High Pitched Sound From CPU

S

shadowsz14

Weaksauce
Joined
Apr 11, 2003
Messages
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Lately, I have had high pitched noise coming from my computer. I don't know what component it is, but when I load a program, the sound goes away and then comes back when the loading is finished. I opened up the chassis, and I couldn't hear it.

Thanks
 
could be a copper coil vibrating. I think I've also heard about capacitors making nosies but not sure. Fan is another possibility, but doubt it if it is going away every time you load a program.
 
when does it make a sound... under a full cpu load, during a game, at idle?

my video card does it when playing games

it could be a toroid on your mobo, psu or other component that is making the noise... just because it is making noise it doesnt mean that there is a problem... if two of them are close to each other (as in almost touching) they can make noise... carefully push them apart, ive even heard of putting nail polish or rtv silicon on them to stop the noise.... that is if it is what is causing the problem

btw a toroid looks like this:
ich-hc14l0033.jpg
 
The noise is continuous - I listened to it for a bit. Is there any way I can find out where on the mobo that it is coming from? The sound is at idle.
 
shadowsz14 said:
The noise is continuous - I listened to it for a bit. Is there any way I can find out where on the mobo that it is coming from? The sound is at idle.
Click to expand...

if you have some spare fuel line/ water cooling hose around (and if its long enough) hold one end to your ear and put the other end in the case and move it around until you can pinpoint the sound
 
MICROPHONICS

Semiconductors are not prone to microphonics themselves, but some other circuit elements can cause them. One case is the inductor used in some LC oscillators, particularly in the radio-frequency range. This effect can sometimes be minimized by firmly anchoring each turn of the coil with special adhesives such as RTV. Phase-locked loop circuits can be sensitive to microphonics generated by the physical movement of the inductor used in the oscillator.

Capacitor Failure Patterns in DC Circuits
The majority of capacitor failures, perhaps 90%, involve the internal shorting of the capacitor. Once shorted, the capacitor frequently causes power-supply overload, often causing the power supply to blow a fuse or other wise fail. In less drastic failures, the capaitor no longer functions to isolate DC voltages from one circuit to another. If power is still applied, this failure is easilly determined with a DC voltmeter since there is a zero voltage drop across a shorted coupling capacitor.

...If the electrolytics are bad, the oscillation can be a squeal...


James Perozzo: Practical Electronics - Troubleshooting
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Thanks for all the replies. If it is a shorted capacitor - do you think it's in the power supply? The high pitched sound happens when my two RAID drives spin up, then the sound goes away for the rest of the boot process, and then returns. I have a 450 watt power supply, 3 HDDs a DVD and Prescott, single PCI Express. Bigger (new) supply?
 
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