Swapping Antec SX-1030 300w PSU fan w/ panaflo

[ZeroBurn]

i'm using the Antec 300w PSU from an sx1030 case, but plan to swap the generic fan out w/ a 80mm panaflo. ordering one from teamawe, should i get a tailed fan or untailed? anyone with experience happen to know about the process?

 

[AMD4ME2]

does the panaflo pump more air? or is the antec fan noisy? Last time I opened a powersupply(older one) the fan had a little 2pin connector on it.. not sure what connector they are using now.. but I do know that the antec PS units have thermal controlled fans, so it might be a 3pin connector now like the motherboard headers... but im not sure.

 

[Tonec]

1. If you have a 2pin or 2wire connected to pcb
Get an untailed fan 80mm L1. Open up the power supply cut the red and black wires from both fans Strip the wire covering on the 4 wires connect red/red and black/black. To can use electrical tape, plastic wire connectors, solder+heatshrink, etc.

2. If you have a 3pin that connects to the ps(this is almost never the case) buy a tailed or buy an untailed then repeat the above and just cover up the yellow rpm wire.

3. 3pin connected outside of case(like the enermax) then buy a tailed + 6 inch 3pin extension and run it outside with the rest of the wires.

Assuming that your goal is to reduce noise, you'll need to remove the metal cutouts and use a chrome grill. Dremel is overkill and not should not be used because you won't be able to remove the bottom metal casing to protect against particles. Buy a small sheet metal cutter which is easy to use since there are ususally only 4 1/2" metal pieces connecting the cutout. Take your time and it should look something like this when you're done.

 

[jsbush]

Why would you want to change the fan? It barly turns, there for it makes hardly any noise. I say it's a waste of money.

But that power supply has smart fan control so it might be a special fan but I don't know.

 

[Tonec]

Actually the power supply fan is often the loudest and most easily heard fan in a case. A panaflo is as quiet as you'll find in the us.
As for the smart rpm sensing fans, seems like a good idea on paper but doesn't quite work in practice. The enermax 80mm fan is supposed to turn itself off and adjust its rpm based on temperature. In theory its supposed to be off or at a very low rpm when doing menial tasks such as browsing and then speed up during intensive use such as games. In my experience the only time the fan is off or even remotely quiet is when the computer is in suspend mode ie I'm not there. It is more important for the computer to be quiet when you are actually using it then when you're not in the room. Also the benefits of a high output fan in the power supply are minimal compared to a standard case exhaust. That is why people are swapping the smart fans with panaflo/adda fans.

 

[ZeroBurn]

thanks tonec, i already ordered a 80mm grill and untailed 80mm L1A panaflo. i'll see if i can get something to cut the metal grill and replace it with mine.

 

[AznBruin03]

For all those that have tried this already, does the fact that the panaflos move less air than the stock fan cause any problems? I was thinking of doing this during the summer, but decided against it. But if it works for you guys, maybe I'll try it as well. What kind of peripherals are you running on your PS? Since I think my PS is under a heavy load, I'm worried that if I do replace my fan, it may get too hot. Thanks in advance.

 

[ericd]

I have both the SX1030 and a power supply that I installed a panaflo in. IMO the stock Antec fan is just as quiet as the one with a panaflo in it. If you want to really tell how loud the PSU is turn it on by itself by connecting the green wire and any of the black wires on the motherboard connector. To tell you how quiet my Antec PSU is, the first time that I did this I had to put my hand next to the back of the power supply to feel the airflow just to be able to tell if it was on.

Eric

ps. I take no responsibility for damage caused to your PSU or yourself caused by doing this. Do it with a covered piece of wire NOT a paperclip. Disconnect the motherboard and all drive connectors before doing this as well.

btw. For those of you wondering if replacing the fan has caused any problems, I have not had any problems with the PC Power and Cooling TurboCool 300 that I did it to, and I have it running a power hungry Athlon.