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this post was submitted on 10 Jan 2024
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datahoarder
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You say the sound comes from the power supply and the HDD is not plugged into the computer. My diagnistic: the power-supply makes a noise when it operates at very low load (almost 0mA of current), it is probaly making the cyclic noise because of some blinking LED or another very small variation of the loaf somewhere. This is a very common symptom of cheap power-supplies, but it doesn't necessarly mean it isn't working normally, just an annoyance.
It's weird -- the sound happens when the power supply is plugged into the outlet and the HDD, but it turns off when the HDD is plugged into the PC.
I could look for a blinking LED, but it really does sound like a noise maker rather than something electrical. But I'm not an expert.
I suppose, when you plug the HDD to the computer, it spins up and start drawing more current from the power-supply and the noise disapears. This is because the PSU has a buck-converter, the switching frequency increase proportionally with the current drawn by the load. When the current it almost 0mA, the switching frequency can be audible (electromagnetic forces can make some components vibrate, e.g: coils). When the current is nominal, the frequency will be ultrasound and you won't hear it. I have observed this with many electronic devices. If you are worried, you can try another power-supply, after checking it has the same voltage and polarity on the plug, and can deliver at least as much current as the original one.
Thank you for the reassurance. I guess I'll just either let it be noisy or leave it fully unplugged when not in use.
First world problems... having to choose between barely audible noise, or having to plug TWO things in to access my 14TB, lmao