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Noisy fan on Dell 8400
The fan on my 8400 is quiet, but irritatingly noticeable because every
so often it emits a slight ‘eeeeeeehhh’. The overall effect is of it changing its sound slightly every 5 seconds or so, from ‘whirrrrrrr’, to ‘eeeeeeehhh’, and back. A noisy fan with a steady note would be far less noticeable as it would blend into the background. I would be grateful for any advice on whether the fan bearings could be faulty, or whether this is what I should expect from this unit - I don’t want to change the fan if it is not going to make any difference. I should add that: there is only 1 fan in the unit; I have installed the new BIOS (Dell AO6); the room temperature never gets above 25c; I am performing non intensive tasks like MS Excel; have never had the problem of it sounding racking up to vacuum cleaner pitch that other users have occasionally reported. Thanks in anticipation. Rod |
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On Fri, 03 Jun 2005 09:58:27 +0100, Rod Bean
wrote: The fan on my 8400 is quiet, but irritatingly noticeable because every so often it emits a slight ‘eeeeeeehhh’. The overall effect is of it changing its sound slightly every 5 seconds or so, from ‘whirrrrrrr’, to ‘eeeeeeehhh’, and back. A noisy fan with a steady note would be far less noticeable as it would blend into the background. I would be grateful for any advice on whether the fan bearings could be faulty, or whether this is what I should expect from this unit - I don’t want to change the fan if it is not going to make any difference. I should add that: there is only 1 fan in the unit; I have installed the new BIOS (Dell AO6); the room temperature never gets above 25c; I am performing non intensive tasks like MS Excel; have never had the problem of it sounding racking up to vacuum cleaner pitch that other users have occasionally reported. Thanks in anticipation. Rod Could be 2 things, 1. The fan is temperature controlled and you are hearing a slight speed change. 2. The bearings are starting to go. Not knowing the circuitry in you PC, I would bet that it is #2. If it gets a bit worse, have Dell replace the fan. Bob |
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I think there are fan diagnostics you can run.
Brian |
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Noisy fans have been a common complaint with Dell computers for years. It's
usually bad bearings. Either replace it under warranty or you can buy replacement fans from Dell parts. They're not as expensive as you think... usually $12 to $18. Your noisy fan will probably continue to run for years without incident, so no hurry. "Rod Bean" wrote in message ... The fan on my 8400 is quiet, but irritatingly noticeable because every so often it emits a slight ‘eeeeeeehhh’. The overall effect is of it changing its sound slightly every 5 seconds or so, from ‘whirrrrrrr’, to ‘eeeeeeehhh’, and back. |
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Any input from Tech support? On Fri, 03 Jun 2005 09:58:27 +0100, Rod Bean wrote: The fan on my 8400 is quiet, but irritatingly noticeable because every so often it emits a slight ‘eeeeeeehhh’. The overall effect is of it changing its sound slightly every 5 seconds or so, from ‘whirrrrrrr’, to ‘eeeeeeehhh’, and back. A noisy fan with a steady note would be far less noticeable as it would blend into the background. I would be grateful for any advice on whether the fan bearings could be faulty, or whether this is what I should expect from this unit - I don’t want to change the fan if it is not going to make any difference. I should add that: there is only 1 fan in the unit; I have installed the new BIOS (Dell AO6); the room temperature never gets above 25c; I am performing non intensive tasks like MS Excel; have never had the problem of it sounding racking up to vacuum cleaner pitch that other users have occasionally reported. |
#6
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Curious wrote:
Any input from Tech support? On Fri, 03 Jun 2005 09:58:27 +0100, Rod Bean wrote: The fan on my 8400 is quiet, but irritatingly noticeable because every so often it emits a slight ‘eeeeeeehhh’. The overall effect is of it changing its sound slightly every 5 seconds or so, from ‘whirrrrrrr’, to ‘eeeeeeehhh’, and back. A noisy fan with a steady note would be far less noticeable as it would blend into the background. I would be grateful for any advice on whether the fan bearings could be faulty, or whether this is what I should expect from this unit - I don’t want to change the fan if it is not going to make any difference. I should add that: there is only 1 fan in the unit; I have installed the new BIOS (Dell AO6); the room temperature never gets above 25c; I am performing non intensive tasks like MS Excel; have never had the problem of it sounding racking up to vacuum cleaner pitch that other users have occasionally reported. Thanks for suggestions on this: I thought at first that perhaps this was the type of noise that had to be expected from a Pentium 4 PC. I think now the CPU fan must be faulty so am awaiting advice/replacement from Dell. I have added below an abbreviated version of the automated reply they sent me, in case it is of help to anyone else ! Regards and thanks Rod Preliminary advice from Dell: What Is Making the Noise? