I accidentally spilled about half a cup of coffee with sugar inside my PC. I shut it down and unplugged it immediately, then took it to a technician who disassembled and cleaned it. The computer is working normally now, although one RAM stick was damaged. It has been two days, temperatures look normal, and everything seems stable, but I occasionally hear a faint buzzing sound during startup that disappears after the PC has been running for around 20 minutes. I may simply be noticing noises more closely now, but is there anything else I should check or do?
2 Answers
Since the buzzing is repeatable during startup, it would be a good idea to take the computer back to the repair shop and let them hear it. A faint noise that stops after warming up could come from a fan bearing, a cable lightly touching a fan, or another component affected by the spill. Avoid opening or running it unattended until you know where the sound is coming from.
The remaining sugar could have dried on or near a fan and might cause noise until the system warms up. It probably isn’t immediately dangerous if the PC was properly disassembled and cleaned, but residue can attract dust or make a fan stick over time. Have the technician inspect the fans and nearby components if the sound continues.
It only happens when the PC starts up and fades away after roughly 20 minutes. It’s a very soft buzzing sound, so I’m not sure whether it’s new or whether I’m just paying closer attention now.