Solve : A Very Loud Noise?

1.	Solve : A Very Loud Noise?
Answer» I was working in the computer area one night. Of four computers, I was using two, one had been shut down for the night, and the last had been left on, but was unused. Suddenly the room was filled with a very loud noise. We are talking quite loud, almost like a fire alarm - uncomfortably loud to the ears. My first thought was an alarm on the UPS. I checked it, and it was fine. Then I thought maybe a fan bearing gone bad on one of the computers. I shut down the one not being used. NOTHING. So then in spite of losing work, I felt it urgent enough to immediately shut down the two computers I was using. Nothing. So my next thought was fans in the room. Shut them down - nothing. Then I thought maybe the lights. Nothing. So my final thing was to unplug the computer that was already shut off - Bingo! What a surprise. I wasn't sure if the noise was from the computer or from the surge protector it was plugged into, so I ran an extension cord across the room. It ran fine about 3 days and then the noise came again, not quite as loud this time, but still loud. So I am thinking power supply or motherboard. The frequency and texture of the sound is the same as the squeal you get from the computer when you disconnect the power and the electricity drains from the system, except that that sound is mildly soft, but it gives you an idea of the nature of the sound. So I'm thinking maybe the motherboard is alarming me about something, but why so loud? And why continuous and won't go off until unplugged? Or is this a kind of sound a bad power supply can make? This power supply is the one I recently put in my Soyo Dragon Ultra 400+. Any input appreciated.No one had experience like this?I know power supplies will make squealing-like noises when they start to fail, due to the capacitors. Borrow a psu from one of the other computers to help rule out the computer's current psu. If that is not the problem, then I don't know. I don't know why a motherboard would scream bloody-murder, so to speak, if it was failing. Have you checked the documentation of the board/computer, or checked online for similar occurrences with that model? Quote from: EEVIAC on March 26, 2010, 10:58:44 PM I know power supplies will make squealing-like noises when they start to fail, due to the capacitors. Borrow a psu from one of the other computers to help rule out the computer's current psu. If that is not the problem, then I don't know. I don't know why a motherboard would scream bloody-murder, so to speak, if it was failing. Have you checked the documentation of the board/computer, or checked online for similar occurrences with that model? Done a little searching per your suggestion. Most entries point to capacitors on the motherboard, the power supply, or surge strip. Surprised to see posts indicating my Soyo Dragon is considered a poor quality motherboard. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised since they don't sell motherboards anymore! Anyway, some also suggest bad memory, but since it only happens when the computer is off, that seems irrelevant to the case. I'll start with the power strip first, then power supply since I can always use a spare. Then if all else fails, I do have a spare MB, but I'm not sure it works. I ran it a couple of years ago when testing components in this system, but then it stopped BOOTING. Not sure why. I guess if it goes that far, I'll find out if it works or not!thats happned to me before also soulded like a alarm going off it was the surge protector had a built in battery or sumthing it was like a serge and back up power in 1 and i guess the battery DIED nd sounded like a firealarm going off lolI had 2 or 3 SOYO boards back awhile...2 were workhorses...1 was a PITA. I didn't know they got out of it BTW...Quote from: patio on March 30, 2010, 01:29:40 PM I didn't know they got out of it BTW... Yeah, I visited the site recently to look for a BIOS update, but the last one was quite old. The site has a variety of electronic products and storage solutions.Mine were SOYO Dragon MBoards...as i said 2 were pretty good...however the 3rd kinda soured me on the product line.So is mine. Some of the threads I am looking at are saying it has bad internal memory timing. May be speculation though. I have to say I never had trouble with this computer in the first years of ownership. I did find one thread that says the cheap capacitors are only good for 1000 to 5000 hours, so this MB may be beyond its useful life, unless I feel like swapping out caps. Another thread with a similar symptom said his tech FOUND a burned spot on the MB. Since this board has been in a system that suffered burned components in the past, it is possible this board has sustained damage that is not fatal, but allows it to run most of the time and act up at others.

