Quiet computer

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Forrest

I just replaced my power supply with a 600 watt "Ultra ATX". It had two 80
mm fans, inline ... one intake and one exhaust. It said "quiet" but it
didn't seem to match my idea of quiet. I took the top off and jig sawed a
hole in it to match the size of a 120mm fan and screwed one onto it. I
hooked it up to the internal connection and it is smooth and very quiet.
Just for a little safety measure I hooked the inside intake fan up to 5
volts, which makes it inaudible. My question has to do with the using of the
5 volts for fans by switching the wires on the Molex connectors. I have
several case fans that I also do that to. I seem to remember reading that it
can cause problems with the power supply some how. I guess that 5 volts is
close to the "no start" for a lot of fans ... not worried about that, but
how does using 5 volts relate to the PS ? The box says ( plus 5 volts - 28
amps ) The only thing that I know about the 5 V is that the motherboard
switch uses it. Thanks, Patrick
 
Forrest said:
I just replaced my power supply with a 600 watt "Ultra ATX". It had two 80
mm fans, inline ... one intake and one exhaust. It said "quiet" but it
didn't seem to match my idea of quiet. I took the top off and jig sawed a
hole in it to match the size of a 120mm fan and screwed one onto it. I
hooked it up to the internal connection and it is smooth and very quiet.
Just for a little safety measure I hooked the inside intake fan up to 5
volts, which makes it inaudible. My question has to do with the using of
the 5 volts for fans by switching the wires on the Molex connectors. I have
several case fans that I also do that to. I seem to remember reading that
it can cause problems with the power supply some how. I guess that 5 volts
is close to the "no start" for a lot of fans ... not worried about that,
but how does using 5 volts relate to the PS ? The box says ( plus 5 volts -
28 amps ) The only thing that I know about the 5 V is that the motherboard
switch uses it. Thanks, Patrick
Click to expand...

I can't comment on your power supply specifically, but I have done that with
my case. I now run 4 fans on the 5v circuit - 3 cheap 80mm and 1 zalman 92mm
fan. My, smaller power supply does not appear to be troubled at all and
nothing seems to be affected. The fans always spin up at that voltage and
the whole machine is as good as silent - the only thing you can hear (in a
silent room) is the quiet Samsung Spinpoint drive, when it 'clicks'.
 
I just replaced my power supply with a 600 watt "Ultra ATX". It had two 80
mm fans, inline ... one intake and one exhaust. It said "quiet" but it
didn't seem to match my idea of quiet.
Click to expand...

If you hadn't done what you're about to mention, I would've
suggested to simply return it, as it's overpriced,
overspec'd.
I took the top off and jig sawed a
hole in it to match the size of a 120mm fan and screwed one onto it. I
hooked it up to the internal connection and it is smooth and very quiet.
Just for a little safety measure I hooked the inside intake fan up to 5
volts, which makes it inaudible. My question has to do with the using of the
5 volts for fans by switching the wires on the Molex connectors. I have
several case fans that I also do that to. I seem to remember reading that it
can cause problems with the power supply some how. I guess that 5 volts is
close to the "no start" for a lot of fans ... not worried about that, but
how does using 5 volts relate to the PS ? The box says ( plus 5 volts - 28
amps ) The only thing that I know about the 5 V is that the motherboard
switch uses it. Thanks, Patrick
Click to expand...


Using 5V to power fans is fine, there is no concern there.
You don't have to consider what else uses 5V, as the power
consumption of a couple fans is trivial relative to any
other system load(s).

What is of concern is the presumption that having fans so
close to non-spinup voltage when new and clean, will allow
them to spin up after they're aged or becoming dust-filled.
 
kony said:
If you hadn't done what you're about to mention, I would've
suggested to simply return it, as it's overpriced,
overspec'd.



Using 5V to power fans is fine, there is no concern there.
You don't have to consider what else uses 5V, as the power
consumption of a couple fans is trivial relative to any
other system load(s).

What is of concern is the presumption that having fans so
close to non-spinup voltage when new and clean, will allow
them to spin up after they're aged or becoming dust-filled.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the reply. The power supply was a steal. Our local
electronics/computer parts outlet (Fry's Electronics) had it marked at $89
and was selling it for $59 with a $40 mail-in rebate. Good luck on getting
that .... but when ya need something ya need it. Anywhoooo ... as far as the
fans not spinning up .. with the big 120 mm sucking air out of the PS and
hooked up to the PS internal fan connection and a big Zalman's heatsink and
fan on the CPU, which runs cool, I really don't need much in the way of case
fans. I have one in the front for my secondary hard drive and two others
below that and two on the back. It's an Antec mid tower. All are wired at 5
volts and none have shone any sings of quiting. If they do go out, it would
probably be one at a time. The side of the case comes off easily and I
tinker quite often so will catch a non working fan before too long.
My origional question was about the possible problems with the use of 5
volt wiring. After thinking about it, I may have been recalling someone
saying that the wiring of fans at 7 volts might cause a problem. Does anyone
have any thoughts on that?
 
My origional question was about the possible problems with the use of 5
volt wiring. After thinking about it, I may have been recalling someone
saying that the wiring of fans at 7 volts might cause a problem. Does anyone
have any thoughts on that?
Click to expand...


Yes if your fan were to randomly short out (say for example
you decided to drill into the side of it with a metal drill
bit), then you might have the potential for overvoltage on
the 5V rail. "Usually" this is not a problem, such failures
are rare, but technically it is a higher risk than simply
"not doing it".
 
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