Corsair SF600 600w SFX Powersupply

Nice!! Look forward to seeing your build, and hearing about the noise difference.
I have a monitor arm recommendation but I won't spam up this thread. Maybe I'll PM you instead..
 
I just got my cable, and installed it earlier today with the A9x14 . Honestly, a lot of the noise was probably the grill, but now that it's in, I can't hear it at all. My CPU fan is the loudest fan again, which is also the A9x14 on the L9i. This is awesome. It did take a long time to slow back down after playing games, though so I might do more testing tonight. I don't remember what the stock one sounds like when I run games because I just got it. I came from the Silverstone 500 intending to replace the fan.

Edit: After a bunch of 3DMark stress testing, it's still whisper quiet.
 
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Received my adapter today ;)

HSoMv.jpg
 
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I got the adapter as well and just installed the A9x14 fan in a SF450. Can confirm that this is amazingly quiet. I had previously tried both a SF600 with stock fan and the Silverstone SX500, and this is far, far quieter than either of those. During moderate loads I can see the fan trying to turn on but failing, presumably due to too low a voltage, but it doesn't seem to make any noise doing so. When the fan does eventually spin up, it is much quieter than the SF600 and SX500 stock fans.
 
I got the adapter as well and just installed the A9x14 fan in a SF450. Can confirm that this is amazingly quiet. I had previously tried both a SF600 with stock fan and the Silverstone SX500, and this is far, far quieter than either of those. During moderate loads I can see the fan trying to turn on but failing, presumably due to too low a voltage, but it doesn't seem to make any noise doing so. When the fan does eventually spin up, it is much quieter than the SF600 and SX500 stock fans.

Photos if you can ?
 
Photos if you can ?
I can post some of the finished and installed unit later. Didn't take any during the process, but it's really easy - unscrew and unplug the old fan, plug in the new one, screw it in or use the rubber thingamabobs that come with it. Only thing is from what I understand you need to be careful not to touch the electrical bits as the capacitors can continue to hold a dangerous charge. The fan socket is easily reachable though with pliers or even just a screwdriver to push in the new plug, so no need to get your hands anywhere near the electrics.
 
I can post some of the finished and installed unit later. Didn't take any during the process, but it's really easy - unscrew and unplug the old fan, plug in the new one, screw it in or use the rubber thingamabobs that come with it. Only thing is from what I understand you need to be careful not to touch the electrical bits as the capacitors can continue to hold a dangerous charge. The fan socket is easily reachable though with pliers or even just a screwdriver to push in the new plug, so no need to get your hands anywhere near the electrics.

The connector is right next to a few caps, but you can pretty much just yank it out. Definitely drain it by holding the power button while it's unplugged. Not gonna lie, I was looking all around my apartment for some non-conductive tweezers, but couldn't find any and tried with the metal ones. Couldn't get a good enough squeeze, so I just yanked it and it worked.

I also managed to remove the warranty sticker without busting it, so it's still intact ;P.
 
Great work kingtron please keep us updated! I want to do this mod myself, as I have an SF600 in an NCase M1 which always has the fan running even with total consumption < 40W, low ambient temp, and an unobstructed 120mm fan @ 900 RPM feeding it from the side bracket. It's very quiet at idle, but I still don't want it running all the time.

So I'll probably order the same adapter you researched and install an NF-A9x14. Regarding the starting voltage -- the fan in the SF600 is a custom Corsair NR092L 12v 0.22A fan. It goes up to 3900 RPM. According to this article:

Corsair SF600 Review – A New Player Has Joined

The fan kicks in at 3V and its voltage curve is:

3.0V -> 1120 RPM
4.5V -> 1750 RPM
6.0V -> 2320 RPM
7.5V -> 2845 RPM
9.0V -> 3260 RPM
12.0V-> 3900 RPM

In comparison, the NF-A9x14 kicks in at 6V! and has the following curve: (source: Noctua NF-A9x14)

<6.0V- 0 RPM
6.0V - 1230 RPM
7.0V - 1420 RPM
8.0V - 1600 RPM
9.0V - 1750 RPM
10.0V- 1890 RPM
11.0V- 2000 RPM
12.0V- 2200 RPM.

