Posted Apr 10, 2007 at 08:39PM by Tim Y. Listed in: News Tags: Sony, Canada, EB Games
Ó

Sony PlayStation 3 - Image 1Some members of the PlayStation.com forums (US) have reported that they are experiencing a mysterious high-pitched "whine" coming from their PlayStation 3 consoles. OptimusRhyme over at their threads was the original poster of this news, who further reported that the noise still persisted even after his third console replacement.

According to further comments from the boards, the "whine" was reported only when they attempted to run Folding@Home on their units. Other owners reported that the noise persisted even when their PS3s were running idle, with one commenter (Batmaniac) further adding that his unit also rapidly heated up aside from creating the noise.

Now, in case the guys are worried that this may happen to their PS3s,  the forum members managed to narrow down the serial number of the malfunctioning consoles. According to them, only PS3 consoles within the CE133190xxx and CE133212xxx range of serial numbers appear to affected. These two serial numbers are from a production stock dating to January 2007, and are heavily distributed in EB Games store branches in Canada.

We advice the readers to take note of the serial numbers posted, and try to check with Sony's  tech support - they might have updates regarding this problem. Keep alert in case we also pick up more info on this matter.


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30 Comments


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   by JayJay (Unregistered) - 2007-04-10
 » WoW

WOW, first time i hear of PS3s malfunctioning. Oh well, still not as PS2s and PS1s malfunctioning.


   Re: tryrt (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » SO FUNNY

HA HA the WHINE of DEATH, obliviously overheating, looks like people should not criticize other console launch problems now eh..

   Re: ME (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » Easy Fix

Too much dust in the air. Run a vacuum hose to the intake and voila! whine is gone.

I think it's buildup of dust on the fans due to being on for so long for F@H.
   by Creighton (Unregistered) - 2007-04-10
 » what the fuuuuck

IT'S BECAUSE THE FAN IS TURNED ALL THE WAY UP WHEN RUNNING FOLDING@HOME. IT'S TO ENSURE THE CONSOLE DOES NOT OVERHEAT (which it doesn't as i haven't turned mine off for at least a week..just switching back and forth between F@H and games.)

   by Quixand - 2007-04-10
 » hhhmmm

the only whining i'm hearing is my wife looking for her turn with the hdtv.


   Re: Comedy (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » .

HAHA
is that funny, no so STFU

   Re: Quixand - 2007-04-11
 » hhmmm

excuse me comedy but are you whining??
   by mr toasty (Unregistered) - 2007-04-10
 » thanks

heavily distributed in EB Games store branches in Canada.

*****, thats me. Thanks, now I'll wait a bit before buying a ps3.

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   by Quixand - 2007-04-10
 » must be very lucky

i'm hearing a lot of complaints about the 360 breaking down but my Xbox which I bought on launch day (it's a Launch Box) haven't caused me any problems whatsoever... and now the PS3 is having breakdowns??? whining and heating up??? same as with the 360 I can't relate to this cause my PS3 is as quiet as it can get, although I still have to really find out since I just got it midnight launch last 23rd of March and i'm also running Folding.


   Re: tyi (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » There is a problem

Im hearing a lot of PS3s are having to be replaced, if this was just the fan Sony would not be replacing the machines now would they..
   by code2006 (Unregistered) - 2007-04-10
 » dont think its a fault

a sound clip could help

   by dan (Unregistered) - 2007-04-10
 » lol

the fan maybe? wow

   by hush404 - 2007-04-10
 » its prob just a fan

It's most likely the fans cooling down the CPU and the reason you don't hear it all the time is because of Variable fan speeds. When the CPU is cool the fan is very faint as it spins slowly, but when you heat up the fan picks up speed (like when a program... oh... lets say Folding @ Home is running) and thus you hear a louder noise coming from the machine. Folding @ home uses as much processor power as it can.

   by CHUCKINGROCKSATSPACESHIPS - 2007-04-10
 » Thats Just The Screams Of...

..knowing their brothers and sisters coming into the world "Emotion" less! God damn those lonely tortured souls!


   Re: mr toasty (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » it took me a minute

but thats kinda funny XD
   by someone (Unregistered) - 2007-04-10
 » .

i'm in the UK and i also noticed that whining noice only yesterday(before i read this article)... but that was only when i'm folding... and when i exit F@H, it goes away... it's not big deal one way or the other

unless you enjoy sitting in front of your monitor/TV for an average of 8 hours, folding, seeing those numbers go from 1 to 500k/400k and counting all the yellow dots you can find on the screen... then i guess you really have a serious problem :)

   by Creighton (Unregistered) - 2007-04-10
 » it's the fan.

it's the fan. it's the fan. it's the fan. it's the fan. it's the fan. it's the fan. it's the fan. it's the fan. it's the fan. it's the fan.


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   Re: someone (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » .

What about the guy who said it rapidly heated up?

   Re: Oner001 - 2007-04-11
 » ...

One guy? One do you understand that 1! Has it been confirmed? Maybe he/they where just trying to trade in 1.6 PS3's for 1.31's or lower FW? Either way this is UNCONFIRMED until a proper video from a trusted source is released.

   Re: yuiyuiy (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » Its NOT ONE GUY READ THE NEWS PROPERLY

Its not One guy read the news properly -

The forum MEMBERS consoles within the CE133190xxx and CE133212xxx range of serial numbers appear to affected.-

There is something wrong and to say its only One guy when these same faults are being reported by others withing that serial range is wrong.

   Re: Oner001 - 2007-04-14
 » ...

So you believe this is something HUGE because of even a few "forum" posters.....that is a *****ing joke.
   by haha (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » joke

To say there is a "huge" problem when only 2 serial numbers, limited to Canada, may be having problems is stupid. This is nowhere near the problems of the xbox360. If all people have to complain about is a whine while F@H is going, well *****... grow up

   by Johan Lieberg (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » lol

Now where is mister common a$$? he would jump on this in a heart beat.. bashing the ps3 again lol...

   by James Hendrix Marshall (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » Oh ffs

The 'whine' is the sound effect made by folding@home. Turn off the speakers and it goes away.


   Re: someone (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » .

dude... this has absolutely nothing to do with the speaker... it's the FAN

as said above... "According to further comments from the boards, the "whine" was reported only when they attempted to run Folding@Home on their units".

in my case, i only hear it while folding and thats because my PS3 is right infront of me(only 50cm away) and my monitor is just behind it
   by JohnA (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » not a fault

OMG the fan makes noise, so does the 360

at least the ps3 doesn't freeze forever like the xbox 3 lights of doom 60

   by so what (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » so what

i got mine at eb games, and it starts with 3456, so im guessing im ok

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   by M$Hater (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » Just looking for any excuse.....

Xbots are just waiting to hear something like this, to make up for their massive failures of xblows 270.

A few reports though do not come any where close to the huge amount of failed launch consoles, overheating consoles, bricked consoles from fall update, multiple failed consoles returned again, and again, and again.

Wait until that extended warranty runs out on your xblows 270. Cha Ching! "$140.00, please" in a slight indian accent.

   by Pete (Unregistered) - 2007-04-11
 » ...

'Dust clogged fans make high pitched noise while spinning fast'

Great news there dude...

   by Ps3 user (Unregistered) - 2007-04-13
 » I dont have problems

I dont really have any problems but I think its not a bad thing



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