I have a Gateway 3200S desktop computer. I have been running Windows XP Home Edition since I got this computer on December 17th 2004. It wasn't always that loud. I barely have any used space, and it has a 256 MB RAM, a 75 GB Hard Drive, and a Pentium 4 processor.
2007-09-26 09:28:14 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Computers & Internet ➔ Hardware ➔ Desktops
could be the fan is dirty. happened to us.
2007-09-26 09:33:02 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Do you have a lot of dust where your computer is?
If you think you do, then you need to take the cover off the CPU. There's a little fan in there and the blades might be dust covered. It will make the fan sound louder and won't cool properly, which is dead certain to kill your computer if it overheats constantly. After nearly 3 years, you're bound to have dust build up all inside, not just around the fan. Be sure to unplug the computer before you start this cleaning. After you blow out as much dust as possible and the air clears, plug it back in and turn it on. Watch the fan. See if the noise lessens or disappears. If it's still loud, try to pinpoint where the sound is coming from. If it is from the fan, you may have a bad bearing in it and will have to replace it.
Regardless of whether it's the fan or not, it shouldn't be loud at all. You need to take it in and have it looked at. A simple part replaced is a whole lot cheaper than having to get a new computer.
2007-09-26 09:40:48 · answer #2 · answered by D J 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's probably a fan going bad. There can be multiple fans in the system -
1. Chassis fan that blows air out of the chassis, mounted to the chassis. You may or may not have one of these, odds are you don't.
2. CPU cooler, an assembly mounted to the top of the CPU that draws heat off the CPU. You system will have some sort of CPU cooler, guarantee it.
3. Fan(s) in the power supply.
Fans are mechanical parts, it's very common for them to spin the lubrication out or have dust gum up the works. My recommendation is call Gateway and get replacement CPU cooler and replacement power supply. Shouldn't cost more than $50-$75 for both. I recently had to do this with a Dell system. PS was ~$30, the CPU cooler was $20, add shipping cost of around $15.
2007-09-26 09:35:23 · answer #3 · answered by Fester Frump 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
well the noise has little to do with the performance rating though Im shocked youre still running 256 ^_^ in this day and age.... an upgrade for that ram would cost you next to nothing, relatively speaking.
as for the noise its definitely down to 3 or 4 components:
- the hard drive
- the power supply fan
- the processor fan
- an additional case fan
the likelihood is the power supply fan but can of course be anything. if its the hard drive theres little to do - its just simple wear and tear thats internal to it, really.
anyway if it is any of the fans I first suspect dust and dirt: its probably thrown them out of balance, and continuing to run them like that only hurts them more.
Clean off the dust very throughly from those components. For the power supply i recommend 1) insulated safety wear and 2) to carefully remove the PSU casing on the power supply box - inside you are guaranteed a sick amount of dust. Clean this with canned air and make sure to get the fan.
Now when you've done all this your machine may be in bits a bit: I recommend unhinging all 3 possible fans and running them as such to test them: the CPU fan should still be quiet, but because of its housing it can get noisy when screwed in place - in my machine i decided to remove 2 of the screws on the CPU fan so that it wasnt put under as much skew/strain. Same for the case fan really.
but what really works is getting foam/rubber lining rings for your fans so they arent hitting off metal. If you find a fan to be faulty after all that it would be simpler to replace at $4 a pop (more if you want to get fancy - which i do recommend.
2007-09-26 09:41:01 · answer #4 · answered by Overheal 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The sound is most likely coming from a worn cooling fan. When the bearings wear on some fans, they can make noise. Excessive dust on the fan blades can make them louder.
Whenever I replace a case cooling fan, I use a variable speed fan. This type of fan has a temperature probe to vary the fan speed as needed. They will only spin at top speed when the computer is hot. But they usually spin at a slower speed, making them quieter.
To see an example of this fan, go to the Tiger Direct site and search for item number ULT30245. Case fans come in different sizes so make sure you select the correct size for your case.
2007-09-26 09:36:43 · answer #5 · answered by Mad Jack 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'm guessing a fan has gone bad or has a bunch of dust collected in it. Get some cans of compressed air and blow it out. The other thing that can get loud is the hard drive. A loud hard drive is usually an indication that it is going bad.
2007-09-26 09:34:15 · answer #6 · answered by AndyT 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
that's not normal. it is working too hard and the fan is turned up really high in the computer, making it seem really loud. check and see if there is a disc in any of your disc slots, or maybe a flash drive. discs and flash drives that are not compatible with the computer usually make it work hard and seem very loud. it is either this or the fan is extremely dirty. you can hire somebody to come into your house and clean it for free. or u can clean it yourself. if this is not the case, exchange it and tell them the problem. i'm sure you will not have a problem replacing it with another one.
2007-09-26 09:34:01 · answer #7 · answered by wild boar 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Check that nothing is contacting the fan blades.
Listen to see which of the fans is noisy (CPU, case or PSU) or if it is the hard drive.
If it is the CPU fan or the hard drive - replace it now.
If it is the case fan or the PSU fan, then you can wait until it goes quiet (ie stops turning!) and then shut down and replace it.
It sounds like you might want to get more memory and a bigger hard drive anyway. Or bite the bullet and start lookig for a nice shiny new system.
2007-09-26 09:40:02 · answer #8 · answered by Simon T 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It could be any of the following, but most likely t he first i will menion.
1. CD or DVD ROM
* Take out the disc(s) and see if that is it next time you hear the loud noise.
2. Fan is filled with dust.
Those are the ONLY 2 THINGS that make noise on a pc for the most part. It is again, most likely your cd or dvd drive(s). They can spin up ocasionally if there is something in them. Keep discs out of them when you are not specifically using them.
2007-09-26 09:33:35 · answer #9 · answered by vote_usa_first 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
My first thought is the CPU fan is noisy. Dust or dirt, or, worn out bearings?
Clean or replace it.
2007-09-26 09:33:38 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Well I would blow the dust out of it,or take to the shop and they will clean it for you.
2007-09-26 09:37:48 · answer #11 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