NZXT Sentry 2 - fans strange noice

[augeas]

hello, recently i bought nzxt sentry 2 to manage my huge collection of fans in my cosmos s, and there is a problem, when i had my fans connected directly to psu or motherboard there was no problem at all, they were running on full speed without trouble, but then once connected to fan controller all fans give me strange noise, cannot explain exacly what kind of noise, well it may be compared to drilling, yea not so laud like a drill but still i was hoping fan controller will help me reduce noise but with that noise it gives me i cannot use it atm.

i checked all my fans connecting them to psu and then to nzxt sentry 2:

YATE LOON D12SL-12
CM A12025-12CB-3BN-F1
XION RDL1225

the result is the same while connected to psu it runs normally, but with sentry 2 fan speed up, i can control its speed, the yate loons led lights up no problem, but still all of them give me the noise

last 2 days i was running around googling without solution, maybe you guys can help

YouTube- NZXT Sentry 2 noise

[jituick09]

U need to report that person to Stubhub. They will take care of them.

[Joco]

Wow, that is a pretty strange noise. I guess something is wrong but I can't understand how and what is wrong. Are you sure the same thing happens to all fans in the case or is it just the one at the top?

[augeas]

tested all 5 yate loons i have plus some oryginal SM fans coming with cosmos s and same thing happens with my very old fan witch came with xion case the old days, i sent my nzxt sentry 2 controller back to where i bought it from and they just updated me with some bad news quoting "Im not sure if its worth us replacing it, as i dont think you will be happy with the noise - they all seem to perform the same..." i am quite confiused did i miss something here or that sentence is a lie ?
"# Full compatibility with all types of fans using voltage control"

nzxt itself is quiet and didnt even bother to reply on my questions...

[iNZXT]

I just tested some fans out. The Sentry 2 is indeed making some strange noise for the following fans that we have around.

CM A12025-20RB-3BN-F1
CM A14025-10CB-3BN-F1

I will let our engineers know about this. We do apologize for the inconvenience.

[augeas]

what would you advice me to do then, ask for refund for now and wait for new revision, or ask my suplier to send me replacement and you will be able to provide me with a solution to get ride of the noise?

[iNZXT]

I would recommend getting a refund from the place of purchase and wait. At the moment, we have not found a solution to get rid of the noise.

[augeas]

well i have new device back with me with exacly the same problem, missed my chance to tell them to refund me... is there any chance of getting that noise off other than not using this fan controller ?

[Coupe]

Grr I just bought the unit and I have the same problem. :(
It is on the factory fans from the Lian Li PC-X500b.

Is it caused by only using 2 pins for a 3 pin fan?

I really love the unit. It is the perfect size so I can fit a reservoir when I do my water cooling setup.

[augeas]

I have my NZXT Sentry 2 waiting for a solution, and for now using the old one... Zalman ZM-MFC1 Plus Black... still didnt get any answer from NZXT other than here


Grr I just bought the unit and I have the same problem. :(
It is on the factory fans from the Lian Li PC-X500b.

Is it caused by only using 2 pins for a 3 pin fan?

I really love the unit. It is the perfect size so I can fit a reservoir when I do my water cooling setup.

[Rydog]

At the moment my fans have a lot of hum when set to 40 - 90%, on 100% and 0% the hum is completly gone, i am not sure what to make of it. But i got a noname brand 3 pin fan, plain black and plugged it in, no hum, which was kinda of strange. I'm going to try this fan i ordered, if it doesnt work, i plan on returning the sentry 2. If it does, ill post back here what fan it is.

EDIT: It only hums with sentry 2, when doing 7v mod, no hum on any fan.

[Jura55ic]

Mine does the same thing and thats with the stock fans that came with my Panzerbox. Only happens when fans are on auto if I put on 100% manual there is no hum.

[Rydog]

Going to ring up where i bought it from tommorow, see if i can at least get credit and get a different one. If it worked well, i would've really enjoyed this product.

[Rydog]

http://www.overclockers.co.nz/product/casemod/controller/AC-V12XT-B.jpg
http://www.overclockers.co.nz/product/casemod/controller/AC.shtml

Plan on buying that. Good price to.

