I give up

I've had my H110 for half a year, it cools wonderfully. Except there is one problem...the fans. They make the most annoying rattling sound, I can't stand it.

Thankfully Corsair was kind enough to replace my fans, unfortunately they made the same rattling noise. I kind of sucked it up for a few months before I got fed up and asked for another rma. In the mean time I brought SP140s, they worked great too except they start to make noise as well.

I learned that it takes a certain fan type to mount horizontally (I use the Corsair 540 air). I never knew this, so I messaged Corsair support and the response I got was that the h110 stock fans should work horizontally or vertically with no problems.

I decided I'd try the new set of fans I received from Corsair. To my surprise they were relatively silent. I was happy until today when one of the fans started to rattle faintly. Its only a matter of time before it becomes very loud.

Corsair said they will keep sending replacement fans as long as my h110 is warranty, but its frustrating to me. They shouldn't have to do this, the fans should just work with out any problems. I just kind of feel I should give up and just accept noisy fans. As much as I want normal silent fans, I don't think it will happen :<

Most Manufacturers supplied fans are mediocre at best. Eventually they will all start to make a rattle / chattering noise when mounting horizontal (related to the fan bearing).

I've seen Corsair employees and other forums members state " the supplied fans that come with the Hydro series are the same as the SP series with the exception of rubber mounts and trim rings ".

I would be willing to bet the bearings are also of different design between the two models. You're better off replacing those fans with higher quality fans, your benefit: fan noise (rattle/chatter) and hassle of RMAs disappear.

Are you sure the rattle is coming from the fans specifically and not from vibration in the surrounding area in your case?

I'm 100% certain that its the fans, not vibration. I brought the SP140s and at first they were silent but soon enough they started to make a noise too. Not as bad as the stock h110 fans however.

Most Manufacturers supplied fans are mediocre at best. Eventually they will all start to make a rattle / chattering noise when mounting horizontal (related to the fan bearing).

 

I've seen Corsair employees and other forums members state " the supplied fans that come with the Hydro series are the same as the SP series with the exception of rubber mounts and trim rings ".

 

I would be willing to bet the bearings are also of different design between the two models. You're better off replacing those fans with higher quality fans, your benefit: fan noise (rattle/chatter) and hassle of RMAs disappear.

Any recommendations?

As a fellow Air 540 and H110 owner I would strongly advise you double check the the two halves of the top panel on the case while you are up an running. To my surprise, it is the top panel on the cold half of my case that is making all the music. I can play it like an instrument by applying different amounts of pressure to the plastic panel. My rad and fans are covered in rubber gaskets, neoprene, and anything else I can do to mute the vibrations, but they travel right up the outflow hose from the pump, through the fans and radiator, and then into the case itself. I have done all I can with it, including resting a 12 lbs. block of glass I received as a professional award some years ago on top of the offending panel. Funny, at the time I thought it was worthless. It is certainly tolerable, and since it's not on my desk, it generally doesn't interfere with my work. Still, I would like to cure it.

It's usually Hyrdo-dynamic bearing fans that vibrate when horizontal and directing air skyward, but it's still better to evaluate on an individual basis through user reviews. Someone will almost always chime in when they run into problems on a top mount exhaust. It is possible your SP140's vibrate, but I would be surprised. I've got about 12 different pairs of 140mm fans and none of my 3 pairs of Corsair SP140 LED or original 140L's do this. A simple way to check is to take the fan off the radiator and plug into a spare chassis fan header. If you turn it face down and it's starts to vibrate in your hand, that's certainly a good indicator of a problem. If it goes away when you turn the fan 90 deg, then it's a design issue instead of a construction problem.

First step is to narrow down whether it really is the fan. It is possible, but there are so many other places for problems to occur. If we can rule out the fan, then you can move on to trying to isolate the vibration with various gaskets, rubber washers, etc.

This is the piece that was most useful in toning it down. It's a softer neoprene like material compared to the normal medium hard rubber of gaskets or washers. It is isn't an exact fit. You will need to stretch 2 of the inner holes (very easy). You also don't need to stick it to your radiator. You can sandwich it in between the case and the rad.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NODDPKW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

As a fellow Air 540 and H110 owner I would strongly advise you double check the the two halves of the top panel on the case while you are up an running. To my surprise, it is the top panel on the cold half of my case that is making all the music. I can play it like an instrument by applying different amounts of pressure to the plastic panel. My rad and fans are covered in rubber gaskets, neoprene, and anything else I can do to mute the vibrations, but they travel right up the outflow hose from the pump, through the fans and radiator, and then into the case itself. I have done all I can with it, including resting a 12 lbs. block of glass I received as a professional award some years ago on top of the offending panel. Funny, at the time I thought it was worthless. It is certainly tolerable, and since it's not on my desk, it generally doesn't interfere with my work. Still, I would like to cure it.

