it said that when computers start to make whirling and buzzing noises, it is time to perhaps think about getting a relacement. anyone got any ideads?? ---
**Author:** ![tcburnett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c5a1d2/32.png) [@tcburnett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tcburnett)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 1:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puter-making-buzzing-noises/123060/2 "2002-08-09T01:00:39Z")
Your fans are getting dirty or losing a bearing sleeve. Ten bucks worth of new fans should fix the problem. [http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/](http://www.sidewindercomputers.com/) ---
**Author:** ![happyheathen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5e925/32.png) [@happyheathen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/happyheathen)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 1:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puter-making-buzzing-noises/123060/3 "2002-08-09T01:15:40Z")
Pull the cover off the case and see exactly _what_ is buzzing - it could be a fan, the power supply, the HDD. Something may need replacing, or just a mounting screw tightened. and, as always: the computer operates on 3.3 - 12v. static electricity is 1,000’s of volts. _**Touch the case (to ground yourself) before touching anything inside the case**_ ---
**Author:** ![d12](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/71c47a/32.png) [@d12](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/d12)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2002, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puter-making-buzzing-noises/123060/4 "2002-08-09T05:13:03Z")
If your computer resides along with alot of dust or cigarette smoke, you should buy some “canned-air” it may sound like a waste of cash but it will help in the long run. If you can work well enough with your computer (i.e. Use it for everyday use and can work and get by with it) then theres no sense to buy a new one. Take the machine down to the local store and have someone check it out, always be sure to ask him whats wrong and if theres any ways it could be prevented. The room my box is in is soo incredibly dusty that it killed the fan. We could hear it from the floor above. ---
**Author:** ![orr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e47c2d/32.png) [@orr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orr)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2002, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puter-making-buzzing-noises/123060/5 "2002-08-10T06:23:57Z")
I’ll echo what happyheathen posted. Taking PC Gamer’s advice and replacing your whole computer is overkill. If it’s your hard drive making clicking and buzzing noises and it still works by some miracle, then back up your stuff immediately. Otherwise, like happyheathen said, open up your case and have a look. I was in a similiar situation to the one that you described, a\_gherkin. It turns out that audio lead wire from my CD-ROM was brushing up against the heatsink fan on my CPU which created a loud mosquito buzzing sound. It’s possible that a nudge or bump shifted a wire inside your case _just so_ that it’s hitting a moving part. ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2002, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puter-making-buzzing-noises/123060/6 "2002-08-10T14:08:42Z")
It could just be the case itself. My case makes “buzzing” noises occasionally and I just get it a good whack. Problem solved! ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2002, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/puter-making-buzzing-noises/123060/7 "2002-08-10T16:11:30Z")
Might be a fly in the case, so open it up & check.