Technical Help

[carric86]

i have the ps3 250 GB and also makes the clicking sound and makes a humming sound and also vibrates sometimes.

[voorsk]

Is everyone meaning the same sound?

My 250gb makes a noise that definitely isn't plastic expanding or contracting - every now and again it makes a whizzzCHUNK noise.  It only ever does it while it's turned on, and it doesn't matter whether the blu-ray's in use or not.  It doesn't affect performance.

If it were just the 'CHUNK' noise, then I'd think it was probably just plastic expanding, but the 'whizz' noise is something electric..  I'm thinking it's either the fan or the blu-ray.

Should I send it back?  I don't want to lose my game saves!  :s

[drakan259]

I am having two separate and distinct "Knocking/Clicking" noises...One i know is the case expanding/contracting and it sounds like a loud knock as if a pen landed on the case and usually only happens for a few seconds and then its fine...The second noise i hear i can only describe as a "whiz-click-kachunk" and i've talked to sony and they say it is the hard drive and to send it in ASAP as the hard drive is failing. If you are hearing the whizzing and clicking i am you should call Sony and tell them about it as it is most likely your HDD. Bear in mind i am not saying it is without a doubt your HDD i am saying it COULD be. If you have any doubts you should just call Sony and have them try to figure it out.  Hope i helped.

PS if you are worried about losing game saves and you have a flash drive i suggest you backup "copy" your saves onto the flash drive...it only takes a few minutes. You might still have to reinstall the game itself after you get the PS3 back but you will still have your saves intact. This is most helpful if you have been playing the same game for more than 20 hours and don't want to redo all that work. :-P I know i wouldn't want to. lol

[brandon-maguire2]

I don't think that is the cause of it. Ikeep a fan blowing on my ps3 so it doesn't ever get hot. The noise also comes through the tv, so it probably isn't the plastic contracting. Also, mine only makes the noise while I'm watching videos online and as soon as i pause the video it stops.

[DanielCordell]

The blinking clicks is the hard drive in either PS3 doing it's thing so those ones are normal.

If you are getting strong clicks give your Fat or Slim PS3 a rest as that is probably the first sign of overheating which would give you the lights if you carry on pushing the limit for hours after hearing a heavy click.

That is also probably proven to be the case too as the room tends to get really hot like a radiator is on when it does a heavy click noise.

I'm getting it too on my Fat so I tend to save as soon as I can and give the thing a rest.

I'm guessing the solution to all of our problems with this is to buy a side and possibly back as well USB fan for the fat.

The slim only has side fans avalable for it and you can use a notebook one for the back I think. However the Fat has it's own proper PS3 back one which looks like a Notebook one but bigger and is also used for the 360.

If you were to use double fans though it's best to have a Fat because of the 4 ports so you can wire your controller still. However if you like using it a wireless it wouldn't matter to have a USB free.

[umar510]

same here even when i off it it makes sonds for awhil but then it stops and my warenty is over and i cant get a new one what should i do

[umar510]

mistake on the word a while

[nuttsack93]

its probably just just the hard drive disc making noise

[xx_Tooms109_xx]

Bear in mind a lot of laptop hard drives (used in ps3) have power saving settings - ie...They park/unpark the heads after a certain amount of time ...If not being accessed.

Ive had a WD HDD in my old 60gb ps3 - It made clicking sounds without activity.Because it was parking/un-parking the heads.

Ive got a new slim - This also clicks now and again.And it definetly sounds like the hard-drive.

Again,probably not a fault,just the heads.

Ive also got a slim refurb,a week old - This also makes clikcing sounds,from the HDD.