Power supply making a buzzing sound

[Theocnoob]

My HX 850 from late 2010 has just started emitting a buzz when put under load (either just cpu in P95 blend, or whole system in gaming). The buzzing just started yesterday. At first I thought it was my motherboard but I got inside the case and moved my ears around and found its coming from the PSU.

1) Is my power supply about to die?

2) Is it safe to use in this condition? Will it damage the other components?

3) Should I switch it out for a TX-750 (2008) that I have here?

 

[dostov]

You may want to try and stop the fan manually to see... maybe it's a dying fan? Easily replaceable.

 

[ATMINSIDE]

+1 to checking the fan.

 

[Theocnoob]

It's not a fan noise. It's an electronic buzz. I know what a rattling or buzzing fan sounds like.

 

[dostov]

Troubleshooting 101: Begin with the thing that is easiest to test. There's really nothing else in a PSU that is easy to test and/or repair.

Personally, I'd swap it before it dies completely.

Cheers!

 

[ATMINSIDE]

FWIW, me and a friend thought a buzz in his computer was a HDD. It was the PSU fan.

 

[Bobnova]

Change anything recently? GPU especially, or overclock level of GPU or CPU.

 

[Theocnoob]

Change anything recently? GPU especially, or overclock level of GPU or CPU.

I dropped my multi from 48 to 47 but kept the same voltage/LLC/etc

That should have had zero effect.

 

[Bobnova]

Tried putting it back? Tried running stock?

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

Does it sound like AC line hum?

 

[Theocnoob]

Tried putting it back? Tried running stock?

I'll try that. Should've already now that you mention it...

Does it sound like AC line hum?

I don't know what that sounds like.

 

[RJARRRPCGP]

I don't know what that sounds like.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:60Hz_hum_square.ogg

 

[larrymoencurly]

What happens when you press against the hard drive and fans, including video and CPU fans?

If you stop the power supply fan, use only non-metallic stick, like a chopstick or plastic straw, because there's exposed high voltage right beneath the fan. Buzzing from the PSU could be from the power factor correction coil. but don't touch it except while the AC power cord is unplugged.

Sometimes PSUs simply resonate when the load is just right.

 

[Theocnoob]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:60Hz_hum_square.ogg

It sounds similar to that.

 

[Theocnoob]

Sometimes PSUs simply resonate when the load is just right.

Ya but I've been doing the same things on it for years. It started happening while I was playing MWO the other day, as I have done many times. No differing load was applied.

 

[ATMINSIDE]

Power parts degrade, that degradation could cause the hum to start.

 

[NiHaoMike]

Some glue or whatever that was holding the PFC coil windings together probably started coming apart and started letting that vibrate. Easy to fix if you're comfortable working with high voltage, but if not, you could sell it and buy a new one or just live with it. There might be a (very small) chance of the PFC coil shorting but it's unlikely to damage other PC hardware. It can damage the UPS it's plugged into if there is one, but a good UPS should survive even that. (Once had a server PSU blow at work. It pulled enough current to dim the lights for a split second and reboot some other devices on the same UPS, but the UPS itself survived.)

 

[larrymoencurly]

Sometimes PSUs simply resonate when the load is just right.

Ya but I've been doing the same things on it for years. It started happening while I was playing MWO the other day, as I have done many times. No differing load was applied.

I mean the loading of the parts on the mobo and inside the PSU. Sometimes PSUs start making noise because the capacitors age and charge up and discharge at different rates than before, and that changes how the coils shake. Sometimes coating the coils with several layers of varnish or slow-cure epoxy helps.

 

[Bobnova]

Doesn't even have to be old caps, a GPU VRM that draws at close to the same frequency as the PSU outputs, or a nth order of it, will cause noise even brand new.

 

[Conumdrum]

It's the Cindy Wu circuit, I heard that on the Internets.