# Case vibration sound



## Solidify

I have this case: Newegg.ca - Cooler Master HAF 912 - High Air Flow Mid Tower Computer Case

Since I first built it, there has been a ringing vibration sound. I always thought it was something inside the case but then I removed the side door and it stopped. I now realize that the sound is caused by the vibration that the door makes when it has contact with the rest of the metal lining on the case. I've tried putting black rubber washers on the thumbscrews and even tucking in all the wires so nothing touches the side door when it's closed but there is still this incredibly loud vibrating sound.

A lot of threads say to check the hard drives or fans but I doubt that is the case since the noise stops when I take the side door off.


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## Masterchiefxx17

Is the side panel screwed down all the way from the back?


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## Solidify

Yes, it is screwed as tight as it can (without exaggerating).


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## Masterchiefxx17

Where did you place the rubber?


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## Solidify

It isn't always making the noise, only sometimes. And when it does, it's in a sync. For instance, every 5 seconds, it vibrates very loudly for 5 seconds.

I tried placing the rubber between the screw and the case like a washer to reduce vibration but that did not help. Even if I put the side door back on without the screws, it vibrates loudly.


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## Flight Sim Guy

I have the same case and it started doing this about a month ago. I thought it was a fan going bad, but after checking them they seemed fine. I finally found that it was the metal cover to the extra card slot in the back of the case. The cover has a screw on one end, but the other end is left flopping, so if the case reached a certain vibration frequency it would start rattling. I fixed it by tightening the screw and adjusting the cover a bit.

It would stop if I tapped the case or slightly bumped it, so that may be what's happening when you take the side panel off; it changes the case's frequency enough to stop the rattle, but it's not the actual panel causing it. Here's a picture of the trouble piece:


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## Solidify

I tried tightening that card slot metal cover but there wasn't even wiggle room to begin with. Something tells me that didn't do much.


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## Masterchiefxx17

What happens if you remove it.


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## Solidify

Nothing. It's hard to tell since it hasn't vibrated since I posted this thread.

Can you suggest me some steps to attempt when the vibration reoccurs?


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## Flight Sim Guy

Well, mine was tight with no wiggle room either, but it would still vibrate.


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## Solidify

I'll see if the next time it happens I could find where the sound comes from.


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## gcavan

This might sound counter-intuitive, but you might try leaving the thumbscrews a bit loose. Not floppy loose, but just tighten them with your finger tips until they stop.


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## WereBo

Another suggestion to try is strategically placed lengths of sticky-backed rubber, as used around doors to stop draughts - Try one or 2 lengths on the inside of the side panel first, from either side-to-side or top-to bottom, it should dampen/reduce the resonant frequency.

Don't let it cover any of the vent-holes though :wink


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## Solidify

gc, I never use a screw driver to tighten the thumbscrews either way.

werebo, I'll try that if it occurs again.


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## T_Rex

What I do is use a flathead screwdriver, and slightly tape the end of it with duct tape (tightly). When the case starts making noise again very gently but precisely start touch-tapping (for about 5-10 seconds) every panel you can see. Just hold the end of the screwdriver there until you hear a change in the noise. This type noise can also happen if you drop a tiny screw into a power supply, or behind your mainboard.


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## Solidify

The vibration is in sync though, every couple of seconds on a rhythm. What in a computer case operates on a rhythm? Here's a video of it happening now:

Identifying Case Vibration - YouTube


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## T_Rex

Even at the end of the video I could still hear it. It could be your CPU fan resonating through the standoffs to the case. You may want to very gently hold (stop) the CPU fan from spinning after initial bootup for about 30-40 seconds. Don't worry it won't hurt anything just be sure to ground yourself and also be touching the PSU with the other hand as well. Done this many times myself, and to restart the fan just the slightest flick of one finger. See if when the CPU fan is not spinning the noise persists.


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## Solidify

The only problem with that troubleshooting procedure is that there is no telling that the noise will be present upon booting the PC. I'd have to wait for the computer to make the sound (which may be any time throughout the day) and then at that moment, open the side door and do what you've said for 30-40 seconds. 

Would that work?


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## WereBo

The rhythmic 'beating' seems to be 2 (or more) fans very slightly off balance, causing a slight resonance between them (similar to listening to a guitar or piano being tuned, when the 2 notes are slightly off-tune, there's a slight 'pulsing' that slows as the notes get closer).

The only snag is I can't see how to test them with the side-panel on









How many case-fans and where are they?


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## Solidify

Only one case fan, the exhaust fan you saw in the video. The only other fan is the CPU fan.


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## WereBo

It's a bit of a long-shot (it likely won't work if a fan-blade is out-of-balance or the bearings are slightly worn), but try tightening the exhaust-fan screws, if they're already tight try loosening 1 (or more) slightly, just a few degrees - That might be enough to dampen the resonance.

Alternatively, some rubber/silicone washers between the fan and case should dampen the vibrations.


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## T_Rex

Solidify said:


> The only problem with that troubleshooting procedure is that there is no telling that the noise will be present upon booting the PC. I'd have to wait for the computer to make the sound (which may be any time throughout the day) and then at that moment, open the side door and do what you've said for 30-40 seconds.
> 
> Would that work?



Yes, but be very careful. I already know that likely it has to do with one of your fans. We need to find out which one. It does not mean that the fan is actually the culprit it could also be a mis-mounted mobo (standoff too loose) causing the CPU fan to 'auger' when at a certain RPM - thus it's actually the standoff causing the issue. It could also be another fan with a slight imbalance affecting a panel. Try my screwdriver method as well if you can.


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## gcavan

You might try giving that heatsink a good cleaning so the cpu fan doesn't have to spin so fast. 

Off topic, but you should think about putting filters on those open vents.


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## Solidify

Don't mean the resurrect this old thread but I realized what the source of the vibration is but I can't seem to find out how to stop it. If the case is vibrating/ making sound, all I do is lay one finger/apply pressure on roughly the center of the side panel/door and then it becomes whisper quit. It's the door that is rattling..

But then again, referring to the video I posted earlier, it still makes the sound when the side door is off (when I'm inside the tower looking around), so I'm confused now...


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## WereBo

Mmmmmm.... it does sound as if the case assembly is loose somewhere, likely a bad pop-rivet or 2 somewhere.

Does it stop the sound of you press the panel on t'other side? If so, the easiest way I can think of is to cut 2x approx 2"-3" length of 'Gaffa-tape' (Duct-tape), then cut it in half lengthways to give 4 full-length strips. Use them to tape the top, front, base and rear panels together, inside the case. That should (hopefully) dampen or severely reduce the vibrations.


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## Solidify

No, touching the side door on the side of the case that the board is mounted doesnt do anything. Its only when I push my finger on th other door that the sound stop.


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## WereBo

In that case, try sticking some of the narrow strips along the edges of the case-guides/'lips', where the side-panel slides along when closing (lay the centre of the strip along the edge of the metalwork, then fold down both sides). You might well need to cut the strips in half again, so the tape doesn't show when the panel is attached.

That should act as a padding between the panel and the case.


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## Solidify

Sorry I dont understand how duct tape will serve as padding.


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## Flight Sim Guy

Because it's a soft, rubbery layer between the case and panel.


