Tom's Hardware > Forum > CPU & Components > Power Supplies, PC Cases & Case Mods > [Solved] Power Supply Clicking

[Solved] Power Supply Clicking

Forum CPU & Components : Power Supplies, PC Cases & Case Mods - [Solved] Power Supply Clicking

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Best answer from J0SEPH.

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Hello All,

So, I am in the middle of my first ever computer build and I am running into a problem.

My power supply is making a clicking noise at regular intervals under a second.
The CPU, Graphics Card, and Case Fans are all coming on but the LEDs on the case and on the mobo are flickering simultaneously with the clicking noise.

Any ideas as to the problem?
I have gotten the same problem with two different power supplies now.

A Rosewill 500w and an Antec 650w.

CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200
MOBO: GIGABYTE EP45-UD3P
Graphics Card: ATI Radeon 4850
Memory: CORSAIR 4GB (2 x 2GB) DDR2 Memory
HDD: Western Digital Cavier 500GB
Case: NZXT Apollo Black

Thanks in advance.

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That clicking noise is the PSU's voltage regulator repeatedly shutting off the power and turning it back on. This is why it's timed with the blinking lights.

Something is preventing the PSU from delivering it's power to the MoBo so it just keeps spiking over and over.

Hmmm, sounds like a short or overload somewhere. Did you use standoffs under every mounting hole, and make sure there are none where there isn't a hole? Disconnect all of the case lights, and basically anything not needed to POST, and see what happens. Power off, add one thing back, and power on, until a problem appears; the last one you added is your culprit.

Reply to jtt283

Forgot to mention, I still have not gotten to the BIOS screen and have yet to see anything flash on the monitor. I am positive that the standoffs are mounted correctly.

I continue to get this clicking sound from the power supply.

Reply to jetsdude24

my power supply occasionally does that under high load, or sometimes during startup. I can't think of any valid reason for why that happens, so i requested an RMA.

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Reply to Nik_I

Best answer

Reply to J0SEPH

Any way to fix this then?

Reply to jetsdude24

It happens with multiple PSUs, so it is probably some other component. Try to isolate it by minimizing what is connected, as I described above.

Reply to jtt283

I minimized it to only the mobo and the PSU and still getting the same symptoms :-(

Message quoted 1 times

Reply to jetsdude24

I'd follow jtt283's advise. The clicking noise/fickering lights usually doesn't mean there's anything wrong with the PSU. It's like repeatedly throwing the main circuit breaker in your house.

Reply to J0SEPH

jetsdude24 wrote :

I minimized it to only the mobo and the PSU and still getting the same symptoms :-(

your mobo's either improperly grounded or defective

Reply to J0SEPH

Thank you for the quick replies everyone. Going to call GIGABYTE tomorrow.

Reply to jetsdude24

As it ends up, I think the mobo was defective. Got a new one last night and installed with ease

Reply to jetsdude24

Thanks for the update, it's always good to hear back and find out a problem was fixed, even if it was a RMA for a faulty mobo.

Reply to dirtmountain

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Forum CPU & Components : Power Supplies, PC Cases & Case Mods - [Solved] Power Supply Clicking