[dayglored]

> While I listen to the loud sound of static on AM stations when that computers is running ... hmmm ... power supply? Hard drive? ... not sure, but something’s not happy.

IMO most likely culprit is the power supply. It's a "switching" supply, and generates RF hash not only at the switching frequency (generally 25-100KHz) but at all the harmonics, which easily reach up into the 650-1530 KHz AM radio band. Of course there may be other culprits as well, and the many cables can act as antennas.

I have been known to use a hand-held AM pocket radio as a "sniffer" to see where static is coming from. Surprisingly effective, and informative.

[usconservative]

IMO most likely culprit is the power supply. It's a "switching" supply, and generates RF hash not only at the switching frequency (generally 25-100KHz) but at all the harmonics, which easily reach up into the 650-1530 KHz AM radio band. Of course there may be other culprits as well, and the many cables can act as antennas.

Computer power supplies are indeed switching power supplies and when they go out of spec can generate a ton of hash on the AM Radio band.

Know what else is a switching power supply? Those wall warts that come with every stupid device now. I've lost track of how many of those were bad and generated RF hash in my amateur radio equipment. One of those can also be the culprit. Only way to find out is to go around the house unplugging them one at a time and see if the noise goes away.