Rubber band 2" fan mounting did the trick

handmadebox · Post by **handmadebox** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 2:45 am

Just a couple of months ago I assembled a PC and to cool the graphic card, i mounted a 2" fan on the side of the box using plastic wire fasteners.

That caused vibration coupling and the PC runs with a low audible whine due to the vibrating fan attached to the side of the PC. This gets irritating in no time.

After reading various SPCR articles and researching the web, I tried an interesting rubber band mounting by stringing rubber bands through the mounting holes on the fan to the box.

Vibration isolation is very much achieved and noise becomes pretty much lower that I could literally sleep in the bedroom with the PC on

Before this using plastic mounting straps:

After using rubber band mounting:
Low frequency vibration is well reduced.

Note that measurements are not very accurate but illustrates the point.

Matija · Post by **Matija** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 2:56 am

You'll have to find a different method, because rubber bands will only last a short time inside a PC. In a couple of months they will dry out, become brittle, and then shatter.

mentawl · Post by **mentawl** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 6:13 am

Hehe, ghetto fan mounts are always the most fun. =)

FartingBob · Post by **FartingBob** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 6:39 am

Why use such a small fan? Its going to be much louder and less effective than larger fans.

lm · Post by lm » Sun Mar 08, 2009 6:59 am

Are the graphs correct? Maybe I am stupid, but it seems the lower graph has higher vibrations instead of lower?

handmadebox · Post by **handmadebox** » Sun Mar 08, 2009 8:18 am

lm wrote:Are the graphs correct? Maybe I am stupid, but it seems the lower graph has higher vibrations instead of lower?

hehe, if u'd like, it is the 'volume control' that is not done correctly, well updated to similar scale.

It is actually the 'peaks' that matter's more as those are the harmonics which resonate i think.
The lower frequency peaks as you can see are effectively damped.

However, i couldn't explain the shifting of the 'peaks' to higher frequency. It could possibly be due to my lousy microphone & preamp setup that in itself has lots of noise.

Note that the 2nd recording is done with the mic placed closer to source/fan, it could have picked up the air whooshing noise which is otherwise less apparent when the mic is further away.

Plekto · Post by **Plekto** » Mon Mar 09, 2009 4:29 pm

I recommend large hair bands. The big thick ones about 1/8th inch thick.