Which is a big improvment. At 6V, the stock fan is already at 2320 RPM, whereas the Noctua fan will just be kicking in at 1230 RPM. So the PSU will almost certainly stay silent at idle, and I'm hoping under ~ 200W load. I don't know if I got one of the early incorrectly calibrated units (I got mine in June 2016, so it's possible), but the curve is way more aggressive than it needs to be, so I'm confident I won't have issues with overheating. Heck, I'll even use the low noise adapter. I don't think the fan will tick or make noise under 6V but it may try to start and stutter, like it does between 4-6V in the video. I don't think that's audible and I don't think it will damage the fan.

Another option is to install the 25mm NF-A9 on the outside of the PSU. It has 50% more airflow and static pressure, and the noise it makes is lower-pitched. BUT it kicks in at ~ 4V, which is 2V less than the NF-A9x14. I really want to guarantee the fan will stay off without a significant load on the system, so that's not worth the mod for me. You can also install a 92mm to 120mm adaptor like this one:

Nexus CFA-300 80 or 92mm to 120mm Fan Adapter

and then install a 120mm fan on the outside. The NF-F12 kicks in at ~ 5.5V so it would be a good option. Also, for the NCase M1 a 120mm duct from the side bracket can also be used with the above adapter if you have the clearance. Neither of the last 2 options would work for me as I am getting a C14 cooler, but they may work for some.

As far as linking the fan to the motherboard, that sacrifices aesthetics and you'd also have to link it to either CPU or GPU load, which alone may be an inaccurate gauge of how much power the PSU is pushing. And you'd need to use Speedfan to keep the fans completely off at idle if your motherboard doesn't support it. So not an ideal solution for me.

Anyway, I just wanted to share my thoughts. I didn't want to do the mod until now because I didn't want to cut and solder, but now that I know it's possible to use an adapter, I'll go ahead and do it. Thanks again to kingtron for your work on this. Please keep us updated on your mod, and let us know if the adapter works and how your new fan curve and noise are.
So question, how much better is it for the PSU with the replacement of the stock fan with the Noctua? Since the Noctua maxes out at 2200 RPM vs 3900RPM and the spin up voltage is 6 vs the 3. Im curious as to if its really worth it for this swap. Anyone can comment?
 
I got an adapter and ran some tests. Thanks to kingtron and QuantumBraced for the inspiration.

Stock Corsair fan on the left, Noctua NF-A9x14 on the right. Both tach signals were wired for measurements. For all tests, I put the fan in the PSU, and the PSU in the case (DAN Case A4-SFX).
fans_tach.jpg

Performance comparison:
performance.png

300W load (x264 + Heaven, 30 minutes, followed by a 10-minute average):
300w_load.png


The stock Corsair fan is nearly twice as loud (perceived) for only a few degrees of better cooling. Also, the air flow is nearly the same despite the Noctua fan spinning much slower.

Audio spectrum plots for the above results:
spectrum.png

There is one downside to doing this mod. At idle and low loads, the Noctua fan has severe hysteresis due to its high starting voltage*. The Corsair fan doesn't have this problem and will generally spin at a constant low RPM. This image illustrates the problem:
idle_1.png

See how the fan starts and stops, over and over? Fortunately, the Noctua fan is quiet, so this shouldn’t be noticeable. There is, however, a faint ticking sound as the fan tries to spin up, but it is barely audible at 40 cm away with the system turned off. With the system turned on, the CPU fan masks the noise.

Most people doing this mod can stop here, but I prefer an adjustable fan curve. So, I bought a temperature sensor and mounted it to the PSU secondary side heatsink. Then I plugged both the sensor and fan directly into the motherboard and set a fan curve in the BIOS.
XSPC Wire Sensor 10K:
temp_sensor_1.jpg

Temperature sensor mounted to heat sink, with fan and sensor connected directly to motherboard:
temp_sensor_2_3.jpg

BIOS settings:
bios_settings.png

Now I have full PWM control and the hysteresis is gone:
idle_2.png

Hopefully this is useful for others looking to do some variation of this mod. I'm guessing this won't be a problem in the future if passively cooled DC-DC adapters become more widespread.

--------------
*Here’s some additional voltage data:
voltage_notes_1.png
 
Alright guys... I may be thinking about this too much, but I want to connect a fan controller to the inside of the PSU to control the Noctua with a thermistor. It has been a while since I've built any circuits, but it looks like these exist on a chip already. I'm still researching different options right now, Am I crazy?

