Loud fans!

[serialtoon]

Well i recently upgraded my PSU from a 300 watt to a 650 watt. The one i currently have is a BFG brand. It works like a charm none the less. Only issue i have with it is the fan noise. Everytime i start workng my PC hard such as transcoding video or encoding video,music..it spins up loud. Loud enough to get your attention like "hey!!! Im working hard boss!!!" Is there anyway to shut it up? maybe a little? What kind of PSU do you guys use to minimize the sound of fans?

 

[Mansize_tissue]

You could either do a 5v or 7v mod on the fans. 7v would be best, since at 5v they don't always start up. I believe there is a guide posted somewhere around here, i will go have a look now if you like. Or, there are programs you can use to set the RPM for fans, however the fans either need to be connected to a fan controller, if so their speed is controlled by the controller device, or they are connected to the motherboard then their speed can be set from within the OS.

Edit: Link to 7v fan mod article

 

[engiNURD]

You could mod it. Or, just sell it and buy a better one, hehe.

 

[serialtoon]

You could mod it. Or, just sell it and buy a better one, hehe.

A better what? I dont game much at all so i dont really care about performance there, but i also dont want to deprive my system of the energy it needs.

 

[Rabid Badger]

Out of curiosity, how much did you pay for the BFG? And can you still return it?

 

[serialtoon]

The BFG was 120$ i think....something like that. I cant return it as its been well over 4-6 months now. BFG no good? Its been working like a charm with no issues....just a lil loud.

 

[Rabid Badger]

Well, you can go here to see how that PSU stacks up.

For your system a 650W is overkill (my 600W is overkill for mine, but I wanted modular cables and better quality than the Antec I was replacing). You can try modding your fan but that would void your lifetime warranty. My recommendation is to find a deal on a Corsair HX520 and put your BFG on eBay.

 

[serialtoon]

Well, you can go here to see how that PSU stacks up.

For your system a 650W is overkill (my 600W is overkill for mine, but I wanted modular cables and better quality than the Antec I was replacing). You can try modding your fan but that would void your lifetime warranty. My recommendation is to find a deal on a Corsair HX520 and put your BFG on eBay.

Damn, thx for the review there man. I might look for another one, but its not on my priority list right now. As long as it doesnt melt my mobo and screw up everything, im cool.

 

[HardwareGuru]

Too bad you can't manually adjust the fan speed like that of the Enermax Noisetaker power supplies. I would mod the fan in the power supply. I would either cross the wires to make it run at 7volts as opposed to 12volts. Or... replace the fans in the power supply and get a lower amperage rating fan. The fan in the power supply may have a thermal diode on it that senses the heat in the PS and automatically speeds up. Look at the Amperage on the fan is it .20A .25A, .35A? If so, running 12 volts into these type of fans tend to be loud. However, .10A, .15A rated fans do not sound as loud as they are not as powerful.

 

[serialtoon]

Too bad you can't manually adjust the fan speed like that of the Enermax Noisetaker power supplies. I would mod the fan in the power supply. I would either cross the wires to make it run at 7volts as opposed to 12volts. Or... replace the fans in the power supply and get a lower amperage rating fan. The fan in the power supply may have a thermal diode on it that senses the heat in the PS and automatically speeds up. Look at the Amperage on the fan is it .20A .25A, .35A? If so, running 12 volts into these type of fans tend to be loud. However, .10A, .15A rated fans do not sound as loud as they are not as powerful.

Thanks! Now after reading that review they stated that my power supply doesnt play well where there is alot of heat. So maybe the excessive spinning of the fans isnt such a bad idea. Either that or i should move my bed somewhere else. The back of the PC is right next to me. Heh...thx guys! Youve been most helpful.

 

[qyx]

The bfg 650 has a switch on the back for fan speed. Press it to quiet the fan.

 

[BillParrish]

hmmm, lets see, you start gaming and place a greater load on the power supply which creates more heat and the fans speed up to provide more cooling to keep the thing from burning up which makes more noise. Sounds reasonable. Now think about the same thing but with the fans running slower.

Unless you like the smell of exploded capacitors or fried electronics I would not go that route.

The only safe options preserving unit lifetime I can think of are:

Replace the existing fans with more powerfull/higher quality but quieter ones, but thats a crap shoot as you will have difficulity (I think) finding the specs of the ones in there and could only hope an expensive fan would turn out to be less noisy.

Provide the power supply with cooler air to reduce the internal temps and keep the fan speed low. One way that MIGHT be possible and a method I have used in the past, is to mount the power supply upside down and cut a blow (in this case a suck) hole in the top of the case so what is normally the bottom intake fan now sucks cool air instead of warm case air. You seal around the fan and hole with foam weatherstip tape and if necessary a piece of 4 inch PCV pipe can be cut to make a short duct. This requres good case airflow.

Oh and make sure the computer is not backed up against a wall, give it room to breath.

You HAVE good case airflow right ? You did take off the front panel and cut out those awfull stamped out of the case front fan grills, right ? Side fan installed ? Pull the side panel off and do a gaming session and see if it still speeds up as fast. If not, you got airflow issues.

BTW what case do you have and what ya running for other fans ?

 

[Farva]

You could also stick a pencil in the fan

...I just can't find that article how some kid put a pencil in his PSU fan and the thing started on fire after being on overnight lol