PSU ECO Mode safe?

[polonyc2]

I've been looking into upgrading my rig and see that the new fad in PSU's is ECO Mode where the fan stays off unless the PSU reaches a certain temperature...specifically I'm referring to the EVGA Supernova 850 P2 Platinum...it has a 140mm fan which remains switched off at low loads...the fan activates at 20 per cent load (170W), spins very slowly until 40 per cent load (340W) is reached, and then ramps up slowly up to full load, according to documentation

in theory it sounds great but can I trust the PSU to do this correctly?...looking online I see some complaints on other forums about the fan staying off even when people use a blow dryer to blow air into the grill...at least manufacturers give you the option of disabling this power saving mode...anyone have any experiences with it?...is ECO safe to use long term?

 

[pendragon1]

I've been looking into upgrading my rig and see that the new fad in PSU's is ECO Mode where the fan stays off unless the PSU reaches a certain temperature...specifically I'm referring to the EVGA Supernova 850 P2 Platinum...it has a 140mm fan which remains switched off at low loads...the fan activates at 20 per cent load (170W), spins very slowly until 40 per cent load (340W) is reached, and then ramps up slowly up to full load, according to documentation

in theory it sounds great but can I trust the PSU to do this correctly?...looking online I see some complaints on other forums about ECO Mode not activating even when people use a blow dryer to blow air into the grill...at least manufacturers give you the option of disabling this power saving mode...anyone have any experiences with it?...is ECO safe to use long term?

blowing a hair dryer into the unit is not the same as putting a load on it. no idea if its safe but that's a stupid "test".

 

[Dougie]

Been using a seasonic with that feature for a while, never heard the fan come on, I think the fan on my unit responds to temperature rather than load, which would alleviate your concerns. I think it safe either way, it would somewhat depend on the temperature rating of the PSU, but most of the time the electronics in these are able to withstand high ambient temperature. Blow dryer doesn't simulate any real world scenario, and I wouldn't worry about that.

 

[thecold]

I've been looking into upgrading my rig and see that the new fad in PSU's is ECO Mode where the fan stays off unless the PSU reaches a certain temperature...specifically I'm referring to the EVGA Supernova 850 P2 Platinum...it has a 140mm fan which remains switched off at low loads...the fan activates at 20 per cent load (170W), spins very slowly until 40 per cent load (340W) is reached, and then ramps up slowly up to full load, according to documentation

in theory it sounds great but can I trust the PSU to do this correctly?...looking online I see some complaints on other forums about the fan staying off even when people use a blow dryer to blow air into the grill...at least manufacturers give you the option of disabling this power saving mode...anyone have any experiences with it?...is ECO safe to use long term?

Honestly I just turn eco off. I can't hear it when it's barely spinning anyways.