Strange Computer Noises

Your computer just started making a strange sound when you turn it on. It sounds like rapid ticking or rattling or groaning and goes away after a few minutes.  That could be a problem with one of your cooling fans. The bearings start to wear out and will eventually fail.  While they make the sound, you know they're at least still running, but don't let them do it for long, as it's only a matter of time before they fail.

Your computer probably has two internal fans - one that sits on top of the CPU and another inside your power supply. Most of the time the sound you're describing comes from the fan in the power supply. Note they can make that annoying noise for a long time before they finally die.

However, if it's your CPU fan, you may have a serious issue. If that fan dies, your CPU can overheat really rapidly which essentially kills the entire computer.  Many times, for a variety of reasons, it is not economically viable to repair that computer.

The best advice is to wait till your computer is completely cooled off and remove the case cover. Turn the computer on and see if you can determine where the sound is coming from. If it's the CPU fan, that'll need replaced.

If it's the power supply fan, you'll need to replace the entire power supply to get rid of the noise. If you think you're going to open the power supply and fix the fan - don't. They're not user serviceable.

You may want to listen to your hard drive too. The sound described in the question above probably isn't hard drive related, but it's always a good idea to listen to it anyway.

After you're done investigating your machine's internals, be sure to put the cover back on. Believe it or not, your computer can overheat with the cover off. The computer is designed to pull air through the case in a certain pattern. If there's no cover, the airflow is all wrong and things may not cool as they should.

The above info applies to fan noises.  A failing hard drive can also make funny sounds.  That's more of a rapid, metallic ticking sound that is unlikely to go away.  To the trained ear, it's quite obvious that it's a hard drive sound, but you may not recognize it so easily.  If you've taken the side off and the sound does not appear to be coming from any of the fans, shut it down immediately and take it to your closest computer shop!

Our advice is to investigate any and all out of the ordinary sounds as soon as possible.  Some sounds can wait; others have an urgency about them that cannot withstand delay.