Replacing PSU fan..Can I?

[Nemmeh]

Hey guys, a friend of mine has a cheap budget system that he put together and the psu fan is kinda loud. I've looked at his setup and the internal PSU fan wires are soldered onto the circuit board. Could I replace this fan with something a little better and quieter without any problems?

Do you think I would need to re-solder the wires or do you think just using some electrical connectors "splicing wires" would function ok? Probably going the solder route would be a lot safer, so I've probably just answered my own question but just looking for some input.

Thanks.

 

[beatle]

It's always better to solder if you solder correctly. Replacing the fan in the PSU is not a big deal, just use common sense and don't get curious and poke at things. :Q

 

[Nemmeh]

Yeh, I feel pretty confident in my ability to do it. Years of working with car stereo and modding playstations and xbox's.

I found some good articles on doing it through google.. Thanks for the reply.


Just a question... can you really hear 21db? Is that good enough or should I find something quieter? I'm thinking of just picking up a couple of these Panaflo L1A's.

 

[catnap1972]

I just replaced the fan on Enermax (with a Panaflo)...much quieter than the no name POS that was in there before. You could cut the fan's wires a few inches back from the PSU board's connector then splice the new one in with some phone line splices (they're small gauge connectors)...seemed to work with mine.

 

[cubanx]

Pretty easy. Probaly ten minute job. I solder the connections.

Compusa power supply with low noise cooler master led Fan

 

[tracerbullet]

Originally posted by: Nemmeh
Just a question... can you really hear 21db? Is that good enough or should I find something quieter? I'm thinking of just picking up a couple of these Panaflo L1A's.

In a word: no. Not outside of a studio designed for noise control anyways.

I'd consider NOT putting a panaflo in for the power supply. I did just that on my last power supply, an Antec 300W from a few years back. I don't know if that's what killed it, but the power supply did die a few months later.

Panaflos are nice for case cooling, but I'd stick with something that pushed a little more air for a power supply. If the current fan has issues, then most anything else should be an improvement.

 

[cubanx]

While I didn't use the Panaflow L1A for my PS replacement I used the Panaflow M1A to replace the fan in my TruePower 380 and it's quieter and actually feels like it's pushing more air then the stock fan.

 

[Nemmeh]

Thanks guys, I'll look into my options for something that has a higher CFM.

Cubanx, thx for the suggestion on the panaflo you're using

 

[tracerbullet]

That's a good point, I was using the L1a. If I remember right, the Panaflo's have 3 or 4 letter suffixes - L, M, H (and U?). I always assumed that meant low, medium, and high... the letters do seem to correspond to the flow rates, and I'd assume noise as well. Though I'd venture a high noise Panaflo still isn't too loud.