What are the consequences of using a power supply with dying fan?

[Guest]

What are the symptoms of a power supply with a dying fan?

Will the temperature of the CPU go up?

Will the voltages on the motherboard start to fluctuate?

What else could happen?

 

[philo]

What are the symptoms of a power supply with a dying fan?

Will the temperature of the CPU go up?

Will the voltages on the motherboard start to fluctuate?

What else could happen?

The powersupply will die for sure...
maybe take out something else...
replace the fan!

 

[Rod Speed]

(e-mail address removed) wrote

What are the symptoms of a power supply with a dying fan?

The power supply fan isnt rotating at the correct speed.

Will the temperature of the CPU go up?

Not usually unless thats the only fan that moves air from inside the case to outside.

Will the voltages on the motherboard start to fluctuate?
Nope.

What else could happen?

The power supply can die when it isnt getting adequate cooling
and that can kill stuff powered by it if its badly designed.

 

[Ken]

(e-mail address removed) wrote


The power supply fan isnt rotating at the correct speed.


Not usually unless thats the only fan that moves air from inside the case to outside.


Nope.

Ever heard of "Thermal runaway?" If the PS is supplying the voltages
to the MB and the PS gets too hot, please explain why this will not happen.

 

[DaveW]

The PSU WOULD overheat, short out, and quite possibly fry the motherboard
during it's death.

 

[JAD]

What are the symptoms of a power supply with a dying fan?

Will the temperature of the CPU go up?

Will the voltages on the motherboard start to fluctuate?

What else could happen?

almost the same thing as running your car with no fan cooling the fluid. Cook baby cook
until you can least afford a catastrophic failure, then poof!

 

[Rod Speed]

Rod Speed wrote

Ever heard of "Thermal runaway?"

Doesnt happen with power supplys.

If the PS is supplying the voltages to the MB and the PS gets too hot, please explain why this
will not happen.

Because the ATX specs say that if the output rails go out of limits, an
entirely separate system is supposed to shut the power supply down.

 

[Rod Speed]

The PSU WOULD overheat, short out,

Not necessarily, I have seen plenty just get noticeably
hot when the fan isnt even rotating anymore.

 

[kony]

What are the symptoms of a power supply with a dying fan?

Is this a trick question?

Fan isn't spinning, or spinning noticable slower, or getting
noisey like a vibration sort of sound.

Will the temperature of the CPU go up?

Depends on whether your case cooling depends much on the PSU
for moving air around the CPU. In a good configuration for
a higher-powered/performance system, the CPU wouldn't get
much hotter but in some it would.

Will the voltages on the motherboard start to fluctuate?

If the PSU was getting terribly hot, maybe. If it's that
bad, you may have permanent stress to the PSU and should
replace it.

What else could happen?

PSU goes up in smoke, components fried, fire, system won't
turn on next time you try it, etc.

It should be pretty obvious, either the fan is operating
smoothly as always or it isn't.

 

[John Doe]

What are the symptoms of a power supply with a dying fan?

Will the temperature of the CPU go up?

Will the voltages on the motherboard start to fluctuate?

What else could happen?

The fumes cause you to cross post silly questions.

 

[Ken]

Doesnt happen with power supplys.

Dear Rod Speed,

I have good news and bad news. First the good I commend you for
trying to help posters seeking help, although sometimes I think your
choice of words and tone could be less insulting.

Now the bad I suggest you investigate your comment regarding
Thermal Runaway having no effect on power supplies. One of us got
cheated in our electronics schooling and experience. If on the other
hand you have some literature to support your theory, PLEASE post it as
I have always been eager to learn about electronic in my 40+ years of
practice. I readily admit there is much I do not know, and the field
changes daily. Also, I am sure that NASA, other government agencies,
and even the makers of power supplies would be appreciative to know that
heat is not a problem and they could forgo the cooling fans and heat
shielding they install. Just think, the gold being put on satellites to
reflect sunlight could also be eliminated.

I look forward to your reply.

 

[Ken]

Doesnt happen with power supplys.

Dear Rod Speed,

I have good news and bad news. First the good I commend you
for trying to help posters seeking help, although sometimes I think your
choice of words and tone could be less insulting.

