Will an under-powered PSU cause system to whine? (1 Viewer)

2BitSculptor

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  • January 23, 2008
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    I had to do a quick replacement of the PSU in my main HTPC. I installed a 430w Antec with a 120 mm fan to replace a Thermaltake 500w that was becoming increasingly unstable (power spikes) .. at least that's what the MoBo reported. But now the system has a high pitched whine that is noticeable when the audio is turned down, but is not fan noise. It's odd, but if I should hold the CPU fan still, the whine goes away after a second or two (not immediately).

    The load on the system is a 64w CPU, 5 SATA HDDs, an IDE HDD and DVD drive, and a single analog tuner.. There are also 3 USB powered units: IR and RF transceivers, and a PCtoTV video convertor.
     
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    Paranoid Delusion

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    Whine is usually power supply, a transformer winding not fully secured, which allows resonation, easily confirmed by putting the old psu back.
     

    2BitSculptor

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    Thanks for the tip... I noticed a bit of debris in one of the PSU case screws, so I loosened it and tightened the screw down... now all I hear (with the PC cover off) is the faint whirl of the fans.
     

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