Change Fan In PSU

[TopChip7]

Hi All.

I have a 500w SmartPower2.0 PSU (bundled with Antec case).

Can anyone tell me if it would be a difficult job to change one or both of the fans?

These PSU's are supposed to be quiet but for some reason mine isn't and its driving me crazy - however, it's certainly doing its job as the air exhausted is very warm indeed.

Thanks

[SufferWell1396]

uhh ive only done this twice, and one was on a 350 eMachines power supply, the other on a 100 power spec. What happened with the eMachines was that the fan inside, was socketed like the CPU fan, it was on a 2 prong socket on its little mainboard. On the power spec however the fan;s red and black cords were soldered directly on the PSU mainboard, you can look and see if you can, but that puts the power supply at risc because opening them might be damaging and they are fragile

[jlreich]

It's also very dangerous to get inside a PSU. If you don't know what your are doing don't attempt it. ;)

[PrntRhd]

It's also very dangerous to get inside a PSU. If you don't know what your are doing don't attempt it.
reason why:
There are some healthy capacitors inside the PSU that may store energy even when unplugged, they can give you a nasty shock if you touch the wrong item.

[mjc]

The thing I would look for, before changing the fan, is to see if any of the guards are loose, anything is rubbing, heck, even if the fan itself is loose.

[TopChip7]

umm.... ah what the heck - i cant stand the noise anymore - must be pushing out 35-45db... will leave it till i get paid on friday before giving it a go - so if all goes pair-shaped i can atleast afford to buy a new psu lol

[TopChip7]

I'll post how it goes on here in case anyone else needs to do it themselves at a later date. !!! May even take a few photo's if it all goes well !!!

[jlreich]

If I remember right this build is fairly new. Call in the warranty on the PSU. If the fans are that loud they may replace it. And you won't have to worry about getting fried. ;)

Replacing the fans will most likely void the warranty.

[saphalline]

I don't know why Antec PSU's are marketed as being "quiet". I've never found them to be quiet by any stretch of the imagination. I have, however, found them to be reliable and excellent at what they do. I recommend them for those reasons. If you want a truly quiet PSU, you'll have to buy a different one.

And no, I wouldn't recommend replacing the fans, either. Too many issues, and it's not worth it, IMO.

[jlreich]

I don't know why Antec PSU's are marketed as being "quiet". I've never found them to be quiet by any stretch of the imagination.
Really?? My TPII 550 is very quiet with it's single 120mm fan. Even when I am pushing my system. And other Antec's I have used I never thought to be particularly loud.

[saphalline]

When most new builders see "quiet", they think "silent". At least, that's my experience with people here on the forums and in person. They all think that a quiet PSU should be silent. Afterall, OEM systems achieve the same performance without making any noise, right? :p

[jlreich]

When most new builders see "quiet", they think "silent".
Yeah I guess you are right. People do tend to think it means silent.

I will say though my personal Antec is pretty darn near silent. Maybe it's because I just replaced a NB fan that was driving me crazy squeaking and rattling all the time. :p Regular fan noise has never bothered me though. But some people just hate that kind of thing...

But most Antec's I would not call "silent". Quiet maybe, but not silent. ;)

[saphalline]

Regular fan noise has never bothered me though. But some people just hate that kind of thing...Exactly! It's all relative in this matter, but I've had so many people complain about the "noise" their PC's make. :rolleyes:

I always expect to hear a rocket taking off or the tell-tale signs of a dying fan. Instead, I hear what I would call a normal PC. So I listen and listen and... nothing. Then of course the person says "can't you hear all that noise??" :p I usually respond with "sounds normal to me, but if you want a more silent PC it will cost you more". ;) :D

[Twin09]

Just a caution. Most Power supplies if not all have stored energy in them like some monitors do, even if it is unplugged! Before you lay a hand on that Power supply try draining out all the energy and then get some help. Research recomended before starting!!!

[johnny_quest]

Just a caution. Most Power supplies if not all have stored energy in them like some monitors do, even if it is unplugged! Before you lay a hand on that Power supply try draining out all the energy and then get some help. Research recomended before starting!!!

if one needs to be reminded of this, they aren't at an appropriate experience level to be poking around inside any high voltage electronics. period. its just not safe.

but, most caps will drain themselves in a matter of minutes/hours, but you can always put a dc multimeter across each large cap to be sure.

[kiosk]

if one needs to be reminded of this, they aren't at an appropriate experience level to be poking around inside any high voltage electronics. period. its just not safe.

but, most caps will drain themselves in a matter of minutes/hours, but you can always put a dc multimeter across each large cap to be sure.

Almost all modern power supplies have a 680K or 1M resistor wired right across the high voltage rail, immediately after the bridge rectifier and (usually) two HV electrolytic capacitors. This enables capacitors to discharge over a course of few minutes when mains power is absent - without this resistor, capacitors could retain their charge for up to a few hours.

If you're "going in", don't bother with the multimeter, just bridge the capacitor leads with a screwdriver blade and you're all set.

[mjc]

If you're "going in", don't bother with the multimeter, just bridge the capacitor leads with a screwdriver blade and you're all set.

Warning: Doing this can lead to a little too much excitement. There can be pops, sparks and/or other noises.

Usually nothing harmful, especially if it is not expected...