PSU squealing/whining noise

It sounds somewhere between a whine and a squeal, though if I had to guess, it leans more toward the whining side.
Initially, I was under the impression that it might be an issue with my hard drive, but now I’m becoming increasingly convinced it's actually the power supply. It's positioned pretty close to the GPU, though I suppose I should wonder if that's even possible?
Based on where the sound seems to be coming from when I hold my ear close to the case, I'm about 99% certain it's the PSU, specifically originating from underneath or behind the unit.

The thing is, it feels quite loud to me, and it seems like the squealing is happening more frequently lately. It isn't constant; there are periods of silence, and then it starts up again, almost intermittently.

Would it be safe for me to pull the power supply out, set it aside, and perhaps briefly stop the PSU fan just to see if that specific fan is what's causing the squeaking?

Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sEvI...ature=youtu.be

Hardware Monitor: https://gyazo.com/55e73b38e2e9e1dc401e81e8213d1ccb

So, yeah, if anyone has any advice or suggestions on how I should proceed, I'd really appreciate it.

Look up "coil whine." It’s most likely the power supply, though even high-end units can buzz—for instance, an unknown unit or any other model built on a Seasonic platform, much like your Corsair. It could also be the GPU. Regardless, it isn't dangerous; it's just annoying.




If the issue lies with the PSU, you could try a warranty claim, though whether they actually approve it is always a bit of a toss-up. Some people even try to fix it themselves by potting the coils in liquid plastic.

As for the graphics card, if that's the culprit, a warranty claim usually won't help—pretty much every new GTX 970 out there whines, yet they still fly off the shelves. A practical workaround is to cap your FPS through in-game settings or driver software to keep things from running wild.

You can test the power supply fan while the PC is actually running. Grab something soft and flexible—like a zip tie or a thin piece of insulated wire—and carefully poke it through the PSU grill at the back of the case. Just give those fan blades a little tap while the machine is humming along. If the noise stops immediately, you’ve found your culprit: the PSU fan needs replacing.

Don't sweat it, you won't break anything. As long as you aren't jamming something rigid deep into the mechanism, the fan will be fine. Just a light touch against the spinning blades is all it takes...

You could even use your finger if you can actually reach it, but trust me, that’s just asking for a painful lesson. 😬

Thanks so much.

I went ahead and opened up the power supply to give everything a good cleaning, but unfortunately, the issue is still there. At this point, I'm honestly not entirely sure if we're looking at a faulty PSU, a problem with the GPU, or maybe even something with the CPU.

The graphics card is equipped with two fans, and the processor has its own dual setup—it's one of those massive Noctua coolers.

I was wondering, would it be a reasonable idea to try testing them one by one? Like, maybe I could briefly stop each fan for just a second or so to see if that actually silences the whining sound?
I suppose if the noise stops when a specific fan is momentarily paused, that would mean that particular component isn't the culprit, right?

My gut feeling is that I should probably troubleshoot the power supply first, then move on to the graphics card, and finally check the processor.

You can.