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I'm done with Corsair SP120 fans :( Rattle Sound


toddnunez94

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I just can't take the irritating and annoying rattling sound coming from my Corsair SP120 PWM HP fans. I have them set up as push pull on my H100i (mounted on top/Horizontally). I have gone through, I believe, at least 6 RMA's on both of my Twin Packs. Because I had so many RMA's, they told me they would test out the pairs, and have them sent to me. Upon receiving, I waited to install them because I was also waiting on an RMA unit for my H100i. The H100i was backordered, so I had to wait a few weeks for it. I just received my H100i yesterday, and I installed the fans and H100i last night. Upon restarting my system, the first thing I heard was the annoying rattling sound. Its almost like I received the same fans, but I know I didn't because of the issues I found out with these specific fans. Whenever the fans are mounted horizontally, gravity takes over and basically pulls the bearing out of the socket (does that make sense?). So its almost like they are not faulty fans, just bad engineered? I'm not trying to blame Corsair or anyone on the fans, because I simply love them, just not the rattling sound.

 

I just don't know what to do now... I've been having an issue with these fans since I purchased them around June. Around 1000RPM, the fans are nice and quite. But once they hit ~1300Rpm-1600RPM, they start to do the rattle. When I say rattle, im literally talking about a rattle, not the loudness.

 

I've made a ~million post here and on Overclock.net stating that it had to deal with case vibration, but I now know that its not that. It has to deal with the bearings. That is what a corsair tech support person told me in my ticket. Since the fans aren't faulty (and I feel bad for opening so many RMA's), I wont open anymore RMA's on the fans... Unless they start failing.

 

Is there anyway to fix this issue? I absolutely love these fans, but I just cant take the rattling sound. The aesthetics are beautiful in my case.

 

It isn't like I'm trying to build a COMPLETELY QUITE computer, but the rattling isn't just quite, its annoying.

 

Now I'm not saying all the corsair fans are bad (or if its just that they are mounted horizontally), but my Af140 fans don't make that rattle. I have 2 AF120 red LED fans at the bottom of my 750D, and they don't make a rattle. Its almost as if its just the SP series fans.

 

While talking to the corsair tech support rep, he told me that it had to do with the bearing and gravity (like I mentioned above). He told me to try and push the fan blades back into the socket, which should fix the rattling here and there. I tried that, and it didn't fix anything. From what I've heard, I'm not the only person having issues with these fans.

 

So now, I really hope someone has found a solution to this problem. For now, I'm keeping the fans, but I'm very displeased with the rattle.

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I have done exactly the same as you. I've been dealing with this for months. I've tried gaskets, grommets, and almost everything. I even took out the H100i, will all fans still in tacked, and help it in my hand... No vibration or rattle. Once I set it back up in my case... Annoying rattle. Nothing I tried fixed it. It's definitely the bearings.

 

While I was waiting on my fans, I took out two of the old ones, and left the H100i in push. They still gave off the rattle. This is the reason for having to RMA the H100i. I try and set up the fans a different way (just like the corsair reps and people in the forums tell me) and I end up stripping the screw holes. No matter what how I set them up, arrange them, or anything, I still get a rattle. I'm just to the point where I guess I will have to take the rattle sound. Unless I decided to sell them, and go with another brand. But I absolutely love corsair and there components.

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And over tightening the fans on the SP120's are almost impossible, because they have the rubber screw holes. If you over tighten them, then it will just push down the rubber holes, rather than the actual fan. You also say "recently" replaced the stock with the SP fans. Are you talking about the led SP fans? Because those don't have the rubber screw holes.
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It has to be the fans, as they are also mounted horizontally. I RMA'd my H100i too, so what else would be the problem? I even added a foam gasket between the fans and radiator. Everyone keeps telling me it's not the fans... Well then what else could it be? Give me some solutions or something. Please

 

As for further testing, how? I've done almost everything every corsair tech rep told me. Could it be that I screwed them I'm wrong?

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first.thx for not taking my diverse opinion the wrong way.

let me give you a scenario I myself went thru

with my first hydro i had a loud pulsating hum noise that i thought for sure was the pump,,i pushed on the pump and the noise lowered but was still there so i decided to tolerate it as it wasn't that bad,,it wasn't till i had a hdd fail did i realize the hdd was making the pump noise

now like you had i removed/ran the pump then the noise of course would be gone

Id check each component and if a vibration exists id isolate that component and check,,id also systematically push/press on every area in the case as noises will easily resonate.

some fans have end play in the shaft and the way to check is turn the fan around and mount it.

the reason im so skeptical is the odds of finding the same problem in multiple fans is scarce...

