Computer Hardware Help

Hrmm, I've had fans give me weird sounds more then once, but your problem seems to be related to load.  Are any of your fans automatically managed by applications or on your motherboard?  If so, check them out and see if their screws are loose or if a wire is brushing them, they may be picking up under higher temps and causing that pitch.

I have heard of phenomena with inductors 'singing" under load, its especially common on Nvidia 8800 cards and they do sing louder under load.  Its not a sign of a problem usually though.

Maybe if you can run your mobo outside of the case you can isolate the sound easier?


Edited by Darur - 11 October 2007 at 10:59pm

After doing a little googling, I'm starting to think it's the PSU.

If I shutdown and reboot, for the first 20-30 seconds of the boot, it's one long continuous high-pitch screech. After that it's just random and often beeps/screechs. It seemed as if the more stress I used on the computer, the more beeps/screechs. But then I tried playing a movie in WMP, and I didn't notice any difference in the amount of beeps/screeches than when I was just sitting at the desktop running nothing.

HP a465c PC
Intel P4 3.0
1 GB PC3200 RAM
Radeon X1650 Pro 512MB
XClio 450W PSU

So in other words, theres really nothing I could do? And you think 450W is cutting it close? I have a 300W PSU that came with the PC, but I replaced it with the 450W when I got the Radeon X1650 Pro. You think the 300W would be strong enough to run everything stable if the problem turns out to be my current PSU?

Something needs to be done, and I don't think I can just let it go. The screech is so high pitch that you can hear it from the other room with the door closed. I started to feel a headache coming on after listening to it while I looked for where it was coming from.

A sound coming from the PSU/mobo area sounds like a fan to me. PSU's have one or more case fans to cool them, and from the mainboard, I'd suspect the CPU heatsink fan.

LOLZ YOUR LOAD IS TO BIG

Its very possible its a fan, so before you do anything with the PSU, check all the fans.  See if you can remove the CPU from the case and make sure the sound isn't from the CPU or any fans in the case.

If its coming from the CPU, check the fan and see whats up.  If the inductors are making the noise, you can still run it while you wait for a replacement.  If your worried about the PSU behavior, check the rails with a DMM.  If the sound is really getting to you, you might be able to dampen it with a towel or something in the meantime.

You might be able to run your computer off the old PSU, but if your overclocking at all, I'd drop your clocks to stock to play it safe.

Good luck!