[augeas]

fan controler have one purpose for me, when my rig isnt under heavy load i can silent my fans but with sentry 2 it is getting more noise

@Rydog i will check it, bad it has just 4 fans under control

[Rydog]

hehe

that may be true, but hopefully 4 working ones, than 5 not working. The whole point of a fan controller is to be able to quieten fans, not make the louder, how sad. :(

[john el terrible]

hello,

just installed the sentry 2 controller and experiencing the same issue. a constant buzz on every fan.

was combing the net for a solutions and came across the post:

http://forums.ncix.com/forums/?mode=showthread&forum=193&threadid=2131488&pagenumber=1&msgcount=12&subpage=1

the important part is:

'The controller probably uses switching regulators to control fan voltage, and in order to cut down on the cost they may have decided not to filter the outputs. Thus the result is the switching frequency of the regulators becomes audible in the fan motors.

I agree with M. To solve this you could use single order filers on each output.
An LC type filter will provide the most efficient as RC will dissipate too much power over the resistor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-pass_filter'

i'm no technician, have no idea what 'single order filers' are but if anyone can provide feedback (hint, hint, NZXT) that would be great.

it's a shame that this product has this problem, everything else on it works great, but to sell a product that is suppose to LOWER fan noise and it does the opposite is very disappointing, shame on NZXT...

[Rydog]

I gave up on it, its sent back, my 7v mod does me very well :) (besides, no messing around its just nice and quiet all the time)

[john el terrible]

hello,

just installed the sentry 2 controller and experiencing the same issue. a constant buzz on every fan.

was combing the net for a solutions and came across the post:

http://forums.ncix.com/forums/?mode=showthread&forum=193&threadid=2131488&pagenumber=1&msgcount=12&subpage=1

the important part is:

'The controller probably uses switching regulators to control fan voltage, and in order to cut down on the cost they may have decided not to filter the outputs. Thus the result is the switching frequency of the regulators becomes audible in the fan motors.

I agree with M. To solve this you could use single order filers on each output.
An LC type filter will provide the most efficient as RC will dissipate too much power over the resistor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-pass_filter'

i'm no technician, have no idea what 'single order filers' are but if anyone can provide feedback (hint, hint, NZXT) that would be great.

it's a shame that this product has this problem, everything else on it works great, but to sell a product that is suppose to LOWER fan noise and it does the opposite is very disappointing, shame on NZXT...

[v4rj04nkk4]

At the moment my fans have a lot of hum when set to 40 - 90%, on 100% and 0% the hum is completly gone, i am not sure what to make of it. But i got a noname brand 3 pin fan, plain black and plugged it in, no hum, which was kinda of strange. I'm going to try this fan i ordered, if it doesnt work, i plan on returning the sentry 2. If it does, ill post back here what fan it is.
EDIT: It only hums with sentry 2, when doing 7v mod, no hum on any fan.

Hi all. I have my own thoughts on this, so i read lots of your questions in here and came in some thoughts which are following, So if you all have problems with Sentry 2, and 7v mod works, can we make conclusion that higher voltages makes them hum so they spin too fast or too slow. Causing Hummmmmmm....or fan(s) are resonating due "fan to medal tightening"? :]
Or the fan(s) are connected on PSU connector which leads somewhere else in case juice(power)too. So it may be possible that it can't give needed(or gives too much -> cause -> spin too fast/slow -> HUMMM) So if we imagine, you all make 7v mod and you loose some rpm, but there is no HUMM then? :] Less voltage, spins correct, right? :] Im not engineer either, just thinking loud my thoughts. Because as much i fast readed your posts, it was not only one brand fan(s) what caused HUMM, it was in all cases Sentry 2. So is the Sentry 2 giving equally juice(power) in all lines in Sentry 2?:] That will make the HUMM effect if Sentry 2 has enough power to spin all /there is too less voltages /per power connector :] Im not ofc recommending that you all make 7v mod, because you eliminate HUMM, but imo, you eliminate fan warranty, if you mod the electric wires too :]

[v4rj04nkk4]

i'm no technician, have no idea what 'single order filers' are but if anyone can provide feedback (hint, hint, NZXT) that would be great.
it's a shame that this product has this problem, everything else on it works great, but to sell a product that is suppose to LOWER fan noise and it does the opposite is very disappointing, shame on NZXT...

