About to change PSU fan. Updated with new questions.

[JZilla]

I've got this basic system (XP1800, 768mb, 2*40gb hdd, gf4 mx420) and the PSU fan is making way too much noise for my liking. I have seen videos showing how to change the fan, so that's not the problem. The problem is which fan to put in there, I was thinking about a Vantec Stealth (21db, 27 cfm) or a Pabst (same specs).

So the question is, will 27cfm be enough to cool the system, it is not overclocked and won't be ?

At present the only fans in the system are the cpu fan and the psu fan. I am not sure if a 27 cfm fan in the psu is enough, I can't find the specs on the current one. Should I add an extra outtake fan to be sure ? And if yes, do I then need an intake fan ?

Oh, and most psu's uses 80mm, right (haven't measured it yet) ?

Update in 7th post.

 

[BG4533]

Do you know what your current PSU is? Most people don't consider the Stealth the best fan around. The Panaflo L1A flows at least as much air at the same noise even though it is rated for only 24cfm. If your PSU is only a single fan and is at least 300-350W from a reasonable brand then changing the fan should be fine. Most single fan PSUs have 1 80mmx25mm fan in back. Dual fan PSUs have an extra 92mm fan on the bottom. Adding an extra exhaust and/ or intake can only help you lower your case temps and ensure your PSU will be ok. Panaflo L1As will be good here as well. If not the 18cfm NMBs that Bestbyte sells would work pretty well running 1 intake and 1 exhaust and be silent at only 18dB. The best thing is they are only $1.95.

Brian

 

[JZilla]

Thanks, the psu only has one fan and is rated at 250W. Naturally I would prefer it to avoid any additional fans, but I am not sure if one fan in the psu is enough for a hole system. It is now, but then again I don't know the specs of the current one.

 

[BG4533]

I would be careful with only 1 fan if it is less cfm than the original. You are probably putting a lot of stress on that PSU and it is likely running hot. If you do swap out the fan, you should add at least 1 extra case fan. You probably won't even know one of the NMBs are there.

Brian

 

[JZilla]

Hmm...So I think I will try with the on in the psu and then one outtake to start with. If the temperatur is much lower, I guess I can go back to one fan again.

So my system will then consist of 1 fan in the psu and 1 outtake, but when you have 2 blowing out, will you then require one blowing in ?

 

[chocoruacal]

Hmm...if it were me, and I was already going thru the effort of taking the power supply out...I'd add an extra fan, on the bottom of the rear, wherever there is room. Two 80mm NMBs would be virtually silent, and would be enough air, I think.

 

[JZilla]

First I would like to say thanks for the help.

Here is what I have done: I bought 2 Papst fans (19db/27cfm), one rear exhaust and the other in the psu and a Thermaltake Silent Viking+ heatsink (21db). The temperatures dropped so much, I it seemed to be overkill. Even with just the one in psu, temps were lower than before. So I used Speedfan to run the psu fan at 10%, cpu temp were still lower and case temp a bit higher than before, now at 45 Celsius under load. The system is a Fujitsu Siemens retail and the temps with the original psu fan and heatsink were idle: Case - 40 Celsius and CPU - 56 C, under load temps were: Case - 40 C and CPU - 61 C.

Now to the questions, wise AT'ers.

1. How high can the case temps go ? Remember I will not overclock, I just want a stable and quiet system and the system was stable at 45 C (case, under load).

2. After I modded the psu (I also cut off the grilles, the one in front of the fan and also the one underneath the psu) as I thought it generated too much noise). But now I can hear a humming/whining (some where in between) sound. I don't know if this sound were there before, as the original fan sounded like a plane taking off. Is it normal for (perhaps low quality psus), to make any sounds ?


Right now I have exchanged one of the fans, I now got a Papst (12db/19cfm in the psu) and the 19db/27cfm as an exhaust fan in the back, running at 10%/1500rpm. My idle temps are right now: Case 35C and CPU 48C.

I am now thinking of buying the Antec Sonata, but am afraid to do so, because I am unsure how loud the single fan Truepower will be. And I do not want to mod that psu, incase I screwed up my present.

Edit: Are there any software other than Speedfan that can control the fans ? And is it bad for the fans to be controlled through software ?

Edit2: All temps are measured with PCAlert4, a MSI program that came with the mobo. It has switched around the fans in the control panel, it shows the cpu fan as a psu fan, but wth.

 

[huesmann]

You could glue an auxiliary NMB on the outside of the PSU blowing into the unit to give a little extra cooling action.

 

[0roo0roo]

stealths are quieter then average, but slightly optimistic on db. pabst is best, panaflo second, 3rd is vantec.

i no longer swap out the fan, i just hook up the on already in there to a rheobus/fanbus. control speed with a knob, convenient. if u are in 100deg heat and want to really cool it, u can! if u want silence, u can.

 

[OulOat]

Originally posted by: huesmann
You could glue an auxiliary NMB on the outside of the PSU blowing into the unit to give a little extra cooling action.

Too much turbulence for any effective action

 

[0roo0roo]

not to mention adding another fan doesn't increase max cfm. only more resistence to backpressure. and only if u cut a real hole, tryingto blow through little grates .. bad bad bad.

 

[huesmann]

So break out the Dremel!

 

[JZilla]

Actually, I think I have given up for now. I am now seriously considering the Antec Sonata.

The humming sound in the psu is there all the time, even if I turn off the fans, and it's so annoying.

 

[BG4533]

Is it coil buzz? An electrical ticking, kind of like a high tension power line. If your fans are off, that is probably what it is. There is most likely no way to get rid of it. Try short pinning your PSU with nothing hooked up and see if it is still there. If it is, there isnt anything you can do about it. If it isnt, one of your components may be causing it. If I remember correctly certain components and certain PSUs do not always "like each other" and cause this. It is not bad, only annoying. Try moving things around and pluggind things in one at a time to see what causes it. The Antec Sonata PSU should be very quiet and the sound that it does produce will be a very constant airflow sound. It is not noticable and easily not heard unlike coil buzz.

Brian

 

[JZilla]

I have just ordered the Antec Sonata, I couldn't resist after reading the reviews. Too bad it wasn't in stock, oh well then I have time to wait for my Radeon 9600 NonPro with no fans.

Thank for the help people.