Why is my PC making sporadic buzzing noises?

[catboy]

I've been using my PC for about 6 months. Before I started using it, all the hardware was brand new.

The other night I went into my BIOS and changed the settings for the QFan Control.

After I did that, a problem emerged for the first time.

The problem is: about every hour, my PC makes a sporadic buzzing sound that emits from the hardware (it's not coming through the speakers). This buzzing sound lasts for about two seconds, and then it no longer exists until the next time it happens again.

Immediately after the buzzing sound occurs, my case fans sound as though they are spinning faster than they were during the buzzing ...as if they reduced their RPM while the buzzing was occurring, and are trying to pick up the slack by instantly going back to their previous RPM.

Since this problem started happening, I've returned to the QFan Control in my BIOS and changed the settings again. But those changes didn't stop the buzzing.

I'm not sure if this problem is caused by the first time I changed the QFan Control settings, or if the buzzing just started at around the same time by coincidence.

Another thing I noticed is that my BIOS lists my fans spinning at RPMs of 1025-1200, even though the specs of those fans from the manufacturer lists their max RPM as 1000. I don't know whether or not that is related to the buzzing problem?

My questions are:

1. Is buzzing problem related to my QFan Control settings? If yes, then what settings do I need to choose so that the buzzing sound never happens again?

2. If this is a hardware problem, then how do I identify the component that is causing the problem?

I am using integrated graphics so it can't be my non-existent graphics card. I don't think the buzzing is emitting from my power supply because it seems to be coming from much higher up (I think around the CPU area).

 

[VirtualLarry]

Does your QFan have auto-calibration settings, for fan RPMs and voltages or PWM signals? Btw, are these PWM (4-pin) or voltage-controlled (3-pin) fans? Make certain that the fan type is set correctly.

 

[Elixer]

Buzzing or is it more of a rattling type noise?
I have seen bearings that are almost dead cause a number of weird sounds.

 

[catboy]

Does your QFan have auto-calibration settings, for fan RPMs and voltages or PWM signals? Btw, are these PWM (4-pin) or voltage-controlled (3-pin) fans? Make certain that the fan type is set correctly.

All the fans are PWM, and they are set to PWM in the BIOS as well. At least I think they are PWM. But please tell me if they are not? Here is the link to the fans:

http://www.corsair.com/en-us/corsair-fan-af140l-1000-rpm-67-43-cfm-140mm-x-25mm-single

My QFan Control gives me the Option to "Optimize All." I used the option 6 months ago when I first started using this computer. I think that might be auto-calibration, but I'm not sure?

Q-Fan also compels me to "select a profile to apply to your fans." The options are: "Standard; Silent; Turbo; Full Speed; Manual." If I choose "manual," then it shows me a bar graph GUI and I have to select three points on it that represent low temperature, medium temperature, and high temperature (or something like that).

It doesn't give me any option to set the RPM manually though.

Buzzing or is it more of a rattling type noise?
I have seen bearings that are almost dead cause a number of weird sounds.

Definitely it is buzzing, not rattling. It sounds like a buzzer on an apartment building. It sounds like the buzzing as of 30 seconds and after in this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AjFYnKTdnw

...except that my buzzing stops after two seconds.

EDIT: After I first posted this post, I went back to my BIOS. I changed all my chassis fans in QFan from PWM to DC. I also ran the "Optimize All" option a few times. Every time I ran that option, the buzzing noise started to occur while the fans were optimizing.

I saved those settings and rebooted into Windows. After browsing the web for another half hour, I heard the buzzing noise again, even though the fans are set to DC now.

 

[VirtualLarry]

If your fans are 4-pin / PWM, then you DON'T want them set to DC / voltage-controlled / 3-pin. That wasn't what I was suggesting.

I was suggesting to set them up appropriately, and then run the "Auto Optimize" thing.

I have a feeling that your fans are simply set wrong or calibrated wrongly.

 

[Ketchup]

Sounds like a fan might just be loose. Go through the case fan screws and make sure they are reasonably tight. As far as fan speed, air pressure in the case will affect fan speep, so the numbers you are seeing aren't anything to be concerned about.

 

[devBunny]

Is your PC on a straight line between a bee hive and a field of flowers?

 

[VirtualLarry]

I get a buzzing / rattling sound, out of this water-cooled Ryzen 5 1600 rig I'm currently at. It's not consistent, but when it happens, it's annoying. It's using a MasterLiquid Lite 120, from CoolerMaster, a 120mm water-cooler AIO. Supposed to be "library quiet", but I moved the PC while it was running, slid it out my desk cubby, and it dropped like 1" onto carpet. Which was apparently enough to damage either the pump, or the fan bearing, not sure which. The noises only started happening after I did that. Although, I pulled the PC out with the sides off, while it was doing that, and it stopped when I pressed on the "push" exhaust fan. Ah well. Cooling ability doesn't seem to be negatively affected. I have fan speed set on max. (Tempted to just go back to the stock air cooler. I have that in another one of these rigs, in a different case, with better airflow, and I have it overclocked to 3.80Ghz @ 1.365V, still runs fairly cool. This particular case I have it in doesn't seem to have great airflow, it's an Azza ATX case w/window.)

I guess it's just a PC's mating call? Trying to make more PCs? Soon, if it gets loud enough, it might get another PC to play with.

 

[fiskrond]

maybe a Wireless Application Surge Protocol issue....

 

[lenjack]

Some of us know what a "Wasp" is. To those who don't, it's a sophisticated, wild assed guess.

 

[disappoint]

At a certain fan speed, you've hit the resonant frequency at which it rattles like a mofo. Check all of the screws holding the fans. If they are all tight then find which fan the noise is coming from and replace it.