I would not to judge that hard. I think nzxt will make alot of those and always is possible that there is in market in some models some errors what will cause customer problems, but i would not judge that far, if you buy 5 Sentry 2, always different fan(s) and still have HUMMMinnngg, then its maybe not only
particular quarder of Sentry 2:s :] And in second thought, if you want to LOWER fan noise, why don't you then just make 7v mod? :P..ofc on your own risk but if you want LOWER fan noise..first practice with "-no-care-no-warranty-fan" and if you succeed in 7v mod, then you can mod more ::thumbsup: But still, im not recommending or supporting here public to make 7v mod..specially if person has no experience about it..one OOPS is enough in there..

[Rydog]

I would not to judge that hard. I think nzxt will make alot of those and always is possible that there is in market in some models some errors what will cause customer problems, but i would not judge that far, if you buy 5 Sentry 2, always different fan(s) and still have HUMMMinnngg, then its maybe not only
particular quarder of Sentry 2:s :] And in second thought, if you want to LOWER fan noise, why don't you then just make 7v mod? :P..ofc on your own risk but if you want LOWER fan noise..first practice with "-no-care-no-warranty-fan" and if you succeed in 7v mod, then you can mod more ::thumbsup: But still, im not recommending or supporting here public to make 7v mod..specially if person has no experience about it..one OOPS is enough in there..

Well my fans work fine on 12v and 7v, just not with sentry 2. But i didnt mod the fan cable, just pulled some fan wires from a molex female to male, and modded that with 7v then put all the fans on top of that, so no fans were modded themselves, just make sure you are using extra power on those rails, otherwise you may risk damaging your powersupply if its lower quality. But 7v mod is good for me, its perfect sound / cfm, and no silly adjusting.

[v4rj04nkk4]

Well my fans work fine on 12v and 7v, just not with sentry 2. But i didnt mod the fan cable, just pulled some fan wires from a molex female to male, and modded that with 7v then put all the fans on top of that, so no fans were modded themselves, just make sure you are using extra power on those rails, otherwise you may risk damaging your powersupply if its lower quality. But 7v mod is good for me, its perfect sound / cfm, and no silly adjusting.

It can be made with that way too :thumbsup:

[SzyjaZ]

Fans making that noise cos they are vibriting if u take them out of case noise gone disappear what i think can help is that silicon plugs instead of screw, i have them order and will try how its work.
Senrty2 output dont give stable voltage in my sentry fluctuations of voltage is like 1volt up/down. so its looks like that when i set 8volt no panel output can jump up to 8.6~9v or go down 7~7.5v. I thing that cost a problem now i looking for some kind of filter which can stable output any1 have any ideas what can help?
Pliz Reply

Btw Nzxt i hate u:D my case NZXT m59 + NZXT Sentry 2 not work how ?!?!?!

[Rydog]

Fans making that noise cos they are vibriting if u take them out of case noise gone disappear what i think can help is that silicon plugs instead of screw, i have them order and will try how its work.
Senrty2 output dont give stable voltage in my sentry fluctuations of voltage is like 1volt up/down. so its looks like that when i set 8volt no panel output can jump up to 8.6~9v or go down 7~7.5v. I thing that cost a problem now i looking for some kind of filter which can stable output any1 have any ideas what can help?
Pliz Reply

Btw Nzxt i hate u:D my case NZXT m59 + NZXT Sentry 2 not work how ?!?!?!

I doubt its vibrations, its not that type of noise, well not in my case, and if it were, it should 'vibrate' on my 7v mod, which it does not. Instead the 7v mod works very well, and the problem is particular to the fan controller.

[SzyjaZ]

Just take them out of case and u see/hear. Btw whene u do 7v mod u take power from PSU or from panel?
In my case if i connect them to PSU there is no problem if to panel i have vibration.;/

[Rydog]

Just take them out of case and u see/hear. Btw whene u do 7v mod u take power from PSU or from panel?
In my case if i connect them to PSU there is no problem if to panel i have vibration.;/

The fan controller cannot run on 7v, it requires 12v, so 7v is from PSU, but if i put 12v into fancontroller and adjust it to say 50 - 70%, it should be about on par with the 7v mod , 7v has no noise, just airflow. Fan controller = Loud whine. Its the fan controller causing motor whine.

[trikat]

Same issue with my fans when I put in my Sentry 2 today.

I have a Lian Li PC-P50R case and the rear fan makes a very loud knocking/buzzing sound regardless of the speed setting.
Rear fan model #: LI121225SL-B4-C.

