[CealialactBek]

Well, my desktop was really, really dirty. CPU was around 109, so i took it to have it blown out. It is running about 97 now. Better. This is HD temp, not CPU temp.

Anywhoo....since i blew it out a grinding sound has started. It get worse as time goes out, so a reboot will calm it a little. I ran the SMART data and it says that there is only that 1 bad sector (it is about 6 years old, and has a report of 4.4 years runtime...so it may handle bad sectors a little better).

Regardless, I would like to replace it. What do i need to look at to make the determination of the type of HD that would mount? The computer is a P4, and i have 512 RAM (i may add another 512). I don't do a lot with it, but it is a decent machine, and I have had no complaints that weren't Windows related. With how cheap a HD and RAM is, I see no reason not to upgrade it a little and keep on trucking (as long as the CPU is working).

I think it is the HD because when i eject the CD ROM (right above the HD), it slows down the sound just a little, and you can hear it a little louder coming from the front of the computer. It just doesn't sound like the fan. It is like a grinding clicking sound. Ideally, i would be able to keep this HD and mount another side by side, but I still need more storage capacity than just 80g.

So, any thoughts on if that clicking/grinding sound is fixable (like maybe some dust bunnies got in there)? It was really dusty. Or any advice on what to look for when selecting an HD, like for compatibility?

[hs6KnlcW]

Hard drives are air tight vacuum sealed. If dust was in the unit it would be dead. The only issues with HDD drives is SATA or PATA. Other then that most any drive will do compatibility wise. Being an old P4 that sounds like it will be a PATA drive.

Ejecting a CD should have NO effect on the sounds made by the HDD. I'd check your fans. Often blowing out dirt from fans will remove extra weight on the drive causing a drive with a worn ball bearings to make noise as it now can spin faster. You can also get too aggressive blowing dirt off of a fan cause it to spin as you are blowing dirt off it and foul the ball bearings.

[Zaxsdcxs]

sorry to say it, but a P4 with 512 ram is not a decent machine.

blowing it out may have screwed up a fan.

if it's booting I doubt the hard drive is the problem.

The existing drive will have pata or sata on the sticker. The easy way to tell without pulling the drive is look in the BIOS, or look in the case. SATA drives have a cable data connector, pata drives have a ribbon. P4 motherboard might support both, maybe too old but for a while there some boards supported both.

[RuttyUttepe]

lets clarify: it is a decent machine for websurfing for my wife and son.

[irrascaft]

Hard drives are air tight vacuum sealed. If dust was in the unit it would be dead. The only issues with HDD drives is SATA or PATA. Other then that most any drive will do compatibility wise. Being an old P4 that sounds like it will be a PATA drive.

Ejecting a CD should have NO effect on the sounds made by the HDD. I'd check your fans. Often blowing out dirt from fans will remove extra weight on the drive causing a drive with a worn ball bearings to make noise as it now can spin faster. You can also get too aggressive blowing dirt off of a fan cause it to spin as you are blowing dirt off it and foul the ball bearings.

When I said drive here I meant motor. I'm talking about the fans not the HDD. I doubt your HDD is making any noise. Sorry if I wasn't clear.

[ZZChristopher]

So....if i am looking for a fan, what do i need to pay attention to?

[Ettiominiw]

a whirling sound?

[Dwencejed]

a whirling sound?

you are always so helpful. LOL

[mybooboo]

So....if i am looking for a fan, what do i need to pay attention to?

What are you asking? What kind of fan(s) you need or how to tell if a fan is bad?

[neguoogleX]

What are you asking? What kind of fan(s) you need or how to tell if a fan is bad?

what kind of fan. the pitfalls.

i will pull the case off when i get home to verify that it is a fan issue....but have seen that Dell has some funniness with their fans and some sensor they have that is proprietary.

[mybooboo]

If this is a Dell then the only fans you can get are the ones made for that model of Dell. Also you need to clarify what fan you are referring to here. On most PCs you have a fan on the CPU, a chassis fan, and a fan in the power supply. On some dells the chassis fan will also push air over the CPU's heat sink.