New noise.

[Harrys mum]

My computer has developed a new noise. It sounds like the fan is running, but I've not had it before. It comes on after the computer has been running for a half hour or so.
It's not that burbling noise it gets when it's doing something like a scan or finding something.

It has just started since this very hot weather......30C plus each day.

Should I be worried or doing something special?
Thanks.

[Elaine ..Spain]

Have a look at the vents at the back and side of the casing. Are they dusty! :xmas_embarrassed:
It could be that the vents are blocked and the fan is having to work overtime to keep the machine cool.

[Harrys mum]

Dust!!!!!!!!!!!!! In my house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

lol

I did try that and used my special cloth to dust it all. There wasn't really much at all. I haven't taken the case off though to check.

[Elaine ..Spain]

Dust!!!!!!!!!!!!! In my house!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I did think that would be very unusual! :xmas_biggrin:

If there is a build up of dust inside the machine you should be able to see it through the air vents - maybe have a look with a torch or in daylight just to check.

[Harrys mum]

Will do.

Can it cause a major problem......like a meltdown????

[WendyPusey]

If the temperature is over 30C then the PC is having to work extra hard to keep cool.

If the PC reaches a temperature that is too hot, it will turn itself off as a safety measure. You really should regularly clean any dust out from the inside.

[Elaine ..Spain]

The purpose of the fan is to keep the insides cool.
You will probably find that if the machine gets too hot it will cut out and I suppose could possibly damage the motherboard.

Get the sucking action of your hoover on it!

[Harrys mum]

Will do....thanks.


Just as a precaution I did back up everything today.

[Cloggie]

Could be that there is a build up of dust & dirt on a fan. I had this happen with my graphics card fan. I removed the graphics card and used some canned air to clean it, but the fan still kept sticking or spinning too slow. So I ended up replacing the graphics card.

Also, I have my CPU fan set to run faster as the CPU gets hotter. So the harder the CPU is working, the more noise my CPU fan makes.

[Anne in Carlisle]

My desktop stopped completely because it was overheating! I didn't dare take the case off but when I had someone do it the cooling fan for the processor was completely blocked. The poor thing couldn't breath!!!

I've had this desktop for 4 years with no problems at all - obviously the unseen dust (which I believe is mostly human skin cells :xmas_eek had been gathering all that time. No matter how clean (or not!) I keep the outside I couldn't stop the bits being sucked into the inside.

Its absolutely fine now and MUCH quieter!

Anne

[Harrys mum]

Well OH got the compressor and blew the dust out......lol

I couldn't actually see much dust there when we took the case off.

I'm surprised OH didn't blow the whole workings out....so if I'm not around you'll know he stuffed it....lol

[Grimsqueaker]

The server I have at home for backups (and testing FTF upgrades before unleashing them on you guys) runs at ambient temperature of 32-33 degree's without any issues, and has been doing non-stop since about May..

Chances are it is just a fan speeding up to cope with the extra temperature (as per the design of the pc), and you havent noticed it previously.

Nothing to worry about unless you start getting issues with the system not running as expected

[Harrys mum]

Thanks for that.

It must have two fans as there is one near the back which you can see when you take the side off and it goes all the time the machine is on. The noise is coming from inside another covered part but seems to be a fan type noise.
It hasn't happened today since OH "dusted" it...lol...but the temp is lower today as well.

[WZowe]

The visible ventilator at the backside of the serves case for cooling the transformer.
The CPU cooler is in the case. Most dust accumulates here. A static charging which attracts the dust arises from the rotation of the ventilators. The consequence can be that the ventilator cannot take in a sufficient lot of cool air to the cooling body of the CPU first any more. Not everyone BIOS have an automatic shutoff at overheating. The detail is not in the BIOS waiter activates. The result then can lead to the loss of the CPU and possible of the mother circuit board. In any case is cheaper a new ventilator for about 10 euros or the dust remove.
Also further ventilators can be attached at the mother circuit board.
The most expensive but also the most quiet manner of the cooling of the CPU and the memory is the water cooling. But very expensive!
Wolf

[Anne in Carlisle]

Yes, Wolf - it was the CPU fan that was full of dust. I thought the problem had gone with the cleaning but it seems there is still a problem. :xmas_mad:

Sometimes the computer shuts down but not completely. Its still 'half on' but there's nothing I can do but shut it down by switching it off. Then next time it is really slow and takes ages to do anything at all. If I can get it to the stage where I can turn it off properly from the 'Start' then next time it starts everything is OK.

Its a mystery!!

Anne

[WZowe]

Anne,
unfortunately, there are many possibilities for the causes of the moods of computers.
If the CPU has got too hot or would be oversteered, the consequence is not foreseeable. If data were changed by a faulty CPU and were written on the hard disk, sometimes a simple trick helps.
Start once the computer in the protected mode insured (press F8 button to the start.)
Ending the system normally and starting normally again then.
The system is not often - unfortunately always - forced to exchange faulty programme parts by this action.
To the speed at VISTA only in such a way many:
It is slow, gets slower and slower by every change. Tidying and defragmenting hard disk.
Windows 7 is better. Or the old Windows XP. I still have share a partion for test VISTA purposes on one on my laptop computer, however, prefer to use Windows 7 or Windows XP on the other computers.
Wolf

[Harrys mum]

So can I open that metal box where the "other fan" is and clean inside that, or do I get a professional??

It seems to have stopped since my husband blew the dust out.....or maybe it is just because the weather is cooler.

[WZowe]

Anne,
please before you open the cover,
remove the plug of the power supply.
You then can undo the 2 screws. Unfortunately, all the cases are different. Cases lets come loose the cover then into most.
The ventilator of the CPU is importantly clean,
the aluminium cooling bodies bail out the cooling fins again. I always take a normal flourish brush (brush for water-colours) for this. With a vacuum cleaner not asks into this one sews components the come.
If furthermore the ventilator gives loud Geschäusche,
from my experience a new CPU fan is necessary. However, having this one installed by an expert, please. Otherwise the mother circuit board could take damage.
Wolf