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## Solidify

Ok and I also don't understand where the tape must go. Maybe use this as a diagram:


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## WereBo

Cut the strips just wide enough to fold over the edges and tuck down the insides, also check that there's no lugs on the side-panel that engage with the cut-outs in the edges, add tape to the front and back vertical edges too, like this....


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## Solidify

I should mention that while when i bought the case i realized that the side door is warped, if i hold it in my hand, it is not straight

I put the tape as suggested but it did not solve the problem. Here's a video:

Dec 17, 2013 - YouTube


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## Flight Sim Guy

While it's vibrating you should be able to put your ear close and get a good idea where the sound is coming from.


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## Solidify

That was the first thing I tried and as ridiculous as this sounds, I'm having a really difficult time pinpointing where to sound comes from.


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## WereBo

When you tapped the side-panel, it was rattling against something, can you trace what it is, inside? That's possibly where the tape needs to be.


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## Solidify

Ok but what I'm trying to say is that despite the noise stopping when i lay my finger on the side door, if you look at the video on the first page, you will hear that the noise is also sometimes present when the side door is off.


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## joeten

Check the screws on the psu are tight


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## Solidify

Yes they are


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## joeten

Check the other places you used any screws, ensure you have no wiring touching fans and check the sides for bends on a flat surfaces ie place the side down on the surface


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## WereBo

Solidify said:


> Ok but what I'm trying to say is that despite the noise stopping when i lay my finger on the side door, if you look at the video on the first page, you will hear that the noise is also sometimes present when the side door is off.


It's possible that whatever the side-panel is rattling against, is what's slightly loose - It's largely a matter of elimination work now, trying each case-part in turn to find what's the source i.e. HDD-cage (or bits attached to it).

The only real clue is that it's a vibrating hum, rather than a 'tinny' rattle, which could infer it's something a bit more weighty than something light and thin i.e. a rear-panel slot cover, or the I/O back-plate.


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## joeten

Good point Bo


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## Flight Sim Guy

I haven't had a chance to listen to the video, but if it's a hum could it be plastic against metal? You may just have to check every piece and make sure nothing is loose.


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## greenbrucelee

To me it sounds like two different noises.

In the first video it sounds to me like a fan bearing or cable rattling, in the second video it sounds like the side panel is looser at the front than it is at the back and thus it rattles.


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## WereBo

The only bits that can make a noise (apart from speakers :lol are things with motors: fans, HDDs and optical-drives.

Check that every single mounting-screw is tight on all fans and drives.


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## Solidify

On the first day that I posted this thread, I made sure that all the screws were correctly fastened and that no wires were in the way of fans. HDs are well-fastened and so are both my optical drives.

The problem with troubleshooting this is that the chassis is at such an inconvenient spot to troubleshoot the issue when it occurs. That's another thing, it's completely random when it occurs. I have no theories as to what instigates the noise so it's not like I can just restart the computer and try your steps; it does the sound whenever it wants. Sometimes touching on the side panel turns it off for a while, sometimes when I remove my finger, it continues just as strong as it was before touching it. It's such a confusion issue. 

And if I wanted to relocate the PC to a different location to troubleshoot it so that if the sound does occur again, I have better access to all sides of the case at a table-height, the PC would need to stay there for quite a while since I don't know when the issue would occur again. And then I don't know how long we'd be without a computer and everyone would complain.

I have 2 spare computers that I could hook up for temporary use if I would go that route but all the documents would be on the computer I'm troubleshooting and no one would have their stuff since I'd temporarily install Windows on a spare HDD for the family to use with the temporary computer.


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## joeten

I agree with WereBo things with motors: fans, HDDs and optical-drives. fans being favourite since the case fan is connected physically to the case.


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## Solidify

Dec 17, 2013 - YouTube

watch from 0:57


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## joeten

Yup definitely warped possibly try weighing it down or contact the company about a RMA of the panel


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## Solidify

What do u mean weigh it down? You think cooler master will rma it for me its been a while i baught it


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## joeten

Can't hurt to ask them and I meant try to lie it flat and put weight on the warped area it would be trial and error as to how much.


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## Solidify

What would I use as weight and would that just add possibility of vibration since I'm adding things to the door..


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## joeten

You do it with the side off in order to try to Flatten it out to as near level as you can, and I said it would be trial and error on the weight, what do you have that is fairly heavy but not overly big,nearing the width of the panel.


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## Solidify

Its ok I'm on live chat with cooler Master and they are going to replace it. just hope they dont clip me on shipping fees


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## WereBo

Good luck and keep us updated :thumb:


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## Solidify

all taken care of. Should receive the new side door in 2-7 business days. you'll hear from me then. Thanks guys


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## Flight Sim Guy

Wait, wait, wait. Even if the side panel is warped it should get held down tightly when screwed in. I know, because mine got warped when my brother put it on wrong. Did you make sure all the little tabs are catching when you slide it in?

Edit: Okay, hopefully that will fix it.  I'm just wondering if the reason it's warped is because it got accidentally screwed on with one of the tabs not catching. Like mine did.


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## Solidify

No, I remember wanting to write a review because I saw the warped door upon unwrapping it from the box the day I got it. 

If this doesn't work then onto the next item.. lol

yes fsg, it does get held down tightly but i think these is still a gap.. and yes all the tabs catch


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## Flight Sim Guy

Okay, just thought I'd check.


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## Solidify

How do you like the case FSG. I got it in May and love it.


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## Flight Sim Guy

Same here. Very good case.


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## Solidify

Did you add a fan to the side door?


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## joeten

2 are usually enough intake at the front expel at the rear


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## Flight Sim Guy

Nope. Just like Joe said. I think a side one would interrupt the air flow.


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## Solidify

Hmm, i wonder why case manufacturers make them, im sure they know itninterupts the flow


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## joeten

If you add further fans you have to ensure the direction of the airflow is right so whilst it is technically possible not everything that is possible needs to be done, and some folks bang in 6 fans then come here wondering why the machine runs hotter, than when they ran 2 check out threads in hardware regarding the subject you will see plenty of info


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## greenbrucelee

many people are under the impression that more fans equals better cooling when it doesn't just like people have multiple graphics cards and then realise that their monitor wont support anywhere near the max resolution of one card and that many games don't support multiple graphics cards.


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## Solidify

ah i understnad


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## WereBo

Side-fans vary from PC to PC, some are cooler with a side-fan blowing warmer air out, whilst others are cooler sucking cold air in or without a fan altogether - It depends on case layout, where the cards are, along with cables etc. Basically it's trial and error :wink:

My PC is approx 5C cooler with a side exhaust fan than an inlet-fan or without a fan.


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## Solidify

My last old oem case had one of those tunnels mounted on the side door to is meant to direct heat from the cpu/heatsink out of the side door.


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## Tyree

greenbrucelee said:


> many people are under the impression that more fans equals better cooling when it doesn't just like people have multiple graphics cards and then realise that their monitor wont support anywhere near the max resolution of one card and that many games don't support multiple graphics cards.


Ditto ^
One 120mm in front & rear are usually quite sufficient. Adding more fans can cause turbulence and disrupt the desired front to rear airflow.
When adding fans, add one at a time and monitor the temps before and after.


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## Solidify

What about the debate on whether negative or positive air pressure is better for cases...


