Member Avatar for octane

I own a Big Red PC which seems to have a noisy fan. The deal is that as the temperature rises there is a whining noise, then as time goes by the casing starts to vibrate, and the end sound is almost like a motorbike. The fan is a nydec DC 12V 0.42A. Is this likely to be the fan, and are nydec fans reliable? Is there anything I can do to reduce the noise? Is there any other fan I can use?

Regards

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  • Latest Post Latest Post by Sparkplug188

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A short diagnostic-and-fix checklist, built on the forum replies from , , , and .

  1. Localize the source before replacing anything. With the system on, a folded paper tube or a long wooden stick pressed lightly to the case can help pinpoint which fan or drive is singing. A small stethoscope trick (screwdriver tip on the case, handle to the ear) works too — avoid touching spinning blades.

  2. Safe, hands‑on checks (power off and unplug first):remove the panel and visually inspect blades and hub for nicks or foreign objects, then spin each fan by hand to feel lateral play. Slight shaft wobble or a gritty feel indicates worn bearings; heavy imbalance or a damaged blade will visibly wobble. Also inspect fan mounting screws, drive brackets and loose expansion cards — mechanical looseness often turns a fan whine into a motorbike rumble.

  3. Quick functional tests: with the case open and power on, briefly (under one second) block a suspected case fan with a small plastic straw or pencil to see if the noise changes — do not block the CPU fan under load. Alternately, reduce fan speed via BIOS or a controller to check for resonance at specific RPMs.

  4. Remediation options: cleaning with compressed air, re-routing cables away from blades, and rubber/silicone washers or foam strips at fan mounts usually eliminate vibration transfer. A one‑time light oiling can quiet sleeve‑bearing fans (after removing the label) but is temporary; long‑term fixes involve replacing noisy units with low‑RPM, better‑bearing fans and, where possible, moving to larger fans that move the same air more quietly.

  5. If noise persists after these steps, examine other rotating parts (HDD/optical drive mounts) and the PSU fan — vibration travels through chassis panels and can mislead diagnosis.

Safety note: always power down and unplug before touching hardware; avoid prolonged stopping of cooling fans while a system is powered.

Recommended Answers

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Member Avatar for alc6379

You probably just need to replace the fan. Fans can be replaced with most any 80mm (or same size) fan available on the market. When picking fans, you can choose the amount of noise by the dB (decibel) level they produce.

Member Avatar for jfountain02

your fan's bearing are probaly going out, because once they start wearing out, it starts to vibrate.

Member Avatar for Catweazle

Either that or there is dust on the vanes of the fan, causing them to be out of balance. Clean them if there is.

Member Avatar for Sparkplug188

Check to see if the vanes are nicked on the leading edge; I had an old computer that one of the vanes on the case fan had gotten nicked fairly bad by something being stuck in it by a previous owner. This caused the case to shake and sound like an old car. Replacing the fan fixed the problem.

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