Intermittent Buzzing Noise?

[Captain_U-96]

I have an intermittent buzzing sound coming from inside my computer when I mouse over links etc and on each click of the mouse wheel when scroling. It's faint but there. Can anyone tell me what it is? I've tried listening to different things like the hard drive, power supply, but with the fans goung no luck? Any ideas?

 

[Rugger]

Are you sure it's only associated with the mouse? To me it sounds like a fan has a bearing that is going out and is dying a slow death. Low-tech isolation method:
1. Open side of case
2. Use a tube of some sort to listen to the different areas inside the case. It's an easy way to isolate the area from which the noise is emanating.

 

[CallumN]

No, i think i know what hes on about. I have it too. Especially when scrolling down pages. And i too would love to know what it is. Next time it starts doing it again i will go grab a toilet roll.

 

[fainis]

you can safelly..open your case and stop all the fans for few seconds...use some matches.....and then listen for that sound

 

[Rugger]

Toilet roll or a paper towel roll work great.

I'd be really interested to know what this is myself...

 

[CallumN]

I'll do it tonight after Ultimate training, when its not fircken hot, and i dont have my window open and 1001 cars going past.

 

[Captain_U-96]

Are you sure it's only associated with the mouse? To me it sounds like a fan has a bearing that is going out and is dying a slow death. Low-tech isolation method:
1. Open side of case
2. Use a tube of some sort to listen to the different areas inside the case. It's an easy way to isolate the area from which the noise is emanating.

Thanks alot! That's a great idea; for another time. I've found the source of the noise! The noise is coming from my speakers. Even with them turned all the way down where no sound at all should be heard. I had the side of my case off, and listened to everything I could! I wish I'd known about the paper towel/toilet paper roll trick!

Putting the speaker to my ear I can hear a tone that goes up in pitch and down again like an electronic signal, and when I move the mouse around it sounds like someone scratching on a blackboard. I think I'll try reversing the plug for the speakers in the surge protecter to see if that gets rid of it.

Thanks everyone for your help and suggestions! Mike

 

[Captain_U-96]

Well, reversing the plug didn't get rid of the buzzing noise coming from my speakers. Anyone got any ideas why this is happening? Thanks, Mike

 

[Griffin28]

It's some sort of signal interference (or white noise) on the sound card. I have the same problem on mine when I use headphones connected directly to the sound card output at high volume twisted: Sounds like a 747 winding up for take off while any of my optical drives spin.), but it isn't there if I use my keyboard audio controls to pull down the volume...

Possibly easy solution; pull down the device volume of your sound card in your control panel (under Sound and Audio Devices) and boost the volume on your speaker system (if your using ampified speakers). That should make it go away. I noticed on my machine that the problem became exponentially worse as I increased the output level.

Fyi, I recently upgraded from onboard Realtek AC97 to a dirt cheap Creative 24bit Live! and noticed a significant reduction in white noise at full volume using heaphones compared to the onboard audio. So if your using an onboard audio a cheap upgrade (I spent about US$40 on my new audio card) might also help.

 

[Captain_U-96]

That's what I was thinking, so I went out and got a Creative Labs 24 bit Sound Blaster PCI Card last night. That took care of the white noise, but I discovered my BFG GeForce 6600 Gt oc video card fan had quit which took care of the 2 cycle noise, and now all I hear is the usual; except for the 120 fan sitting on my Silent Hunter 3 box blowing in on the graphics card. It does a better job than the oem fan?