Electronics Making Noise?

[Restorer]

Since solid-state devices like RAM and the CPU don't have any moving parts, I thought they didn't make noise. I've heard transformers and such vibrating because of magnetic and electric fields, but I didn't know computers could make noises like that.

My computer makes strange noises sometimes. The most noticeable is when running the Sandra memory bandwidth benchmark. My computer makes a kind of hissing noise, like ffffffffftt ffffftt ffffftt ffffftt, several times during the benchmark. Is this normal?

[Bensa]

Maybe your power lines are fluctuating and causing miniature surges?

[FireMogle]

What about it is so fast, its causing small tears in the space-time continuum.

[Restorer]

LOL, my PC2700 doesn't overclock that much.

[Cyberwiz01]

the noise could be from your hard drive, since those do have moving parts. Ive noticed the same kind of noises when i bench. I'm pretty sure its the HD

[CrashOveride]

Thats not really a good noise to be hearing from a HDD, last time I heard a noise like that it was overheating and promply dies.

[Cyberwiz01]

well its not quite the sound that restorer describes, i think. With me its just the clicky noises of the drive accessing data. Its not all that loud and its been doing it since day one that i've had it. I dont think its a problem. And the "fffffffttt" sound that restorer describes could be a rapid succession of HD clicks? Maybe?

[CrashOveride]

Well the almost grinding sound is normal but a little clicking almost (kinda like fffttt) could be it dying.

[Restorer]

I doubt it's the hard drive. I'll try to get a recording of the sound from inside my case tomorrow (might have to unplug a couple fans to get the ambient sound down; too bad both my loud hard drives are in a RAID array and are the boot disks, otherwise I'd turn them off too :)).

[Restorer]

I made some recordings of the noise from inside my case, next to the memory. I don't know where the sound is coming from (I'm a bit leery to stick my ear in an electrically active device with many spinning blades), so I stuck the mic in the easiest place.

The original, unedited recording for noise comparison purposes is here:
http://uweb.ucsb.edu/~mhielscher/misc/memhiss.mp3

An enhanced recording, in which you can better hear the hisses, is here:
http://uweb.ucsb.edu/~mhielscher/misc/memhissen.mp3

[ashenfang]

when running benchmarks, i would get those sounds from my hard drive. I think its the arms making a couple passes across the platters and good rate of speed. I don't think its anything to worry about.

[fiji]

maybe yoru hard-drive?

fans?

[Evil_Eye]

Judging from the sounds I think that it's not from the hard-drive. The sound given is a "hiss" which is not typical of the average hard-drive "click". Right now I'm thinking that either the ram is vibrating in it's dimm slot due to a loosening of sorts or that (if there's a heat-spreader) the TIM might be bubbling hence making the hissing sounds. Anyway, sticking your finger on the very tip of the PCB and gently pressing can usually determine which of the two is correct; if the TIM is bubbling, then there won't be any effect on the hissing sound, likewise a loose DIMM will immediatly stop making noise when pressed.

I don't know if this may help or not.

[CrashOveride]

Ya... thats no the HDD sound..

[pik4chu]

do you have any temp controlled fans? My computer makes that noise every now and then and Ive found it to be the case itself vibrating slightly. it does it for sligytly longer intervals than that recording but it still does. Sounds like something is loose. its unlikely but it might be electronic interference, or whatnot. I notice I get that when I plug in things in a certain oorder but leave other things off. On a side note, if I plug in my comp and speakers, leave comp off but turn speakers on I can hear radio/telephone conversations in the background :D

[Janissary]

It may be the PC speaker, a damaged capasitor may cause such kind of noise.