Strange noise

[Shadowblade]

I've been on quite a lot often complaining about a strange noise coming from my PC that is hard to explain, however I finally managed to get a good recording of the noise. This noise sometimes starts whenever I'm loading up a game, but it also plays whenever my computer is just idling. I fear its one of my HDDs, my C: specifically. However at times it almost sounds like flowing water so I wonder if it could be my water cooling system? I have CrystalDiskInfo and it says my HDD health is "Good".

Here is the noise https://voca.ro/1m9iWCCtzfPJ

[emoticorpse]

Sounds like hard drive and fans. Also some drives sound like that regardless of age/health. I just got a new one and it makes some loud thrashing sounds. It actually thuds my desk. Some drives just suck like that heh.

But bottom line is whenever it's doing that it is being used. If the thrashing is what you're talking about disconnect the drive to see if it stops. Other than that the fan noise, you can consider quieter fans.

[Illusion of Progress]

Agree with the above, it's hard to hear clearly (recordings don't always seem to catch these well I guess?) because a general rotational noise from a fan or hard drive is mostly all I hear, and even barely that. But I'm presuming there's more going on than that if you're worried.

[✨Saint✨]

Sounds like a mechanical HDD reaching their end.

[MoonC A T]

It goes without saying, if you haven't already, backup. To another drive or the cloud or whatever.

[_I_]

probably a fan

would not hurt to check smart status on drives tho

[Shadowblade]

Illusion of Progress님이 먼저 게시:

Agree with the above, it's hard to hear clearly (recordings don't always seem to catch these well I guess?) because a general rotational noise from a fan or hard drive is mostly all I hear, and even barely that. But I'm presuming there's more going on than that if you're worried.

There isn't anything else going on with my computer other then the noise, my computer has operated as it always has since I got it like, 3-4 years ago? (albeit it is a bit slower due to age)

[_I_]

how old is the systems?
fans should be replace about every 5 years or sooner if they are cheap ones

[plat]

Yeah, it's a faint clattering noise, I think, and random-sounding. Is something like a wire or cable hitting a fan blade? Did you take the side of the case off and try to isolate it? Because without physical access to the machine, it's just guessing.

When one of my case fans died recently (cheap Fractal lasted 2.5 yrs, never again), I was able to localize it by feeling its vibration, it was in a death knell.

But your noise sounds like something's either loose or hitting a blade. But I can't see it so I actually don't know for sure.

[_I_]

its the fans bushing wearing out
you can try stopping one, or tap on center to see if it starts/stops making the noise

can also be fan on cpu/gpu cooler or in psu

[Crawl]

Its really hard to tell from the audio clip. It almost sounds like air in a water pump to me. Do you hear it as soon as the system is powered on? If so you can eliminate your water cooling by unplugging the pump and see if you still hear the noise. You won't hurt anything running the system a few seconds with it off. You can do the same thing with the fans but it doesn't sound like fan noise to me.

[Illusion of Progress]

plat님이 먼저 게시:

When one of my case fans died recently (cheap Fractal lasted 2.5 yrs, never again)

Interesting. I have a Fractal case I got in 2014 but I replaced the fans right when I got it. Partly because I wanted them all to match (case only included three, I wanted four with the option of a fifth), but also because I was for the first time getting more than the low RPM quiet stuff (even though they're loud at full RPM and I limit them anyway, haha). Not sure if you had bad luck or if Fractal fans are considered to be bad though. I never used mine (but I had no issues with the cheap quiet fans from Cooler Master many years prior; they just never died). I know they're well regarded for their cases though.

Come to think of it, that means my current fans are coming up on nine years old now. Huh.

[Illusion of Progress]

Crawl님이 먼저 게시:

Its really hard to tell from the audio clip. It almost sounds like air in a water pump to me. Do you hear it as soon as the system is powered on? If so you can eliminate your water cooling by unplugging the pump and see if you still hear the noise. You won't hurt anything running the system a few seconds with it off. You can do the same thing with the fans but it doesn't sound like fan noise to me.

Agree with this in that you could start eliminating possible sources as a process of elimination.

Disconnect all hard drives (SSDs are fine to leave) besides the main one.

Disconnect all case fans and open the side panel (it will be fine like this).

Etc.

[Shadowblade]

_I_님이 먼저 게시:

how old is the systems?
fans should be replace about every 5 years or sooner if they are cheap ones

Its roughly about 5 years actually, maybe a little under. I checked the fans and there was nothing hitting them. The noise isn't consistent, it'll do it like maybe once or twice a week and its very random.

[_I_]

fan bearing noise is never consistent
sometime it will slow a fan, but not always

[Illusion of Progress]

_I_님이 먼저 게시:

fan bearing noise is never consistent
sometime it will slow a fan, but not always

Agree with this, my prior PSU had a fan noise but it wasn't constant. It was more a chirp/squeak but fan noises won't always be constant with it rotating.