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PSU/case mod idea

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philodox

Limp Gawd
Joined
Aug 6, 2004
Messages
372
Not sure if this would harm the PSU or be worse for internal temperatures in your case, but here goes:

If you have a PSU with two fans [one intake, one exhaust] would flipping it upside down and cutting a whole in the top of your case for the internal fan be a good idea? This way outside air would get sucked into the PSU and then get sent out of the case. Assuming you have good airflow in your case from case fans do you think this would lower or raise internal temps? And would this be better or worse for the PSU? The other idea is that the internal fan is usually intake and the rear is usually exhaust... in this mod do you think that it would be benificial to switch them? That way air would be drawn in at the rear and exhausted through the top of the case.

What do you think?
 
I think you would be better off leaving it the way it is. The fan on the bottom of the psu sucks up hot air from your case and vents it out anyway.
What you are suggesting would make things worse.
 
My $0.02:

1. I'd duct the hole in the top of the case to the PSU to ensure you're sucking cold air into the PSU.

2. Make sure you have enough airflow through the case to maintian cooling of the rest of the system. I run with 2 -120 mm fans, one sucking in at the front, one blowing out the back.

This likely wont make your PC run cooler but will most definately make the PSU run cooler.
 
philodox said:
Not sure if this would harm the PSU or be worse for internal temperatures in your case, but here goes:

If you have a PSU with two fans [one intake, one exhaust] would flipping it upside down and cutting a whole in the top of your case for the internal fan be a good idea? This way outside air would get sucked into the PSU and then get sent out of the case. Assuming you have good airflow in your case from case fans do you think this would lower or raise internal temps? And would this be better or worse for the PSU? The other idea is that the internal fan is usually intake and the rear is usually exhaust... in this mod do you think that it would be benificial to switch them? That way air would be drawn in at the rear and exhausted through the top of the case.

What do you think?
Click to expand...
so that you plug in the power from the top?
 
Dr3wStx said:
I think you would be better off leaving it the way it is. The fan on the bottom of the psu sucks up hot air from your case and vents it out anyway.
What you are suggesting would make things worse.
Click to expand...
fair enough :)
mooneyass said:
1. I'd duct the hole in the top of the case to the PSU to ensure you're sucking cold air into the PSU.

2. Make sure you have enough airflow through the case to maintian cooling of the rest of the system. I run with 2 -120 mm fans, one sucking in at the front, one blowing out the back.

This likely wont make your PC run cooler but will most definately make the PSU run cooler.
Click to expand...
I will likely have 2-4 80mm intakes on the front and 1 on the side with 2 exhausts on the rear and 1 on the top. The duct is a good idea.
wayne said:
so that you plug in the power from the top?
Click to expand...
no, the bottom of the PSU would be at the top... the back would still be at the back, just upside down ;)
 
Unless the case temperatures are so high that it causes stability problems with the PSU, I see no reason for this mod.
 
I had an idea very similar to this except making the fan on top of the PSU an exhaust so the air would flow straight from the intake on the bottom over the PSU bits and pieces and out the top. less turbulence and what not.

opinions?
 
IMHO--unless you are an electrical engineer or something I wouldn't personally do this mod. The fans are placed where they are or facing which way they are to take care of the power supply and maybe a little case heat. Messing with that will reverse engineer what the gurus of power supplies did to make them last. I replaced a fan in my last power supply so it was almost silent......and it ended up totally silent. Never worked again.

Up to you though....we as modders know there is only one way to find out......wince before you hit the power button. :D
 
wierd reactions, this is a pretty simple mod with no real downside.

I am an Engineer and have to say that putting colder air through the PSU is definately not going to cause problems.... A cooler PSU means more stable power, always a good thing.

I would note that I wouldnt change the direction of flow through the PSU. Not that it's a big deal as the temperature gradient across the PSU wont be changed dramatically. My concern would be that if you changed the direction of airflow, you'd then be sucking air from a couple of inches from your case hot air output. Then you'd be shooting yourself in the foot.

Suck the air from the "blow hole" and output out the back.

Wes
 
cool, thanks for the reply... so there is no downside of having it upside down?
 
i couldent see a reason why this would be a bad idea...
 