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I appreciate a sincere response. But after doing what every rep told me to do, as well as people in the forums, the solutions never work and its very irritating. For the past 3 months, all I've been doing was to try and find a solution. On multiple forums, I've seen people talk about the rattle when the fans are mounted horizontally. Some don't, and some do. When I first bought my Sp120 fans, I had the NON PWM high performance fans. If I remember coorectly, I never heard a rattle from those. Its almost like its only the PWM fans that are causing it.

 

And I know for a fact that its the fans. Just now, I took off my 750d side panels, and unplugged all 4 fans from the H100i. They are still mounted, just not plugged into the pump. I booted up the system, and oh my... it was whisper quite. Then a few seconds after boot, I plugged in each fan. As I was doing so, I could hear the rattle. It does settle down, but then it will rattle and make a vibration sound, that doesn't sound normal. Now, as I'm typing this, its almost as a vibration sound is coming from the fans every 2 seconds... almost like there in intervals.

 

From the past experience, I bought some XSPC radiator gaskets, because I assumed that it was from vibration off the radiator and case. NOPE. the gaskets didn't solve anything. But if the H100i booted whisper quite with no fans connected, then it has to be Sp120 fans, and nothing else.

 

This is a brand new H100i, and brand new SP120's.

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Thanks again for a response. I just feel bad because I have opened up an RMA for these fans like 6 different time. I would love to go for the Quite edition fans, but I don't think my system would be sufficient with them... I have two 780's in SLI, that use the EVGA ACX cooling, and it gives off A TON of heat into my system, and with my fans only running at 1600rpm, the water temps hit about 38C... Well I guess the Quite fans would work. I will probably have to get a fan controller then, as the H100i cant control 3 pin fans.

 

Do you have the PWM or the regular. Whats the highest RPM of them? I'm just not sure if its the PWM feature that's causing the issue, as I believe the NON PWM fans i had before this didn't have the issue. Maybe that's the best option. Ill contact them tomorrow and see what I can do. Maybe they can just swap them out.

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i have the PWM version that run @1450 rpm ,,they cool my 360 rad and even under a hard load my 240 rad fans wont kick on till way late on a load.,,this is with one 780

I honestly dont think the hydro fans aid much in cooling your sli since their having to work the rad but even so good case fans should do the job or....

just give me the sli:D:

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Well since I have SLI, all the hot air gets pushed through the rad and give much hotter water temps. I wanted to go all out and sell my H100i to put toward the XSPC AX360 rad kit for $260, but im a little scared to dive into that, as this is my first build. But Since you have the PWM Quiet fans, you don't get any rattle or vibration at all? I'm going to set my max fan speed at 1450, and see what my temps are. I just cant take this NON NORMAL sound (Non of my other fans do this, and I have one AF140, and two AF120 LED). Ill contact Corsair again, and see if they will swap me some QE fans, or if not, ask for a refund and I will buy them elsewhere. If they don't let me get the QE PWM fans, then maybe the QE non PWM fans, and I would have to get a fan controller.

 

I really appreciate the help. I just didn't know what to do.

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I just don't know why these fans are having this issue. I have literally gone through, at least, 10 pairs. What's making me believe what this issue is, is that when you first turn the computer on, the fans rev up to 100%. Then they eventually settle down to what you set in Corsair Link. But since they go full blast, I feel like it wears the bearing out. 2300rpm right when the fan turns on is pretty dang fast. The fans need some to build up the speed, rather than automatically going 100%.

 

I'm going to see if the fans settle down for a few days, and if they don't, I'll ask for some quiet edition fans.

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I use fan controllers on all my hydro units. I always get vibration at certain rpm as well so I just set the fan rpm to what I want it with fan controller (usually highest I can get without vibration) and leave it at that rpm 24/7. This is good for me because usually the vibration is at a certain rpm and little faster or lower and it goes away. Sux if ur fans are ramping up and down and going between the rpm that has the vibration and all the time. Currently I'm using a set of h100 fan tho. Imo the h100/h80 fans are far far superior to the current sp fan in flow per rpm, noise level at said rpm, and they don't give me any rattle issues.
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And I know for a fact that its the fans. Just now, I took off my 750d side panels, and unplugged all 4 fans from the H100i. They are still mounted, just not plugged into the pump. I booted up the system, and oh my... it was whisper quite. Then a few seconds after boot, I plugged in each fan. As I was doing so, I could hear the rattle. It does settle down, but then it will rattle and make a vibration sound, that doesn't sound normal. Now, as I'm typing this, its almost as a vibration sound is coming from the fans every 2 seconds... almost like there in intervals.