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## Flight Sim Guy

:huh:


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## joeten

You mean this SilverStone Technology Co., Ltd. What is positive air pressure?


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## Solidify

What I mean by that is there are some people that say it is better to have more cool air entering the case (positive) and then others say that it is better for the components to have more exhaust fans shooting out warm air (which creates negative air flow).


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## joeten

See the info in the link


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## Flight Sim Guy

Gotcha.


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## Solidify

joeten said:


> See the info in the link


Yeah I saw it. got it


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## greenbrucelee

it doesn''t matter imo it depends on the cfm of the front fan and the how good the cpu cooler is.


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## Fjandr

While it won't affect temperatures directly, positive airflow is beneficial when the front fans are filtered. Since the front fans pull in enough air to raise the air pressure in the case, dust will not enter into any of the openings other than where the front fans are, resulting in almost no dust being deposited on the electronics inside the case.

If the rear fans produce more airflow than the front fans, there is negative pressure inside the case. The equalization effect means that air enters into openings in the case wherever they occur, sucking dust into places that are not filtered.


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## Solidify

Just received and installed the new side door. It's much less warped than mine was. Ironically, I haven't witnessed any vibration since I ordered the new door. Nonetheless, *if* it happens again, atleast the door is crossed off the list of possible culprits.


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## WereBo

Fingers crossed for you :wink:


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## Flight Sim Guy

Yep. Hope it works.


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## T_Rex

Great news! :smile:


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## joeten

Glad to hear it


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## Solidify

Damn, came back. I had to open the case to do some work and now it's back. It's definitely the side door (the one that would normally have a window on newer cases). As long as I apply pressure on the side door (pushing it towards the inside of the case), there is no sound. The moment I take my hand off, the rhythmic vibration continues. I made sure so cables or loose parts inside touch the side door. Thumbscrews are snug. 

Not sure what to do anymore.


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## Flight Sim Guy

Well, I have a solution, but it won't look great and there should be something else you can do.

Anyway, you could put a foam/rubber block on the outside of the panel and then tie a string or big rubber band around the case so the block holds the panel in.


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## Solidify

Lmao, not only would that be hideous but it would be equally extremely exhausting to dissemble when I need to take the case door off. Thanks for the suggestion though.


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## Flight Sim Guy

:rofl: Hey, I'm just trying to come up with ideas. :whistling: Did you try the foam strips as suggested above?


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## joeten

You could use some foam pads foam sticky pads | eBay


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## Solidify

Those would be helpful if the problem area was between the side door hinges and side door mounting frame but that's not the case. When I push the door inwards, it doesn't move (it's already as snug as it can be against the case), however, it's the raised design of the case door that goes inward. Hard to explain.


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## Flight Sim Guy

Well, I have that case, actually looking at it right now, and unless you have something attached to the panel it can't rattle as it's just one piece of metal; it has to have something to vibrate against to create noise. I would strongly recommend trying foam/rubber strips. It's fairly easy to do, and would eliminate one more cause if it doesn't fix it.


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## Solidify

OK. It stopped now. If it starts again and continues, I'll order the strips.


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## Flight Sim Guy

Okay. It may be so intermittent that it's not worth bothering with. And you may be able to use just some thin picture mounting double-sided foam tape and leave the paper on one side. You could also try some duct tape because foam tape may be too thick, as I think someone suggested above.


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## Solidify

OK. What's bothering me is that I don't know where it's making the contact. When the sound is present, it's intermittent like you said, it's on a rhythm. What kind of component operates on a rhythm?


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## Fjandr

If there's not enough room for foam, I'd just line the inside edges of the door with strips of gaffer's tape.

As for rhythmic vibration, all components produce it at some frequency or other. This includes things with no moving parts (the vibrations just happen to be in the EM frequencies, rather than in the bands low enough to be heard or felt).


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## Solidify

I never understood how these water routing holes are meant to be used since I've never water cooled a computer before. Why would you send the tubes outside the case?


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## joeten

This is not by far the best example but it may help PC water cooling guide: all you need to know | News | TechRadar


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## gcavan

Wouldn't be used with a closed loop set, but allows you to mount radiators and such on the exterior.


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## Solidify

Oh ok so from the article I gather that those holes are uses for external pumps or radiators, which is less used now since the newer reservoirs can be installed inside the case, right?


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## Fjandr

Aye. You could mount a large radiator outside your house, run lines through the wall, and be able to water cool multiple systems off of a single pump and radiator. That's actually what I would do were I ever to decide to go the water cooling route. Then again, I've got an entire rack of equipment that I'd be cooling, so scaling up would benefit me more than it would most people.

An external system is especially beneficial in hot climates, since you're not dumping the waste heat into your house.


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## gcavan

Thing is, you have no place to mount a 240mm rad inside the 912, and I'm not sure you can even mount a 120, so C-M gives you exterior mount points for 2 x 120mm fans and a rad.


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## Tyree

Solidify said:


> I never understood how these water routing holes are meant to be used since I've never water cooled a computer before. Why would you send the tubes outside the case?


When liquid cooling could actually be advantageous for normal use, the radiators were mounted outside the case so they didn't absorb the higher interior temps. The holes were required for routing the tubing.
Today's cases are more efficiently designed and components use less current resulting in less heat making OEM heatsink/fans very efficient at cooling the CPU.


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## Solidify

I heard a lot of TSF'ers say that the slightly lower component temperature that water cooling solutions offer over air cooling is not worth the risk/work. Is this true?


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## Fjandr

If you pay attention to detail and use non-conductive coolant, the only thing to consider is your own view of what your time and money are worth in exchange for the amount of benefit your particular setup is likely to reap from the change.


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## WereBo

Re: The case vibration, if/when it next occurs, try running a finger around the edge of the panel, pressing it against the case - Hopefully that might narrow down on which side (or closer) is vibrating.

If it's not the panel at fault, it's most likely to be the narrow strips on the top/bottom/front panels that the door sits against.

If you can narrow down which side is noisy, either gently bend the strips outwards a fraction, or 'insulate' with duct (gaffa)-tape as explained in a previous post,


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## Tyree

Solidify said:


> I heard a lot of TSF'ers say that the slightly lower component temperature that water cooling solutions offer over air cooling is not worth the risk/work. Is this true?


Adding expense to realize a few degrees cooler is not a good investment. 
OEM heatsinks are fine for normal use. If more cooling is actually required, as in extreme ambient temps, an aftermarket air unit should accomplish good results.


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## Solidify

Werebo its 100% to do with the side door. 

When i remove it, it stops. When i put it back on, doesnt even need to be screwed in with the two thumb screws in the back, and it starts vibrating again.

Can you re explain a bit better what youd like me to try? What works for me is this: bc that side door has a fan mount right above the cp (but no fan there)u that is sort of elevated from the rest of the door, reference the model to see what im talking about, i put pressure there and it stops as long as im holding it


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## WereBo

Instead of pressing the middle of the side-panel, try pressing along the edges, to see if the rattle's exact location can be narrowed down. If one edge seems worse than t'others, try easing the narrow strips outwards fractionally, so they're pressed tighter against the side-panel.