I found ones like this: http://www.mouser.com/ds/2/268/21448c-63501.pdf
But it's only 6v :/

I'm still looking. Is there a better alternative to mouser?

Edit: I found this: https://www.bit-tech.net/modding/2001/12/03/pwm_fan_controller/1
 
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, I bought a temperature sensor and mounted it to the PSU secondary side heatsink. Then I plugged both the sensor and fan directly into the motherboard and set a fan curve in the BIOS.
That is pretty cold temperature you got there. I've got 94 degrees on that heatsink (though at the very bottom of it), 50-60 on the top of the largest capacitor next to the HS and 40 degrees just in the air inside the PSU. Those values have been measured in the idle, with the fan turned off, after several hours of the PC running.

What glue did you use?
 
Alright guys... I may be thinking about this too much, but I want to connect a fan controller to the inside of the PSU to control the Noctua with a thermistor. It has been a while since I've built any circuits, but it looks like these exist on a chip already. I'm still researching different options right now, Am I crazy?

I found ones like this: http://www.mouser.com/ds/2/268/21448c-63501.pdf
But it's only 6v :/

I'm still looking. Is there a better alternative to mouser?

Edit: I found this: https://www.bit-tech.net/modding/2001/12/03/pwm_fan_controller/1
Not necessarily better but there is Digikey, Arrow, Newark, and some others I usually search for electronics. I also bought a nuvoton fan controller I couldn't find anywhere else easily on aliexpress.
 
Hey guys, I've got a couple of questions for you. I'm going to be purchasing a new PSU for my Sentry very soon and, well...

1) If I'm replacing the fan with a noctua that's controlled by the motherboard, is there any reason to get the SF 600 over the 450? It'll be powering an overclocked 60w CPU and a 150W GPU... So either should do fine, right?

2) For those of you who have done the fan mod: I know that the fan which comes on the L9i is a different model than the one you can buy as a standalone. Does the extra couple hundred RPM actually make a difference?
 
That is pretty cold temperature you got there. I've got 94 degrees on that heatsink (though at the very bottom of it), 50-60 on the top of the largest capacitor next to the HS and 40 degrees just in the air inside the PSU. Those values have been measured in the idle, with the fan turned off, after several hours of the PC running.

What glue did you use?
94 °C at idle? That seems a little high. With the fan disconnected, I get 54 °C at idle for the sensor at the top of the heatsink. I used polyimide tape (aka Kapton tape) which is pretty thermally stable and isn't permanent.

From left to right:
1) Load (340 W, x264 + Heaven, immediately after removing PSU cover and fan)
2) Idle (30 minutes after exiting x264 + Heaven)
3) Reference Image

1_flir.jpg

I tilted the camera around and couldn't find any other hot spots. But to be fair, I can't see the backside of the PCBA.
 
Hey guys, I've got a couple of questions for you. I'm going to be purchasing a new PSU for my Sentry very soon and, well...

1) If I'm replacing the fan with a noctua that's controlled by the motherboard, is there any reason to get the SF 600 over the 450? It'll be powering an overclocked 60w CPU and a 150W GPU... So either should do fine, right?

2) For those of you who have done the fan mod: I know that the fan which comes on the L9i is a different model than the one you can buy as a standalone. Does the extra couple hundred RPM actually make a difference?
1) The SF450 should be fine. Either way, before you change the fan, first listen to it at idle, then under load, then at idle again. The Sentry layout is different enough from the Dan A4-SFX (no GPU against the back of the PSU) that you might be completely happy with it.

2) I was ready to say that it doesn't matter, but I decided to be diligent and measure it:

1_fans.png

As expected, the 2500 RPM version runs a little faster at any given voltage. But check this out:

NF-A9x14 (2500 RPM):
Starts: 4.3 V
Stops: 4.1 V

NF-A9x14 (2200 RPM):
Starts: 6.0 V
Stops: 4.1 V

The starting voltage for the 2500 RPM version is much lower! This means it's the better choice when connected to the PSU fan header if you want the fan to start sooner. However, when connected to the motherboard, either fan is fine and I doubt the extra RPM will make much of a difference (for a power supply).
 