Both top 140mm fans also make a strange noise, but the noises are dull (a lot less quiet than the rear fan).
Top fan model #: LI121425QE-B4-A

The noises for the three fans go away when I plug the fans in another source (motherboard or PSU).

As a test I took a Scythe S-Flex SFF21E from my old case and the fan was whining pretty loudly. The whine was more like a whine and less like knocking.

I believe if you put you finger on the center of the fan (not the spinning side) you can feel a bit more vibration vs. less vibration from plugging the fan(s) into the motherboard/PSU/other fan controller.

It is obvious it is the fan controller since I had my S-Flex out of the case. And I also swapped the connections several times.

The front fan seems to be quiet and no strange noises are present when connected to the Sentry 2.
Front fan model #: LI121225SE-R4-C

By the way. I absolutely loved this controller until I found out it started making the unbearable strange noises.
I like the simple LCD design, the ability to turn off the beeps (excellent feature), and the decent viewing angle.

[housefull]

hello, recently i bought nzxt sentry 2 to manage my huge collection of fans in my cosmos s, and there is a problem, when i had my fans connected directly to psu or motherboard there was no problem at all, they were running on full speed without trouble, but then once connected to fan controller all fans give me strange noise, cannot explain exacly what kind of noise, well it may be compared to drilling, yea not so laud like a drill but still i was hoping fan controller will help me reduce noise but with that noise it gives me i cannot use it atm.

i checked all my fans connecting them to psu and then to nzxt sentry 2:

YATE LOON D12SL-12
CM A12025-12CB-3BN-F1
XION RDL1225

the result is the same while connected to psu it runs normally, but with sentry 2 fan speed up, i can control its speed, the yate loons led lights up no problem, but still all of them give me the noise

last 2 days i was running around googling without solution, maybe you guys can help

YouTube- NZXT Sentry 2 noise (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dSFUr3J1nSY)
U need to report that person to Stubhub. They will take care of them.

[anarhistor]

Hello all.
I don't want to be very bad on this but....WHO IS PAYING FOR ALL THIS NICE REVIEWS?
http://www.nzxt.com/reviews/sentry_2/

Well....I am disappointed....when you really search for a product....read reviews...imagine how it will be...get it...install it...and the get problems like the one listed here.

I have the same fan noise problem on Antec 902 stock fans and also 2 additional fans.

It's clear the controller is faulty. It's not about fan vibrating...it's not about old fans....it's not about all the things posted above...it's just BAD DESIGN!
Did they not tested before? They don't have quality checks? I would like to meed the designs guys from NZXT face to face...

Well....I apologize....I am very angry on this!
The bad news for my is that I will not get a refund on this. I bought it from UK and I live in Romania. Yes...we modd here....a lot. But we don't get the stuff we need only if we buy it from abroad. And now I can not get back the product becauseI don't want to waste more time and money!

I raised on NZXT question about this and I truly hope I will get a positive answer. Otherwise NZXT will never be on my buying list again. And I can "move" some peoples here also on this.

Sorry again for my words....if you get a solution on this....I will be watching here.
Thanks guys and all the best!

[iNZXT]

NZXT is still looking into this. I am awaiting answers from the hardware team to find the problem and a solution. We do apologize for the inconvenience.

[anarhistor]

Ok. I really appreciate this. We are all waiting.
Best regards

[augeas]

I hope one day we will get the solution and my sentry 2 will be online again.

[Kenbob007]

I so wish I had seen this post before even bothering to consider the Sentry 2.

Bought one, hooked it up to the 5 Fractal Design fans I have and my case sounded worse than my last build!! Bearing in mind, the whole idea of this new build was for a super quiet air cooled system. Just to make sure, I tried testing each fan in turn.....first by setting the speed on the Sentry 2 to 40% and then by connecting direct to the PSU via a molex (therefore 100%). Each fan was super quiet via the molex and loud as hell via the Sentry 2!! And it didnt matter what speed I set the fan to with the controller, it still made the same noise.

OK, I can forgive a faulty unit.....so the company I bought from (Specialtech - who btw have been superb!) sent me another to try out. Hooked it up just now and exactly the same problem!!

What really annoys me is that, through this forum - provided by NZXT, I have since discovered this problem has been ongoing since November last year and that NZXT have admitted on this thread that there is a problem! Unbelieveable!!

NZXT......why are you still selling a product that you know to be faulty???