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There can be as many as three fans in your computer -- the main power supply fan, the processor (CPU) fan, and the fan on your video card. Loose components, speakers, and failing hard drives can also make ""bad fan"" noises. Before you call or begin troubleshooting, please find your System User's Guide or download and print a copy from the Dell Reference site. You can reach the User's Guide for your system by following the instructions at this link: http://support.dell.com/us/en/kb/doc...asp?dn=1060327 Following the directions and safety precautions usually found under Adding/Removing Parts, do this: 1. Check the CPU fan: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * With the computer running (and making noise) try holding the CPU fan housing firmly in place. If that solves the problem, the screws that hold the housing are loose. Try tightening them with a screwdriver. * If adjusting the screws does not eliminate the noise, try this: * UNPLUG the computer and drain the power by holding in the power button for two seconds. * Disconnect external equipment and open the case. * Remove the green CPU fan shroud. * Locate and unplug the CPU fan's power supply connector. * Replace the shroud * Plug the computer in and turn it on JUST FOR A FEW SECONDS. * Turn the computer back off. * Reseat the shroud and turn the computer back on for a few seconds. If the noise disappears when you remove the shroud and comes back when you replace it, the shroud is defective. If the noise disappears when you disconnect the CPU fan whether the shroud is there or not, the fan is defective. * Turn the computer off and UNPLUG it. * Plug the CPU fan power connector back in and replace the shroud. 2. Check the video card fan. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If your video card has a fan, do this: * Turn the computer off and UNPLUG it. * Clean dust from the video card fan with compressed air. * If the video card has a four-wire power connector remove it. * Plug the computer back in, turn it on, and listen for the noise. If the noise disappears, you have a defective video card fan. 3. Check the Hard Drive ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Turn the computer off and UNPLUG it. * Unplug the four-wire power connector from the back of the hard drive. * Plug the computer back in and turn it on. If the noise disappears, you have a defective hard drive. * Turn the computer off and unplug it. * Plug the hard drive back in. NOTE: BACK UP YOUR PERSONAL DATA before the drive goes to failure. 4. Confirm the Power Supply Fan as the Source ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If the noise persists with all three secondary components unplugged, its source is probably the power supply fan. You can often confirm this by placing your ear next to its fan housing while the computer is running. If your computer is still in warranty, Dell will replace the entire power supply to remedy the fan noise problem. If you have confirmed that the noise is coming from the CPU fan, video card fan, or hard drive, Dell will also replace any of these components under warranty. Please fill out the form below and copy the completed form into your reply to Dell for warranty assistance. |
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Dell is noted for their crummy, noisey fans. Call Dell and have them
replace it. I have had the F1 error and forget now what to do to correct it but Dell tech support walked me through it. On Fri, 03 Jun 2005 09:58:27 +0100, Rod Bean wrote: The fan on my 8400 is quiet, but irritatingly noticeable because every so often it emits a slight ‘eeeeeeehhh’. The overall effect is of it changing its sound slightly every 5 seconds or so, from ‘whirrrrrrr’, to ‘eeeeeeehhh’, and back. A noisy fan with a steady note would be far less noticeable as it would blend into the background. I would be grateful for any advice on whether the fan bearings could be faulty, or whether this is what I should expect from this unit - I don’t want to change the fan if it is not going to make any difference. I should add that: there is only 1 fan in the unit; I have installed the new BIOS (Dell AO6); the room temperature never gets above 25c; I am performing non intensive tasks like MS Excel; have never had the problem of it sounding racking up to vacuum cleaner pitch that other users have occasionally reported. Thanks in anticipation. Rod |
#8
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Rod Bean wrote:
