On Sat, 18 Aug 2001 08:54:43 -0400, Ellis Heath <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

>    Hello,
>
>I am writing about a noise that my computer just started making.  It's a
>buzzing sound that starts when the computer is turned on and continues
>throughout it being on.  It sounds like what the computer probably normally
>sounds like, but just a lot louder.  So far (knock on wood), it does not
>seem to affect the computer's performance.
>
>I have an Intel Pentium III 450 Mhz with a Pentium III Processor and 128MB
>RAM.
>
>Thanks!
>
>Ellis Heath
>[log in to unmask]
>
>                         PCBUILD's List Owners:
>                      Bob Wright<[log in to unmask]>
>                       Drew Dunn<[log in to unmask]>

Ninety Nine point nine nine times out of a hundred, this problem is one or more cooling fans with bad bearings.  Almost all computers have a cooling fan in the power supply and one on the CPU heat sink.  I have also seen cooling fans on video cards and auxiliary cooling fans located in various places in the case.

When I encountered this problem recently with my own work horse, I tested each fan either by disconnecting it's power cable or by preventing the fan from turning when I turned the computer on.  In my case I had a total of five fans to test and it turned out that I had two go bad at the same time.  Since all the fans were of the cheap sleeve bearing type I replaced every one with a ball bearing fan which lasts longer.

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