Now the bad I suggest you investigate your comment regarding
Thermal Runaway having no effect on power supplies. One of us got
cheated in our electronics schooling and experience. If on the other
hand you have some literature to support your theory, PLEASE post it as
I have always been eager to learn about electronics in my 40+ years of
practice. I readily admit there is much I do not know, and the field
changes daily. Also, I am sure that NASA, other government agencies,
and even the makers of power supplies would be appreciative to know that
heat is not a problem and they could forgo the cooling fans and heat
shielding they install. Just think, the gold being put on satellites to
reflect sunlight could also be eliminated.

I look forward to your reply.

 

[kony]

Not necessarily, I have seen plenty just get noticeably
hot when the fan isnt even rotating anymore.

Depends on how hot and for how long. Sooner or later it
will kill it, unless there was quite a bit of passive
airflow from a chassis positive or negative pressurization
independent of the PSU fan, or the PSU was loafing along
running at a small fraction of it's capabilities (even then,
it is a potential problem, no modern systems are so light on
power unless built to be so from the ground up).

No matter what else happens it is a safe bet the PSU have
substantially accelerated aging from running like that more
than a few moments (while previously cold at initial system
turn-on from an extended off state).

 

[Guest]

Is this a trick question?

Fan isn't spinning, or spinning noticable slower, or getting
noisey like a vibration sort of sound.


Depends on whether your case cooling depends much on the PSU
for moving air around the CPU. In a good configuration for
a higher-powered/performance system, the CPU wouldn't get
much hotter but in some it would.




If the PSU was getting terribly hot, maybe. If it's that
bad, you may have permanent stress to the PSU and should
replace it.




PSU goes up in smoke, components fried, fire, system won't
turn on next time you try it, etc.

It should be pretty obvious, either the fan is operating
smoothly as always or it isn't.

I just wanted to make sure it is OK to continue using the computer
while I decide on a replacement PSU and wait for it to arrive. Since
my CPU has a fan on it, and I also have 4 case fans, I wasn't sure if
the PSU fan was that important or not. Also, the motherboard
monitoring software reports the CPU temperature as well as voltages,
so that's why I asked those questions.

The fan seems to be spinning OK though, even though it is making loud
noises (sounds like it is struggling to spin). Disappointing, as the
PSU is a Fortron Source (FSP400-60PFN), and I had read a lot of
positive comments on that brand. And it is only one year old (and
actually had started to make noises several months ago, but they were
off and on, and now the noises are pretty much constant).

 

[JAD]

I just wanted to make sure it is OK to continue using the computer
while I decide on a replacement PSU and wait for it to arrive. Since
my CPU has a fan on it, and I also have 4 case fans, I wasn't sure if
the PSU fan was that important or not. Also, the motherboard
monitoring software reports the CPU temperature as well as voltages,
so that's why I asked those questions.

The fan seems to be spinning OK though, even though it is making loud
noises (sounds like it is struggling to spin). Disappointing, as the
PSU is a Fortron Source (FSP400-60PFN), and I had read a lot of
positive comments on that brand. And it is only one year old (and
actually had started to make noises several months ago, but they were
off and on, and now the noises are pretty much constant).

you have blown it out with compressed air?
the fan blades are clean?
fortron is a good brand I'm a little surprised also. 1 year ...goes to show you...still a
crap shot when it comes to PSU's

 

[Rod Speed]

Rod Speed wrote

Dear Rod Speed,

Cheap gutless,

I have good news and bad news.

Nope, just puerile silly shit.

First the good news: I commend you for trying to help posters seeking help,

You have always been, and always will be, completely and utterly
irrelevant. What you may or may not 'commend' in spades.

although sometimes I think your choice of words and tone could be less insulting.

You have always been, and always will be, completely and
utterly irrelevant. What you may or may not 'think' in spades.

Now the bad news:

Nope, just more pig ignorant silly shit.

I suggest you investigate your comment regarding Thermal Runaway having no effect on power
supplies.

I order you to take your suggestion and shove it where the sun dont shine.

And I didnt say that it has no effect on power supplys anyway.