Curious wrote: Any input from Tech support? Thanks for suggestions on this: I thought at first that perhaps this was the type of noise that had to be expected from a Pentium 4 PC. I think now the CPU fan must be faulty so am awaiting advice/replacement from Dell. I have added below an abbreviated version of the automated reply they sent me, in case it is of help to anyone else ! Thanks go to you as I have the exact same problem (and was undecided whether to call tech support). I describe the noise like "oooOOOooo", however. Will email Dell when I dig up the address that I stashed somewhere. BTW, the document page does not have System User's Guide. What did you download? Rod Bean wrote: The fan on my 8400 is quiet, but irritatingly noticeable because every so often it emits a slight ‘eeeeeeehhh’. The overall effect is of it changing its sound slightly every 5 seconds or so, from ‘whirrrrrrr’, to ‘eeeeeeehhh’, and back. A noisy fan with a steady note would be far less noticeable as it would blend into the background. I would be grateful for any advice on whether the fan bearings could be faulty, or whether this is what I should expect from this unit - I don’t want to change the fan if it is not going to make any difference. I should add that: there is only 1 fan in the unit; I have installed the new BIOS (Dell AO6); the room temperature never gets above 25c; I am performing non intensive tasks like MS Excel; have never had the problem of it sounding racking up to vacuum cleaner pitch that other users have occasionally reported. Preliminary advice from Dell: What Is Making the Noise? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There can be as many as three fans in your computer -- the main power supply fan, the processor (CPU) fan, and the fan on your video card. Loose components, speakers, and failing hard drives can also make ""bad fan"" noises. Before you call or begin troubleshooting, please find your System User's Guide or download and print a copy from the Dell Reference site. You can reach the User's Guide for your system by following the instructions at this link: http://support.dell.com/us/en/kb/doc...asp?dn=1060327 Following the directions and safety precautions usually found under Adding/Removing Parts, do this: 1. Check the CPU fan: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * With the computer running (and making noise) try holding the CPU fan housing firmly in place. If that solves the problem, the screws that hold the housing are loose. Try tightening them with a screwdriver. * If adjusting the screws does not eliminate the noise, try this: * UNPLUG the computer and drain the power by holding in the power button for two seconds. * Disconnect external equipment and open the case. * Remove the green CPU fan shroud. * Locate and unplug the CPU fan's power supply connector. * Replace the shroud * Plug the computer in and turn it on JUST FOR A FEW SECONDS. * Turn the computer back off. * Reseat the shroud and turn the computer back on for a few seconds. If the noise disappears when you remove the shroud and comes back when you replace it, the shroud is defective. If the noise disappears when you disconnect the CPU fan whether the shroud is there or not, the fan is defective. * Turn the computer off and UNPLUG it. * Plug the CPU fan power connector back in and replace the shroud. 2. Check the video card fan. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If your video card has a fan, do this: * Turn the computer off and UNPLUG it. * Clean dust from the video card fan with compressed air. * If the video card has a four-wire power connector remove it. * Plug the computer back in, turn it on, and listen for the noise. If the noise disappears, you have a defective video card fan. 3. Check the Hard Drive ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Turn the computer off and UNPLUG it. * Unplug the four-wire power connector from the back of the hard drive. * Plug the computer back in and turn it on. If the noise disappears, you have a defective hard drive. * Turn the computer off and unplug it. * Plug the hard drive back in. NOTE: BACK UP YOUR PERSONAL DATA before the drive goes to failure. 4. Confirm the Power Supply Fan as the Source ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If the noise persists with all three secondary components unplugged, its source is probably the power supply fan. You can often confirm this by placing your ear next to its fan housing while the computer is running. If your computer is still in warranty, Dell will replace the entire power supply to remedy the fan noise problem. If you have confirmed that the noise is coming from the CPU fan, video card fan, or hard drive, Dell will also replace any of these components under warranty. Please fill out the form below and copy the completed form into your reply to Dell for warranty assistance. |
#9
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Curious wrote:
Rod Bean wrote: Curious wrote: Any input from Tech support? Thanks for suggestions on this: I thought at first that perhaps this was the type of noise that had to be expected from a Pentium 4 PC. I think now the CPU fan must be faulty so am awaiting advice/replacement from Dell. I have added below an abbreviated version of the automated reply they sent me, in case it is of help to anyone else ! Thanks go to you as I have the exact same problem (and was undecided whether to call tech support). I describe the noise like "oooOOOooo", however. Will email Dell when I dig up the address that I stashed somewhere. BTW, the document page does not have System User's Guide. What did you download? Rod Bean wrote: The fan on my 8400 is quiet, but irritatingly noticeable because every so often it emits a slight ‘eeeeeeehhh’. The overall effect is of it changing its sound slightly every 5 seconds or so, from ‘whirrrrrrr’, to ‘eeeeeeehhh’, and back. A noisy fan with a steady note would be far less noticeable as it would blend into the background. I would be grateful for any advice on whether the fan bearings could be faulty, or whether this is what I should expect from this unit - I don’t want to change the fan if it is not going to make any difference. I should add that: there is only 1 fan in the unit; I have installed the new BIOS (Dell AO6); the room temperature never gets above 25c; I am performing non intensive tasks like MS Excel; have never had the problem of it sounding racking up to vacuum cleaner pitch that other users have occasionally reported. Preliminary advice from Dell: What Is Making the Noise? