Mystery Ticking Sound from New Build

[mistertheplague]

Maybe someone can make a little more sense of this. For several minutes after start-up, a ticking noise emanates from this rig I built a week ago. The ticking goes away after several minutes and only occurs when the system is cold. If it's been run, turned off, and rebooted several hours later, e.g., there's no noise.

The case has 7 fans including the CPU fan, in addition to which there's the power supply fan. I checked the case fans and the CPU fan -- all appear to be unobstructed. It doesn't appear to be the hard drive.

All of which caused me to suspect the power supply fan, plus the noise seemed to be coming from the bottom of the case, where the PSU is located. (It's impossible to be certain, with all those fans blazing.)

So today I performed the following order of operations:

1. I turned the case on its side and stopped the PSU fan from turning on bootup with a swabless Q-Tip (the exhaust port for the PSU blows out of the bottom).

2. I powered the computer up while it was on its side: no noise.

3. I removed the Q-Tip from the PSU fan grill: the fan wouldn't turn at all.

4. I powerered the computer down at Vista's login screen, waited ten seconds or so and powered back up, this time with nothing obstructing the PSU fan grill. The case was still on its side. The PSU fan resumed spinning normally and there was no noise.

5. I powered the computer down again, and turned the case upright, and powered it back on with nothing obstructing any fans.

6. The ticking sound occurred for maybe ten seconds and went away.

Any thoughts? The specs are below. Thanks in advance.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

-- COOLER MASTER RC-690-KKA1-GP Black SECC/ ABS ATX Mid Tower Computer Case Real Power Pro 550W Power Supply
-- ASUS P5Q SE/R LGA 775 Intel P45 ATX Intel Motherboard
-- ASUS EAH4850 TOP/HTDI/512M Radeon HD 4850 512MB 256-bit GDDR3 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready CrossFire Supported Video
-- Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 Kentsfield 2.4GHz 2 x 4MB L2 Cache LGA 775 Quad-Core Processor
-- CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) 240-Pin DDR2 SDRAM DDR2 800 (PC2 6400) Dual Channel Kit Desktop Memory
-- SAMSUNG Black 22X DVD+R 8X DVD+RW 16X DVD+R DL 22X DVD-R 6X DVD-RW 12X DVD-RAM 16X DVD-ROM 48X CD-R 32X CD-RW 48X CD-ROM 2MB Cache SATA 22X DVD±R DVD Burner with LightScribe
-- ZALMAN CNPS9500 AT 2 Ball CPU Cooling Fan/Heatsink
-- SEAGATE Barracuda 7200.11 ST31000333AS 1TB 7200 RPM 32MB Cache SATA 3.0Gb/s Hard Drive
-- (5X) ANTEC 120mm LED Tri-color Case Fans
-- (1X) COOLER MASTER 120mm Case Fan

 

[Proximon]

I don't think your test is conclusive. I use a stethoscope to isolate noise, but I'm like that.

I had a hard drive that ticked just like that when I first started using it... but after a few days it stopped ticking permanently.

Sometimes a wire inside the PSU can brush the fan... if this happens it can usually be pushed out of the way with a pencil or such without opening the PSU and voiding the warranty.

 

[dirtmountain]

Dr. Proximon has it right, keep trying to isolate the problem. It could be a bad bearing in one of the case fans. This is one of the problems that can drive me nuts trying to find exactly what's making the sound. In one of my cases it turned out to be the HSF that was making the noise.

 

[aevm]

If you don't have a stethoscope, a white coat and a couple of pretty nurses around, maybe you could do the trick with a long cardboard tube.

If it turns out to be a hard drive, I strongly advise you back it up and don't keep anything important on it. Just like Proximon's drive, mine also stopped ticking permanently after a few days. Unlike his, mine also stopped working.

 

[average joe]

A Toilet Paper tube or paper towel tube will work. I don't think its the hard drive. I'm getting the impression that a fan maybe just nicking its sheathing until ambient temps rise high enough to expand things out.