Now, Im having to send back (to my cost!) the units to the seller for a refund and look for another fan controller from another company that will do the job.......what a waste of time and effort.....not happy! :(

[anarhistor]

Hello.

Any news here?
When can we expect an answer?

I would like to know if we can mod the unit and make it worck or the internall circuit is faulty and we have no chance....

Any feedback apreciated.
BR

[Kenbob007]

NZXT is still looking into this. I am awaiting answers from the hardware team to find the problem and a solution. We do apologize for the inconvenience.

How long can it take the Hardware team to find the fault.....? Im no electrical engineer......but surely this is quite a simple circuit.......and they have had four months to sort it out......wots taking so long....?

:mad:

[anarhistor]

I will make a wild guess here.....but:
How long this unit was produced? A few month's...
How many peaces were distributed to sellers? Let's say 1000...
How many were actually sold? Let's say 100...

Because if you Google for "NZXT Sentry fan noise" you get to this site and because I can not see 100 posts here I guess....only a few of us have this problem!!!
Otherwise I can not believe all that reviews are a lie and thus only a few have faulty units.
I spoke with some guys and all PWM units have this problem if the output is not filtered. So for sure this unit also filters the signal in a way. This is done thru a so called Low Pass Filter.
So, following all this thoughts I guess our unit is faulty in a way that can not be solved. A circuit or a component was damaged from the beginning and was not picked up at quality control.
I work in automotive industry and believe me...this things cam happen. 
So anyway....what do you expect?
NZXT posting here that the units are not working and that this was a major mistake??? This will not happen...for sure.
Maybe refund will be the only option for majority of you...not for me.

Se ya around.
Respects.

[SpidersWeb]

After pulling out my Sentry 2 last night, I thought I'd do a google, and sure enough I found this post.

Mine has done the exact same thing since new. I originally blamed my fans (NZXT Tempest, so all fans were from NZXT) thinking at lower revs they became noisy. So I go out and purchase a Scythe Kamakaze blue LED fan (which came with its own rheostat).

On the NZXT Sentry 2, the new Scythe fan was loud at anything below 100% speed. Using its standard rheostat however, I can slow it right down and it's silent, completely silent.

So I removed the sentry unit. I'm now using my motherboard outputs and direct connections to 12 and 7 volts were applicable. My machine is now considerably quieter than when I was using the NZXT Sentry 2.

I love my NZXT Tempest, but the Sentry 2 I'm afraid will go in the bin (I can't exactly sell it to someone else if I know it's going to do this).

Money down the drain. If I get bored in the weekend, I might experiment with capacitor(s) on the outputs. Until the problem is resolved, I wont be recommending anybody goes near these units if this is a common issue.

[anarhistor]

If I get bored in the weekend, I might experiment with capacitor(s) on the outputs.

Hello. I had a few discussions with some friends about this.
But still not sure what capacity we should use.
Some said 220uF some said 2200uF. It all depends on what is the PWM signal frequency is suppose.

Then...more important. You have all noticed that when the unit starts, even if it's set on 40% it gives full signal to the fan in order to facilitate fan start. And then after a few seconds it goes to presets. This is actually a very god think.
But, because the signal is almost at 100% and because the capacitor is empty at this stage, it will act as a short circuit!
If the outputs of the unit are not protected to short circuit...i guess the unit will be burned.

So what you may try is to put one resistance, 3-5 ohms, 10 W in serial with the PWM signal just before the capacitor to limit this start current.
As a second result the signal will lose some volts....but at the end...this is what we all need.

Waiting for your experiment outcome.

Best regards.

[Kenbob007]

I love the fact that we are trying to sort out their problems for them. If you wait long enough NZXT, you never know, we may solve it for you and you wont need to wait on your hardware team any more.

[Atranox]

I'm having the same issues with my Sentry 2 with my HAF 922 fans.

I currently have the default case fans:
200mm LED fan
200mm standard fan
120mm standard fan

I also purchased a CM 200mm LED Megaflow fan from NewEgg.

The 120mm fan makes a loud buzzing noise when connected to the fan controller. It doesn't make the noise when plugged into the motherboard or when the fan is off. However, regardless of speed, it makes a very loud buzzing noise when turned on with the fan controller. Two of the 200mm fans, one LED and one standard, make faint whirring noises...as if the RPM is constantly rising/falling (though it isn't). The other 200mm LED fan (the one that came standard with the case) works flawlessly with the Sentry 2.

