Loud fan

I have a pentium 4 and winxp he and my comp is around 1 year and 1 month old.
When i first brought my computer on the 15th of october last year from pc world and turned it on i was surprised of how quite it was then after about 3weeks of owning my system it got a tiny bit louder and started to sound like a fridge(as most comps do).But just over the past 1-2 weeks my comp has started reving pretty loud like the sound of a petrol remote control car.
I would turn my comp off and open up the case to see if theres a clunk of dust around the fan but i have lots of stuff open on my comp so i dont want to turn it off and have a look until the morning.
Just off the top of ur heads does anyone know why it would just do this every now and again? (This even happens when im not using the computer and not connected to the internet).
Could it be overheating?,do i need one of those silent fans?,is this normal for a pc 1 years old?,just thought someone here might know off the top of there head..

It depends on which fan is making the noise. P4's usually have a case fan (with cowls over the CPU/heat-sink assembly) and a Power Supply fan (internal to the PS). Check the power supply fan by looking into the back of the PS and making sure that the fan is running and not clogged with dust. You can clean this out with a vacuum cleaner using the hose and dustbrush, just make sure you stick a pencil into the fan blades to keep from overspinning the fan. If the power supply fan is making the noise, you may need to replace the power supply, since you cannot open the PS to get to the fan. Well you can, but that is dangerous and definitely not recommended. Sometimes cleaning will clear up PS noise issues for a while.

The CPU, or case fan can get a lot of dust coated on the leading edges of the fan blades. These are light duty fans and this dust can get them out of balance easily. Increasing noise levels from these fans can indicate that they are no longer working at optimum. Since the CPU fan is critical to keep the CPU at acceptable temperature levels, it should be replaced if there is any question about it. They can be replaced easily. If you system is still under warranty, call it in. If not, they are cheaply available at the local comp shop.

I think that you have a fan that needs replacing.........It has all the characteristics of bearings falling apart.

Tell me (and do not ask why I ask) did you buy extended warranty rip-off at the same time? if so you are laughing..take it back and tell them to send it back within 7 days silent, or a new one that is silent............they really have no choice

PC World???????????????????????? I will refrain from comment

Good Luck and let us know how you got on


Cheers Mate

lol,nope it just expired typical.It expired on the 15 october 2003 just gone it came with a 1 year warenty there is no way i would pay for a rip off extended warenty i am a member of AntiOnline :).
Like i said i dident want to take the case off yet cuz i gots lots of stuff on my computer and i dont yet wanna turn it off,its still on i have taken the top off i cant be sure but i think it was the fan over the processor making the noise but i have left the top off its been off for about 3 hours now and its not making that noise,odd.I have 2 fans one at the back of the tower on the top and the second fan built on top my processor.Could it pherhaps been overheating?.
Also i think someone above mentioned that i may have a cheap fan?,i was curious is it best to replace these with better ones or not?.I cannot yet until i am more confident in pc building i am gonna be getting a new box to play with dif os and do pc building soon but would someone like AntiOnline be running the same type of fans as me or not,or would they choose more reliable ones?.I just thaught a fan is a fan.. :confused:

If the fan is on top of the processor (part of the heat sink?) and it was making noise, but now it is not (with the case top open), you should check that the fan is still spinning. Can you see it, or do you have to remove a cowling?

You might be able to see a wire coming off the fan housing and going to a connector on the MB. Is the wire plugged in?

These CPU fans are generally easy to replace. You will need size (1.5-inch?), make and any other information on the fan to get a match. They are usually about $10-15 US.

If you're going to get into pc building, you need to know how to keep your hardware in top shape. One of the most important things is to remove the cover every six months and get all the accumulated dust that has built up out of your system (make sure the pc is turned off AND unplugged first and you're grounded so you don't create any static electricity). At the same time you should check all your cables, wires, connections, make sure all cards are seated securely, etc. Your system should have plenty of 'breathing room' as well for proper air circulation and be up off the floor. If you get in the practice of doing a little computer housekeeping - you can avoid having to replace fans, PSUs, CPUs, drives and even motherboards.

Rapier57 and nihil have given you some great advice. Call me a pessimist but . . . since most systems fall way short of providing useful replacement part information, write down any and all information regarding your fan. If you don't have a diagram of your mobo, you may want to sketch it out for yourself before removing. If you want more info on your system - try checking out the manufacturers site for your motherboard. I believe Intel has info on their site for recommended CPU fans . . . I know AMD does - so you can check that out as well. If you could tell me who the manufacturer of your system is and the model number . . . I could probably steer you closer to the info.

V.

Hi Dominaterx,

Quote:

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choose more reliable ones?.I just thaught a fan is a fan..

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Well, not quite :) There are two basic sorts:

1. Those with nylon bushes
2. Those with "bearings" (ball race filled with steel ballbearings)

Although nylon on nylon is quite well lubricated, the ball bearing type is much more reliable and longer lived. This is the type you want for your CPU fan and an expensive video card.

The bush type are OK for case and exhaust fans. The fans also run at different speeds and shift air at different rates, usually expressed in cubic feet per minute (Cfm). It is important that you get one that meets the specification of your heatsink or is better. This is because the heatsink merely conducts heat away from the processor, it is the fan that gets rid of it.

Hope this helps