Every so often, when I turn my computer on, the fan makes a noise, almost like a motor going…eerrreweerrrrrrr…it’s the same sound that you hear when there’s a motor cycle going by down the street, or someone across the street is running their lawn mower.
What could this be? I THINK it’s the fan…
Bearing in the fan motor?
They cost about ten bucks, so consider yourself both lucky and relieved (Swapping it out is a snap).
Which fan is it? Modern PCs can have lots of fans. My current one has no fewer than 7 fans in it.
Sometimes they get unbalanced for various different reasons and start making a lot of noise like you described. If you’re lucky, it’s just some dust you can clean off and it’ll start work ok, or if it’s something internal to the fan (like a bad bearing or a chip on the blade) you should probably replace it before it goes bad and lets whatever it’s supposed to be cooling overheat.
Fans inside of the power supply shouldn’t be replaced by the end user, you’re better off replacing the whole unit. Some fans inside the machine are easy to replace, especially the ones that are attached to the case, anybody with a screwdriver can do those. Fans attached to heatsinks can be easy or hard to replace, depending on how they’re connected - some are screwed on and connect to the motherboard for power with a little 3 wire plug, but if you’ve got a slot mounted processor like many of the later pentiums, it might be more difficult and require some soldering skill.
You mean you didn’t want the food processor attachment?
I’ve had that problem in the past when I put a computer together and didn’t secure the wires before turning it on - they’d be in the way of the fan, and the fan blades slapping the wires would make that sound. I recommend leaving the case open, or at least easily open-able, until it starts making that noise again, at which point, take a peek inside and see which fan’s making the noise. If there’s nothing obviously interfering with its operation, 'sprobably time for a new fan.
The thing is, I know next to NOTHING about computers. I don’t want to try anything on my own without making sure…
Are you willing to open up the case, Guinastasia?
If so, disconnect everything from the computer, take it and its power cord to a nice, big, well-lit worksurface (read: dining room table). Plug the computer in. Take the cover off, being careful to maintain contact with the frame of the case as much as possible (and try to avoid shifting your feet around); this is to keep you from possibly damaging the computer due to electrostatic discharge. Now turn the computer on.*
Nine times out of ten it will be immediately apparent where the noise is coming from. If it’s from the big metal box that the power cord plugs into, that’s the power supply. I second buckgully’s advice above: replace the whole power supply, do not attempt to open it.
Hope this helps.
It should be easy to open the case - one or two screws on the side panel and it should slide it right off.
I’d recommend doing this just to ensure that is not the processor fan - if that goes, you could be in trouble.