Quick Answers
There are a few common reasons why your computer may be making weird buzzing or humming noises:
- Issues with the computer’s cooling fan
- Problems with the hard drive
- Coil whine from components like the power supply, graphics card, etc.
- Electromagnetic interference (EMI) from nearby electronics
- Dust buildup causing parts like fans to work harder
Fan Issues
One of the most common sources of buzzing or humming noises in a computer is an issue with the cooling fan. Fans are used to circulate air and keep components like the CPU and GPU from overheating. But when a fan’s bearings start to wear out or get clogged with dust, the fan will often start to make noise.
Some common fan-related noises include:
- Rattling – Can indicate a fan with worn out or unbalanced bearings
- Grinding – Usually a sign of a fan motor going bad or debris stuck in the fan
- Humming or buzzing – Caused by worn out or unlubricated fan bearings
- Clicking – Points to something interfering with the fan blades like a cable
Replacing the failing fan will typically resolve fan-related noise issues. Just make sure the replacement fan is compatible with your computer’s motherboard.
Identifying Fan Issues
To pinpoint if the noise is coming from a fan, try the following troubleshooting steps:
- Open up the computer case and check all the fans visually while the noise is happening. See if you can isolate the sound to a particular fan.
- Gently stop each fan with your finger to see if the noise goes away or changes.
- Make sure no cables are interfering with or buzzing against fan blades.
- Remove excess dust buildup from fans with compressed air.
- Download a software tool like SpeedFan to monitor all your system’s fan speeds.
If a fan is making excessive noise even at normal speeds, it likely needs to be replaced.
Hard Drive Issues
Hard disk drives (HDDs) can also sometimes produce audible noises like buzzing, clicking, humming or screeching. Some common hard drive-related noises include:
- Clicking – Usually indicates the read/write heads are having trouble moving or are sticking.
- Screeching – Caused by friction when drive platters scrape the heads.
- Humming – Often from the drive motor bearings starting to fail.
- Buzzing – Vibration noise from a loose drive motor or mounting.
Drive noises tend to get worse over time. So it’s a good idea to backup your data and replace the drive if you notice unusual sounds coming from it.
Isolating Hard Drive Noises
To confirm hard drive noises:
- Press your ear against the computer case and try to pinpoint the location of the noise.
- Use a stethoscope or mechanics tube to isolate the sound from a specific drive.
- Remove the drive from the computer and connect it externally via USB to hear the sounds it makes.
- Compare the suspicious drive sounds to noises from known good drives.
If the noises persist from a specific drive even when removed from the computer, it likely has a mechanical hardware issue.
Coil Whine
Coil whine is a high-pitched electronic squealing or buzzing noise that can come from components like power supplies, graphics cards, motherboards, hard drives, and SSDs. It is caused by vibrations in the coils that regulate power to different parts of the device.
Coil whine often varies in pitch and intensity based on how much load is on the component. For example, a graphics card’s coils may whine loudly when playing games that use 3D graphics extensively. But remain silent at idle or less strenuous tasks.
Unfortunately coil whine is difficult to eliminate completely. But some steps that may help reduce it include:
- Use a higher quality power supply with less coil vibration.
- Limit the frame rates in games to put less load on the GPU.
- Replace suspected components like the PSU or GPU.
- Install noise dampening materials inside the computer case.
If the coil whine is only mildly annoying, you may have to simply tolerate it rather than replace components hoping the noise goes away entirely.
Determining If Coil Whine Is the Issue
To determine if buzzing is being caused by coil whine:
- Determine when the noise occurs and if it changes pitch/volume based on system load.
- Open up the computer case side panel during the noise and locate its origin.
- Rule out other potential sources like fans or hard drives.
- If the noise lessens or stops when removing power from a particular component, that component likely has coil whine.
There is no way to truly fix coil whine defects, only mitigate the effects by replacing noisy parts or limiting system loads.
Electromagnetic Interference
Electromagnetic interference (EMI) from nearby electronic devices can sometimes induce buzzing or humming noises in computer speakers or headphones. Sources of EMI include:
- Cell phones
- Wireless routers
- Bluetooth peripherals
- Motors and appliances
- Fluorescent lighting
These devices emit electromagnetic waves that can “couple” with audio components, causing noticeable hums and buzzes. The effect is essentially the same as hearing a loud buzz when your cell phone is near a speaker or radio.
Solutions for EMI noise include:
- Keeping potential EMI sources away from your computer audio components.
- Using shielded audio cables or optical cables immune to EMI.
- Plugging computer and peripherals into a power conditioner.
- Making sure all equipment is properly grounded.
Figuring Out if EMI is the Culprit
To determine whether buzzing is caused by EMI:
- Note if the buzzing changes when moving cell phones and other devices around the computer.
- See if the buzz goes away when turning off nearby appliances and electronics.
- Test if using a different power outlet changes the buzzing sounds.
- Check if the noise stops when using shielded or optical audio cables.
If the buzzing is clearly affected by nearby electronics, EMI is likely the root cause.
Dust Buildup
Excess dust buildup inside a computer case can also lead to increased noise from fans and components working harder. Dust acts as an insulator which can cause heat buildup. To compensate, fans spin faster and work noisier.
Dust insider a computer case can come from sources like:
- Pets shedding fur and dander
- Smokers in the household
- Placement on carpets or floors
- Proximity to HVAC vents and returns
- Lack of air filtration
Properly removing dust buildup involves:
- Powering down and opening up the computer case.
- Using compressed air to dislodge dust from components.
- Vacuuming dust from case vents and fan intakes.
- Replacing case air filters if present.
- Using dust filters over intake vents.
Cleaning dust helps components run cooler and quieter. Just take care not to dislodge dust in ways that could short out computer parts.
Checking for Excessive Dust Buildup
To inspect for problematic dust:
- Visually examine inside the case for caked on dust, especially on components like the CPU cooler.
- Note if there is significant dust buildup blocking vents and fan intakes.
- Check if dust filters are present and badly clogged.
- Feel airflow coming from case vents and see if it seems excessively restricted.
- Consider computer environmental factors that could be causing quick dust accumulation.
Computers require occasional dust removal maintenance. So inspect and clean buildup at least every 6-12 months.
Conclusion
Diagnosing the root cause of buzzing or humming computer noises involves methodically isolating where the noise originates and when it occurs. Common culprits include failing fans, hard drive problems, coil whine, EMI, and excessive dust buildup. Each of these issues has different solutions like replacing parts, rerouting cables, separating devices, or cleaning. With some careful sleuthing and troubleshooting, you should be able to silence annoying computer buzzing for good.