 

It's usually Hyrdo-dynamic bearing fans that vibrate when horizontal and directing air skyward, but it's still better to evaluate on an individual basis through user reviews. Someone will almost always chime in when they run into problems on a top mount exhaust. It is possible your SP140's vibrate, but I would be surprised. I've got about 12 different pairs of 140mm fans and none of my 3 pairs of Corsair SP140 LED or original 140L's do this. A simple way to check is to take the fan off the radiator and plug into a spare chassis fan header. If you turn it face down and it's starts to vibrate in your hand, that's certainly a good indicator of a problem. If it goes away when you turn the fan 90 deg, then it's a design issue instead of a construction problem.

 

First step is to narrow down whether it really is the fan. It is possible, but there are so many other places for problems to occur. If we can rule out the fan, then you can move on to trying to isolate the vibration with various gaskets, rubber washers, etc.

 

This is the piece that was most useful in toning it down. It's a softer neoprene like material compared to the normal medium hard rubber of gaskets or washers. It is isn't an exact fit. You will need to stretch 2 of the inner holes (very easy). You also don't need to stick it to your radiator. You can sandwich it in between the case and the rad.

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NODDPKW/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o09_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'll try your suggestions, any other parts you recommend?

Aside from picking up your own Academy Award size trophy, the ordinary steps are rubber washers and gaskets for the fan mounting. They come in a couple of different types and which one is best usually depends on the fan shape. There are 2mm thick rubber squares that can be sandwiched between the fan and the case/radiator. There is also a version that "slips" around the corners of the fan. It's the same thing, but it can make the install a bit easier. However, it only works with square shaped fans. The last type is a thicker 5-10mm rubber square frame. It's the same thing as the other two but thicker. I normally use that type as a spacer to move pull radiator fans further away from the fins, but they can be useful with troublesome fans as well. Moving the blades further away can change the pitch of the fan sound. It's just another tool in combating irritating noise and the 7mm thick rubber theoretically offers more dampening than a 2mm thick one. Lastly, you can always use rubber washers from your hardware store. I don't like this option as much between the radiator fans and the metal because it creates a gap, but sometimes it's the only choice. It certainly can be used between the rad and case or anywhere else in your system. Be careful of very hard rubber washers. They were designed for durability and not maximum absorption. Softer is better here.

The XSPC soft gasket is a 2-pack. The easiest thing is to try one on both sides of the radiator. Again, you will need to take a screw driver and "stretch out" 2 of the middle holes to make it line up exactly. And if it is the top panel that's vibrating, throw something heavy on there and see if it helps. I hadn't planned on making my rig look like the Transamerica building, but I am getting used to it. You could get more extreme and use sound dampening adhesive materials inside the cold half of the case, like you would use in car stereo installations. However, the less permanent options are a better first step. You can temporarily turn the case over on it's side. If it's the fans and it is a bearing issue, it should stop. If it's the top panel like mine, than it won't help much or may make it worse. All of these gaskets are manufactured by the same 1 or 2 companies, so if they all start to look similar it's because they are. Brand doesn't matter nor where you get them.

http://www.performance-pcs.com/quiet-pc

http://www.performance-pcs.com/new-lian-li-140mm-anti-vibration-fan-pad-black.html

http://www.performance-pcs.com/akust-fan-noisebuster-gasket-120mm.html

http://www.amazon.com/Phobya-38177-Shroud-Decoupler-120mm/dp/B004CLHDGC

If the case is high quality, it should not be transmitting any noise or vibration from fans through the rest of the case.

Most people make troubleshooting more difficult than it really is, it's quite a simple process to get accurate results. To isolate the chatter noise simply take a screwdriver and put one end on the fan and other end to your ear while running, if the noise transmits through the screwdriver to your ear then the fan is the culprit.

I'm waiting to get my hands on some EK Vardar fans for testing.

Corsair AF/SP line are good but there are better fans on the market (obviously price will be more expensive). I use only PWM fans and prefer German Made Fans like Cougar, Noctua and Noise Blocker, these fans are very high quality with exceptional performance and have never had an issue with Bearing noise.

I have H110 too and one of the fans started to make exact same annoying noise

after couple of months (like only when it's speeds up) - it's easy to detect,

if its fans fault by just pressing gently in the middle of the fan to see if it

stops that noise - if it does, then you have faulty fan. I also wondered if they are good

to use horizontally (aka upside down on top of the case) SO I just bought myself

two black Noctua industrial 140mm fans (yeah they sure are a bit expensive,

but they are worth the money and they will last for sure).

By the way my old fan started to work fine after I got my new fans lol,

but I changed them anyway. I guess it was just some dust what got inside the fan

what made it do the annoying rattling sound :)

If the case is high quality, it should not be transmitting any noise or vibration from fans through the rest of the case.

 

Most people make troubleshooting more difficult than it really is, it's quite a simple process to get accurate results. To isolate the chatter noise simply take a screwdriver and put one end on the fan and other end to your ear while running, if the noise transmits through the screwdriver to your ear then the fan is the culprit.

 

I'm waiting to get my hands on some EK Vardar fans for testing.

 

Corsair AF/SP line are good but there are better fans on the market (obviously price will be more expensive). I use only PWM fans and prefer German Made Fans like Cougar, Noctua and Noise Blocker, these fans are very high quality with exceptional performance and have never had an issue with Bearing noise.

