Don't be so fast to rule out motherboard components.
The industry went through a patch where there were a lot of faulty electrolytic capacitors made (because of IP theft/fraud gone wrong), and quite a few ended up on motherboards.
Check for bulging, swollen or pushed upward at the top capacitors on the motherboard, especially near the power regulation circuitry.
Capacitors are capable of making audible noise - just charge up a largish camera flash and listen while it charges.