One of us got cheated in our electronics schooling and experience.

Just how many of you are there between those ears ?

If on the other hand you have some literature to support your theory, PLEASE post it

YOU made the claim.

YOU get to do the posting.

THATS how it works.

as I have always been eager to learn about electronics in my 40+ years of practice.

Mine is even longer thanks.

I readily admit there is much I do not know, and the field changes daily. Also, I am sure that
NASA, other government agencies, and even the makers of power supplies would be appreciative to
know that heat is not a problem and they could forgo the cooling fans and heat shielding they
install.

Have fun explaining all those PC power supplys that
dont exhibit thermal runaway when the fan dies.

There might just be a reason why they dont.

Just think, the gold being put on satellites to reflect sunlight could also be eliminated.

Completely and utterly irrelevant to PC power
supplys, you pathetic excuse for a bullshit artist.

I look forward to your reply.

You're always welcome to look anywhere you like.

 

[Rod Speed]

Depends on how hot and for how long.

Must be one of those rocket scientist pathetic excuses for a bullshit artist.

Sooner or later it will kill it,

Have fun explaining the ones I have seen that carry on regardless for years,
because the user didnt even notice and I did when I did some work on it.

unless there was quite a bit of passive airflow from a chassis positive
or negative pressurization independent of the PSU fan, or the PSU
was loafing along running at a small fraction of it's capabilities

Or it was an older system which has no fans except
in the power supply and the cpu and which carrys on
fine essentially because the load isnt anything too dramatic.

(even then, it is a potential problem, no modern systems are
so light on power unless built to be so from the ground up).

You dont know that his is a 'modern system'

No matter what else happens it is a safe bet the PSU have
substantially accelerated aging from running like that more
than a few moments (while previously cold at initial system
turn-on from an extended off state).

Have fun explaining the ones I have seen that carry on regardless for years,
because the user didnt even notice and I did when I did some work on it.

 

[Ken]

Cheap gutless,


Nope, just puerile silly shit.


You have always been, and always will be, completely and utterly
irrelevant. What you may or may not 'commend' in spades.


You have always been, and always will be, completely and
utterly irrelevant. What you may or may not 'think' in spades.


Nope, just more pig ignorant silly shit.


I order you to take your suggestion and shove it where the sun dont shine.

And I didnt say that it has no effect on power supplys anyway.


Just how many of you are there between those ears ?


YOU made the claim.

YOU get to do the posting.

THATS how it works.


Mine is even longer thanks.


Have fun explaining all those PC power supplys that
dont exhibit thermal runaway when the fan dies.

There might just be a reason why they dont.


Completely and utterly irrelevant to PC power
supplys, you pathetic excuse for a bullshit artist.


You're always welcome to look anywhere you like.

Well I guess we know who got cheated in our electronics schooling and
experience!!! Less time spent in Vulgarity 101 and more in Fundamental
Electronics would have been wise. I notice you slammed others who
challenged your theory on the effects of heat on semiconductors.

 

[Rod Speed]

Rod Speed wrote

Well I guess we know who got cheated in our electronics schooling and experience!!!

Just how many of you are there between those ears, gutless ?

Less time spent in Vulgarity 101 and more in
Fundamental Electronics would have been wise.

You should have taken Bullshitting 101, gutless.

I notice you slammed others who challenged your theory on the effects of heat on semiconductors.

Only one particular gutless fool that cant manage to
grasp that not all power supplys die when the fan fails.

The ATX specs REQUIRE that there is an independant system that
monitors the output rails and shuts down the supply if they go out of
spec, and that and the power supplys that shut down when the fan
fails is the reason you dont see thermal runaway in PC power supplys.

 

[kony]

Must be one of those rocket scientist pathetic excuses for a bullshit artist.


Have fun explaining the ones I have seen that carry on regardless for years,
because the user didnt even notice and I did when I did some work on it.

So did the power supply hop out of the case, waltz over the
the calendar and mark the date it decided to quit using it's
fan, so you'd have some reasonable guess that it had "carry
on regardless for years"?

Hardly, for all we know the fan had just failed and the
system suddenly went down, so they called you.

Weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee, that was fun.