Grab a free utility called active S.M.A.R.T. and let it run for a couple days. It will tell you if a HD is failing. Failing Hard drives that tick don't tend to stop ticking after boot up.

 

[mistertheplague]

Thanks for the feedback. If it is the PSU fan, what then? I have no intention of prying the PSU apart to try and replace the fan. Might the fan eventually work out whatever issues it could be having and spin normally? Every one of these components is brand new.

 

[Proximon]

It's not the best PSU. Wouldn't be a huge loss really

If you are careful to fully discharge the PSU, it's usually pretty simple to open it up and replace the fan. They are usually standard case fans, but doing so voids the warranty of course.

They lowered the price on these even more:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817341011&Tpk=S75CF
PC P&C is determined to unload these red power supplies seems like.

 

[aevm]

I can tell you that my PC P&C S75CF does NOT make ticking sounds. Yeah, it's red, but I can live with that

This may sound cowardly, but I'd rather pay $60 for a good new PSU than opening a PSU and risking an electric shock. Proximon, how do you fully discharge the PSU and make it safe to open?

 

[Proximon]

1. Restart the PC, and while the screen is still showing the POST process, before it gets to the OS, unplug it from the wall. Leave the switch on the PSU in the ON position.

2. Hit the power button on the case a few times, until you do not see any signs of power any where when you do so.

3. Let it sit overnight.

4. Beyond this you have to short across capacitors with a lightbulb and wires, or some such, to get them all fully drained... but if you are just replacing the fan that shouldn't be a big worry. Just don't lick anything or spill your beer on it

 

[buzznut]

Good advice from proximon, To ensure no chance of electric shock, the caps need to be drained.
I had a similar problem, but it was fairly easy to isolate the problem fan being one of my intakes. Seems the hub was just a little loose and and the blades rubbed against the front of the chassis until getting up to speed, where the centrifugal forces brought the hub back closer in the frame. replaced fan, no more ticking.

Also a cheap box that is not aligned properly can do the same thing. Before running out and buying a new PS, I would try to isolate the sound.

If attempting to open the power supply, follow the procedures above to drain residual power.

 

[Proximon]

Bah the red PC P&C was 99 bucks earlier, 60 after rebate, but it's back up to 109 now. Still a great deal of course.

 

[Shadow703793]

Remember the time when these PSUs use to be $160+ easily?

 

[mistertheplague]

Thanks to everyone for your feedback.

I found a fix, which I'll post in case anyone winds up like I did, with a newly built rig that runs great yet emits a ticking noise that drives them insane ...

(@Proximon: I did go out and get a stethoscope, believe it or not -- $8.99 at Walgreen's. Worked great.)

NewEgg is still bundling this case (CM690) -- which is outstanding, with some notable deficits -- with this particular PSU -- which, if I had it to do over again, I would have 86'd. So a lot of people will end up with this case/PSU combination. My recommendation: get the case, buy another PSU.

<Drum Roll> The PSU mounts on the bottom of the case, with the exhaust port blowing out between the rear legs.

So the PSU fan, which is sleeve-bearing, drops down a little on its spindle, causing it to contact the fan grill (listening to it with a stethoscope sounding like a sledgehammer banging against the side of a metal hull).

I removed the grill, flipped it upside down, and voila: no ticking sound. The spokes on the fan grill protrude upward just enough to cause the fan to contact them when cold. Why it goes away when the system has warmed up, I don't know.

 

[dirtmountain]

Thank you very much for the feedback. It's much appreciated and can give us another place to start when finding solutions. Kudos to Dr. Proximon.

 

[mistertheplague]

My pleasure. As it is possible to fit this case with 9 fans -- not including the CPU fan and the pesky PSU fan -- and since one's first reaction when hearing this goddawful sound is to disconnect each of the case fans one at a time, I figured almost everyone on these boards must have something better they could be doing with an afternoon than flushing it down the toilet.