The narrow strips are indicated on the pic in post *#31*, where I suggested folding duct-tape over the edges to dampen the vibration :wink:










Also, it could be worth checking the horseshoe-shaped cut-outs on the front and rear strips, to ensure none are bent out slightly enough to brush against the side-panel, when it's fitted - Bend them inwards slightly, by a mm or so.


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## Solidify

Ok ill try all that next time it happens thanks werebo


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## Solidify

FSG, tell me what you think of the adjustments I've made to my HAF 912:

Since I'm building a HTPC, took out both 3TB (2.5") HDDs from the HAF 912 and put them in the HTPC. And since I only have 2 x 3.5" HDDs in my HAF 912 now (Local Disk and its backup), I decided to remove the drive cage and I lowered the stock fan in the fromt so it blows air directly onto the drives.


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## Solidify

A closer look:


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## Solidify

Sorry for the crooked photos, I'm uploading them from my iPhone. Not sure why it does that.


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## Flight Sim Guy

Nice! When I first got mine I pulled the HDD cage since I only had one HDD, but I just left the fan on top. I've since bought a third fan (on sale) and put it on the bottom.

Any vibrations?


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## Solidify

Yes, the vibrations are still there. When I reassembled the case yesterday it was vibrating all night. If I would lay my hand down on the side door, it would stop completely. When i took my hand off, it would resume the noise. I turned the PC off at night, still vibrating, and then turned it on this morning and no vibration today. I'm so perplexed at what it could be!


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## Solidify

edit...nvm


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## Solidify

WereBo said:


> Instead of pressing the middle of the side-panel, try pressing along the edges, to see if the rattle's exact location can be narrowed down. If one edge seems worse than t'others, try easing the narrow strips outwards fractionally, so they're pressed tighter against the side-panel.
> 
> The narrow strips are indicated on the pic in post *#31*, where I suggested folding duct-tape over the edges to dampen the vibration :wink:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Also, it could be worth checking the horseshoe-shaped cut-outs on the front and rear strips, to ensure none are bent out slightly enough to brush against the side-panel, when it's fitted - Bend them inwards slightly, by a mm or so.


WereBo, can you tell me which foam strips to buy? I'm fed up and will finally try that. I don't think the duct tape will be thick enough.


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## WereBo

The soft foam strips sold at DIY shops as draught-excluders, for doors/windows etc. should do the trick - Usually approx 1/4" wide, they have a sticky tape on 1 side.

Alternatively, use 2 (or more) layers of duct-tape :wink:

You might need to be careful when refitting the panel so as to not scrape the tape off, when sliding the panel into position.

You mentioned in your post above, that the PC still was still vibrating when turned off? That could only be the PSU, unless there's an external cause, nearby train-lines, subway, traffic etc. Try pulling the power-cord out the next time you 'de-boot', if the vibration stops then you've narrowed it down to the PSU :wink:


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## Solidify

I took off both side doors and made sure all the cables that were managed behind the board are not protruding out to make contact with the side door. I put the side doors back on and still hear the rhythmic humming but now it doesn't sound like it's hitting anything.


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## Solidify

Are there a series of tests I can do to see if my PSU is functioning properly?


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## WereBo

There's not much you can do for mechanical problems, it's usually a sealed unit to prevent users getting in and zapping themselves - You might be able to remove the grille over the fan, which would help cleaning any dust off the blades, but that's unlikely to cause the humming.

It's likely to be fan-related (slightly wonky bearing or fan-blade fractionally off-balance), but there's also a remote chance it could be the transformer itself - When I wuz working at TV-repairs, very many moons ago (mid 1960's), I saw several TVs with humming transformers. It turned out to be the sealant, used to hold the metal plates that form the 'body' together, softened with heat.

The sealant had 'thinned' in certain areas, letting the metal plates vibrate at the mains frequency (50Hz UK). Some TVs had the transformer bolted to the metal chassis, but others had it screwed to the wooden case, making the perfect 'sounding-board'.


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## Solidify

I was referring to tests like stress tests and voltage readings to make sure my PSU isn't failing...


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## WereBo

You can perform a basic test to check the voltages, using just a multimeter, but that won't do any stress-tests under load - You'd need specific ballast-resistors and such, to stress-test properly.

You can do a rough stress-test using 'CPUID HWMonitor' or check your mobo's utilities-CD, there's often an accurate util to measure voltages, temps etc. on there.

Check your voltages at idle, then run some intensive programs (A/V scan, a graphics-intensive game etc.) simultaneously and measure again - You don't want the 12V rail to drop below 11.4V or the 5V rail to drop below 4.75V.


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## Solidify

Idle










Under Load










The 5V rail is lower than what you said it should be. Should I be concerned?


----------



## joeten

Those cannot be accurate readings check the bios


----------



## Solidify

Both Speccy and HWMonitor now. I'm getting fed up of applications giving me inaccurate readings. I spent all day re-arranging my HTPC because Speccy was telling me the CPU was at 82C but then I finally thought to look into the BIOS and the CPU was listed at 32C.

Anyways, here's the BIOS temps for my desktop. According to what WereBo said, seems like the PSU is fine. A relief in one sense but in another, a pain in the *** since it means I have to continue looking for what is making this annoying case sound...


----------



## WereBo

Solidify said:


> ............
> 
> I turned the PC off at night, still vibrating, and then turned it on this morning and no vibration today. I'm so perplexed at what it could be!


Did I totally misread this bit? - I saw it as the case was still vibrating, after the PC was turned off :ermm:


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## Solidify

Lmao, I meant to say "I turned the PC off at night while it was vibrating"... but then it stopped when it powered down. My apologies.


----------



## WereBo

Aahhh, scrap that post about the PSU for definite then :lol:

I just had a silly idea, but try putting a couple of coasters (or something approx 1/8"ish thick) under both feet on 1 side of the PC, so it leans either left or right slightly. It won't help diagnose the problem, but it might just stop it :grin:


----------



## Solidify

Why do you think offsetting the case might stop the vibrating?


----------



## Solidify

I read a thread that suggested systematically unplugging each case fan one by one, while the PC is running to determine if any of the fans are causing the vibration. I'll try to see if my mb screws are loose as well. Is it safe to unplug my CPU's HSF while the PC is running if I plan to power it down within a couple of second of doing that?


----------



## gcavan

Instead of unplugging the fans, use a gloved finger or a popsicle stick to stop them temporarily. As far as the CPU cooler fan goes, stopping it will probably cause the fan alarm to go off, but as long as its stopped for only a few seconds, there will be no worries. Just make certain the fans restart on their own, some may need a little 'push'.


----------



## WereBo

Solidify said:


> I read a thread that suggested systematically unplugging each case fan one by one, while the PC is running to determine if any of the fans are causing the vibration. I'll try to see if my mb screws are loose as well. Is it safe to unplug my CPU's HSF while the PC is running if I plan to power it down within a couple of second of doing that?


As gcavan suggests, try momentarily stopping the fans instead, I don't know if it's the same with all PCs, but when I built my PC (2007ish) I unplugged my case side-fan (Molex-powered), it caused a BSOD and reboot - I assumed the PSU had some sort of sensor that was fooled into thinking something had failed, but I've never repeated it since.

The idea of 'offsetting' the case slightly, was to see whether a fan has worn or loose bearings, it might just be enough to throw the balance out slightly and stop the vibrating..... Yes, I'm getting that desperate for a solution... :grin:


----------



## Solidify

Haha YOU're desperate?!


