PC emits a quiet whistle intermittently.

K

Kecs
Member

204

04-03-2022, 01:05 PM

#1

Hi everyone!
I've had my PC for a few years now and I did not have any major issues with it.
Today I noticed a quiet whistling sound that lasts around a second and repeats every 6 or so seconds.
The sound is really quiet, but since I made a quiet build, it's annoying when the PC is under low load or idle.
I recorded the sound and added a visual aid to pinpoint it (on-screen text saying "Now"). Note that the sound is amplified several times over, so everything sounds quite noisy.
I'm trying to figure out what the culprit could be. My main guess is the PSU, though I got it 3 months ago and never had this issue with it.
I'm quite sure it's not the GPU since I can hear the sound coming from elsewhere when I put my ear in the case near the GPU.
I don't notice any performance or stability drop since this started happening.
This is my build:
Mobo: MSI B450 Tomahawk Max
CPU: Ryzen 7 5800X3D
GPU: XFX RX 6600
RAM: 16GB DDR4 RAM
Cooler: beQuiet! Dark Power 4 Pro
PSU: Corsair RMx Series RM850x 850W V2
3 Case Fans (not sure what brand, but disconnected all of them and the noise is still there).
4 SSDs (1xSamsung Evo, 2xKingston, 1xAMD). There are no HDDs in this PC.
Here's the link to the video:
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6ODvKH7OF4g
NOTE: The sound in the video has been amplified several times! Lower your volume first if it's high so you don't scare the hell out of everyone (yourself included)
Also, the ticking sound you can hear is my clock, which is on the opposite end of the room but can still be heard.
Any help would be much appreciated.

R

RedCharizard
Member

65

04-04-2022, 07:07 PM

#2

You could try shaping an A4 sheet into a cylinder, then listen to the noise through one end while examining its origin. The sound you described matches a slow, low-speed fan operating. Is there a specific motherboard model you're considering?

S

scorps5121
Member

151

04-04-2022, 08:14 PM

#3

Thanks for your response! The A4 paper method sounds effective, so I'll give it a shot to investigate further. Regarding my BIOS, I'm running the most recent version: 7C02v3H (2023-07-10).

My setup includes three case fans, two CPU fans, two GPU fans, and one PSU fan. The last one is hidden behind a transparent case, but the others are operating smoothly and quietly. I'll attempt to get a clearer view of that fan next.

B

BenTGreat
Senior Member

437

04-05-2022, 01:40 AM

#4

I also verified the PSU fan. It seems to function properly. It activates when the computer starts and then turns off. The fan on my PSU only operates under heavier loads, typically remaining off otherwise.

G

Gaspoda
Member

246

04-05-2022, 05:15 AM

#5

It's right on schedule when it arrives
:06 :18 :24 :30

R

rosaliE65
Member

211

04-05-2022, 05:34 AM

#6

It seems to follow a repeating pattern roughly every six seconds.

L

lkfTimLeung
Member

136

04-07-2022, 08:52 PM

#7

Attempted the cylinder paper technique, yet couldn't determine the source of the noise...

O

OMGCammy
Junior Member

27

04-23-2022, 11:00 AM

#8

Adjust settings to reduce the suspect list size. Connect to the IGP. Disconnect all disks except the OS disk if no assistance is available.

A

AloyLP
Junior Member

48

04-23-2022, 05:09 PM

#9

My CPU lacks built-in graphics. Since I only use SSDs, can they produce these noises?

T

Tuiscool
Junior Member

11

04-26-2022, 11:36 PM

#10

Can I borrow a GPU only for testing? SSD and sound I wouldn't consider, but never say no. This is merely a practice to discover its limitations.