high frequency buzz

[ZygoatD]

its a bummer that this is my first post, but have a problem.

recently my computer has developed a very high frequency buzz. it is incredibly annoying. so far the machine runs fine, including passing every diagnostic and burn in test i could throw at it. (prim 95, 3dmark06, si soft sandra... ect) now the really weird thing is how intermittent it is. it will do it for a while and then stop. sometimes it wont do it for hours other times it will do it all day long, and yet other times it will pulse, at fairly regular intervals like once a second or so. the frequency of the buzz does not change but it will buzz for one second then stop for one and so on. it seems to be independent of what i am doing. the only sure fire thing thus far is the hdr test in futuremark 3dmark 06. (the one with the dragon and the rocket airship). that one makes it go basically every time. but read on!

i started to systematically unplug components to isolate where it was coming from. i have narrowed it down to basically the motherboard, but i can not completely rule out the processor. when i removed the processor it still made a noise, tho slightly diffrent. i do not have another one so i can not be 100% sure.

i ruled out the graphics card, ram, cd/dvd drives, hhd's all other cards, everything that plugs in.(externally)

once curious thing is that it stopped entirely when all of the ram was removed. (so i think it might have something to do with the ram controller.) i know it is not the ram itself as i tried different sticks and it made no difference.

sorry for the long post but this is really hard to figure out.

from all of the looking around i have done, the only thing i could find was mention of a similar problem with hp laptops. relating to bad capacitors on the mb.

i tried to take a vid of it but the sound did not get picked up.

if anybody has anything, please help me out.

system specs:

msi k9a platinum
3gb corsair xms2 pro series ddr2 (800) running at (1000)
amd athlon x2 3800+ (running at 4800+)
(2) 400gb seagate baracudda hd in raid 0
gigabyte radeon 2900xt
ultra 550w psu


yes it is overclocked, but it has been for over 2 years now in its current configuration and now problems at all, until 2 weeks ago when this just started. nothing has been changed or moved.

also i know i am new here, but i have been building computers for at least 10 years now. and i am a certified electronic technician. so im not a newb. just looking for some help figuring this out.

thanks for any help you can give.

 

[ZygoatD]

well after even further investigation. i have discovered that it is in fact my power supply. not the motherboard as i suspected. which makes this thread in the wrong section.

 

[Elledan]

Most likely what you're hearing is a coil vibrating. These components are everywhere, including your mainboard, PSU and GPU

You can fix the buzzing by applying a bit of glue to the offending coil. Won't void your warranty as long as you don't crack open the PSU or so

 

[Raffinato]

iv replaced my power suply 3 months agao also, for the exact same reason: high whistling tone from power suply. took me like 2 weeks to figure that out (thought it was one of the fans for a long time)

 

[ZygoatD]

yea i have been tracking it down for several weeks now. i called the psu manufacturer (as i have a life time warranty) but they don't have anything close to what i have anymore. so im not too happy about that.

elledan: do you have any recommendations for the type of glue to use. fixing it myself is looking better and better.

 

[Elledan]

elledan: do you have any recommendations for the type of glue to use. fixing it myself is looking better and better.

The type doesn't really matter as long as it sticks. I've used common glue, the type you use to glue paper and such with, with lots of success

 

[Raffinato]

iv been told once that spraying hairpsray (that women stuff) could also help - but iv never tried it...

 

[killster1]

yea i have been tracking it down for several weeks now. i called the psu manufacturer (as i have a life time warranty) but they don't have anything close to what i have anymore. so im not too happy about that.

elledan: do you have any recommendations for the type of glue to use. fixing it myself is looking better and better.

so it was a bfg with lifetime warranty that they wont fix?! i always wondered about lifetime warranty but what company was it? ultra?

 

[ZygoatD]

its ultra, and they will give me a replacement no questions asked but, i have a side window, and the one i have now has a viewing widow in the psu along with lights, all of which match my case exactly. theres is black... and thats it. so for me it doesn't really work.


mine, see it in the upper left? it blends in soooo well. and the cables are all uv reactive to match the rest. the new one is all black with black cables. thats a no go for my setup.

edit: thats an older pic by the way, the comp has been upgraded since then