----------



## WereBo

You and me both mate, I hate niggling, unsolved problems :grin: (Almost as much as waiting for postmen/couriers :lol


----------



## Solidify

We should add it to the DSM as a new disorder haha

Im gonna try a couple of things later today including the popsicle stick recommendation and get back to you guys.


----------



## Solidify

I'm officially out of ideas.

I tried making sure all the screws were snug. 
I tried stopping all the fans (even CPU fan). 
I tried offsetting the case (balance).
I tried removing the side doors (still vibrates with them off now).
I tried using duct tape on the side door frames.
I confirmed that the PSU is functioning properly.
All of the drives are snug. Tried booting PC without the drives and the sound was still there.

Not sure what else it could be.


----------



## WereBo

The only thing I can think of (and it's a beauty if you go ahead with it :lol is to check all the little rivets holding all the metalwork in place :sigh: - Apart from trying to rattle the individual rivets, the only other way I can think of, is to try and slide a slip of paper between the pieces of metalwork. If you do find any suspect gaps, try jamming 'em with folded bits of paper.


----------



## greenbrucelee

WereBo said:


> The only thing I can think of (and it's a beauty if you go ahead with it :lol is to check all the little rivets holding all the metalwork in place :sigh: - Apart from trying to rattle the individual rivets, the only other way I can think of, is to try and slide a slip of paper between the pieces of metalwork. If you do find any suspect gaps, try jamming 'em with folded bits of paper.


This is actually a good idea. I once had a case where I did that exact same thing.

I never did find out where the rattle was exactly I just got loads of post it notes folder them up and put them in every small space I could find.


----------



## Solidify

Ill try that out thanks


----------



## Tucker26

As an acoustical consultant maybe I can help. There are two solutions. _Either _one will correct the problem. 

The first is to find whatever is _exciting _the case. As pointed out early in the thread, two fans that are not in exact sync can cause buzzing to come and go. That may be difficult to find with the case buttoned up but you can try temporarily disabling each fan, one at a time and then buttoning the case back up when each fan is disabled. If that is the problem you should be able to determine which two (or more) fans are causing the problem and replace whichever is cheapest or most feasible, if any.

The alternative approach is to determine and correct whatever is radiating the vibration as sound. Fans themselves are unlikely to radiate sufficient sound to be annoying, they just cause the excitation and something else is moving in sympathetic vibration and re-radiating it. The most likely culprit is one or more of the case panels as they have a large radiating area and radiation efficiency and are, relatively speaking, flimsy. There are two ways to accomplish this - 1) damping the panels themselves, or 2) decoupling the panels from the rest of the case. Actually there is a third way but I would try these first two initially. Damping the panel is probably best done with so-called damping (not dampening though you may find it incorrectly described that way) tape sold for the purpose. Do a Google on "damping or dampening tape" and you should find a source - one might be Grainger. The other approach, decoupling, means mechanically separating the panel from the frame. However, that may be hard to accomplish. The approach of putting rubber washers under the screws is very unlikely to work as the screws themselves rigidly attach the panel and frame, acoustically shorting out the washers. If you can put a resilient rubber tape on contact points between the case and frame and ditch the screws that would work but there then may be no practical way of holding the offending panel to the case although you could try using Velcro instead of the screws.

Finally, if all else fails, you could try 3) detuning the panel so that its vibration frequencies (modal structure) are different than the exciting frequency from the fans etc. One way of doing this is to attach a large weight to the panel. The effectiveness of this depends on the location of the weight on the panel so you may have to experiment to find the best place.

Good luck.

Oh, there is a 4th method, but it may not appeal to you - hearing protection from EAR or MSA. Or circumaural headphones. :wink:


----------



## Solidify

I've already disclosed having failed to fix the issue by addressing the case or CPU fans.

I haven't tried this yet and will soon:
1) damping the panels themselves,

That would be my last resort. First I have to try what someone else suggested to squeeze paper between the rivets.


----------



## Nylock

Possible suggestion, the clips from the drive mounting brackets or the mounting brackets themselves are loose?


----------



## Solidify

Nope,checked that. The sound is coming from the board i think


----------



## portyporty

I'm coming in late on this discussion, and haven't read every post, so someone may have mentioned this already.

As a PC builder, I've run across this problem several times and the source has always proved to be the hard drive. I'd doubt that drives are checked for vibration at the factory, because the fault doesn't seem to affect their performance or longevity, but it's certainly a nuisance.

In several cases, I minimized the vibration by sitting the tower on foam rubber pads, made from motherboard packing. However, after a while, the material tends to compress and the tower begins to lean to one side. The most lasting solution was to mount the hard drive in purpose-made rubber suspension brackets. I can't remember the brand, but I recall that they were made in Japan, which I thought was unusual for the NZ market, as almost everything pc seems to to be made in Taiwan.

In one of my own machines, I dismounted the drive altogether, and sat it, unfastened, on the case floor on a piece of foam.

Once or twice I managed to pick up the problem early, ie before I'd gone to the trouble of installing the OS and other software, and returned the drive to the vendor for replacement.

It's possible though, that the OP has an additional issue, stemming from either the CPU or PS fans, resulting in the harmonic result that he reports. Both these fans can be replaced fairly easily, so it might be worth trying those first.

It's also worth mentioning that video card fans can sometimes get out of balance. Again, these can be replaced.


----------



## Solidify

Don't mean to be rude but the HD was both suggested and verified within the first couple of pages of this thread. And I don't have a video card.


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## BranSys

Judging by the pitch of the hum in your posted videos, it sounds like the source of the vibration is being caused by a very high RPM device, i.e., a 7500RPM 3.5" desktop hard drive. I know you have dismissed portyporty's comments as having been already verified, however, I didn't see any mention of an attempt to dismount the drive(s) from the case, as portyporty suggests, only to check the tightness of the mounting screws. When you say you have booted without the hard drives, did you actually disconnect them from the PSU? My apologies if you have already tried this, but if you haven't, as a test, I would suggest you dismount the drive(s) and temporarily sit it/them on piece(s) of thick foam rubber at the bottom of the case. Make sure the hard drive(s) is/are not in direct contact with the case or any other component. Replace the side panel and listen out for the hum! The pitch of the hum I can hear on your videos sounds very similar to the hum I hear when I mount 7500RPM desktop drives in an external drive caddy sitting on my desk. The source of your hum can only be from one of your fans or hard drives, and it sounds very much like a hard drive to me. I suggest you consider purchasing an anti-vibration mounting kit, such as the Nexus, which contains various rubber fan mounts, rubber grommets and screws for hard drive mounting, etc.


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## ferdnyc

As others have said, I haven't read the entire forum thread so hopefully the things I'll suggest haven't already been covered. I doubt it, since they're a bit more "out-there". But with a problem that's persisted over 8 pages of forum chatter, and several months, I figure it's probably reached the point where out-there is worth considering!
_
(Note to the OP: This thread's long enough to make reading the whole thing a bit impractical for anyone just coming into the discussion. If you wanted to cut down on further "I haven't read the whole thing, but..." redundant suggestions, one thing that might be helpful is if you edited your initial post with a quick list of what's already been suggested/tried. That way, everyone coming into it will see the current status. You certainly don't have to do that, by any means! But if you're so inclined, it could help keep the discussion moving forward rather than going in circles. Just a thought.)_

*1. Mating between side panel and case frame
*
This one's more likely to have already been covered, but since this all started with the side door: When you slide the door on to the case, are they definitely mating with each other along the length of the panel?