[Kenbob007]

I'm having the same issues with my Sentry 2 with my HAF 922 fans.

Hi Atranox.

Let me give you a bit of advice......send this piece of crap unit back, get a refund and buy the Aerocool EN55338 Touch 1000 Fan Controller instead. I know it only controls 4 fans.....but at least it works without adding a buzz to each fan.

Ive done exactly that and Im really happy with the Aerocool controller. I wouldnt touch NZXT with a barge pole from now on

:)

[SpidersWeb]

haha yeah I wont be recommending this fan controller myself now (at least not until the issue is rectified).

I thought I had it.
Adding a 10uF cap reduced noise considerably
Adding a second cap reduced noise further
Adding a third it was near silent
Adding a 4th wasn't much different

However even with a single cap in there, as soon as you change fan speed, the alarm on the unit goes off! It's fine while running, just fan speed changes (it eventually stops yelling at you).

Would possibly need a proper filter stage added or the original changed, and then you still need to wonder if it'll trigger the fan alarm.

I don't have the box or receipt anymore, and I'm not too fussed about getting my money back. Just a little disappointed, unless NZXT needs my unit for testing, I'll throw it out in a few weeks.

Reason I went for the Sentry 2 (instead of the Aerocool) was because it had automatic fan adjustment (which I know isn't necessary, but I liked the concept and it felt like the correct way to do things).

Anyway, in the interests of a better fan controller for the future, here is a few more things I'd like improved:

- longer leads on temp sensors
- better hysterisis (spelling?) - mine would often go 50% to 60% to 50% when it should go to 60%, and sit for at least a minute before dropping back down. Rather than revving my fan up and down continously in auto mode (PS main reason I bought this was because I wanted 'Auto' mode)
- obvious is rev speed detection but thats not a problem, just would be nice
- output filtering should be smooth
- and I like it being a single 5.25 bay! Fan control isn't exciting enough for a 2 bay LCD for me haha so let Aerocool have their big displays.
- contrast on LCD should be a litter lower, if possible.
- unit tested for easy install on NZXT cases (installing it in the Tempest was a pain in the ***).

Girlfriend will be disappointed, she loved playing with the Sentry display!

if NZXT comes out with a Sentry 3 with the problems resolved (genuinely resolved), I'll buy it. I like the company and want to see them do well, just feeling very disappointed with this unit.

I hope NZXT can provide more information, was this just a limited number of units? was it a design flaw? did someone at production put in a cheaper component? etc etc

[Kenbob007]

- and I like it being a single 5.25 bay! Fan control isn't exciting enough for a 2 bay LCD for me haha so let Aerocool have their big displays.


Eh? The Aerocool 1000 is a single 5.25 bay size...? :confused:

[Kenbob007]

And actually the viewing angle on the Aerocool 1000 is a lot better as well. As my case is on the floor, I found with the Sentry 2, I had to move out from my desk and bend down to be able to see the numerical readouts otherwise each segment of the LCD display were alight and you couldnt read what percentage the fans were at. You dont get this problem with the Aerocool 1000.....

.....and the Aerocool also shows actual fan rpm speeds as opposed to percentages....

[Atranox]

What's annoying is that I need to pay $10 for shipping and then $5 for a restocking fee on NewEgg. Hell, I ended up paying for half of the damn thing anyways.

Do you guys know if this one is decent?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811995016&cm_re=sunbeam_fan_controller-_-11-995-016-_-Product

[SpidersWeb]

And actually the viewing angle on the Aerocool 1000 is a lot better as well. As my case is on the floor, I found with the Sentry 2, I had to move out from my desk and bend down to be able to see the numerical readouts otherwise each segment of the LCD display were alight and you couldnt read what percentage the fans were at. You dont get this problem with the Aerocool 1000.....

.....and the Aerocool also shows actual fan rpm speeds as opposed to percentages....

Aerocool holds the patent for 2 bay LCD screens, in previous posts the guys at NZXT had said that they had to pay royalties for their 2 bay units. I was just saying I appreciate controllers that are single bay :)

I went for the Sentry 2 over the Aerocool because (unless I'm mistaken) the Aerocool didn't have an auto mode. I want silence at idle, and to maintain cool case temps during gaming etc.

