High pitch whine coming from CPU cooler all of a sudden

[JonUK]

Over the last month I would occasionally get a really rough sounding noise, I thought a wire got stuck in a fan, but it would resolve itself within 30 seconds. I don't think it was a wire, but the noise was similar to that. Frequency was about twice a week. Now in the last 2 days there is a high pitch whine type noise coming from the CPU fan 24/7, it is so high pitch that my parents probably wouldn't be able to hear it or anyone over a certain age. It is not majorly loud or anything, but it is noticeable enough to annoy me given I have pin sharp hearing. The odd thing is that has only started in the last couple of days, took me ages to find what was causing it, as I thought it was a transformer plug (the high pitch sound anyway, not the rough fan noise of course) and my room is full of them. I finally just crawled on the ground and put my ear up against every fan inside my PC and it seems to be the CPU. I stopped the case fan and the noise still happened, I put my ear to the PSU and it didn't seem to be that, leaving only the CPU and it does seem to come from that area, I have not dared to stop the CPU fan.

There is a small chance it is the graphics card fan, as that is close to the CPU, but the rough sounding noise I also get sounds too loud to be the small graphics fan (it is a fairly low spec graphics card), and I am presuming they both come from the same fan due to a bearing issue perhaps.

If you think it is safe for me to put a pencil in the CPU fan then I will try and stop it to see, I can't stop the graphics fan due to the position, but I guess I could take it out, although the high pitch noise doesn't usually start until just after POST.

Any advice ? If it is the ballbearing does the Be Quiet! Dark Rock Pro have a replacement fan option without needing to replace the whole unit ? Also does this sound like a bearing issue ? As I say, the high pitch whine is VERY high, almost to the point of being inaudible, it is not loud like a RAID failure alarm, it is just annoying for someone like me who has very good hearing. Also the fact it only started this week and I have the other strange rough noises makes me think something is on the way out.

Thanks.

[Ben @ Scan]

Hi JonUK

You can stop the CPU fan briefly to see if that is causing the issue and if so let us know

Please respond back with your build / Invoice to systemsupport@scan.co.uk

Regards

Ben

[Ben @ Scan]

Hi JonUK

We have not had your email yet have you confirmed if its one of the CPU Fans ?

Please supply your details via email to systemsupport@scan.co.uk

Regards

Ben

[JonUK]

Hi Ben,

Sorry for the lack of response, I pushed the tower back further under the desk so it doesn't catch my ear anymore. At the moment I will leave it as it is, but if I have to move the tower again and it annoys me, and it is within a year since purchase, then I will get back to you. Thanks again for the offer of help.

Jon