# Motherboard Ticking



## xDonny (Aug 14, 2009)

My sisters laptop broke so I took and stripped it right down to the motherboard and i plug in the power and it ticks, take the power away no ticking. What is the problem, i have no idea.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

most likley the psu than the mobo, can you try another bower supply?


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## xDonny (Aug 14, 2009)

I took it to future shop and they used theirs, and nothing. Thanks for your help anyway. Any other suggestions?


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

ram.

The only way a motherboard would make sounds similar to a ticking sound was if something had come loose and was shorting out on the motherboard and I very much doubt this is what it is.

when you say ticking sound are you sure its not the hard drive? a ticking sound is usually found when a power supply i failing or the platters on the hard drive are failing. When a motherboard is shorting out or failings it more of a fuzzzz sound


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## xDonny (Aug 14, 2009)

Sorry I didn't specify very well, there is nothing on the motherboard at all, I took it all off.


EDIT: It sounds sort of like an old windup clock. The ticks are identical and evenly spaced apart if that helps.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Mobo's are circuits and contain no moving parts than can make noise. 
I'm not doubting that you hearing a noise but I can't imagine a bare Mobo being the source.


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## xDonny (Aug 14, 2009)

Well sorry to tell you but it is ticking with no moving parts attached, i even removed the CPU and still the problem persists.

EDIT: I'm not implying that cpu has moving parts.


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## greenbrucelee (Apr 24, 2007)

the only way a motherboard could be making a noise would be if something like a wire or free connector (molex connector) is making contact with something on the mobo making it short out.

Hard drives make a ticking sounds when the hard drive platters have become loose or are failing. I have worked with hardware a long time and never heard a mobo tick but I have heard power supplies and hard drives tick.

Like tyree said its all circuits on a motherboard and connections so it cant tick unless something is hitting a connection and you would see this happening if you took of the side panel and watched as there would probably be sparks


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## xDonny (Aug 14, 2009)

It's a laptop motherboard and I can't see any visable arc's or anythign like that, it seems to be ticking from a fuse, i don't know exacally what it is it is round and looks kind of like a small magnet.


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## Tyree (May 10, 2009)

Possibly the Mobo speaker? Can you post a pic?


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## xDonny (Aug 14, 2009)

I don't have anyway to post pictures, it's a motherboard out of an acer 5315 laptop, i'll find a picture.


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## Technicalwiz (Sep 15, 2010)

Tyree said:


> Mobo's are circuits and contain no moving parts than can make noise.
> I'm not doubting that you hearing a noise but I can't imagine a bare Mobo being the source.


Hi Actually yes it can, its called hiccupping and is caused by a coil's magnetic field charging up and collapsing, I have the same fault with my Laptop and i have proved it is a deffinate short cuirct on the MOBO, currently tracking it down, Cheers


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## Technicalwiz (Sep 15, 2010)

Hi Did you find what was causing this issue, I have the same with my ACER, its a short circuit, but where i do not know. Cheers


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## nbjeter3 (Aug 19, 2010)

Most likely it is somewhere in the charging coil itself. They are basically a type of Choke, used for noise reduction as well as evening out power flow. Much like a noise filter for a car stereo. If that is shorting you will hear the "ticking" or "hiccuping" (sometimes). Other times you won't. Basically its time for a new systemboard. Unless you can find an exact duplicate of the coil (same spec, rating and charge) and are REAL handy with a soldering iron.. It's probably not worth your time.


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