PC case vibrating like crazy

[The Chicagoan]

So I have the ThermalTake core x71 Full Tower, I have about 10 fans in the system, excluding the GPU fans. The system ends up being vibrated so badly it can almost be heard up stairs from my basement. But when I take the side panel off it doesn't vibrate and it's pretty quiet. And when I apply preasure on some part of the case it's quiet, then when I let go of the case it's loud asf. Is it one of my fans? Because I can't exactly stop my fans from moving to identifiy the issue when the side glass is on. I can only control my radiatator fans RPM's but I know that's not the cause.

I have the stock exahust fan in the rear of the case which is a thermaltake fan, no clue what the full name is. And the other stock fans are 2 140 MM blue riing fans by thermaltake. So would replacing the fans fix it? Because I honestly don't know why it keeps vibrating that badly. It vibrates so badly it shakes my entire desk.....

[Monk]

Can you record and share a video of this?

No pc fan should have anywhere near enough mass to vibrate a desk or make that much noise, so I'm going to guess you are exaggerating quite alot.

[The Chicagoan]

Originally posted by Monk:

Can you record and share a video of this?

No pc fan should have anywhere near enough mass to vibrate a desk or make that much noise, so I'm going to guess you are exaggerating quite alot.

ill try to upload a video on youtube.

[sawdust3d]

If it quiets down when you apply pressure to the case, that makes it sound like the case itself is the source of the sound, obviously not the vibration itself, but the sound.

Try the old cardboard tube to the ear trick (longer is better), with case panel on and off, to see exactly what is vibrating.

Source of vibration is likely a fan. But if the vibration turns out to be nill, you can consider padding the case panel.

You'll want to grab your trusty screwdriver and make sure all the parts of the case, fans and components are secure.

[chiefputsilao✖️ping]

too much air pressure inside = causes rattling of side panel = my two cents

[Supafly]

Check noting is actually touching your side panel when it's on. I had the power cables from my GTX 970 resting on my side panel when I first got it. I couldn't bend the cable and stop it touching so I used some foam sheet with a sticky back from kids arts and crafts. Just stuck a small square on the panel opposite the power leadss and that solved the issue.. May not be an ideal solution it that case has a see through side panel though.

If it is fan related you can actually disconnect almost every fan in your system just not your CPU,GPU or PSU.

Disconnect all besides those mentioned above. Turn on system. Does it vibrate? If no you know it isn't the CPU, GPU or PSU. Need to identify which through elimination.

1) Turn system off and connect half of your fans.
2) Turn on system. Does it vibrate?
a) If no go to step 3
a) If yes go to step 4
3) Connect half of the remaining fans. return to stage 2)
4) Turn system off and disconnect half of fans currently connected. Return to stage 2.

[The Chicagoan]

Here's a video to get a good idea of what is actually happening.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3NWCFyrNs8&feature=youtu.be

Originally posted by Suicidal Monkey:

Check noting is actually touching your side panel when it's on. I had the power cables from my GTX 970 resting on my side panel when I first got it. I couldn't bend the cable and stop it touching so I used some foam sheet with a sticky back from kids arts and crafts. Just stuck a small square on the panel opposite the power leadss and that solved the issue.. May not be an ideal solution it that case has a see through side panel though.

If it is fan related you can actually disconnect almost every fan in your system just not your CPU,GPU or PSU.

Disconnect all besides those mentioned above. Turn on system. Does it vibrate? If no you know it isn't the CPU, GPU or PSU. Need to identify which through elimination.

1) Turn system off and connect half of your fans.
2) Turn on system. Does it vibrate?
a) If no go to step 3
a) If yes go to step 4
3) Connect half of the remaining fans. return to stage 2)
4) Turn system off and disconnect half of fans currently connected. Return to stage 2.

I'll go ahead and try that, I have a feeling that it's my optical drive because that thing has the most vibration out of everything in my system.

this is litearlly the last thing I would've expected... The fans that came with the case are causing this. The front two 140MM, when I hold both of them down there is no vibration. What can I do to fix this? Would tighting the screws more fix it? Or loosing them? Or something. Because I can't just remove the 2 140's in the front of the case.

[sawdust3d]

You can try tightening them down. Should do it.
If not add a couple pieces of foam to pad them. Some arts & crafts foam tape like Suicidal was talking about will do nicely.

This is assuming they are just loose.
If one or both (unlikely) are defective, out of balance, bad shaft or bearing, you'll want to replace.

[Supafly]

Can get some rubber washes and place them on the screws between fan and case or use some anti vibration fan mounts. Links to first options I found. Personally I like the mounts. No screw driver needed :)

Washers
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Acousti-Vibration-Silicone-Washers-Black/dp/B0067LWL26
Mounts
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Noctua-NA-SAV2-Chromax-Anti-Vibration-Silicon-Accessory/dp/B018T3826S/ref=sr_1_12?s=computers&ie=UTF8&qid=1547386085&sr=1-12&keywords=anti+vibration

[Talby]

Electrical tape works good in a pinch. Also seen some bent panels causing that, 'torquing' the case so it pulls it to one side.

[Monk]

I take it all back, that is very odd, heh, tightening down the fans should help or get some foam padding sticky tape stuff to act as a buffer between the ill fitting side panel and the frame as that seems to be the issue, chances are it's like 1mm or less causing it, still, I doubt the desk vibrates heh.

[The Chicagoan]

Originally posted by Monk:

I take it all back, that is very odd, heh, tightening down the fans should help or get some foam padding sticky tape stuff to act as a buffer between the ill fitting side panel and the frame as that seems to be the issue, chances are it's like 1mm or less causing it, still, I doubt the desk vibrates heh.

well when my arms are on my desk I feel vibration. So my desk is vibrating. It even still vibrates a little, but not as much as it did. But it seem as loosening the screws made the fan stop vibrating the chasis of the case. So I guess that fixed my problem then.

[Monk]

Loosening worked? That's odd, that should increase the space to cause vibration, might want to look into some fans with anti vibration mountings.

To cause that much of an issue the fan can't be properly balanced.

[The Chicagoan]

Originally posted by Monk:

Loosening worked? That's odd, that should increase the space to cause vibration, might want to look into some fans with anti vibration mountings.

To cause that much of an issue the fan can't be properly balanced.

Well it just came as is, I didn't add those fans in at all. But yeah, I tried tighting them first because it made more sense to do that, but they were already very tight. But loosing them seemed to stop all vibration. I plan on replacing all the fans that came stock with the case sometime later, but I honestly hated that sound since it has been going on for a few weeks now.

[𝔇ave]

question : why do you have you gpu in the bottom pcie slot? is it just so you can see the asus logo on the south bridge heatsink? lol

[The Chicagoan]

Originally posted by Dave:

question : why do you have you gpu in the bottom pcie slot? is it just so you can see the asus logo on the south bridge heatsink? lol

Idk I'm not using it for anything, I just put it in there for now so I don't lose it or get it damaged. It's not like it's my main GPU.