94 °C at idle? That seems a little high. With the fan disconnected, I get 54 °C at idle for the sensor at the top of the heatsink. I used polyimide tape (aka Kapton tape) which is pretty thermally stable and isn't permanent.
Yes, 94. There is no mistake. That is why I eventually ended up using GPU and CPU sensor combined as a source for PSU control, because of the 75 degrees threshold in Asus MB fan control. I've stuck the sensor toughly in between the heatsink and that little black thingie in the very middle wrapped in black duct tape (a small transformer I guesss?) . Your thermo-shots seem to be taken without the PSU and case covers, may be that is why our results are so different?
 
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Yes, 94. There is no mistake. That is why I eventually ended up using GPU and CPU sensor combined as a source for PSU control, because of the 75 degrees threshold in Asus MB fan control. I've stuck the sensor toughly in between the heatsink and that little black thingie in the very middle wrapped in black duct tape (a small transformer I guesss?) . Your thermo-shots seem to be taken without the PSU and case covers, may be that is why our results are so different?
I'm stumped, but it looks like you found a solution!
 
1) The SF450 should be fine. Either way, before you change the fan, first listen to it at idle, then under load, then at idle again. The Sentry layout is different enough from the Dan A4-SFX (no GPU against the back of the PSU) that you might be completely happy with it.

2) I was ready to say that it doesn't matter, but I decided to be diligent and measure it:


As expected, the 2500 RPM version runs a little faster at any given voltage. But check this out:

NF-A9x14 (2500 RPM):
Starts: 4.3 V
Stops: 4.1 V

NF-A9x14 (2200 RPM):
Starts: 6.0 V
Stops: 4.1 V

The starting voltage for the 2500 RPM version is much lower! This means it's the better choice when connected to the PSU fan header if you want the fan to start sooner. However, when connected to the motherboard, either fan is fine and I doubt the extra RPM will make much of a difference (for a power supply).

Wow, I wasn't expecting nearly such a detailed response, thank you so much. :)

(And that's a good point - I'll come back and post an update about what it sounds like as soon as I get it.)
 
Looks like this thread rubbed off on me.
0528171840-1.jpg
Opted to control it though PWM on my motherboard. Routed the cable over the modular connectors as I've seen others do.

This would be even better on an SFX-L psu which has modular connectors that dont stick out (to fit in my NCASE). Some were announced at computex which would be neat. Noctuas 15mm thick 120mm fan would be an even better choice.
 
Hi everyone,

Very interesting read regarding the Noctua mod on Corsair SF PSUs, many thanks to all contributors.

I'd like to do the same on mine, I currently have one installed in my Ncase M1 V5. This thing really gets loud under load when compared to the rest of my system.

Problem is that I live in France and it would take forever to get the 2pin adaptor from moddiy. However I noticed that Noctua actually sells 3-to-2 pin adaptor that is bundled with their NF A4x10 fans: http://noctua.at/en/products/fan/nf-a4x10-flx/specification

Provided that you cut one side of the 3-pin male adaptor to fit on the 4-pin female of the NF A9, I can't see any issue using this adaptor, can you confirm ?

Thanks
 
Hi everyone,

Very interesting read regarding the Noctua mod on Corsair SF PSUs, many thanks to all contributors.

I'd like to do the same on mine, I currently have one installed in my Ncase M1 V5. This thing really gets loud under load when compared to the rest of my system.

Problem is that I live in France and it would take forever to get the 2pin adaptor from moddiy. However I noticed that Noctua actually sells 3-to-2 pin adaptor that is bundled with their NF A4x10 fans: http://noctua.at/en/products/fan/nf-a4x10-flx/specification

Provided that you cut one side of the 3-pin male adaptor to fit on the 4-pin female of the NF A9, I can't see any issue using this adaptor, can you confirm ?

Thanks
I don't think that will work, the 2-pin adapter used in the sf600/450 is CB-32D
besides , modidy is a pretty reasonable in shipping time
 
Excuse my ignorance, what is the difference between a CB-32D adaptor and the one provided with the NF A4x10?
 
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Ok thanks. I changed the fan on a Seasonic PSU a few years ago and used this Noctua adaptor with a BeQuiet fan, it worked just fine :)

Anyway I just bought the moddyi cable, it was less expensive since the shipping is free.
 
