Hardware Occasional squeaking CPU fan noise?

[the_randomizer]

Now, I have a CPU fan that came with the machine I built at the end of March and is working perfectly (speeds up when under load, etc) and every now and then (completely random), the fan will squeak every so slightly for two seconds and then stop. I don't hear anything else, nor do I hear any grinding noises so I know the fan(s) is operational and working like it should. I can't tell if it's coming from the CPU cooler (after market, I refuse to use the crappy stock one Intel had), of from the tower's 200 mm ventilation fan located on top.

Could it be that the fan speeds need to be adjusted manually in the BIOS settings to a different RPM? Or would it be better to have it kept to automatic so it can adjust the speed as necessary? It's annoying when it happens, but I've no way to reproduce the slight squeaking noise at will. The fans/fans can't be failing because I haven't even been using this for nine months yet. Could it be dust, RPM not set right?

 

[DiscostewSM]

Well, there's one way to tell if it's the CPU cooler or the fan. Can your tower operate without the ventilation fan on the top? You could disconnect it (not while the computer is on!), and perhaps keep your case open for ventilation while you attempt to find out if it is the CPU cooler. Do NOT disconnect the CPU cooler for any reason! Even if the noise randomly occurs, I would suspect the sound to happen within a certain range of time, and just wait it out, doing your normal things while you wait. If no noise throughout that duration, then it's probably the ventilation fan.

 

[Foxi4]

Every fan is set on a bearing and like every bearing it can produce "squeaking noise" occasionally. This is not a good reason for concern, even the tiniest speck of dust can cause this issue. To nullify it, make friends with WD-40 or any equivalent spray which can be used to lubricate bearings and gently, carefuly spray the tiniest of droplets onto the bearing - this should nullify any friction on the fan itself, if that is the cause of your problem. Keep in mind that such sprays may conduct electricity so don't go nuts with it or make sure that it doesn't. Alternatively you can simply try applying some bearing grease to the fan - a tiny blob will do wonders, but don't use too much or it will mix with dust and make the problem worse. The grease has to equally spread over the mechanism to have a positive effect. Again, some greases may conduct electricity, so apply caution when using them.

 

[the_randomizer]

Well, there's one way to tell if it's the CPU cooler or the fan. Can your tower operate without the ventilation fan on the top? You could disconnect it (not while the computer is on!), and perhaps keep your case open for ventilation while you attempt to find out if it is the CPU cooler. Do NOT disconnect the CPU cooler for any reason! Even if the noise randomly occurs, I would suspect the sound to happen within a certain range of time, and just wait it out, doing your normal things while you wait. If no noise throughout that duration, then it's probably the ventilation fan.

The thing is, there's no side fans, just one in front, one in back and the large 200 mm fan on top, so unplugging would most definitely affect airflow and not keep temps in check. They are replaceable though (and pretty inexpensive), but I don't want the tower to get hot should I decide to unplug that top ventilation fan. Do you think the RPMs aren't high enough or too high?

Every fan is set on a bearing and like every bearing it can produce "squeaking noise" occasionally. This is not a good reason for concern, even the tiniest speck of dust can cause this issue. To nullify it, make friends with WD-40 or any equivalent spray which can be used to lubricate bearings and gently, carefuly spray the tiniest of droplets onto the bearing - this should nullify any friction on the fan itself, if that is the cause of your problem. Keep in mind that such sprays may conduct electricity so don't go nuts with it or make sure that it doesn't. Alternatively you can simply try applying some bearing grease to the fan - a tiny blob will do wonders, but don't use too much or it will mix with dust and make the problem worse. The grease has to equally spread over the mechanism to have a positive effect. Again, some greases may conduct electricity, so apply caution when using them.

Hmm....hadn't thought of that, and a good dusting (non-conductive compressed air) is something I have on hand, and my dad has WD-40, so I can borrow some from him if need be, and the fans themselves should be in great shape since I take care of my computer (shutting down for long term non-use, standby if I'm gone for an hour or so, etc). Should I check out the fan speeds in the BIOS settings to see if they need to be adjusted or would that only exacerbate the issue? But the occasional squeaking isn't really cause for concern, right?