 

From the past experience, I bought some XSPC radiator gaskets, because I assumed that it was from vibration off the radiator and case. NOPE. the gaskets didn't solve anything. But if the H100i booted whisper quite with no fans connected, then it has to be Sp120 fans, and nothing else.

 

Well, yes, it has something to do with the SP120 fans but I'll bet it isn't the fans. I have had the original 3-pin H100i fans and now the 4-pin PWM replacement SP120s and they don't rattle. In fact, the second set are quieter than the 3-pin first set. That yours don't rattle out of the case and do when in it, and that this happened with six successive sets of fans, and that two sets of fans here do not do this at all, says that there is something about how they are being mounted or perhaps how they are being powered.

 

I listened to the video and think I hear what you are talking about; the periodic faint zzzz.....zzzz.....zzzz — sounding more like a cricket. That it pulses indicates that it is a harmonic with another component that is not at the exact frequency. When that happens you get an amplification effect when the two are in synch with each other and a corresponding cancelling effect when the two are out of synch with each other. There is another component that is aggravating the situation.

 

What happens when you do not use push/pull but only use push (only the two underside fans blowing through the radiator and out the top), as the unit is designed?

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  • 2 weeks later...

You are not alone brother.

IT IS THE FANS.

 

I have the same exact problem and it is annoying as hell.

I crave silence and these fans ruin it for me.

 

I have exactly the same rattle, sounds like crickets chirping in the fields on a summer night. And it is only the bottom fans from the lowest possible speed (670rpm) to the point when the air sound becomes louder and you can no longer hear the rattle.

 

I opened an RMA with Corsair and would try another set, but if they behave in the same way (most probably) I will give up and get something else.

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You are not alone brother.

IT IS THE FANS.

 

I have the same exact problem and it is annoying as hell.

I crave silence and these fans ruin it for me.

 

I have exactly the same rattle, sounds like crickets chirping in the fields on a summer night. And it is only the bottom fans from the lowest possible speed (670rpm) to the point when the air sound becomes louder and you can no longer hear the rattle.

 

I opened an RMA with Corsair and would try another set, but if they behave in the same way (most probably) I will give up and get something else.

 

No matter what, an RMA will not solve the issue. I returned almost 12 sets (2 at a time), but I finally realized that an RMA will not fix the issue. I finally gave up and asked a corsair CS rep what to do. He told me he would refund me. they received my fans two days ago, so I should receive my refund tomorrow or Monday. I felt bad for sending them in all the time, but I just wasn't satisfied. These were the PWM High Performance versions, so I don't know if the quiet ones are better. Right now, im just using the stock fans that came with my h100i. And I must say, they are pretty dang loud.

 

Im soon going to go custom loop for my 4770k and 780 SLI, so I might pick up some quiete edition fans. If they have the issue, ill just return them from who I buy them from, rather then dealing with an RMA or refund through Corsair. If not, ill probably ruin my color scheme and pick up some ugly colored Noctua fans. I absolutely love corsair, but these SP fans have some serious issues.

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HM, so what should I do then? Do you think that maybe there are batches with this type of problem and maybe some newer batches don't have it.

 

This is my RMA communication with Corsair so far:

 

Created By: CYPER

I have already tried that, but it only helps if I keep my finger on the fan, which as you might guess is not an option.

There is an inherent design flaw with these - the gravity pull makes the fan assembly come loose from the spindle. Applying even the slightest pressure on the centre hub and the noise is gone. Remove my finger and the noise is back.

 

The only feasible and cost effective resolution I can think of is you sending me a lot of SP120 Performance Edition PWM fans and hopefully 2 of them do not have this problem. Then I will send you the rest back + the ones I currently have.

 

 

Created By: Justin G. (10/2/2014 8:34 AM)

Our apologies for the inconvenience, CYPER. The fan assembly might have come loose from the spindle. Please apply slight pressure on the center of the fan hub to snap it back into place.

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I highly doubt they will send you multiple fans to test out which ones are better :)

When I submitted a ticket, Justin G said the exact same thing to me. Just ask them for a refund. I sent mine in a few days ago, so im waiting for my refund now. From what I understand, people have less problems with the quiet edition fans. Later I will try and pick some of those up from a retail store "in person." That way, if I have a problem, I can just return them within 30 days for a refund. Doesn't hurt to try.

 

But if the quiets editions have the same issue, maybe it would be better to shell out the extra cash and get some noctua.

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