Noise Q

I guess this is kinda both a cooling and case question, but it can go here

I have a LL-60 case (modified from Xoxide) with 2 side fans, 2 front fans, 1 top 120mm fan, and a sunon 50CFM at the back. I have a 9700pro with the default gole fan and a tornade (84CFM) on the CPU.

My case is making funny rattaling noises, and also the noise of 11 different fans is starting to get to me! I'm thinking about getting a new case. All i want to know is, if i do, will the noise be any different?

I only ask because the tornado on my HSF is very loud by itself, and i heard that the fans on the 9700s are very loud (though i've not heard it on it's own).

So basically, if i get a new case, would the noise change very much?

Thanks, A24.

Do you have a fan controller right now? Just switching cases probably wont help much but might solve the rattle.

If I were you, I would pull out the fans and see if it still rattles. Try to identify what is rattling and fix it. Does it rattle when the cover is off?

might want to try some dynomat.

You don't necessarily have to pull out the fans... just unplug them and see if there's one or another in particular that's making more noise than normal. You could have a loose washer somewhere. Also, video card fans can run kind of loud, my geforce4 fan was pretty noisy (until the card died, but that's another story). Another suggestion would be to get a fan controller and lower the voltages on those fans, or replace them with slightly slower fans such as the Panaflo L1A, which has a reputation for being pretty quiet. You should still have pretty decent airflow with that amount of fans. I'm a big fan (no pun inteded) of the Xoxide LL warrior cases... I want one for my next pc. Hope this helps.

The 9700Pro I had before I had to return it was very quiet. My loudest thing in my system being my 80gig WD SE drive that is in a HDD silencer. So you can rule out the 9700Pro unless the fan is going bad. Easiest way to tell would be to spin up each fan individually. But my best guess would be the Tornado. A friends PC rattles like crazy due to the vibrations that thing puts off.

11 fans mate? GOOD LORD! Got a hurricane in there! hehe. Try getting some rubber washers at your local hardware store and put them on all the fans, HD, CDROM's...anything that generates vibrations. Should help ya and cost only a few bucks.

Thanks for all the replies

Generic responses to questions, and my own comments, in no order whatsoever :

1. I'm pretty sure the rattaling is my top mounted 120mm fan. However, i've tightened it up really tightly and it still rattles.

2. The rettaling isn't constant, it does it some times and then it stops

3. Putting pressure on the 120mm fan guard, or the front or top of the case stops the rattaling until about 3-4 seconds after i let go.

4. I pushed the left hand side plate of the case in a bit more yesterday and it seems to have stopped again - for now

5. All my fans have rubber washers on them

6. I don't think dynomat would work because the thing's covered in air vents, fan holes, wires... not to mention many things are fixed right up against the edge

7. I have a 6-port fan controller switch thingy for the front 5 1/4", but i have to drill little holes in the blanking plate and don't have the right drillbits, also i'm a little wary of stripping all the wires in case i want to sell the fans....

Generally, i was looking at a full tower Dragon case.. do you think it's worth the upgrade or not?

Dood ,try spinning the fan when the power is off.Put your other hand or fingers so you can feel the fan.Spin with other hand and see if you can feel some roughness as you spin it by hand.If you feel the roughness,dismount the fan,pull the sticker off of the back of the fans motor.Should be a rubber plug.Take it out and put 1 or 2 drops max. 3 IN 1 OIL.Do not USE wd-40 or motor oil.Gun oil is ok.
While you have the fan off put some rubber washers between the fan mount and the case. THE FANMAN