Mysterious electric hum...
Posted: Tue Mar 05, 2013 4:02 pm
Hey guys! Long-time reader, first time poster. I hope this is the correct place to post this, as I'm not sure which component(s) might be at fault. Firstly, here's my system:
Case: Fractal Design Define R3 (atx)
Fans: 5 Nexus Real Silent 120mm variable speed (via speedfan, just slightly audible from about a foot away)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77m
RAM: 8GB G.Skill
CPU: Core i3
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Gemini 2 (replaced stock fan with a Nexus Real Silent, as above)
GPU: Asus GTX 660
SSD: 3 SSDs (Intel X25m, Crucial m4, and a Samsung 840)
Hard Drives: N/A
PSU: Corsair AX750 Gold / Seasonic SS660 Platinum
And here's my problem: I'm hearing what sounds like a loud fan or electric hum, audible from about ten feet away and rather annoying. It isn't present right after booting, but I notice it after my system has been on for at least 20 minutes or so (both idle and while gaming). It's still very audible after disabling all fans (including the two GPU fans, which are almost silent anyway). To diagnose further, I removed the GPU from my case (using the i3's onboard graphics instead) and could still hear it. When listening inside the case, it seems to be coming from the PSU or motherboard area, it's hard to pinpoint. I thought it was probably my Seasonic, so I replaced it with an old Corsair I had, and did not notice any discernible change. I also tried disabling C1E in the BIOS which also didn't help. I've attached a recording using a cheap microphone: for some reason I had a hard time capturing the sound (probably just low quality hardware): it's a very rough approximation of what I'm hearing (except much louder and with a higher pitch). The clicking sounds are the fans trying to spin up (I used some pens to block them temporarily).
Having spent a lot of time and energy trying to get a low-noise system, this has been frustrating and I'm out of things to try. And so I turn to the experts . Any ideas?
Case: Fractal Design Define R3 (atx)
Fans: 5 Nexus Real Silent 120mm variable speed (via speedfan, just slightly audible from about a foot away)
Motherboard: ASRock Z77m
RAM: 8GB G.Skill
CPU: Core i3
CPU Cooler: Cooler Master Gemini 2 (replaced stock fan with a Nexus Real Silent, as above)
GPU: Asus GTX 660
SSD: 3 SSDs (Intel X25m, Crucial m4, and a Samsung 840)
Hard Drives: N/A
PSU: Corsair AX750 Gold / Seasonic SS660 Platinum
And here's my problem: I'm hearing what sounds like a loud fan or electric hum, audible from about ten feet away and rather annoying. It isn't present right after booting, but I notice it after my system has been on for at least 20 minutes or so (both idle and while gaming). It's still very audible after disabling all fans (including the two GPU fans, which are almost silent anyway). To diagnose further, I removed the GPU from my case (using the i3's onboard graphics instead) and could still hear it. When listening inside the case, it seems to be coming from the PSU or motherboard area, it's hard to pinpoint. I thought it was probably my Seasonic, so I replaced it with an old Corsair I had, and did not notice any discernible change. I also tried disabling C1E in the BIOS which also didn't help. I've attached a recording using a cheap microphone: for some reason I had a hard time capturing the sound (probably just low quality hardware): it's a very rough approximation of what I'm hearing (except much louder and with a higher pitch). The clicking sounds are the fans trying to spin up (I used some pens to block them temporarily).
Having spent a lot of time and energy trying to get a low-noise system, this has been frustrating and I'm out of things to try. And so I turn to the experts . Any ideas?