Dave Schroeder wrote:
> Hi Listers, Below is a description of a problem a friend is having
> with a used PC she just purchased not too long ago.  It's a PC a
> fried of hers put together and all I know is that it has XP home
> edition with all updates applied.  If you need any other info let me
> know and I'll try to find out.
> 
> "After my PC has been on a few minutes, the humming is so loud I hear
> it several rooms away.  Then it revs up like it's going to take off,
> then backs down.  I know that's not right.  "

Sounds like an old 7200rpm ball-bearing hard drive.  I used to have 6 of 
those in a case and they would make a nasty whine noise that would act 
like that (low whine, increasing noise, then it tails off again).  The 
pitch (as in musical) will be a multiple of the drive's RPM (either 90Hz 
or 120Hz).

The newer fluid-bearing (FDB?) drives made in the last few years are a 
lot quieter and don't suffer from the whine problem.

(Or, as Dean said, it could be one of the fans.)

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