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15 Posts
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1443
August 9th, 2002 02:00
Fan noise
I imagine those of you with quiet machines are getting tired of us with loud ones yakking! Maybe we should start a separate forum - lol
I have 8100 . I had the green plastic shroud and the fan replaced - still have the sound. (constant loud hum with just a little vibration). I really think it is coming from the fan above that one. It is inside a gray box above the other fan (the gray box swings open). What fan is in there and how do you get to it to unplug it to see if the noise stops? What else is in there that may be causing the sound? Thanks - Walker
PS If anyone has a live link to the "How to troubleshoot noises" from Dell would you please post it?. The one they sent me doesn't work any more. I've searched and had no luck finding the article. Just says error on that page. Maybe Dell is tired of noise too!
I have 8100 . I had the green plastic shroud and the fan replaced - still have the sound. (constant loud hum with just a little vibration). I really think it is coming from the fan above that one. It is inside a gray box above the other fan (the gray box swings open). What fan is in there and how do you get to it to unplug it to see if the noise stops? What else is in there that may be causing the sound? Thanks - Walker
PS If anyone has a live link to the "How to troubleshoot noises" from Dell would you please post it?. The one they sent me doesn't work any more. I've searched and had no luck finding the article. Just says error on that page. Maybe Dell is tired of noise too!
No Events found!
mogultate
29 Posts
0
August 9th, 2002 02:00
I don't know if this would help you, but I typed in the words noisy fan in the search box above and got 200 responses. I also typed in noisy computer and got about 13 responses. Maybe until one of the resident geniuses comes along...and I ain't that person...you could read about what others have experienced or the help they have gotten. Just a suggestion. Couldn't hurt!!! Best of luck!
msbadr0
1 Message
0
August 9th, 2002 04:00
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--- Begin Dell Response ---
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The purpose of this document is to illustrate the steps that a Dell technician uses to determine the cause of noise issues. Please follow these steps before replying to this message or calling us because it will allow you to determine the root cause of the noise and assist us in fixing it quickly. It will help us if you list the results of each step when contacting us.
The first step in troubleshooting fan noise problems is to isolate the cause of the noise. There are often three fans in a computer, all of which can be noisy. Hard drive, monitor, and speaker noises are often confused with fan noise. Sometimes loose components can cause an annoying noise.
It may be necessary to remove and reinstall some parts of your system to determine what is causing the noise. If you are not familiar with how to do this the Dell Web site has instructions and illustrations. Go to:
http://www.support.dell.com
* In the Reference Section select User's Guides
* Select Systems and pick your computer model
* Go to Removing and Replacing Parts. (You will sometimes have to look in another section, such as Tech Notes, once you get to the documentation page)
You can check the locations of all the components we will ask you to remove in this section -- make a note or a printout of power supply and processor fans and their connectors, fan shroud connectors, hard drive connectors and bezel.
PLEASE NOTE: Shut down and UNPLUG your computer and then hold the power button in for two seconds to discharge flea power before removing any parts.
The first thing to try is the front bezel of the system. Turn the system off and unplug it. Remove the system cover and front panel. Set the system upright and plug it back in minus the cover and front bezel. Has the noise abated? It may be that the front bezel was not perfectly aligned. Reseat it carefully and replace the cover.
If the noise is still there after checking the bezel we need to determine if one of the fans is making the noise. Open the case again, remove the fan shroud if there is one, and disconnect the power wire leading from the processor fan to the motherboard. Plug the system in, power it up and listen.
NOTE: Once you are done with the test, put the fan shroud back on. If you do not do this your system can overheat do to insufficient cooling.
If the noise is gone, power the system down, unplug it, and replace the power connector. Try the system again. If the noise stays gone, reseat the fan shroud. If you isolate the noise to the fan shroud, and you cannot adjust it to eliminate the noise, see the instructions at the end of this document to arrange service.
If you isolate the noise to the CPU fan see if holding the fan housing securely helps. If that solves the problem, so can you, by adjusting the screws that hold the housing in place. If adjusting the screws does not eliminate the noise, we will replace the fan.
If it is the power supply fan we will replace the power supply.
If neither of these fans is causing the problem see if your video card has a fan. If it does try pulling the card to see if the noise goes away. If it does we will replace the video card.
If the noise appears to be coming from somewhere else try unplugging the hard drive to eliminate it as the source of the noise; you might have to remove it from the rack to do this. Insert your Windows boot disk into the floppy disk drive and turn the system on and it will boot to the floppy disk. If the noise goes away you should immediately backup your drive and then contact us for a replacement hard drive.