Computer hardware issue

[Hummer]

I know some folks here are computer gurus so I would appreciate some advice. Mr. Hummer is a BSA but knows little about hardware. Her inclination is to get a new computer but I wonder if it's s simpler, cheaper fix?

It's an HP Pavilion P7-1517cb PC, 6 1/2 years old. A fan (it sounds like a fan but maybe it's the disk drive), turns on and off frequently. It may run for a few seconds or a few minutes, then shut off and maybe turn on again only a few seconds later. On and off, on and off. It implies something is overheating but the cabinet isn't warm anywhere except in the back at the top where there is a fan and vent. Not hot, only warm. This fan runs all the time and is silent. I haven't opened the cabinet, and I'm not sure how to get into it.

Is there another larger fan inside that is failing, or a faulty temperature sensor? Is the disk drive dying? Should I buy another disk drive and replace it myself or take it to a shop somewhere? Suggestions?

[CS1983]

Thermal paste on the CPU can dry out over time. Might want to check that. However, if it’s truly overheating you will start to see it shut off entirely. Also, if it’s staying on, you could look at the diagnostics tool for heat, etc. could also run diagnostics from the BIOS (assuming that feature is there).

Could also be the graphic card fan kicking on.

Hard to totally say without looking at it.

[Hummer]

Thanks, hmm...

[Erni]

Open it up and check for dust first. If caked in it, comps will overheat triggering high fan rpms.

[Duman]

Open it up and check for dust first. If caked in it, comps will overheat triggering high fan rpms.

This. It's amazing the number and size of dust bunnies (Harvey size....) that accumulate.

[Erni]

This. It's amazing the number and size of dust bunnies (Harvey size....) that accumulate.

Yep. Harvey killed my first graphics card.

[Little Dutch]

It might be a heat sink clogged up with crap and can't dissipate heat properly causing the fan to click on or into overdrive. It could be the thermal paste connecting the CPU to the Heat Sink. It could be the graphics card. It could be a spinning drive about to go out.

You'll have to open it up to narrow it down.

[Mazin]

Open it up and blow it out with some air (compressed or low psi from an oiless). Leave it open and run it and see if your having the same issues. I assume the computer isn't turning off randomly or your would have mentioned it so i doubt its over heating too bad because you would end up killing your hardware, signs of that would be random shut downs or just acting funky in general. You could have a fan going out but in all honesty that old of a computer i would just get something newer if you can afford it or just hit me up and we can see about you building one yourself (very easy to do and I can help if needed).

[Gman]

It could be the optical drive spinning up and shutting down. Did you leave a disc in the drive?

[Hummer]

There's no disk in the drive tray, and the computer isn't shutting down randomly. I keep it clean outside but it could be dust because my desk is next to the firewood storage by the fireplace/woodstove.

With better light tomorrow I will open the cabinet to check it out, vacuum, and blow things off as I can.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions. I'll let you know what I find, maybe with pictures. I can buy another computer, may do that and keep this one for storage backup. We did a backup to a seagate external drive last week.