How to quiet a PSU...

[JohnAd]

See

http://www.silentpcreview.com/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=33&mode=thread&order=0&thold=0

Looks like there are some "interesting" design issues with some of the supposedly quiet power supplies. This article shows how to get them working properly. Usual rules about only opening up a power supply if you know what you're doing apply.

John

[tryingtimes]

Hmmm.
All sounded a bit half-baked to me.
I thought he was going to suggest an alternative position for the sensor which would have been useful.
As it was he hasn't given us any facts about CPU temperatures before/after which would have given me more confidence.

Looks like it could develop into a really useful site though. Not many people have had the chance to get two or more products side by side for noise testing so it could be great for those seeking silence.

Thanks for the heads-up
Alex

[JohnAd]

Alex

I think I agree with you that he should have done a bit more testing but the whole thing with power supplies seems to be a bit wierd anyway.

I'll probably be doing something similar myself in the next few weeks and I do some more detailed testing.

John

[Gary Lightfoot]

I have a bog standard 300w psu which was quite noisy. I replaced the 80mm fan with a Papst 80mm fan (from www.quietpc.com @£14+vat) and that dropped the fan noise by over 5dbs (measured from front of pc at 0.5m).

I initialy tested the pc at 45+dbs, then changed the cpu fan for a radial fin type (£20+vat) but didn't see any real difference in dbs. Doing the psu dropped the dbs below 40 (my spl only goes down to 40dbs).

I've since replaced the hard drive for a Seagate quietdrive model and the DVD for a Liteon. The htpc is very quiet now, and although I never heard it during a film, I could when the film had finished. Now all I hear at the end is the projector. :)

Gary.

[JohnAd]

Gary

Which 80mm do I need the 3 or 4 pin one?

Ta

John

[Gary Lightfoot]

Hi john,

I got the 4 pin type, which actualy only has two wires going to the fan. that's all you need as the PSU fan has only two wires.

One fan had polarity marked on it, but the other didn't, so I used a 9v battery to check rotation on the fans to ensure it would run the right way when connected.

It's probably a good idea to see which way the existing fan in the PSU goes round before you take it to pieces.

HTH

Gary.

[RichardH]

FYI, it looks like http://www.komplett.co.uk is quite cheap for Enermax stuff, including "silent" (!) case fans and the PSUs. Also stock a couple of PAPST fans.

[Gary Lightfoot]

Interesting site - good price on the 'silent' fans too. Anyone tried these?

Gary.

[Mark Grant]

Specs of the 'silent' Enemamax fans here (http://www.thecoolingshop.co.uk/tcs/comersus_viewitem.asp?idproduct=9)

21 to 33 dba

Hardly silent.

The PAPST fans should still be the best.

Just got to find some 12DB fans at the cheapest price.

Here is another good link (http://www.cpemma.fsnet.co.uk/) for fan tweakers.
Mark.

[tryingtimes]

That 'adding up' section is interesting.
so doubling up on a fan only adds 3db

That means 2 28db fans are better than 1 32db yet surely must create more airflow.
I guess this chart doesn't take turbulance into account but interesting nevertheless

Cheers
Alex

[Mark Grant]

Here is a good thread (http://www.avsforum.com/avs-vb/showthread.php?s=&threadid=131871) at another froum, with some good links for those seeking silence.

This link (http://gizzo.8m.com/fans/) is a useful database of fans.

Mark.

[RichardH]

Another source for Papst fans (plus other stuff) - http://www.theoverclockingstore.co.uk. Papst 8412NGML 80mm £14 inc VAT, with free postage (useful for those small orders!).

I used them a couple of years ago for various bits, and the service was excellent.