mm@cloud9.Stratus.COM (Mike Mahler) (08/10/89)
Having recently purchased a DELL System 200 PC and using it for
2 weeks I've begun to notice a very high pitched squeal coming
from the power supply area. It goes away when I execute a command
that uses power. What I was wondering is if someone can reccomend
a way to run a background procedure that will do something
simple like print the time in the corner of the screen continuously
such that some power will be used and the noise will go away?
ANy suggestions? Mail welcome as always.jwi@lzfme.att.com (Jim Winer @ AT&T, Middletown, NJ) (08/10/89)
Mike Mahler writes: > > Having recently purchased a DELL System 200 PC and using it for > 2 weeks I've begun to notice a very high pitched squeal coming > from the power supply area. It goes away when I execute a command > that uses power. What I was wondering is if someone can reccomend > a way to run a background procedure that will do something > simple like print the time in the corner of the screen continuously > such that some power will be used and the noise will go away? All DELL machines come with an on-site, next-day service contract. Why in the world would you want to screw around when you can just call for service? Jim Winer ..!lzfme!jwi (Please don't email, unable to reply.) Those persons who advocate censorship offend my religion. Upuaut: a wolf-headed Egyptian deity | Voodoo: the art of sticking ideas assigned as Guidance System | into people and watching for the Barque of Ra. | them bleed. The opinions expressed here are not necessarily
wek@point.UUCP (Bill Kuykendall) (08/11/89)
> Having recently purchased a DELL System 200 PC and using it for > 2 weeks I've begun to notice a very high pitched squeal coming > from the power supply area. It goes away when I execute a command > that uses power. What I was wondering is if someone can reccomend > a way to run a background procedure that will do something > simple like print the time in the corner of the screen continuously > such that some power will be used and the noise will go away? I'd suggest a program called "warrantee" before you get stuck with a busted PC.
wtm@neoucom.UUCP (Bill Mayhew) (08/11/89)
I have an old 16 MHZ version model 80. When the model 80 is sitting in the msdos idle task, the 386 chip itself emits about a 12 KHz squeal. The noise got worse when I installed an 80387 coprocessor. About a year ago, there was an article in Infoworld about 80386s emitting various squeals. I took the cover off the machine and listened carefully, and it was quite obvious that the sound was coming from the CPU chip and not the power supply or the surrounding circuitry. Depending on what's going on, the 386 emits various obnoxious chirps or buzzes while executing application programs too. Running Xenix 2.2.2 also causes the system to emit various shrill sounds. Oh yes, I unplugged the winchester drive while conducting my listening tests, so the noise wasn't coming from there either. (A 486 system must be *very* loud. I guess they don't call it a screamer for nothing! :-) ) Bill