changing fan in PSU

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nst6563

2[H]4U
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I've got an Enermax 450w ps here w/ a 92mm fan and an 80mm fan. I have an extra 120mm fan lying here itching to be used.

Would I benefit any by replacing the stock 92mm enermax fan with this 120mm Antec?
 
It'd be a tad bit of trouble to mod that in, for negligable gain. It might be quieter for the same amount of air, however, so if you really want go for it.
 
Well, that depends on ehat the point of the new fan is. I wouldn't recommend a 120mm mod, simply because it may or may not fit. If not, you'll have a worthless PSU with a big hole. Or a fan mounted on the OUTSIDE of the PSU. Anyway, there are 2 reasons I can see why you would want to replace the fan. First would be noise, second airflow. Now, you can go the the extreme of either one with the ultra-quiet Papst 12db 80mm or 92mm temp. controlled fans or for super-loud superfast fans, get a Tornado. My personal recommendation would be get a Panaflo with an equal or greater CFM rating as your current fan. It'll probably still be alot quieter as well. To find out the CFM of your fan, find the alphanumeric string that doesn't make any sense, and Google it. Anyway, all Panaflos would be your best bet. They're also the most reliable fans you can buy.
 
Since power supplies are rated at a certain temp for their power output, would adding this fan at full speed decrease the temp inside the ps and increase the power output?

I seriously doubt I'm stressing this enermax 450, but would the voltages be more stable regardless?
 
The temperature changes between your fan sizes and possible cooling gain probably wouldn't make a large enough difference to actually affect your voltage stability. Besides, stability isn't nearly as much of a problem when it comes to cooling issues. A lot of manufacturers provide wattage ratings for their power supplies while running them at near freezing temps. That is a problem in that there really is no standard for rating power supplies at any specific temperature. What some builders are doing is running full-page ads in a lot of PC mags comparing theirs to others at a true normal operating temp. and you get to see the vast difference in wattage output...

By improving the CFM over your power supply as it sounds like you are doing, you may reduce the operating temps by 10 degrees or so. That's not a big enough of a change to make a noticible difference at first. You may manage to extend the usable lifespan of the power supply by doing this though...

Lastly, don't underestimate the potential of one of those small units to give you a pretty big shock. Most modern power supplies have rather large capacitors in them. A capacitor is a lot like a battery -they store up energy for releasing it later or in a more controlled manner. Turning off a power supply by no means ensures that the capacitors inside are discharged and safe to play around. So be careful and do your best to avoid the bottom end of the printed circuit board or any open electrical leads. If you're unsure about your ability to reckognize the dangerous areas of your power supply, either get someone to help you that knows, or don't try it in the first place...
 
jmroberts70 said:
Lastly, don't underestimate the potential of one of those small units to give you a pretty big shock. Most modern power supplies have rather large capacitors in them. A capacitor is a lot like a battery -they store up energy for releasing it later or in a more controlled manner. Turning off a power supply by no means ensures that the capacitors inside are discharged and safe to play around. So be careful and do your best to avoid the bottom end of the printed circuit board or any open electrical leads. If you're unsure about your ability to reckognize the dangerous areas of your power supply, either get someone to help you that knows, or don't try it in the first place...
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I understand the basic principals of electronics. That was originally my major in college until like everyone else, I changed it. As you can see in my sig, I'm no stranger to the soldering iron and printed circuit boards with all the mods my equipment has had. I'm just not too familiar with the way these ps are rated and what difference if any putting a bigger fan that pushes more air in there would do.

do you know at what temp this enermax was probably rated? It's a couple years old.
I've also got an Antec smartpower 350... but my voltages were more stable with the enermax.
 
25 Degrees Celcius. So, at best, if you had the insides at 25 degress (which you probably wont), then you stand the possibility of getting the close to the full rating out of the power supply, all other factors aside. But I know my room is usually hotter than that because of all of the computers.
 
Vertigo Acid said:
25 Degrees Celcius. So, at best, if you had the insides at 25 degress (which you probably wont), then you stand the possibility of getting the close to the full rating out of the power supply, all other factors aside. But I know my room is usually hotter than that because of all of the computers.
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not really worth it then since the inside of my case is usually a constant 30c.

thanks for the replies though!
 
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