Answer»

I was working in the computer area one night. Of four computers, I was using two, one had been shut down for the night, and the last had been left on, but was unused.

Suddenly the room was filled with a very loud noise. We are talking quite loud, almost like a fire alarm - uncomfortably loud to the ears. My first thought was an alarm on the UPS. I checked it, and it was fine. Then I thought maybe a fan bearing gone bad on one of the computers. I shut down the one not being used. NOTHING. So then in spite of losing work, I felt it urgent enough to immediately shut down the two computers I was using. Nothing. So my next thought was fans in the room. Shut them down - nothing. Then I thought maybe the lights. Nothing. So my final thing was to unplug the computer that was already shut off - Bingo!

What a surprise. I wasn't sure if the noise was from the computer or from the surge protector it was plugged into, so I ran an extension cord across the room. It ran fine about 3 days and then the noise came again, not quite as loud this time, but still loud.

So I am thinking power supply or motherboard. The frequency and texture of the sound is the same as the squeal you get from the computer when you disconnect the power and the electricity drains from the system, except that that sound is mildly soft, but it gives you an idea of the nature of the sound. So I'm thinking maybe the motherboard is alarming me about something, but why so loud? And why continuous and won't go off until unplugged? Or is this a kind of sound a bad power supply can make? This power supply is the one I recently put in my Soyo Dragon Ultra 400+.

Any input appreciated.No one had experience like this?I know power supplies will make squealing-like noises when they start to fail, due to the capacitors. Borrow a psu from one of the other computers to help rule out the computer's current psu. If that is not the problem, then I don't know. I don't know why a motherboard would scream bloody-murder, so to speak, if it was failing.

Have you checked the documentation of the board/computer, or checked online for similar occurrences with that model? Quote from: EEVIAC on March 26, 2010, 10:58:44 PM

I know power supplies will make squealing-like noises when they start to fail, due to the capacitors. Borrow a psu from one of the other computers to help rule out the computer's current psu. If that is not the problem, then I don't know. I don't know why a motherboard would scream bloody-murder, so to speak, if it was failing.

Have you checked the documentation of the board/computer, or checked online for similar occurrences with that model?

Done a little searching per your suggestion. Most entries point to capacitors on the motherboard, the power supply, or surge strip.

Surprised to see posts indicating my Soyo Dragon is considered a poor quality motherboard. I guess I shouldn't be too surprised since they don't sell motherboards anymore!

Anyway, some also suggest bad memory, but since it only happens when the computer is off, that seems irrelevant to the case.

I'll start with the power strip first, then power supply since I can always use a spare.

Then if all else fails, I do have a spare MB, but I'm not sure it works. I ran it a couple of years ago when testing components in this system, but then it stopped BOOTING. Not sure why. I guess if it goes that far, I'll find out if it works or not!thats happned to me before also soulded like a alarm going off it was the surge protector had a built in battery or sumthing it was like a serge and back up power in 1 and i guess the battery DIED nd sounded like a firealarm going off lolI had 2 or 3 SOYO boards back awhile...2 were workhorses...1 was a PITA.

I didn't know they got out of it BTW...Quote from: patio on March 30, 2010, 01:29:40 PM

I didn't know they got out of it BTW...

Yeah, I visited the site recently to look for a BIOS update, but the last one was quite old. The site has a variety of electronic products and storage solutions.Mine were SOYO Dragon MBoards...as i said 2 were pretty good...however the 3rd kinda soured me on the product line.So is mine. Some of the threads I am looking at are saying it has bad internal memory timing. May be speculation though. I have to say I never had trouble with this computer in the first years of ownership.

I did find one thread that says the cheap capacitors are only good for 1000 to 5000 hours, so this MB may be beyond its useful life, unless I feel like swapping out caps.

Another thread with a similar symptom said his tech FOUND a burned spot on the MB. Since this board has been in a system that suffered burned components in the past, it is possible this board has sustained damage that is not fatal, but allows it to run most of the time and act up at others.

Solve : A Very Loud Noise?

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