Hum from case linked to side panel??

[kol12]

This probably sounds weird, but I have medium pitched hum that comes from my case and the hum instantly disappears when I remove the side panel. Has anyone heard of this before? The case is a Corsair Obsidian 450D

Edit: It's possible that the hum is present somewhere inside the case and that the side panel seems to amplify the hum...

 

[VincentP]

More likely that the panel is vibrating. Try just pressing on the panel to see if it stops.
You may need to bend the clips that hold the panel on to make them tighter or use some sort of padding material to make the panel heavier.

 

[WrektGlitch]

Vibration = noise. Likely culprits: an improperly secured case fan, or a mechanical hard drive if you have one installed.

 

[kol12]

Unfortunately applying pressure to parts of the side panel doesn't alleviate the hum, it's seems to have to be fully removed for the hum to disappear.

One possibility is the pump on the Corsair H80i water cooler I have is resonating when the case is fully enclosed. I'm not sure what sort of hum an insecure case fan would present with but it is not a low hum, it is a medium pitch hum. I'm quite certain everything is well secured including the water block on the cooler.

 

[VincentP]

It could also be a fan working too hard. Having the panel off will mean air can flow freely. Look at airflow in the case to see if air intake or exhaust is restrictive.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

So do you feel vibration at all or no? Put your finger on different positions around the case and see if there is any vibration you feel. Even a tiny bit, everything is important.

 

[lakimens]

I wouldn't imagine airflow to be a problem in a 450D. With the side panel removed, put your ear inside the case to see if the vibrations are there, it's possible that the side panel is just amplifying the vibrations.

 

[kol12]

There's no significant vibration that I can feel at the side panel but I must doubly check for small rattles elsewhere inside the case. Applying reasonable pressure to the side panel doesn't alleviate the hum. When the side panel is removed it's very difficult to pin point the hum as is near un-audible then.

I opened Corsair Link, the software control panel for the H80i cooler and I'm almost certain the hum vanished after the software opened. I'm thinking that maybe when Corsair Link is opened for the first time following a fresh reboot that it initiates a driver needed for correct operation of the pump? I can't confirm this and will need to further investigate it. As it's warmed up I've turned on the portable AC which overrides any other noise in the room!

The side panel is definitely amplifying the hum, I'm just not 100% sure on the source. I'll update again as soon as it's nice and quiet again!

 

[kol12]

I'll have to check again, but I think the hum was more prominent on the motherboard side panel, possibly directly behind the CPU/cooler. I'll have to find out whether it's safe to disconnect the cooler pump temporarily to investigate.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

There's no significant vibration that I can feel at the side panel but I must doubly check for small rattles elsewhere inside the case. Applying reasonable pressure to the side panel doesn't alleviate the hum. When the side panel is removed it's very difficult to pin point the hum as is near un-audible then.

I opened Corsair Link, the software control panel for the H80i cooler and I'm almost certain the hum vanished after the software opened. I'm thinking that maybe when Corsair Link is opened for the first time following a fresh reboot that it initiates a driver needed for correct operation of the pump? I can't confirm this and will need to further investigate it. As it's warmed up I've turned on the portable AC which overrides any other noise in the room!

The side panel is definitely amplifying the hum, I'm just not 100% sure on the source. I'll update again as soon as it's nice and quiet again!

I'm starting to think the sound is actually caused from the way air is travelling in the case. Think of it like a vacuum cleaner. A vacuum cleaner is super loud, and it's not the physical vacuum that makes the loud noise, but it is the air that is travelling from the pressure difference. I wonder if when the side panel is removed the air travels differently and therefore it causes the noise to go away.

I'd start by unplugging some case fans.

 

[kol12]

I'm starting to think the sound is actually caused from the way air is travelling in the case. Think of it like a vacuum cleaner. A vacuum cleaner is super loud, and it's not the physical vacuum that makes the loud noise, but it is the air that is travelling from the pressure difference. I wonder if when the side panel is removed the air travels differently and therefore it causes the noise to go away.

I'd start by unplugging some case fans.

Can't rule that out as a possibility so I will investigate.

 

[jdhall1010]

Just built a pc using a Corsair Carbide 540. Nearly all of the parts used came from my previous system, which had NO hum. The one major difference was that I swapped out the fans that came with the case with Noctua AF 14a PWM's, two front, one rear.
Hummm mm Hummm. A modulating low pitched hum that seemed amplified when I fit the sides of the case.
I checked everything, found nothing. The noise began after warm-up and got louder with increasing temperature. and seemed loudest at the front grill.
I had connected the two front fans using a splitter going to the Fan2 connector. On a splitter, one fan connects with three wires, the other with all four, so both fans act as one in terms of speed. Apparently, the fans spin at nearly the same RPM, falling in and out of perfect phase. Hummm mm Hummm. I removed the splitter and took one fan to Fan connector 3, the other to 2. No more hum.
Hope this helps!