[SOLVED] Obnoxious rattling coming from PC fan(?)

[Made-a-Fool]

I didn't know which category to put this in, as I don't know 100% what's causing the sound. I have a suspicion that it's coming from one of the three fans at the bottom of the PC, but I can't think of why lightly pushing down at the top of the PC would cause the rattling to intensify. The rattling doesn't always happen; it comes out of nowhere. It usually starts out really quiet, and gets louder over time, or when I tamper with the PC, like in the video.

View: https://youtu.be/JtH1jLPLQ64


I have this PC , it's a pre-built by the company SkyTech. I also remember reading the reviews before I bought it, and seeing someone with a similar problem. If you can figure this out, you have my thanks!!

 

[Ralston18]

I would suspect something is coming in contact with the fan blades in one of the fans.

There are multiple forces in play with respect to spinning fans. And the entire assembly may be moving and twisting as the rpms ramp up.....

The rattling may change due to heating and expansion bring things closer together. So it takes less pushing on the top of the PC to bring things in contact.

Try to narrow the noise down to one fan. Use a long cardboard tube between fan(s) and ear to listen to each fan while avoiding and not making direct contact with anything in the case. Do so very carefully.

Shut down, unplug, and use a bright flashlight to thoroughly inspect the noisy fan and surrounding areas.

Also clean out all dust and debris. Likewise secure all cables, reseat all plugs, connectors Check that all screws are fully and firmly in place but do not overtighten.

 

[Made-a-Fool]

I would suspect something is coming in contact with the fan blades in one of the fans.

There are multiple forces in play with respect to spinning fans. And the entire assembly may be moving and twisting as the rpms ramp up.....

The rattling may change due to heating and expansion bring things closer together. So it takes less pushing on the top of the PC to bring things in contact.

Try to narrow the noise down to one fan. Use a long cardboard tube between fan(s) and ear to listen to each fan while avoiding and not making direct contact with anything in the case. Do so very carefully.

Shut down, unplug, and use a bright flashlight to thoroughly inspect the noisy fan and surrounding areas.

Also clean out all dust and debris. Likewise secure all cables, reseat all plugs, connectors Check that all screws are fully and firmly in place but do not overtighten.

Alright, I'll try everything. Thank you!

 

[Jason H.]

I would suspect something is coming in contact with the fan blades in one of the fans.

Yup. Something inside the case is being moved when he presses on it and coming in contact with a fan. It also sounds metallic, like the fan is being pressed onto the heatsink..

 

[Made-a-Fool]

I would suspect something is coming in contact with the fan blades in one of the fans.

There are multiple forces in play with respect to spinning fans. And the entire assembly may be moving and twisting as the rpms ramp up.....

The rattling may change due to heating and expansion bring things closer together. So it takes less pushing on the top of the PC to bring things in contact.

Try to narrow the noise down to one fan. Use a long cardboard tube between fan(s) and ear to listen to each fan while avoiding and not making direct contact with anything in the case. Do so very carefully.

Shut down, unplug, and use a bright flashlight to thoroughly inspect the noisy fan and surrounding areas.

Also clean out all dust and debris. Likewise secure all cables, reseat all plugs, connectors Check that all screws are fully and firmly in place but do not overtighten.

I've narrowed the sound down to one fan; the one at the bottom, on the right. If I lightly press down on it, the rattling starts/intensifies. How would I go about fixing this? Is there some sort of thing I can buy to place in between, like a bearing of some kind? Or would I have to replace the fan entirely? Thanks a lot for your help.

 

[Ralston18]

I would start by powering down, unplugging, and removing the fan.

Inspect for signs of damage, contact, rubbing, etc. on both the fan and surrounding area.

Look for what might have been moving when you light pressed down on the case or fan.

Carefully clean the fan blades with cotton swabs. Manually rotate the fans to see if there is any wobble or twisting.

Reinstall the fan, being careful to install all screws squarely and evenly.

Install the screws but do not immediately fully tighten each screw. Wait until all screws are in place and then snug down.

Inspect for possible contacts with any surrounding items as a final check.

Then start the fan. Hopefully the noise will be gone.

If not, try swapping with another fan. Determine if the noise stays with the position or follows the fan.