You can see, in your photos with the panel off, both the top and bottom edges of the opening have three frying-pan-shaped cutouts in them. _Usually_ (though some case builders cheap out) there are corresponding forks on the inside edges of the side panel. They're meant to lock in to those cutouts as the door slides on left-to-right, holding it against the case. In most of my cases, they're enough to hold the door in place. the screws are largely decorative. Does your side panel have those forks on it, are they intact (not bent flat against the panel or anything), and do they actually slot (semi-)firmly into the side of the case when you close it? If those aren't mating properly, then screws or no screws the side panel can "flap" against the case and make quite a lot of noise.
*
2. Motherboard mounted securely?*

If that's not the issue, I've had one machine with an AWFUL rattle, caused by the motherboard being poorly mounted to the case. This particular machine has a server mobo mounted in a standard ATX case, which unfortunately doesn't provide the correct set of standoff placements to match the mobo. There were enough to mount the board, but some of its screwholes have dead space underneath, including (most problematically) the pair of Xeon CPUs.

The Xeons are _supposed_ to have standoffs underneath their cooler mounts, so that there's firm contact around the CPU down through the entire cooler-motherboard-standoff-case stack. Unfortunately, these CPUs aren't fully supported from underneath, and they cause a _serious_ vibration noise, which cycles at about 40-50 beats per minute. (And I'm sure they'll eventually crack the mobo, too. *sigh*)

Now, I'm sure your setup isn't as criminally hacked-together as the one I'm describing, but the point is: Is your motherboard definitely screwed down securely? Does it have standoffs under ALL of its mounting points, especially below the CPU/cooler assembly? Are all of those standoffs the proper height, and securely screwed to the case? If any mounting hardware got missed during assembly, for any reason, that could be the source of the problem.

(The "only vibrates with the door on" issue isn't totally incompatible, BTW. If the issue is the CPU fan vibrating the motherboard, then installing the side door will change the airflow, Especially from the CPU cooler, since it'd be blowing right at that panel.)


----------



## Solidify

Thank you both of you. I've read through your posts and will put them to effect when I have a couple of hours to spare. Ofcourse, I will post back with my results.


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## AtariBaby

I had a situation where the hard drive spinning would occasionally-- a few times a day for several minutes-- set the case to making an obnoxiously loud hum, presumably due to the drive spinning at just the right frequency to create a sympathetic tone in some unknown aspect of the case assembly. If I barely touched the case with a fingertip, the tone mysteriously squelched.

I recently had great luck with two items: acoustic computer foam, which I used generously on the interior of the case, without covering any vents, of course! It had a peel-off sticky back, and I cut it to measure. And the second item was hard drive screws with rubber washer. I got them off Amazon.

I spent less than $20, the box fell to more silent far beyond the hum, seemingly dead silent. The HDD screws were probably overkill, but I am not willing to take them out and test, now that I have beautiful silence. And I had plenty leftover of both to use on other electronics.


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## kelly88

Hello Solidify, I agree with Bransys , it sounds like you have a high speed induced harmonic. This has resulted in* transfered* noise, ie what makes the noise is NOT the cause. Since you can't find the problem directly then you can deal with the symptom.
Large flat panels are vulnerable to your type of problem.
On the vibrating side panel, put a brace on it.The brace may work best off-centre. Try to locate the main area of vibration.The brace can be diagonal, vertical ,or horizontal, which ever fits best. I recommend ordinary silicon as adhesive as it sticks well, suppreses vibration and can be removed easier than glue if necessary .The brace can be angle or box section and hobby shops are a good source. This method does not stop the vibration, instead it changes the frequency to a non irritating frequency .
I have used this method on machinery with success. This will be the first computer.
Good Luck
For looks ,place the brace on the inside of the panel.


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## Solidify

I owe everyone that has been keeping up with this thread an apology. 

I removed all four 3.5" HDDs from my chassis and set them aside on another desk and then booted the PC into its BIOS. The result was a whisper quiet computer. I left the PC idling in its BIOS with both side doors properly mounted for 10-15 minutes but neither the humming nor vibrating ensued, fortunately.

It's a great relief to have finally narrowed down the source of the humming. However, my job is still not done here.

I was curious to see which drive was the culprit so I added one drive back to the case one at a time and run the PC in it's BIOS with the side doors on and surprisingly, as soon as I put a single drive back, the noise ensued.

So again, I do apologize to everyone.

I'm open to new suggestions on correcting the issue now that we know the source of the humming.


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## joeten

Post 146 has a suggestion and named a particular kit


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## AtariBaby

No apologies needed. Good troubleshooting.


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## Solidify

I readthe post but how would I be able to use an anti vibration mount for my drives considering they operate on a rail sytem (case is the HAF 912)


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## joeten

I expect you can cut the foam to size and fit


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## WereBo

When I was first invited to join TSF by an old chum, he'd posted a pic of a PC he'd just repaired.. It was a different problem but the cure worked. In his instance, the threads in the sides of the HDD had stripped, so the drive constantly rattled and fell out. He simply hot-glued the drive to the floor of the case.... One dollop of glue on each corner of the drive, then press it into position! - Simples <squeak>*


(* - Sorry, I been watching too many TV adverts with Aleksandr Orlov (You can google him :grin


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## Solidify

Clever yet not ideal for me since I have 4 drives. Besides, I don't like the idea of drive being permanently mounted.


----------



## Fjandr

You can purchase rubber washers from most hardware stores (in the States, anyway). If you can't find them anywhere near your location, you can purchase them easily on eBay. Another option, which appears to have been mentioned in one of the longer posts above, is to purchase EPDM foam (non-adhesive) and cut it to fit around the mounting points of each HDD.

Depending on how the HDD cage is attached to the case, you could even isolate the entire cage rather than the drives within it. The method would be the same as above.


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## Solidify

I get all that, I just don't understand, in physical terms, HOW I'm supposed to include the dampening accessories:


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## portyporty

Several possibilities: It just depends how keen you are.

1) The rubber mounts I referred to (and someone else named as Nexus, which sounds about right) fitted into a 5.25" bay. Perhaps another case with more of these bays?

2) There's room in the pictured HDD bay to mount the drives vertically on their side edges. Sure, it'd need some sort of custom built frame, but a sheet metal shop could frap one up fairly cheaply. The drives could then be mounted in the rubber mounts already mentioned or possibly suspended from cheap springs.

3) How about a NAS box to hold the three drives that don't contain the OS? That's assuming you've only one OS.

4) This suggestion might not be practical, but I mention it because I've used it in one of my workshop machines. I wanted to mount a whole bunch of old IDE hard drives as additional storage but didn't want to spring for a higher capacity power supply. So I attached an ancient HP\Compaq power supply to the top of the tower case, and, through a simple on\off switch, this one powers all the drives except the system drive. Obviously, at bootup I have to choose whether to run all the drives or just the OS drive.

