strange two-pitched noise coming from pc
I have a customer with a pc that was built by their previous support business. It is emitting a two-tone (sounds like an octave apart if that helps) sound from inside the casing. I've taken off the cover and can't identify where it's coming from. Has anyone come across this before. The noise is intermittent and tends to start when the customer is busy doing something in Windows Mail, or online. It has an Intel Core2 CPU6600 and Nvidia graphics card which is being driven by GEForce 8500Gt driver. The motherboard says it is Abit AW9D. Hard drive is WD4000AAKS-00TMA0. I'm not sure how much more info you might need?
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In my experience, intermittent high-low sounds are due to a fan bearing failing. It might be the system fan or the CPU fan. If the video card has a fan, it could be that fan as well. Try swapping out the fans, one at a time, to see if the problem is alleviated.
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ASKER
Thanks very much to all. I am not due to go back to this customer for a few days so cant try out what you've suggested till then.. Can I leave thin query in abeyance in some way?
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ASKER
thanks to all - I'll get back to you next week when I've visited the customer.
ASKER
Thanks to coral47 for that really useful link to Techpowerup - what a lot of useful bits of software!
Can any of you recommend what software you use for hardware analysis when you're trying to find out what's inside a PC?
Can any of you recommend what software you use for hardware analysis when you're trying to find out what's inside a PC?
It kind of varies with what I am after.
For quick and dirty cpu - motherboard - memory info, I use CPU-Z:
http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php
For video card(s), GPU-Z
http://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/
When I want to find out more than I want to know, SIW
http://www.gtopala.com/
EVEREST is pretty good also, but when they started charging for it, I went to SIW.
http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/1398/EVEREST_Ultimate_Edition_5.02_.EXE_Package.html
If the OS is messed up or gone, UBCD is my weapon of choice:
www.ultimatebootcd.com
For quick and dirty cpu - motherboard - memory info, I use CPU-Z:
http://www.cpuid.com/cpuz.php
For video card(s), GPU-Z
http://www.techpowerup.com/gpuz/
When I want to find out more than I want to know, SIW
http://www.gtopala.com/
EVEREST is pretty good also, but when they started charging for it, I went to SIW.
http://www.techpowerup.com/downloads/1398/EVEREST_Ultimate_Edition_5.02_.EXE_Package.html
If the OS is messed up or gone, UBCD is my weapon of choice:
www.ultimatebootcd.com
ASKER
That's great. Thanks a lot for all that.
ASKER
lots of helpful tips to try
the customer came back and said that the instruction I'd given her to very carefully clean all the dust which was covering the internal components of the pc, seemed to have worked! I suggested she use a soft brush and a gentle vacuum and that seems to have done the trick!
the customer came back and said that the instruction I'd given her to very carefully clean all the dust which was covering the internal components of the pc, seemed to have worked! I suggested she use a soft brush and a gentle vacuum and that seems to have done the trick!
Thanks for the feedback and the Points. : )