I have a newfound appreciation for Fortron PSUs.

[Howard]

I opened up my Fortron ATX-400PN PSU a long time ago to check out what kind of caps were in it (Teapo). This must have been over a year ago.

Just today, I pulled it out and put it into a new system, but didn't screw it into the case. When I powered it up, I noticed the fan wasn't spinning. Turns out I put in the fan grille backwards, and the friction of the grille on the fan hub kept it from spinning. :Q

Needlessly to say, I immediately rectified the error. But now my system is noticeably louder.

 

[VinDSL]

Thus, you ran it for over a year without the fan spinning, and it didn't fry?!?!?!

Hrm...

Auto-critique from you, Howie, is somewhat refreshing!

 

[Zepper]

Have to buy it a new fan there How. - it earned one don't you think? Just get one with similar CFM and current or power rating and that should be close enough unless you want to get an exact match.

.bh.

 

[soydios]

I have a newfound appreciation for Zalman heatsinks. I just installed some more RAM in my system and swapped some fan headers. I made the stupid mistake of not checking to make sure that all the fans were clear of obstructing wires. My Zalman 9500 fan was stopped by its own wire while I proceeded to ramp up my E6600 to 345x9 at 1.40V. Yeah, idle core temperature of 70C in Speedfan tipped me off that something was off, but by golly did it boot into Vista and remain responsive.

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: soydios
I have a newfound appreciation for Zalman heatsinks. I just installed some more RAM in my system and swapped some fan headers. I made the stupid mistake of not checking to make sure that all the fans were clear of obstructing wires. My Zalman 9500 fan was stopped by its own wire while I proceeded to ramp up my E6600 to 345x9 at 1.40V. Yeah, idle core temperature of 70C in Speedfan tipped me off that something was off, but by golly did it boot into Vista and remain responsive.

CPU will automatically shut down, though. AFAIK, PSUs don't.

 

[jonnyGURU]

Originally posted by: Howard

Originally posted by: soydios
I have a newfound appreciation for Zalman heatsinks. I just installed some more RAM in my system and swapped some fan headers. I made the stupid mistake of not checking to make sure that all the fans were clear of obstructing wires. My Zalman 9500 fan was stopped by its own wire while I proceeded to ramp up my E6600 to 345x9 at 1.40V. Yeah, idle core temperature of 70C in Speedfan tipped me off that something was off, but by golly did it boot into Vista and remain responsive.

CPU will automatically shut down, though. AFAIK, PSUs don't.

Quality ones will. They tend to have an over-temperature protection that will trip the PSU at a preset temperature.

Either your FSP never really got that hot or it lacks this protection.

 

[trOver]

At school people would stop the fans of the dell psu's. It never broke them, always wondered why. I guess they werent under much stress.

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: jonnyGURU
Either your FSP never really got that hot or it lacks this protection.

Talking about "protection", I bought a 600W Ultra XVS last week and...

Don't ask me how (probably too much Stiff Henry) but I plugged one of the modular cables in backwards!

When I powered up, every electronic device in the room said, "FU!" and shut off -- computers, TV, stereo... everything but the lights! They just flickered...

I didn't pop any circuit breaker but it musta sent hella spike down the line!

I thought, "Well that does it for my new Ultra PSU!" However, all is good!

YAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH Ultra!!! :thumbsup:

Gosh, that did *feel* good! Thanks, Howie!!! :laugh:

 

[jonnyGURU]

You got lucky.

I know someone that did the same thing with the same PSU. He had two HDD's on one cable that he plugged in backwards. The PSU did shut down, but in that split second it actually tried to power up, the +12V to the logic (which is normally +5V) fried both drives.

 

[Zap]

Note to self: Triple check the plugs on the XVS that I bought, when I get around to using it.

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: Zap
Note to self: Triple check the plugs on the XVS that I bought, when I get around to using it.

Bwahahahaha!

I actually got a PM from an unnamed person on this site, concerning this -- when he read I had bought a Ultra XVS PSU -- might have even been the guy jonnyGURU was talking about, but I doubt it!

He warned me about the reversible plugs -- said he had fried his drives -- yada, yada!

Unfortunately, he was about 6 hours too late, soooo...

Read & heed!

It's fooled the best & worst of us...