My vibrations on my set-up come from the H110 pump unit. We still don't know for sure whether the original poster's noise is from the fan, the pump, or something else. The top panel on the 540 seems particularly susceptible to this specific vibration and whatever frequency it's at --- to be this well insulated and still transmit through. The OP's fan may be the source of the vibration and it's still the top panel that's amplifying the problem. We'll have to wait and see.

I am not sure simple is the first word that comes to mind when describing sticking a screwdriver in your ear while sticking your head in your case.

I had the exact same problem and ended up replacing them with the Noctua NF-P14s redux.

http://www.noctua.at/main.php?show=productview&products_id=86&lng=en

c-attack

I meant apply the screwdriver shaft to the fan or area making noise and handle to your ear (i didn't say inside your ear).

This is the easiest option for Crayraven to pinpoint the noise he is experiencing and to get resolution.

Honestly if someone is dumb enough to stick the screwdriver shaft inside their ear, they probably shouldn't be work with computers, electronics or anything else for that matter. They have a saying for this " you can't fix stupid ".

c-attack

 

I meant apply the screwdriver shaft to the fan or area making noise and handle to your ear (i didn't say inside your ear).

 

This is the easiest option for Crayraven to pinpoint the noise he is experiencing and to get resolution.

 

Honestly if someone is dumb enough to stick the screwdriver shaft inside their ear, they probably shouldn't be work with computers, electronics or anything else for that matter. They have a saying for this " you can't fix stupid ".

It definitely was a joke. All I could envision was someone with the screwdriver pointing the wrong way and then a rush trip to the ER. That was the simple that came to mind.

From what I gathered so far from inspecting the fans, one fan has a feint whining sound. The other sounds fine for the time being.

The fans apparently create a lot of vibration, especially on the top panel and on top portion of the case were the fans screw into. I found that if I have one of the screws tight that it creates a very loud vibrating noise. So I just loosened it up a bit and for the most part it feels fine.

The top panel makes a vibrating noise periodically. When I apply a bit of pressure to the panel it stops for awhile. I can't figure out how to make it stop permanently. I got a replacement top panel from corsair but that one still has the same issue.

Unfortunately, I am beginning to wonder if the top panel vibration is a common Air 540 issue. Regardless, I like my case and have no intention of changing it right now, so it's on to whatever remedies make a difference. As far as top vibrations go, I found the XSPC gasket made the largest improvement, even compared to more traditional rubber washers and mountings. It's inexpensive and easy to use. I don't know how your case sits in relation to your viewpoint or what you are willing to put up with, but the easiest temporary remedy for the cold side top panel is to but a decent size book on top of it.

Fans can certainly whir, whine, and click right out of the box or in any orientation. There is always a percentage of manufactured units that will do this right from the start or within a short period of time. But several in a row is starting to buck to odds a little. This is why I mentioned the mounting information before. That's not going to do anything for actual motor noise, but only you can what is what. Usually rifle bearing fans won't have the vibration issue of the Hydro variants, but at the expense of being slightly louder. The SSO2 bearings in the Noctua's seem to be immune to it as well.

You can try a decoupler gasket or rubber mounts as c-attack has mentioned to help with the Fan vibration. Better quality fans won't have that type of issue but at a premium cost.

For your top panel vibration, installing some neoprene foam will reduce the panel vibration (foam can be found at local hardware store, it's relatively inexpensive).

Hey guys,

I just want to give a little update. I brought some 140mm rubber gaskets and they didn't help in the slightest. So what I decided to do is to pull out each fan and test it individually to isolate the problem.

I was right, that it is a fan that causes the noise. The interesting thing is unlike my previous batch of h110 stock fans, the new batch runs at around 60 rpm faster. This combined with the rattling of one fan creates a lot of noise. More than before. So what I did is lower my fan speed to 90% and that sort of helps.

Good news is one fan is actually noise free, the bad news is one is not. I'm hesitant to ask for replacements again, I have a feeling that if it keeps going at this rate that I'll end up with a ceiling full of them lol.

Glad you've narrowed down the problem. I would probably move away the stock fans. The statistics aren't horrible, but I find the blade material to be too flexible on that model. At higher speeds, I have noticed some blade flexing which does produce some additional noise. On a side note, do you need to run your radiator fans that high? I don't use AMD chips, but I do recognize the 8350 as a warmer one. Still, the differences between 100% fan speed and 80% should be trivial on anything but a full stress test and even then, I wouldn't expect more than a couple of degrees. I've got about 12 pairs of 140mm fans now and there isn't a single one I would be willing to run at 90% on a radiator.

My temps are a few degrees higher while running the fans at 90%. In the winter time its no big deal, but when it comes summer time I'm not sure. I know stock fans probably aren't the way to go, but I feel I'm not getting my money's worth either. The only reason I need to change fans is because all of the corsair stock fans rattle. If it wasn't for that reason I wouldn't need to change them out.

I think I'll send in a rma this week sometime, maybe I'll get lucky with one fan, then I'll have two good ones.