H110i GT intermittent rattling

[mattcatt]

Hi guys,

 

so my new PC is running a Corsair Hydro Series H110i GT and over the past few days I've noticed a weird rattling, clicking or even grinding noise it makes from time to time. Sometimes it's barely audible and then at other times, it gets so loud, the first time I heard it I seriously thought something was gonna blow up in a minute. ;)

 

It comes intermittently and seemingly at random, with no connection to CPU load and fan speed, so I'm guessing it's not the fans. Maybe the pump? Trapped air?

 

CPU temps are absolutely fine though at all times, with idle temps around 34-38°C and workload temps around 45-50°C on my 5820K at stock clock.

 

I do plan to overclock my CPU though once I've ensured that everything is running stable and I'm a little worried that maybe there's something wrong with the cooling and that it might fail.

 

I've tried searching for this and have found some similar reports with the 100i, but not the 110i.

 

So... can I consider it "normal" or harmless, or should I contact my vendor?

[naveeed]

Did you check nothing is touching the fans..If not just change fine air directions.

[c-attack]

Rattling tends to be a fan thing. It doesn't have to be motor related (and thus speed dependent). It's possible one has a wobbly bearing and makes occasional contact with the frame. Over-tightened fan screws are a common culprit as well. Loose I think you would notice, but overly tight can cause blade contact as well.

 

First, though you need to narrow down the noise to either the fans or pump. Take the door off the 540 to help locate the source. If you are running AI Suite or C-LINK, you can cut power to the fans at will from the desktop to help. If not, you may need some face time with your gear.

[mattcatt]

Thanks for the tips so far. The fans don't seem to make contact with the casing and it seemed to me that the noise was coming from a slightly different direction. Also, it sounded a little different from a fan touching a cable or the casing, but I can't really be certain just yet. I'll wait for the next time the noise gets really loud again to have a closer look, that should provide me with more details.

 

Thank you very much for your help, I'll be keeping you updated.

[mattcatt]

Update: Over the past two days I did some testing with Corsair Link (after finally getting it to run properly) and somehow none of the mentioned noises occurred anymore, despite my PC running for at least 5 hours per day. I'll be gone for the week and I'll see if maybe it'll reappear after that, but until it does, I'll just consider the problem solved. What ever it might have been.

So thanks for the help, guys!

[c-attack]

OK, well keep an ear out. Fan rattles tend to be a little more consistent. Sporadic is more typical of pump noise. Perhaps it was just an air bubble and the issue has passed.

[mattcatt]

Update: As of now, the noise is gone. In the first week after setting up the system it was heard every other hour and it usually lasted for about 30 mins, sometimes getting louder and then again becoming less audible. But after about 1-2 weeks of regular use, the noise was gone completely.

 

My 5820k is now running at 4GHz with a core voltage of 1.09V and with max temps at about 55°C when running a full Aida64 stress test with pumps and fans set to quiet mode.

 

So I have to assume it really was just an air bubble and that the issue has passed, and as of now, I'm very satisfied with my H110i GT.

 

So I just wanted to thank you, c-attack, for all your help. Also, a big thanks to red-ray for the Corsair Link tutorial on Win10 TH2, which allowed me to set up the program and use it for testing. It's nice to see all the helpful people here on this board.