High Pitched Wine I can't hear?

TheBaronTheBaron Austin, TX
edited October 2003 in Hardware
my roommate and all my friends claim they can hear a high pitched wine coming from my PC that i can't at all hear. as i'd like to figure out what it is, can someone who hasn't already been deafened to these high tones please tell me what emits noises of this sort? i can definitely hear my HD and optical drives, so i'm pretty confident its one of several fans... unless theres something else that makes noise.

i would think the most likely culprits are the R9700 AIW fan, or my northbridge fan on my IS7.

I also have 2 stock lian-li 80mm, 1 lian-li 60mm, and a 92mm sunon on my slk-900.

thanks guys! :thumbsup:

Comments

  • pseudonympseudonym Michigan Icrontian
    edited October 2003
    Got anything screaming over 4000 revs???
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited October 2003
    I have had PSUs, video cards, and the voltage regulator on mobos make ultra-high frequency noise.

    From what I can tell, it means impending failure. Every component that's ever done that has eventually failed for me.
  • Geeky1Geeky1 University of the Pacific (Stockton, CA, USA)
    edited October 2003
    if it's really really high pitched, it's probably the monitor (if it's a CRT). For some reason, all CRT devices seem to make a really high-pitched noise that not all people can hear. It drives me nuts (because I CAN hear it) unless something else masks the sound...
  • TemplarTemplar You first.
    edited October 2003
    TV's are a big culprit with that. Are your TV's off?
  • edited October 2003
    TheBaron said
    my roommate and all my friends claim they can hear a high pitched wine coming from my PC that i can't at all hear. as i'd like to figure out what it is, can someone who hasn't already been deafened to these high tones please tell me what emits noises of this sort? i can definitely hear my HD and optical drives, so i'm pretty confident its one of several fans... unless theres something else that makes noise.

    i would think the most likely culprits are the R9700 AIW fan, or my northbridge fan on my IS7.

    I also have 2 stock lian-li 80mm, 1 lian-li 60mm, and a 92mm sunon on my slk-900.

    thanks guys! :thumbsup:


    Are you sure they're not pulling your leg? :O
  • SpinnerSpinner Birmingham, UK
    edited October 2003
    Presuming they're not pulling your leg, like folk have said, the monitor is the first place you should look, or listen as the case may be. As for everything else, fans no matter what speed they're running shouldn't be able to produce sounds anywhere near a high enough frequency for only certain people to be able to hear it, so I would say it's probably not something inside your case.

    But Prime' does have a good point also. It could also be a sound generated by the PC's audio output, sometimes if the mic input on a soundcard is left un-muted, and it has the additional aplification turned on, that could produce some quite high, erm high frequency noise, depending on the quality of your sound card. So check that angle as well.

    I have a really cheap T.V, and it periodically makes high frequency noises, it really bugs me, but if you can't hear it, and presuming it isn't a sign of immiment hardware failure, if you can't track it down... don't worry about it. Who cares if it's driving your mates and possibly your next door neighbours dog round the bend, it's your PC, it's your noise, they need to learn to live with it.;)
  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited October 2003
    About 4 of the machines in one of the Bays at Uni do this, but only when either you drag something (like an icon or a window) or the screen saver comes on..... it's weird, not to mention it actually hurts....

    It's hard to complain about something when the lecturers are too old to be able to hear it :rolleyes2

    Also, for a few weeks a while back I could actually hear my processor when it was working, sort of like a floppy drive, but more of a really high pitched bleeping, very very fast. Sort of like an audible usage notification....

    NS
  • ThraxThrax 🐌 Austin, TX Icrontian
    edited October 2003
    Usually the high-pitch whine, borderline on escaping the upper hearing ranges of a person, is the flyback transformer in the monitor or the faint hum of the electron gun in a CRT.
  • EnverexEnverex Worcester, UK Icrontian
    edited October 2003
    Thrax said
    Usually the high-pitch whine, borderline on escaping the upper hearing ranges of a person, is the flyback transformer in the monitor or the faint hum of the electron gun in a CRT.

    Tried turning the monitors off and the sound was still there (it was the first thing I tried), but as I said, it was only there when the screen saver was on or someone dragged something.

    So it may not be your monitor, it could be this mystery thing doing it as well. I'll have a word with one of the technicians and see if they can figure it out. It may be the same problem you have (if it isn't the monitor).

    NS
  • edcentricedcentric near Milwaukee, Wisconsin Icrontian
    edited October 2003
    transformers or filter capacitors that have a high pitch whine may last for years. But it is a sign that they are not correct, they are not supposed to do it. Turn things on and off, unplug fans and such, see if you can narrow it down. At least you will know what to keep an eye on.
    Roommates? Just turn up the music. Pretty soon they will be as deaf as you are.
  • primesuspectprimesuspect Beepin n' Boopin Detroit, MI Icrontian
    edited October 2003
    I'm putting my money on the PSU.
  • Straight_ManStraight_Man Geeky, in my own way Naples, FL Icrontian
    edited October 2003
    I have had axial sleeve bearing fans make a high-pitch squeel when the sleeves and pins are worn. Ball bearing fans or hydrowave fans should not do this.

    BUT, turn off the monitor and ask someone who CAN hear the squeel if they still hear it. If not, that is probably your culprit. PSU is also possible, right, Prime, especially if a bit overloaded.

    And, have had spindle bearings on an old HD do this, if the lubrication evaporates or is boiled away eventually due to heat friction building up as bearings wear-- more likely with older and also less expensive quality grade HDs. Have had more Seagates and IBMs do this than any other brands-- the very first HDs I got, I actually had to lube the spindle bearings from outside of drive every 6-8 months, but new ones you do NOT lube at all typically.

    John.
  • TheBaronTheBaron Austin, TX
    edited October 2003
    it is definitely not my CRT, noise is still there when its off. it could be the PSU, as i have a cheap allied 450w i ordered off newegg for $25... i'm gonna try switching fans off first, i'll let you guys know
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