 

[Fallengod]

Ummm Can you explain that lol. I just bought that ultra xvs 600 for $30AR at frys. How are the plugs supposed to go? It seems like they can only go in one way? Now you have me scared. I just installed the thing today. Havnt powered up yet but.... Pm me or something.

 

[Bluefront]

Concerning the Fortron running with a stopped fan......quite possible. If you have sufficient exhaust airflow from other case fans, you have turned the Fortron into an intake port, so there could be quite a bit of airflow (backwards) through the thing. If your case runs positive pressure, you would get airflow through the Fortron (with a stopped fan) in the normal direction. In either case, there seems to have been sufficient cooling for the Fortron......which top my PSU list.

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: Fallengod
Ummm Can you explain that lol.

Heh! You asked for it...

This might seem OT but there's a lesson in it for everyone, even Howie! Keep reading...

Okay, look at your Ultra PSU.

All (I mean ALL) of the cables plug into 4-pin Molex holes on the PSU, right?

Then, look at the 4-pin Molex (HD) cables. The $@^% things have identical 4-pin Molex connectors on both ends!

Sure, one end has two plugs and the other has one. That's your clue! Single -> PSU & Double -> drive, but...

Let's say the room is dark! Everything is black - the computer case, the PSU, the cables, the connectors, yada, yada...

Now, imagine you just got home from a crappy 12-hour day @ work...

You're hot and tired! You got a 40oz 'Stiff Henry' in you, and instead of kicking the dog, you decide to tackle your new 600W Ultra XVS.

That'll surely make you happy, yes?

"I love the smell of napalm in the morning!" - Apocalypse Now (1979)

Nothing like the smell of a fresh PSU frying, straight out of the box!!! Right Jonny?

Starting to get the picture or should I continue?

 

[jonnyGURU]

Umm... No. You're wrong Vin.

You can plug ANY Molex into the modular interface of the XVS.

That's not what I meant by "backwards."

The guy that plugged the connector in backwards FORCED the connector into the interface 180 degrees BACKWARDS.

But I plug the cables in short side first all of the time. Run the short length to the optical and drop the long part of the cable down to the HDD. All of the Molexes are pinned the same. The wires are straight through.

You say that you plugged a different Molex in and the PSU fired up. I bet the PSU didn't trip because you had a different Molex plugged in. I bet the PSU tripped because you had whatever Molex you had plugged in plugged in backwards.

 

[VinDSL]

Originally posted by: jonnyGURU
Umm... No. You're wrong Vin... I plug the cables in short side first all of the time.

I just checked the pinouts on the 'spare' 4-pin Molex cable using my trusty Fluke 77 DMM and you're right!

Shouldn't make any difference...

Hrm...

Now you got me wondering!

Witness some text from the unnamed user's PM...

Careful with the modular ends at the PSU side, I got a Molex reversed and fried a DVD burner. To this day I don't see how I did it... It was in the case, tough to see, the plugs DO have beveled edges and I don't think I used a great deal of force. Backwards... WTF. The PSU was fine but my DVD smoked.

I'm 99.999% sure I didn't flip-flop the connector and I certainly didn't force anything.

I've ALWAYS been uber careful with Molex plugs! D-shell connectors are a fetish with me...

*edit*

Just tried *forcing* the 'spare' cable into the Ultra backwards -=- dittos with the HD. No friggin' way, ebaby!

Those connectors are slippery as snot and tight! I'd need a hammer & pliers to get them in there upside-down!

Um...

And, no, this isn't denial and justification on my part!

 

[jonnyGURU]

I dunno man... when I saw the system with the two dead hard drives, and I realized what he had done, I tried it myself and with enough force (why the FSCK you would FORCE anything in a PC?) I could actually plug the connector in backwards, despite the beveled edges.

 

[VinDSL]

Yep, it's inexplicable!

I bought an Antec Earth Watts a couple of months ago - used it for a week - then gave it to my sister-in-law. Hers died and she needed one ASAP!

The Earth Watts connectors were kinda sloppy to my way of thinking - almost zero resistance when plugging them in - don't know why they didn't fall out...

I can almost understand plugging Earth Watts connectors in backwards, but Ultra XVS connectors are pretty tight - gotta work them to get them on!

Anyway, no harm, no foul! Maybe I'll put the fan grill in backwards and see what it does...