Thrumming Noise from PSU - Maybe?

Soldato
Joined
31 Oct 2007
Posts
2,567
Location
Gods County(Allegedly)
Built a new machine in November (mix of new and existing bits) with Nzxt Phantom case(new), Antec 650w TruePower Psu (new), q9650 @ 4ghz(cooled by Prolimatech Meg. with Akasa Apache push/pull ), 4gb ram (2x2gb), 3 hd's, dvd re-write, blueray, tv card, Asus Xonar DX, and 470 gpu (now cooled by Zalman)

Running fine until a couple of days ago when noticed a 'new' noise - a modulating thrum - noise is in background .

Thought to start with it was a fan or possibly an air in-balance caused by new 4th hd introduced a few days before.

Took it apart today and re-built.

Tried with no gpu - noise still there
Tried with no fans (Even stopped the cpu fans, to be sure)- noise still there.

Whatever I tried could not/cannot get rid.

Tried with case open , next to me on desk - still could not find where the noise was coming from - not with certainty anyway. With my head next to the psu can hear the noise BUT it does not modulate - it appears to be constant.:confused:

Last resort did look to re-orientate the psu so that rather than sucking air from below it sucked it from the case - again no difference.

VERY frustrating !!

Anyone had a similar experience? Is it something that Psu's do?
Psu on the way out?
Got my doubts as to wether an RMA would be successful as working fine, it's just annoying the hell out of me even though it's not that loud

Did not buy the psu from OcUk

Advise would be much appreciated :)
 
4 hard drives, or just one, could be sending vibrations through the case. Had a noise similar to a thrumming that came from a newly fitted sammy 1tb f3 which dissapeared once I soft mounted it and it's WD Blue friends. Was very hard to pinpoint as the noise didn't actually come from the drives but through the case metal itself.
 
+1 for HDDs thought that as soon as I read the word "thrumming" :)

Take the screws out of the HDD rack so they're not screwed into the case and suspend them on shock cord or some strong elastic - that way any vibration isn't passed into the case chassis and it just fades to nothing in the elastic/shock cord as that is the only thing that's physically touching the drive :)

I had the same with my HAF - did my head well and truely in! lol
 
Gentleman - you are stars!!

Put 2 new Samsung F4 320gb drives in not long ago (Raid 0 looming).No new noises after install and running happily until I decided to add that 4th drive.
Having removed the 4th drive, which I assume started the problem, presumed that would cure - nah!
Given the history read your posts with thoughts of 'no- cannot be new drives ; they were working fine...' but as I'd got a spare 30 mins before Andy Murray plays (and wins !!! - Please) decided to disconnect them and see what happened - Voila all thrumming gone :)

The relief ..... it's not the psu and straight forward to cure (shock cords/elastic here I come).

My thanks ! :D ( Only ? is where do you get shock cords from ?)
 
Search the best known auction site for Bungee Cord 4mm, or 3mm if you prefer something a little more flaccid.

I used 4mm blue in this mod for 3 drives. Would have preferred Orange but no one sells that colour, at least on the bay.

In my case the top drive could be felt vibrating in tune with the case just by putting my finger on it. I'd suspended before so knew instantly what I needed to do. I thought I might get away with it as the Antec P183 uses soft silicone mounts.
suspendedhdd.jpg


To emulate this mod you'll also need 'p-clips', also available from the same site. I forgot what size I used for this one but reckon it might have been the 3.2mm ones.
 
Last edited:
Back
Top Bottom