Power Supply Fan to Fan Speed Controller to Reduce Noise?

[Breathless]

Is this safe to do?

I have an Ultra X3 1000W that is no longer what I consider quiet now that I have it in a very quiet system. My system load would never get higher than 600W.

Obviously it voids my warranty, but do you think my power supply will have a shorter life, or even worse could just "give" if I route the fan to a fan speed controller? I will obviously not lower it to the point where it is as low as it can go.

Thanks.

[SpazBoy357]

I would hesitate to run a PSU fan at reduced speed, but that may just be me being overly cautious.

Why not just replace it? If the fan is getting noisy already, why bother slowing it down while it waits to die? Swap it out for something quiet with a good CFM and you'll be covered. If you still want to run it slower than normal, at least you know you have a solid fan to begin with.

This thread (http://www.xtremesystems.org/forums/showthread.php?t=193126) in the Air Cooling forum has some good info on fans.

[inCore]

I did a fan swap in my Corsair VX550 and it's now dead silent. The problem that you have is probably not the voltage being given to the fan. PSUs supply fans with extremely low voltages, down to 2.5 V even at times. Hence, a speed controller won't necessarily change that loudness of your fan. Also, the connector in your PSU is not the same as a normal 3-pin fan.

I'd swap fans, just have to be a little careful not to touch anything inside the PSU or it may indeed kill you. :p: Go for a Scythe Slipstream 1600 rpm version, they may not be known for being excellent coolers and thermal performers but they are known for starting at extremely low voltages. You don't need a Delta or even an S-Flex inside your PSU and neither of these will start at the given voltages from your PSU. :up: