Octopus Overlords

My 4 year old computer started making this sound about 2 months ago. There is a click or crack sound followed immediately by a beep.

I've ran diagnostics on computer temps, hard drive, graphics card and looked at event viewer in Windows. Nothing, everything checks out. It does it if I'm playing a game or just cruising the internet.

It does not affect the operation of the computer in any way. It has me baffled.

But I got a $500 bonus at work so I decided to get this computer:Cyberpower.

If the motherboard or something is going bad at least I'll have a new computer.

Yea, the one beep says memory but memory diagnostics checks out.

Smart phone video? Click-beep can be HDD, but it's a rather distinctive set of sounds.

Ya you'd think a click would have to be a mechanical part..HDD or a fan...something moving.

The Meal wrote: ↑Sat Oct 06, 2018 7:47 pm Smart phone video? Click-beep can be HDD, but it's a rather distinctive set of sounds.

that was my original guess, SMART data is all good though. Hard to record the sound because it may only do it once every few hours.

Daehawk wrote: ↑Sat Oct 06, 2018 7:49 pm Ya you'd think a click would have to be a mechanical part..HDD or a fan...something moving.

When it first started I thought something was overheating because it does sound like when plastic heats up and cools, that crack sound, but all temps checked out. The beeps started a few weeks later.
Went ahead and upgraded my CPU fan since it was too loud any how.

I thought about heat expansion but couldn't think of anything that would pop and yet it still work fine.

Lassr wrote: ↑Sat Oct 06, 2018 10:18 pm

The Meal wrote: ↑Sat Oct 06, 2018 7:47 pm Smart phone video? Click-beep can be HDD, but it's a rather distinctive set of sounds.

that was my original guess, SMART data is all good though. Hard to record the sound because it may only do it once every few hours.

Gotcha. I would think that an HDD event leading to those noises should show up in the SMART logs, so you've exhausted my line of inquiry. Daehawk is giving you good suggestions for things which could be leading to a mechanical click sound. Definitely not a pop (electrical) sound, right?

The Meal wrote: ↑Sun Oct 07, 2018 10:17 am Definitely not a pop (electrical) sound, right?

Correct. Think of flipping a breaker switch, a crisp click, but not nearly that loud. About the same volume as the beep.

Cooling fan starting up? You have a high efficiency power supply? Fan may not be on continuously. Even so would not expect loud click or beep.

My new computer came in yesterday, so I can set the old one aside and mess with it. maybe I will figure it out. I tried taking the side panel off and listening but it never does it while I am listening...of course.

If it only does it when you are not listening, it seems like the problem has solved itself.

stessier wrote: ↑Wed Oct 10, 2018 9:05 am If it only does it when you are not listening, it seems like the problem has solved itself.

The fix is to stop listening?

Good idea. Just put my headphones on and problem solved!

I work in IT and I can tell you they all do that.

Every time I see this thread, I think of this.

Ever get the root cause determined?

Montag wrote: ↑Sat Dec 08, 2018 10:03 pm Ever get the root cause determined?

Nope. I moved the computer to my son's room. He uses it when he's home from college so he doesn't have to bring his home. No noticeable issues other than the occasional click-beep. So whatever...