Lowering HDD vibration noise on a Fractal Design Define R4?

ArchangelPT

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My PC is right next to my face and the noise is quite noticeable, especially since the secondary HDD just randomly starts spinning ever since i updated Windows 10 with the Creators Update.

Any thoughts on how i can deal with this?
 
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Anything under 20 db(A) is considered silent for all intents and purposes, under 30 db(A) is a soft whisper. If a hdd is mounted correctly, the loudest part will be the vibration of those spinning discs, but that's assuming it's mounted correctly. All it takes is 1 screw to be ⅛ of a turn too loose, and the screw itself becomes the transmitter for the hdd vibrations, buzzing against the frame. My WD Black is non too quiet, never had been, but only on startup when it's subject to smart status checks. After that, it hums as normal for a hdd. You might have a dieing hdd, it's possible, but unless actual performance is affected, it looks to be more like something is just loose.
Hello... Typically in the engineering field you would add 'isolators" or Add Frequency absorbent material... masking tape is what I use between devices/fans/case... and I line my case walls/corners with low cost foam.

The best option would be to place your computer (case) farther from your ears... the DB level (sound energy) will reduce by the square of the distance... thus 2 more meters/feet away from your ears could be -4DB or greater reduction of energy.

There is a way to use the OS Power setting and create/change a setting for the HD... to go to sleep after so many mins/hours. B /
 
I guess worst case like the post before is to add some absorbent material "cut some foam into a disk shape and buy some washers for the hard drives."

That way the foam absorbs most of the vibrations and therefore sound.

But with that case you shouldn't need to do so, the case itself was designed to keep the inside parts silent.

"High density noise-reducing material for an optimal silent case"

Feels like steel ... weighs like steel ... i think the high density noise reducing material may be steel lol.
 

Karadjgne

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Best 1Tb ssd for budget is probably the Crucial MX300, but that's still $270.

Youll have to actually pull the side off the pc and using pressure from your hand, determine if the noise is actually coming from the hdd or if it's from contact with the hdd framework or even if it's the framework itself. It's not unheard of that even high quality cases have a slightly loose rivet or screw and thats allowing the hdd vibrations that get through any vibration proofing to rattle the cage.
 
Hello... Any "Quality Speaker" audio design will use sound absorbing material in it... because any 'Box" will have reflective corners/sides that Amplify sound waves... the same thing is going on in a computer case... typically the sound waves are in the high freq range... and very annoying... and the fans also add their own annoying effect through the turning blades.

Also Vibration can get amplified/resonate to the material the drive is connected too.

He could have a "nosier" or defective drive... or the computer is just too close to his ears.
 


A fan going out can also make a loud sound when it becomes unbalanced.

So do check inside your case like the last post said to verify it is indeed the hard drive making the noise.

 

rkzhao

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Mar 8, 2016
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A few points:


  • ■ Due to being mechanical in nature, HDDs just have operating noise, just like mechanical fans.
    ■ Different people have different sensitivities to different types of noise so what's quiet for one person may be very annoying for another.
    ■ Most of the noise from an HDD is just due to the spinning disks. A faster spinning disk will have more noise. There's also normal clicking noises from HDD seeking. These are going to be louder than just the spinning buzz but should be relatively infrequent.
    ■ Vibration against a case by an HDD could cause noise but really it should be minimal if the drives are mounted properly.

So there's a couple things you can look into. When the HDD is in a power saving sleep mode and the disks aren't spinning, then it's going to be quiet. This is the OS power management thing that Ironsounds mentioned. Your Windows update randomly accessing the secondary HDD is also something that you brought up.

Completely swapping out to a quieter HDD is another option, but seems like a bit of a waste of money. Depends on how much the noise bothers you I guess. Remember, lower RPM drives are going to be quieter but if your drive is already a 5400rpm drive and it still bothers you, going to another slow drive may not necessarily be a big reduction.

If you are hearing vibration against the case, then you can reduce that with some sort of dampening material at the mountin points. Rubber washers would make the most logical sense but even just things like electrical tape could be good enough.

Easiest solution is of course just move further away from the unit.
 
FD Refine 4 HDD brackets typically have the little rubber piece at bottom for the screws to attach, if you are not using those then that is yoru problem.
If you are using those then I would try to put some rubber on the sides to prevent metal clacking to the sides of the caddy.
If you still have a loud drive then that drive is not going to last much longer and you should be looking at replacing it.

Here is a pic of what I am talking about the in Define R4 HDD caddies:
index.php
 

rkzhao

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Mar 8, 2016
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That matters to some degree. As I mentioned, 7200rpm drives are not the quietest and some people tend to feel WD's higher performance drives can be louder than the competition.

I personally haven't noticed too much with WD compared to equivalent Seagate drives but rpm definitely matters. If you look at the spec sheets, a 7200rpm WD Blue 1TB idles at 29dB. A 5400rpm WD Blue 1TB idles at 21dB. It's a pretty noticeable difference.
 

Karadjgne

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Anything under 20 db(A) is considered silent for all intents and purposes, under 30 db(A) is a soft whisper. If a hdd is mounted correctly, the loudest part will be the vibration of those spinning discs, but that's assuming it's mounted correctly. All it takes is 1 screw to be ⅛ of a turn too loose, and the screw itself becomes the transmitter for the hdd vibrations, buzzing against the frame. My WD Black is non too quiet, never had been, but only on startup when it's subject to smart status checks. After that, it hums as normal for a hdd. You might have a dieing hdd, it's possible, but unless actual performance is affected, it looks to be more like something is just loose.
 
Solution