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There can be as many as three fans in your computer -- the main power supply fan, the processor (CPU) fan, and the fan on your video card. Loose components, speakers, and failing hard drives can also make ""bad fan"" noises. Before you call or begin troubleshooting, please find your System User's Guide or download and print a copy from the Dell Reference site. You can reach the User's Guide for your system by following the instructions at this link: http://support.dell.com/us/en/kb/doc...asp?dn=1060327 Following the directions and safety precautions usually found under Adding/Removing Parts, do this: 1. Check the CPU fan: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * With the computer running (and making noise) try holding the CPU fan housing firmly in place. If that solves the problem, the screws that hold the housing are loose. Try tightening them with a screwdriver. * If adjusting the screws does not eliminate the noise, try this: * UNPLUG the computer and drain the power by holding in the power button for two seconds. * Disconnect external equipment and open the case. * Remove the green CPU fan shroud. * Locate and unplug the CPU fan's power supply connector. * Replace the shroud * Plug the computer in and turn it on JUST FOR A FEW SECONDS. * Turn the computer back off. * Reseat the shroud and turn the computer back on for a few seconds. If the noise disappears when you remove the shroud and comes back when you replace it, the shroud is defective. If the noise disappears when you disconnect the CPU fan whether the shroud is there or not, the fan is defective. * Turn the computer off and UNPLUG it. * Plug the CPU fan power connector back in and replace the shroud. 2. Check the video card fan. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If your video card has a fan, do this: * Turn the computer off and UNPLUG it. * Clean dust from the video card fan with compressed air. * If the video card has a four-wire power connector remove it. * Plug the computer back in, turn it on, and listen for the noise. If the noise disappears, you have a defective video card fan. 3. Check the Hard Drive ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Turn the computer off and UNPLUG it. * Unplug the four-wire power connector from the back of the hard drive. * Plug the computer back in and turn it on. If the noise disappears, you have a defective hard drive. * Turn the computer off and unplug it. * Plug the hard drive back in. NOTE: BACK UP YOUR PERSONAL DATA before the drive goes to failure. 4. Confirm the Power Supply Fan as the Source ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If the noise persists with all three secondary components unplugged, its source is probably the power supply fan. You can often confirm this by placing your ear next to its fan housing while the computer is running. If your computer is still in warranty, Dell will replace the entire power supply to remedy the fan noise problem. If you have confirmed that the noise is coming from the CPU fan, video card fan, or hard drive, Dell will also replace any of these components under warranty. Please fill out the form below and copy the completed form into your reply to Dell for warranty assistance. Yes, I couldn't find the User Guide either. In the end I assumed that they meant the Service Manual at http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...0/en/index.htm :it contains info re the CPU fan. I should add that I had to use Internet Explorer, because I found that when I used my Firefox browser, some of the relevant text and buttons were missing. It seems incredible that a huge computer firm like Dell STILL does not support Firefox, even though reports indicate that this browser is now taking at least 10% market share. They claim to be looking into it, but to my knowledge they have been 'looking into it' for at least a year. Regards Rod |
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On Mon, 06 Jun 2005 07:37:03 +0100, Rod Bean
