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What happens if PSU overheats ?

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RedArmy

Member
Joined
Oct 17, 2002
I am thinking of cutting the wire LOL. Cut the bloody PSU fans and enjoy a quiet system. Anybody knows if there's any potential problems with that idea?
 
RedArmy said:
I am thinking of cutting the wire LOL. Cut the bloody PSU fans and enjoy a quiet system. Anybody knows if there's any potential problems with that idea?
NOT a good idea! It will overheat and shut down or fry. PSU's are rated to run between certain temps... Too hot and they become very inefficient and you wont get the rated wattage. You can do a fan swap to a quieter fan but DO NOT run the PSU with no fan.
 
While no fan isn't the best course of action, a quality supply that is not overloaded is adequately cooled by a single 80mm fan of modest spin rate. Something in the 27-32cfm range is fine, and nearly silent if the fan is quality. I recommend the Panaflo units if silence is the goal, but any quality unit will suffice. Often sleeve bearing fans are quieter than their ball bearing counterparts, and have proven just as reliable in my experience (they all work until they fail...). The idea of multiple fans is a gimmick designed to seperate one from his hard-earned cash. Bigger fans, such as a 92mm (or in the lovely new Fortrons with 120mm fans) will allow lower noise levels yet, but an 80mm will do in a pinch. Multiple fans just raise the noise level, as they have to exit through the same 80mm exit fan they can do little to improve ventilation.
 
I run a system with no fan in the PSU...it gets a little toasty from time to time. It's first off a PII 400 w/ 1 HD (and that's about it..), so it's not like a Barton 3000 or anything. I cut some semi-gigantic holes in the casing, it's pretty much just a big fan grill now. With a room of around 20c, if I put my hand right next to the 80mm out after a day or two of running, it really is very hot (I'd bet if I touched anything inside (assuming that I was rubberman & wouldn't, you know, die) it would be well over 70c. No failure yet, though, w00t :D
 
I intend to combine the 2x120mm fans (running at the lowest speed possible) with a PSU and Radiator into one exhaust system. The PSU heatsink will receive very little airflow though.
 
personally i wouldnt run the psu without a fan. im thinking about getting some quieter fans for it, but i dont want my psu to overheat. if anything is going to overheat, it will be my cpu ;)
 
you know, whouldnt it be good than to have 2 350wat PSUs in dual config each running very silent fans than one huge loud psu? i mean for noise if you have a case that supports two PSUs.
 
my suggestions (which i am pprobably gonna do too) is to replace that fan with a really quiet one that you cant hera, and then cut another fan hold and mount another fan on the outside that is silent.... that way you will get about teh same airflow and have silence.
 
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