For 95% of people though, sounds like the 1000 touch is a much better product. I'll probably just get a BigNG.

[anarhistor]

I thought I had it.
Adding a 10uF cap reduced noise considerably
Adding a second cap reduced noise further
Adding a third it was near silent
Adding a 4th wasn't much different

However even with a single cap in there, as soon as you change fan speed, the alarm on the unit goes off! It's fine while running, just fan speed changes (it eventually stops yelling at you).
Hello.
Like I said before I deduce this is because when unit starts and capacitor is empty it acts as a short circuit. This happens also on speed change because of the changing voltage in the output. Basically every time the voltage changes from 0 to X or i.e. from 40% to 50% this happens. Because this unit detects when a fan is broken in any way (stopped, short, no continuity) its starts the alarm.
Anyway.....really nice we try to solve the problem but....let's not forget why we are here.

WHEN WE WILL HAVE AN OFFICIAL REPLLY TO THIS???
It's been a wile since this started. A reply would be appreciated I guess.

Regards.

[SpidersWeb]

Yep, gave me the feeling that any output filtration you add, would likely still result in the alarm going off. I tried with resistors as well (different values, in series).

I hope NZXT reply soon, I just want to know what happened.

[trikat]

Hi, I barely have any engineering and circuit design knowledge so I am uncomfortable with soldering, choosing the correct capacitors/filters, etc.
However I am pretty good at Googling. :)
Anyways my research has turned up a few notes that may interested you guys who are adding capacitors and other filters to your Sentry 2.

1) The controller probably uses switching regulators to control fan voltage, and in order to cut down on the cost they may have decided not to filter the outputs. Thus the result is the switching frequency of the regulators becomes audible in the fan motors.

2) I agree with M. To solve this you could use single order filers on each output.
An LC type filter will provide the most efficient as RC will dissipate too much power over the resistor.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Low-pass_filter

1/ (2(pie) (sqr root(L * C))) = FC which you'll probably want to be less then the switching frequency.

3) The other possibility is that this particular fan controller uses too low a frequency for switching.

Adding capacitors to the outputs should do the trick in either case. Size will depend on switching frequency and amount of load.

I noticed you guys have already tried capacitors...

[anarhistor]

Hello guys.

Hey, SpidersWeb, Kenbob007, trikat, Atranox and all the other here.
Just little off topic...
I like this post more and more...and even if we meet here for a bad reason....I still like it as I can have this very nice chat you!!:)
All the best!

aaaa..PS...I am curios also with what NZXT will come to cover all this. The post is growing...day by day. :D
And anyway...if they don't solve it...I hope I will. I just meet a man whose a specialist in electronics. Sadly he doesn't have time now to take the unit and analyze the signal but he will in a few weeks. So....we will have a counter analysis in any case :evil_lol:

See ya..

[Kenbob007]

Aerocool holds the patent for 2 bay LCD screens, in previous posts the guys at NZXT had said that they had to pay royalties for their 2 bay units. I was just saying I appreciate controllers that are single bay :)

I went for the Sentry 2 over the Aerocool because (unless I'm mistaken) the Aerocool didn't have an auto mode. I want silence at idle, and to maintain cool case temps during gaming etc.

For 95% of people though, sounds like the 1000 touch is a much better product. I'll probably just get a BigNG.

I see where you're coming from, man :)

Whats the BigNG...? :thumbsup:

[SpidersWeb]

Basically the big daddy of controllers, but it's expensive and displayless (so doesn't appeal to most people, just crazy people like me). Its self contained but tuned/monitored via an internal USB link.

http://www.t-balancer.com/english/bng.htm

Feature list is huge. For the meantime my case is quiet enough as it is, and I'm occupied with my new toys. Will be building my new i7 930 setup tomorrow :) looking forward to it!

[anarhistor]

Hello…just being constant here.
NZXT, when we get some kind of feed back here????
It’s been to much since this problem appear.

[Kenbob007]

Will be building my new i7 930 setup tomorrow :) looking forward to it!

Whoaaa....monster! Have fun dude :)


Hello?just being constant here.
NZXT, when we get some kind of feed back here????
It?s been to much since this problem appear.

Mate.......I think NZXT have given up on us :mad:

[anarhistor]

Hello.

Please give us some feedback!
Regards,

[anarhistor]

Hello.