wrote: Curious wrote: Rod Bean wrote: Curious wrote: Any input from Tech support? Thanks for suggestions on this: I thought at first that perhaps this was the type of noise that had to be expected from a Pentium 4 PC. I think now the CPU fan must be faulty so am awaiting advice/replacement from Dell. I have added below an abbreviated version of the automated reply they sent me, in case it is of help to anyone else ! Thanks go to you as I have the exact same problem (and was undecided whether to call tech support). I describe the noise like "oooOOOooo", however. Will email Dell when I dig up the address that I stashed somewhere. BTW, the document page does not have System User's Guide. What did you download? Rod Bean wrote: The fan on my 8400 is quiet, but irritatingly noticeable because every so often it emits a slight ‘eeeeeeehhh’. The overall effect is of it changing its sound slightly every 5 seconds or so, from ‘whirrrrrrr’, to ‘eeeeeeehhh’, and back. A noisy fan with a steady note would be far less noticeable as it would blend into the background. I would be grateful for any advice on whether the fan bearings could be faulty, or whether this is what I should expect from this unit - I don’t want to change the fan if it is not going to make any difference. I should add that: there is only 1 fan in the unit; I have installed the new BIOS (Dell AO6); the room temperature never gets above 25c; I am performing non intensive tasks like MS Excel; have never had the problem of it sounding racking up to vacuum cleaner pitch that other users have occasionally reported. Preliminary advice from Dell: What Is Making the Noise? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There can be as many as three fans in your computer -- the main power supply fan, the processor (CPU) fan, and the fan on your video card. Loose components, speakers, and failing hard drives can also make ""bad fan"" noises. Before you call or begin troubleshooting, please find your System User's Guide or download and print a copy from the Dell Reference site. You can reach the User's Guide for your system by following the instructions at this link: http://support.dell.com/us/en/kb/doc...asp?dn=1060327 Following the directions and safety precautions usually found under Adding/Removing Parts, do this: 1. Check the CPU fan: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * With the computer running (and making noise) try holding the CPU fan housing firmly in place. If that solves the problem, the screws that hold the housing are loose. Try tightening them with a screwdriver. * If adjusting the screws does not eliminate the noise, try this: * UNPLUG the computer and drain the power by holding in the power button for two seconds. * Disconnect external equipment and open the case. * Remove the green CPU fan shroud. * Locate and unplug the CPU fan's power supply connector. * Replace the shroud * Plug the computer in and turn it on JUST FOR A FEW SECONDS. * Turn the computer back off. * Reseat the shroud and turn the computer back on for a few seconds. If the noise disappears when you remove the shroud and comes back when you replace it, the shroud is defective. If the noise disappears when you disconnect the CPU fan whether the shroud is there or not, the fan is defective. * Turn the computer off and UNPLUG it. * Plug the CPU fan power connector back in and replace the shroud. 2. Check the video card fan. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If your video card has a fan, do this: * Turn the computer off and UNPLUG it. * Clean dust from the video card fan with compressed air. * If the video card has a four-wire power connector remove it. * Plug the computer back in, turn it on, and listen for the noise. If the noise disappears, you have a defective video card fan. 3. Check the Hard Drive ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ * Turn the computer off and UNPLUG it. * Unplug the four-wire power connector from the back of the hard drive. * Plug the computer back in and turn it on. If the noise disappears, you have a defective hard drive. * Turn the computer off and unplug it. * Plug the hard drive back in. NOTE: BACK UP YOUR PERSONAL DATA before the drive goes to failure. 4. Confirm the Power Supply Fan as the Source ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ If the noise persists with all three secondary components unplugged, its source is probably the power supply fan. You can often confirm this by placing your ear next to its fan housing while the computer is running. If your computer is still in warranty, Dell will replace the entire power supply to remedy the fan noise problem. If you have confirmed that the noise is coming from the CPU fan, video card fan, or hard drive, Dell will also replace any of these components under warranty. Please fill out the form below and copy the completed form into your reply to Dell for warranty assistance. Yes, I couldn't find the User Guide either. In the end I assumed that they meant the Service Manual at http://support.dell.com/support/edoc...0/en/index.htm :it contains info re the CPU fan. That document doesn't have the text you quoted. "CPU fan" is mentioned only to show where the cpu fan socket is. Not optimistic about fixing our noise problem: http://forums.us.dell.com/supportfor...sage.id=234650 Please keep us up to date on your fixes. Get a load of this page: http://www.lecodesign.co.uk/zalman/index.html I should add that I had to use Internet Explorer, because I found that when I used my Firefox browser, some of the relevant text and buttons were missing. It seems incredible that a huge computer firm like Dell STILL does not support Firefox, even though reports indicate that this browser is now taking at least 10% market share. They claim to be looking into it, but to my knowledge they have been 'looking into it' for at least a year. Don't think it will ever be done. Appears Dell is cutting corners everywhere at the expense of quality. The current CEO will show good profit, but the future CEO's will pay for it. |
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