OK, here's a half-serious/half-looney idea:

Cut an 80 mm hole in front of the PSU...
Put an intake Tornado of other high CFM fan over the new hole
Cut a blowhole over the PSU
Flip the original intake, make it exhaust
Flip the PSU- one exhaust out the back one exhaust out the top

Twice the flow, twice the cooling, and more noise!
 
STRESSTEST said:
I say you do it and post pics :)
Click to expand...
i already did it. My cuts aren't exactly that clean so i'll pass on the pic posting for now ;D


There are 2 reasons i did it: The cables on my TrueControl 550 are on the far side of the casing, Flipping the PSU put the wires right next to the back plate in my case. I put a hole in the back plate right next to the wires so they 'disappear' into the back side of my case. If i had to bend the cables to that hole i'd
a. lose a lot of wire length
b. have an ugly solution.

I figured cutting a hole in the top of the case would give me more efficient/stable power because of the cooler temps and would give less 'turbulence' and/or dead spots in my case since the only place hot air can go out now is through my rad (which is less than ideal, but i'm satisfied with the results). I always thought that the PSU/CPU/In(out?)take area of cases are very busy, and if you don't properly plan things out a lot of dead spots can exist in airflow patterns.

I think it's a pretty cool mod to do... but if i had to give you once piece of advice... it'd be USE A HOLESAW. I'm pretty impatient and my cuts are less than stellar ;D

Also: Another thing to think about is that dust settles STRAIGHT into your PSU. Also you have to worry about spilling something (liquid or not) into the hole. Put your computer on top of your desk where it'd be inconvenient to use it as a cup holder. :D
 
diredesire said:
Also: Another thing to think about is that dust settles STRAIGHT into your PSU. Also you have to worry about spilling something (liquid or not) into the hole. Put your computer on top of your desk where it'd be inconvenient to use it as a cup holder. :D
Click to expand...

That's EXATLY what I was thinking too. Be careful after the mod expecially with liquids nearby.
 
R@Mo said:
That's EXATLY what I was thinking too. Be careful after the mod expecially with liquids nearby.
Click to expand...
dont sit on your case either...
 
On a sidenote, why does everyone here seem to agree that forcing the air to flow in against its normal direction (warm air rises) is a good idea?

Convection is your friend :)
 
I've been thinking more about this and here is my idea :D

I agree with Elledan about convection, but I'm not sure if this new airflow pattern would be even worse... what do you guys think?

Front: two intake
Rear: two intake
Top: as many exhausts has you can fit

PSU set up so that the intake is at the back and exhaust is at the top.

Also if you raised the computer you could have intakes on the bottom as well :)

With this setup do you think that a side intake or exhaust would be a good idea?
 
mooneyass said:
wierd reactions, this is a pretty simple mod with no real downside.

I am an Engineer and have to say that putting colder air through the PSU is definately not going to cause problems.... A cooler PSU means more stable power, always a good thing.

I would note that I wouldnt change the direction of flow through the PSU. Not that it's a big deal as the temperature gradient across the PSU wont be changed dramatically. My concern would be that if you changed the direction of airflow, you'd then be sucking air from a couple of inches from your case hot air output. Then you'd be shooting yourself in the foot.

Suck the air from the "blow hole" and output out the back.

Wes
Click to expand...


Agreed colder air would be better for the psu.
 
but when have you had a PSU overheat? I don't think the PSU needs cooler air, the main point of the bottom intake on the PSU is to use the PSU's exhaust to blow out the hot air from the inside of the case, not to cool the PSU. An extra intake on a PSU is pointless I think thoughI do really like the idea of turning it sideways so the power cables go behind the mobo tray. that's a sweet idea I just may try :)

Peace
 
Perrupa said:
but when have you had a PSU overheat? I don't think the PSU needs cooler air, the main point of the bottom intake on the PSU is to use the PSU's exhaust to blow out the hot air from the inside of the case, not to cool the PSU. An extra intake on a PSU is pointless I think thoughI do really like the idea of turning it sideways so the power cables go behind the mobo tray. that's a sweet idea I just may try :)

Peace
Click to expand...
PSU's have overheated before

blowing out the hot air from the inside IS cooling the psu...

PSU's do NEED to be cooled... try taking out the fans in a psu and see what happens (btw, try it on something cheap so you dont hurt your wallet when it breaks :D )
 
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