For anyone who was still intrigued by the Noctua 3-pin to 2-pin adapter I have attached some reference photos:
Corsair stock 2-pin: White
Noctua adapter 2-pin: Black

0608170004-1.jpg 0608170005-1.jpg 0608170006-1.jpg
 
Does anyone's SF600 make a single small tick/click sound on start up/sleeping/waking up from sleep? Is that normal, is it the fan just starting and stopping really fast?
 
My SF450 makes "cracking" like noise, while working - it's not coil whine. Does any one else experience this?
P.S. It also has annoying "click" sounds, when i turn it on\off\reboot, it sounds like a toggle switch. Is it OK too? It's so annoying, i'd like to get rid of it
 
Does anyone know if it's possible to purchase the 2500rpm version of the A9x14? (Failing that, is there anyone with one they're willing to part with?)

The lower starting voltage seems like a big plus since I don't want to deal with setting up PWM.
 
Does anyone know if it's possible to purchase the 2500rpm version of the A9x14? (Failing that, is there anyone with one they're willing to part with?)

The lower starting voltage seems like a big plus since I don't want to deal with setting up PWM.
If you're going to be replacing the fan, you're already entering territory where setting up PWM might not be a bad idea - the only surefire way to do a swap would be to match the specs of the stock fan...
 
If you're going to be replacing the fan, you're already entering territory where setting up PWM might not be a bad idea - the only surefire way to do a swap would be to match the specs of the stock fan...

My biggest issue with PWM is that all of my fan headers are currently being used (pump/cpu fans/gpu fans), so I don't know of a way to get the PSU fan its own profile.

The 2500 rpm version of the A9x14 has a start voltage much closer to the stock fan (1.3v difference vs 3v by the testing above), so it seems very workable without the PWM controls - I'm going to see if I can find someone selling a used L9i and snag it for the fan.
 
My biggest issue with PWM is that all of my fan headers are currently being used (pump/cpu fans/gpu fans), so I don't know of a way to get the PSU fan its own profile.

The 2500 rpm version of the A9x14 has a start voltage much closer to the stock fan (1.3v difference vs 3v by the testing above), so it seems very workable without the PWM controls - I'm going to see if I can find someone selling a used L9i and snag it for the fan.

Did you consider using the GPU's PWM for the GPU fan? I freed up a fan header by doing this.

(Well, sort of. I have a water block on my GPU but a fan in the lower part of my case that I use the GPU fan header to control.)
 
Did you consider using the GPU's PWM for the GPU fan? I freed up a fan header by doing this.

(Well, sort of. I have a water block on my GPU but a fan in the lower part of my case that I use the GPU fan header to control.)

I'm on a reference 1080 ti PCB, which I think only has a 2-pin header, so no PWM there. I suppose I could use a 3pin splitter with non-PWM fans, but I'd have to check the power draw and make sure I'm not overloading the header.
 
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I'm on a reference 1080 ti PCB, which I think only has a 2-pin header, so no PWM there. I suppose I could use a 3pin splitter with non-PWM fans, but I'd have to check the power draw and make sure I'm not overloading the header.
1080 Ti Founders over here. There's a 2-pin for the LED and a mini 4-pin (which is PWM) for the blower's fan.
 
Ah okay, I see it in the picture of the PCB now. I can definitely give that a shot if I'm unhappy with the PSU-controlled performance.
 
So with the system in my sig, I have noticed that under load the PSU fan is definitely the loudest thing in my system. I've OC'd to 4 GHz and also OC'd my 980ti SC with an accelero and exhaust fans. However, this PSU fan is fairly loud as my NCase is on my desk. Reading up on the fan replacement seems easy to me but does anyone know if you can BUY the 2500 rpm version of the A9x14? I could run a cable out to my MB but that tbh is not an ideal fix. I'd rather just plug n play the fan.
 
So with the system in my sig, I have noticed that under load the PSU fan is definitely the loudest thing in my system. I've OC'd to 4 GHz and also OC'd my 980ti SC with an accelero and exhaust fans. However, this PSU fan is fairly loud as my NCase is on my desk. Reading up on the fan replacement seems easy to me but does anyone know if you can BUY the 2500 rpm version of the A9x14? I could run a cable out to my MB but that tbh is not an ideal fix. I'd rather just plug n play the fan.
I emailed Noctua about a week ago and they said they do not sell the 2500 RPM version separately.
 
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