5) Another of my workshop machines has two 'rack' frames (in optical bays), one IDE and the other SATA. This system allows you to choose at boot from any of several OS's, ie - 98, XP, 2K, W7, W8 - that I've previously installed on each HDD. You could mount 3 or 4 of these in a case with enough 5.25" bays, or maybe just one, once you identify which drive is causing the vibration.


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## Fjandr

It seems odd that you're getting harmonic vibrations through those plastic caddies. Plastic doesn't tend to resonate very well.

Do those caddies snap onto the hard drives with fixed pins, or do you attach them with screws?

If by screws, you simply place the washers or foam between the caddy frame and the HDD, then run the screws in. If it's with pins, you'll probably have to skip the foam and use rubber washers. They're thin enough to slip between the caddy and the HDD, and the pins will snap into place as they did before.

Unfortunately, it looks like the HDD cage is riveted to your case, so it would require a good bit of work to dampen the entire thing.


----------



## Solidify

> Do those caddies snap onto the hard drives with fixed pins


Yes. No screws.


----------



## WarwickRW

Solidify said:


> I have this case: Newegg.ca - Cooler Master HAF 912 - High Air Flow Mid Tower Computer Case
> 
> Since I first built it, there has been a ringing vibration sound. I always thought it was something inside the case but then I removed the side door and it stopped. I now realize that the sound is caused by the vibration that the door makes when it has contact with the rest of the metal lining on the case. I've tried putting black rubber washers on the thumbscrews and even tucking in all the wires so nothing touches the side door when it's closed but there is still this incredibly loud vibrating sound.
> 
> A lot of threads say to check the hard drives or fans but I doubt that is the case since the noise stops when I take the side door off.


The noise is a result of the equipment in your computer, but is manifested in the panel. The panel will be vibrating and in doing so, it will probably be vibrating against the case where it connects.
This needs to be stopped. The rubber washers would not stop it. You need something to cushion the panel. the simplest may be to put one or two layers of sticky tape around the inside edge of the panel. If this does not stop it you might try putting a thin layer of foam around the panel, you know, the sort that starts as a liquid or gel but sets to a rubbery texture. Put the panel in place before the layer fully sets.
Another possibility is that the panel is flexing, like a wobble board and making the noise that way. In that case, a couple of diagonal strips of sticky tape across the inside of the panel may help. If the tape covers any vent holes, punch it out from those. The idea is to dampen the vibration.

Hope one of these will help.

Warwick


----------



## Solidify

I'll try to pick up some of those foam strips, it's about time.


----------



## Solidify

I'm like Sherlock Holmes up in this PC:

HD Cage Rattling - YouTube

This is what I have right now. I'll keep it under surveillance for a while. 










I also read that little bits of Blu-Tack around the contact points could help.


----------



## joeten

Worth a shot


----------



## WereBo

YAAAYYY!!!







- Fingers crossed that's the culprit cured :grin:


----------



## Solidify

Nope, didn't change a thing. Took them all out. :banghead:


----------



## WereBo

Ohhh TWIBAT!







- It might be worth leaving the paper-strips in for the time being, the vibration could well be from several sources, the strips remove 1 of 'em


----------



## Solidify

lol I got rid of em already, I'll put them back later.. good idea. process of elimination, once again


----------



## Solidify

OK, I put the papers back. Now I wait... and then I feel around :grin:


----------



## WereBo

Yep, you got it :lol:

After watching your last vid-clip, it gave me an idea if you happen to have an unused desktop-mic somewhere - Plug it in and set the volume so you can hear any sounds clearly, then form a paper tube around the end of the mic so it forms a very narrow pick-up field, I'd guess about 1"-2" long. Next time the vibrating/humming starts, you should be able to locate it by hearing precisely where it's coming from....

This might just qualify as being a crazier idea than my last one :grin:


----------



## Solidify

I have this, will it work:

http://www.amazon.ca/Logitech-Desktop-Microphone-Black-Silver/dp/B00009EHJV


----------



## WereBo

Yep that should work OK, any mic will do, just as long as it works with the PC - If the mic can unclip from it's base-unit, it will be more manoeuvrable for aiming into dark recesses.

Just wrap the paper around the end and secure with cellotape/elastic-band, then point the mic to where the noise seems to be coming from. As you get closer or further to the source it should get louder or softer accordingly.

No guarantee of success, just a theoretically good possibility... :wink:


----------



## Solidify

That sounds promising. Great idea. I'll keep you posted.


----------



## DELETED 071219

Solidify,

It's been a few weeks since your last post on this. I'm not sure if your problem has been solved by now.

I noticed in one of your pictures of the hard drives that one of them is 'recertified'. I've always been very hesitant to use 're-certified' or 'refurbished' hard drives due to the uncertainty of factory testing of those HDDs. Those HDDs were sent to the factory in the first place due to some sort of issue with the HDDs. One of those issues can be excessive vibration. 

Picture this... at this HDD factory, you got this guy named Joe... he has a bench full of HDDs that he is testing out... imagine the noise in that factory... it has to be somewhat loud... loud enough to suppress the noise coming from the HDDs. Sure, there are tests to detect vibration... only at certain levels where excessive vibrations would render the tests void. However, if those vibrations are within "acceptable levels", those HDDs are 're-certified' and sent out for resale.

You may have gotten one of those "acceptable levels" vibrating HDDs that doesn't pass your own standards, which is a completely quiet HDD. That is what everyone should expect, but not always get.

So... my finger is pointing to that 're-certified' HDD and if you have any other 're-certified' HDDs, I'd check those as well.

In my 23 years of computer hardware experience... I have learned the hard way that getting a brand new HDD is the best way to go. If the new HDD is bad... the HDD factory will replace it promptly. http://www.techsupportforum.com/forums/images/smilies/new/thumb.gif

Serpius




Solidify said:


> That sounds promising. Great idea. I'll keep you posted.


----------



## joeten

Hey I didn't test his drive honest it was not me


----------



## Solidify

joeten said:


> Hey I didn't test his drive honest it was not me


Ahaha damn you joe!

Serpius, while I agree with everything you say, short of paying for a new drive, theres not much I can do. That recertified drive was in the 3tb external enclosure seagate sent me back when i sent them my defective new one. And i didnt open it and realize it was recertified until it was too late to call them for giving me a recertified one.


Its not right if companies r gonna keep doing warranty replacements of new drives with recertified ones.

But yeah, ill try to remove that drive soon. Its just hard to troubleshoot bc the noise isnt always present. I went a couple weeks with no vibration and then it came back slighty for a day and now gone again. But the papers i stuffed seemed to have fixed it for the most part.. It doesnt vibrate as often


----------



## DELETED 071219

Solidify,

That's bad business for HDD companies to replace new defective HDDs with recertified HDDs. That's not cool!! :angry:

That's probably why I stick with HDD companies like Seagate. A few times where a new HDD would crap out on me... all I had to do was input the serial number on their Warranty page and presto, it will tell me if the HDD is or is not still under warranty. They would send me a NEW replacement HDD, then I send the bad one back in the same box and they pay for return shipping. Easy peasy. Yes, Seagate HDDs tend to be a bit more expensive (per GB), but that little extra does give me a sense of relief if I needed to return the HDD for warranty replacement.