Please give us some feedback!
Regards,

[shivad]

Hey guys,

thanks for all your posts. if it weren't for you i'd be yelling at CyberPower even after they sent out a replacement fan. Just bought a system (the Rattler) and as soon as i booted it up the front fan was so loud, even my friends said; "what's that noise". after reading posts here, went through my system completely and the 2 OEM case fans (CoolerMaster) were noisy, although the front fan was horrendous. the 2 radiator fans (Asetek 240mm w/ 2 120mm fans) were ok though. but on all speeds, the 2 OEM case fans make noise. Interesting. now i understand when i called CyberPower the day i brought it home the tech kept insisting that it wasn't the fan although they agreed to send out a new one. he probably knew of this problem but wouldn't let on. i can't wait to talk to him Monday. this Sentry 2 unit is going back. putting the fans on the MB even though it runs them at 100% work noiselessly. and i've got a bead on an Aerocool. oh, and btw, the Fahrenheit scale doesn't work at all, it stays on Centigrade and blinks at 70 degrees constantly when u try to change it to Fahrenheit. wussy!

I noticed that earlier one of the NZXT techs recognized the problem:

I would recommend getting a refund from the place of purchase and wait. At the moment, we have not found a solution to get rid of the noise.
__________________

iNZXT
Va Trung


it's too bad NZXT has the 'Toyota Syndrome' ... u know realized they made junk but won't do anything about it. unfortunately the major tech sites (Tom's Hardware, ExtremeTech, X-bit Labs, etc) don't seem to know about this and have given rave reviews. so i hope more will check into these sites and let everyone know what's happening. already have my eyes on the Aerocool Touch 1000. this is sad! the unit looks cool, has nice hookups (power & temp), but just doesn't work!

thanks again, appreciate everyone that took the time to post,
shiva d

[anarhistor]

I think I give up.....to this post....and to this company.

[iNZXT]

We do apologize for the inconvenience if you are experiencing this problem and the wait. We hope that you can understand that not all products can be compatible with every item. The input made from this thread will help us understand what some customers may be experiencing.

Our team has been notified about this and they are working to resolve this. I will open up another thread that will request members to list the fan(s) that are experiencing this problem. This will provide our team with what they need to look for.

You can find the new thread here (http://www.nzxt.com/forum/showthread.php?p=50513#post50513).

[RafaelPETRY]

You guys are talking about the Aerocool, sounds a good fan controller.
But what do you guys think about the Zalman ZM-MFC3? I could use some adapter to work with the molex fans in my NZXT Zero?

(Sorry about my bad english, im brazilian)

[shivad]

Hey y'all,

bought an Aerocool Touch 1000, no noise in fans. check out this company (Aerocool) and they even have a US tech supp #. as a matter of fact, they have an open suit against NZXT for copying their patent. but in the post 2 above this u have it all. go buy another, or wait until an inferior company tries to make sense of what it has produced. it's the old Toyota Syndrome all over again. the real shame is the amount of time we have to waist trying to figure out what NZXT is doing. see ya ... wouldn't want to be ya!

shiva d

[Ducatiracer]

Lo all,
I just purchesed the awesome looking sentry 2 controller, and yes I am having the same weird noise problems, im running 3 fans, my cpu and gpu cooler. It seems the unit cannot run fans at a steady voltage, but the voltage varies slightly, causing the noise, most noticable in my Zalman gpu cooler, which is very loud at 100%, so in auto the unit is running fans at 60-70% causing the fans to 'rev' slightly.
I did notice that if I run the unit in manual ,at 40-50% the noise isn't as noticable, but i can tell the unit is still varing the voltages. Is there a fix for this cool controller, as my main concern is the varing voltages doing harm to my fans? Also, temp probe 1 doesnt work, but the other 4 work fine.

[discy]

(update 03-22-2011) NZXT is solving the problem: http://www.nzxt.com/forum/showthread.php?7796

» submit your fan-types to help them :)

[spinaloga]

Hey y'all,

bought an Aerocool Touch 1000, no noise in fans.


Aerocool Touch 1000 has power 6 Watt per channel. It is sufficient for coolermaster SickleFlow 120?

[Bugsy]

(update 03-22-2011) NZXT is solving the problem: http://www.nzxt.com/forum/showthread.php?7796

» submit your fan-types to help them :)

The link is bad or the post has been removed. Anyone know if a solution has been found?