PSU Fan failed! is it worth fixing?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Cookie
  • Start date Start date
Seasonic

FSP-Group/Sparkle/Fortron
ANTEC
ThermalTake
Enermax
Click to expand...

Re-ordered as above.
Last two are notorious for relabelling min-bid-anything.

Seasonic & FSP-Group/Sparkle/Forton make their PSUs, rest rebadge etc.
o Antec tend to specify higher than most -- Seasonic or FSP may make them
---- sometimes that can go a little awry re min-rail requirements etc
---- ATX specs are quite clear, but sometimes interpretation is wrong
o Lowest end generics make their own -- often badly
o Low priced main brand can be quite fine -- simply end of line
---- example being the really cheap 250W FSP-Group years back
---- simply end of line, but quite fine solid performers for P3 systems

Low end Seasonic are not very good, but higher end ones are ok.
It varies per PSU in some instances, so use a little care in choosing.

Worth considering a PSU with SATA connectors on vs adapters,
although the adapter route can allow latching-SATA plugs to be used.
 
Dorothy said:
Many motherboards now use only +12V directly :-)
Click to expand...

Can you point out a fairly contemporary one that does? I see the +12V
being used directly only for the bus slots and not even for the RS-232
serial ports. Everything else has the +12V regulated down to its
voltage level.
 
Cookie said:
I opened up psu and the outer spindle of the fan is cracked and
the magnetic motor was messy, I cleaned the motor but still there
was resistance.
Click to expand...

There'll be some resistance because of the magnetism, but a cracked fan
is unacceptable and has to be replaced. Are you sure that's a crack
and not a molding mark? I haven't see small fans crack unless they
were made of hard plastic (many clear ones are).
I showed him these threads and he's wanting a new PSU

Told him to go for..

ANTEC
ThermalTake
Enermax
Seasonic
Click to expand...

Thermaltake uses more than one supplier, and in the past they weren't
particularly good. Fortron is better (several brands, most model
numbers start with "FSP) is better than Thermatake, at least equal to
the other brnads, and usually cheaper than any of them.
 
No serial numbers? Then buy new identical Jeantech, swap old one for
it, and return old one as the new one. Honesty may be the best policy,
but honest dealers don't sell Jeantech.
Click to expand...
Ha! I did this with a barebones case into which I'd fitted the guts of
an older PC (mainly to fix a PSU problem) - after 3 weeks the new PSU in
the case went bang and no way was I going to disassemble the PC to send
back the case + PSU, so I bought a new case, swapped over PSUs and sent
the new case with duff PSU back for a DOA refund.

I felt this was a reasonable thing to do because having just the PSU
replaced was looking complicated and I didn't gain anything I shouldn't
have.
 
There'll be some resistance because of the magnetism, but a cracked fan
is unacceptable and has to be replaced. Are you sure that's a crack
and not a molding mark? I haven't see small fans crack unless they
were made of hard plastic (many clear ones are).
Click to expand...

more resistance than usual and not smooth.
def a crack its not a straight line (far from it)
its a big fan underneath psu about 10cm and clear plastic.

ive taken onboard all comments

thanks guys n gals ;-)
 
and many motherboards now use only +3.3V directly
Everything else has the +12V regulated down to its voltage level.
Click to expand...

Oops - miss-read "directly"...
o Yes -- most only use the 3.3V *rail* directly
o Yes -- most only use the 12V *rail* indirectly via regulators

The 3.3V rail is remotely sensed - that it drops to 2.75V after
a while - then the PC powers down & beeps is a concern.

If the PSU regulates 5V 12V rails by multiples of the 3.3V rail
then the 5V 12V rails may drop outside specification (despite
it being widened in the recent revisions to the ATX specs).

If the fan is replaced, PC repowered, monitor rail voltages.
 
Try applying alcohol the switch and sliding it back and forth several
times, in case it's contacts are dirty. Of course do this only with
the power cord unplugged, and wait a half hour for the alcohol to
evaporate completely before reapplying powre.
Click to expand...
A waste of time, probably. You should use a proper switch cleaner. It comes
in an aerosol, and is made by Servisol.
Do either of you know how to make good electrical connections (not
"twist the wires" and cover them with tape"), and how much is a new
fan?
Click to expand...
"You twist the wires"; solder them, leaving a little solder-free bit near
the insulation; "then cover with tape": a perfectly acceptable and reliable
electrical connection.

Sylvain.
 
"then cover with tape": a perfectly acceptable
and reliable electrical connection.
Click to expand...

No - unless the electrical insulation tape is self
amalgamating it will unwind over time due to heat.

Use heatshrink, 2:1 or 3:1 in 3.2mm/0.125-inch.
 
Sylvain said:
A waste of time, probably. You should use a proper switch cleaner. It comes
in an aerosol, and is made by Servisol.
Click to expand...

Only because the switch is probably OK, not because alcohol is
ineffective for cleaning contacts. Or maybe Servisol isopropyl spray
alcohol is a waste of time. I don't keep up with brands, but this is
the first I've heard of Servisol. The ones I'm familiar with are Caig,
Rawn, Chemtronics, CRC, and MG Chemicals.
"You twist the wires"; solder them, leaving a little solder-free bit near
the insulation; "then cover with tape": a perfectly acceptable and reliable
electrical connection.
Click to expand...

Not the way most people wrap the tape. A small wire nut or some heat
shrink tubing is better and safer, but why would anyone who can solder
make a twist connection like that anyway? It's better to solder the
new wires directly to the PC board.
 
Cookie said:
I opened up psu and the outer spindle of the fan is cracked and
the magnetic motor was messy, I cleaned the motor but still there
was resistance.

the fan has got extra wires for the automatic speed feature, so standard
fan wont do or not worth the hassle.
bin job!
Click to expand...

Extra wires? I.e., not one extra wire but at least 2? There are
motherboard fans like that, but I've never seen a PSU with more than 3
wires, the first 2 being connected to the PSU, the third being a
tachometer signal connected to an external plug for the motherboard.
There's no automatic speed feature, just variable voltage fed to the
fan to make it go slow or fast.
 
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