Serpius




Solidify said:


> Serpius, while I agree with everything you say, short of paying for a new drive, theres not much I can do. That recertified drive was in the 3tb external enclosure seagate sent me back when i sent them my defective new one. And i didnt open it and realize it was recertified until it was too late to call them for giving me a recertified one.
> 
> 
> Its not right if companies r gonna keep doing warranty replacements of new drives with recertified ones.
> 
> But yeah, ill try to remove that drive soon. Its just hard to troubleshoot bc the noise isnt always present. I went a couple weeks with no vibration and then it came back slighty for a day and now gone again. But the papers i stuffed seemed to have fixed it for the most part.. It doesnt vibrate as often


----------



## Solidify

Serpius said:


> That's probably why I stick with HDD companies like Seagate. A few times where a new HDD would crap out on me... all I had to do was input the serial number on their Warranty page and presto, it will tell me if the HDD is or is not still under warranty. They would send me a NEW replacement HDD, then I send the bad one back in the same box and they pay for return shipping. Easy peasy. Yes, Seagate HDDs tend to be a bit more expensive (per GB), but that little extra does give me a sense of relief if I needed to return the HDD for warranty replacement.





Solidify said:


> That re-certified drive was in the 3tb external enclosure seagate sent me back when i sent them my defective new one.





> Q. What happens to my data if I return my drive to Seagate for replacement?
> A. If you return your drive to Seagate, your original drive will NOT be returned, and all data and software on your drive will be overwritten pursuant to Seagate's standard repair processes. For additional security, please remove all data from your drive before returning it to Seagate. *You will be sent a recertified replacement drive.* If you need the data on your drive, consider data recovery services, before you replace the drive.


Source: Seagate Limited Warranty Returns Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)


----------



## Solidify

Given the recent suggestion that the item at fault could be my drive(s), I'd like to put them through some testing. I've tried Seatools DOS in the past on all of them but frankly, from what I've read here on TSF, Seatools' conclusion aren't always reflective of the drive's actual condition. In other words, the drive(s) could pass all the Seatools tests and still have issues.

What other tests can I perform on my drives? I'd like to run them through the most comprehensive tests, even if it takes 24-48 hours to perform.


----------



## DELETED 071219

Obviously, there are different product lines of Seagate HDDs. I always purchase the higher end ones. Yea, I'm a sucker for that high price point, but if I want the best components, then I buy the best stuff. 

To The Others... I'm not going to go into HDD debate... like for automobiles... Fords are better than Chevys or vice versa. :ermm:

I have been a satisfied Seagate customer for many years and have no reason to switch to another brand. Yes, I have tried others, but Seagate seems to come out on top.

Now, can we get back on the topic of this thread? The case vibration? :blush:

Serpius




Solidify said:


> Source: Seagate Limited Warranty Returns Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)


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## Solidify

Serpius,

According to my link, Seagate's recertified hard drive warranty doesn't exclude any specific product lines. Therefore, whether you buy a "high end" product or I buy an external HD and we both send our items back, we should both expect recertified HDs in return.

Can you attest to having received a new (non-recertified) HD upon sending a bad drive in to Seagate for a warranty replacement?

What's the rush to get back "on-topic?" We are discussing something fully pertinent and relevant to my issue, considering the drive(s) could be at fault. No one here is talking about brand preferences, simply warranty servicing protocols.


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## joeten

Mate you could run hdd tests from a multitude of places and have it pass it does not mean it is perfect but it is the best you can do there is no perfect test from my perspective, merely the best options available since problems can be intermittent.


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## DELETED 071219

Solidify,

Yes, I have gotten numerous warranty solutions that ended up with brand new hard drives. 

I have to put in a little disclaimer... at the time, I worked for a large IT company, we had a large open-ended vendor order with Seagate, which included warranties that guaranteed new HDDs if the new HDDs were found to be defective. There were a few rare occasions where when we sent back Seagate HDDs thinking it was defective, it turned out it wasn't the case. In those rare cases, Seagate did do a firmware check and did update those HDDs and sent them back to us and the shipping was charged to us. (which is a fair and reasonable charge) 

Corporate warranties are much different than consumer warranties as you have quoted in here already.

The reason why I mentioned the "my brand is better than your brand" is that I want to avoid this thread becoming a train wreck because of brand allegiance. 

Serpius



Solidify said:


> Serpius,
> 
> According to my link, Seagate's recertified hard drive warranty doesn't exclude any specific product lines. Therefore, whether you buy a "high end" product or I buy an external HD and we both send our items back, we should both expect recertified HDs in return.
> 
> Can you attest to having received a new (non-recertified) HD upon sending a bad drive in to Seagate for a warranty replacement?
> 
> What's the rush to get back "on-topic?" We are discussing something fully pertinent and relevant to my issue, considering the drive(s) could be at fault. No one here is talking about brand preferences, simply warranty servicing protocols.


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## joeten

That makes sense being that a corporate situation garners the company a lot more repeat business.


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## Solidify

Joe, thats what im asking: what other tests can i do


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## DELETED 071219

Solidify,

Joe is correct that you as a consumer is somewhat limited on what you can test on those HDDs. That's just the way it is unless you want to fork out a ton of money on a $60 HDD, which at that point becomes unreasonable.

Just my 3 cents... :ermm:

Serpius




Solidify said:


> Joe, thats what im asking: what other tests can i do


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## Panther063

Solidify said:


> Ahaha damn you joe!
> 
> That recertified drive was in the 3tb external enclosure seagate sent me back when i sent them my defective new one. And i didnt open it and realize it was recertified until it was too late to call them for giving me a recertified one.


It's possible the drive is the original drive you sent them, certified after testing, the fault may have been in the enclosure.


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## DELETED 071219

Panther,

That is a possibility, but if the re-certified HDD is using a different serial number, then it can't be the same HDD that was originally sent it. At least, that's my understanding of the situation.

Serpius




Panther063 said:


> It's possible the drive is the original drive you sent them, certified after testing, the fault may have been in the enclosure.


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## joeten

Serpius you made my point the average user or consumer is limited to what is available and prudent cost wise, unfortunately it is the way of things,a corporate environment is a whole different area, and the expenditure can be well within that the acceptable projections.It does not always mean the result is better but it does carry more weight.


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## Panther063

WarwickRW said:


> The noise is a result of the equipment in your computer, but is manifested in the panel. The panel will be vibrating...


This was my thought also, Cases with thin side panels tend to flex or vibrate causing sounds. More expensive cases tend to use thicker materials, some even have insulating or sound deadening material on the side panels.


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## Solidify

Well I'll just leave everything as is in that case. It wasn't bothering me very much for the past couple of weeks anyways, since I added those papers.


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## GZ

One tool that I have found to be extremely helpful in tracking down the oddball sounds coming from a PC is a good old-fashioned Automotive stethoscope. 

https://www.google.com/#q=automotive+stethoscope&tbm=shop

They can be had quite inexpensively and, with careful and proper use, can help you pinpoint noises and vibrations that are hard to pinpoint with the naked ear.

Other than that you seem to be doing a fine job using at-hand diagnostic technique to locate the issue. Hopefully it is resolved soon for you.


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## Solidify

No its back but ive run out of patience with it.
Just try to ignore it now. Just hope the vibrating wont significantly impact the life of my drives


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