Noise from grinding inside the machine is being heard.
Noise from grinding inside the machine is being heard.
Here are some rephrased versions of your text:
- Over the past year or so, my PC has produced this bothersome grinding noise occasionally. You can hear it in the attached video. It likely comes from the GPU and happens even when fans aren’t spinning. I haven’t noticed any performance problems; games run just fine. The noise is most noticeable during startup but also occurs during regular use, with intensity staying consistent under load versus idle. Sometimes it goes on for hours without stopping, and it causes the whole desk to vibrate. What might be causing this? Please disregard dust concerns—I know I should clean it. IMG_1072.mov
It appears to be the rear exhaust fan, given its appearance and rattling noise. Check if removing the power source stops the sound.
Some fans stopped working, dust entered the bearings, and there aren’t many options left. You might manage to stop them one by one using software or just touch them. It would be a good thing if it wasn’t a GPU fan, as those are tough to replace. From the video it seems like either the CPU or the exhaust on the rear is the issue.
I just started my computer without any case fans or the CPU fan connected, yet the noise persisted. I thought it was the GPU fan, but it continues even when those aren’t spinning. When I inspect it closely, the sound appears directly from the GPU itself.
It might also come from the PSU, which can be trickier to fix than the GPU. You could stop it by wrapping it in a non-conductive plastic band and checking if the noise disappears.
I resolved the issue by replacing the fan on the motherboard. I'll reach out to ASRock support to request a new one.