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Fixing a loud PSU fan without dying

chameth.com

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Re: Fixing a loud PSU fan without dying

#2
A new semi-passive 850-watt fully modular PSU is around EUR 130, the Noctua fan around EUR 30.

I guess if you know electronics and how to safely handle the PSU internals, the risk of injury is low, but I personally would not risk it for EUR 100.

Also, if the only problem was the noisy fan, I guess selling it used would have returned most of the investment, leaving him with like EUR 50 in added cost. Compared to the price of a modern gaming PC, that's nothing (also avoiding not risking your life).

Re: Fixing a loud PSU fan without dying

#3
An important side note is that Cooler Master’s “10-year Warranty” is garbage:

> I looked at Cooler Master’s warranty, and for issues within the first two years you have to deal with the retailer. That would be Amazon in my case. So I looked at Amazon’s information on warranty issues. Their policy is that if it’s more than 30 days since purchase, you have to send it off to a third-party repair center and wait for them to diagnose and try to repair it. Here’s the kicker: Usually repairs take up to 20 business days (including delivery time), but could take slightly longer

Everyone knows electronic devices tend to die early or last forever. Cooler Master and Amazon are working a shitty dodge here, and I bet they avoid most DOA warranty claims because of it.

Re: Fixing a loud PSU fan without dying

#4
post #2

A new semi-passive 850-watt fully modular PSU is around EUR 130, the Noctua fan around EUR 30. I guess if you know electronics and how to safely handle the PSU internals, the risk of injury is low, but I personally would not risk it for EUR 100. Also, if the only problem was the noisy fan, I guess selling it used would have returned most of the investment, leaving him with like EUR 50 in added cost. Compared to the p…

C grade high school physics understanding makes the risk exactly zero. Selling defective stuff without declaring is bad mojo, with declaring it just delegates the pain in the bum to someone else..

Re: Fixing a loud PSU fan without dying

#5
post #2

A new semi-passive 850-watt fully modular PSU is around EUR 130, the Noctua fan around EUR 30. I guess if you know electronics and how to safely handle the PSU internals, the risk of injury is low, but I personally would not risk it for EUR 100. Also, if the only problem was the noisy fan, I guess selling it used would have returned most of the investment, leaving him with like EUR 50 in added cost. Compared to the p…

I will put hundreds of dollars in Noctua fans into a second-hand chassis without thinking twice.

It's sometimes uneconomical from a cost-ratio perspective, but it is crucial to making datacenter-grade equipment actually useable at home.

Re: Fixing a loud PSU fan without dying

#6
post #2

A new semi-passive 850-watt fully modular PSU is around EUR 130, the Noctua fan around EUR 30. I guess if you know electronics and how to safely handle the PSU internals, the risk of injury is low, but I personally would not risk it for EUR 100. Also, if the only problem was the noisy fan, I guess selling it used would have returned most of the investment, leaving him with like EUR 50 in added cost. Compared to the p…

Hilarious to read this on "hacker news" - replacing a standard fan is too dangerous! This is not styropyro.

Re: Fixing a loud PSU fan without dying

#7

An important side note is that Cooler Master’s “10-year Warranty” is garbage: > I looked at Cooler Master’s warranty, and for issues within the first two years you have to deal with the retailer. That would be Amazon in my case. So I looked at Amazon’s information on warranty issues. Their policy is that if it’s more than 30 days since purchase, you have to send it off to a third-party repair center and wait for them…

I ran into this same setup with a microwave that failed in a few months after purchase and Walmart.

Tried to deal with the manufacturer, but they couldn’t help and sent me to the retailer.

Went to the store, popped it up on the counter, had a short conversation and got the expected “you have to deal with the manufacturer”.

Is there anything else I can help you with today?

Actually yes. Can you throw that out for me?

The confusion on the guy’s face was great.

Spent more than enough time on the $100 microwave. Their problem now.

Re: Fixing a loud PSU fan without dying

#8
post #4
post #2

A new semi-passive 850-watt fully modular PSU is around EUR 130, the Noctua fan around EUR 30. I guess if you know electronics and how to safely handle the PSU internals, the risk of injury is low, but I personally would not risk it for EUR 100. Also, if the only problem was the noisy fan, I guess selling it used would have returned most of the investment, leaving him with like EUR 50 in added cost. Compared to the p…

C grade high school physics understanding makes the risk exactly zero. Selling defective stuff without declaring is bad mojo, with declaring it just delegates the pain in the bum to someone else..

I’ve been tearing things open after ignoring the “dangerous if opened” stickers since I was 8 years old. I’m in my 30s, you’d think something would have caused me harm by now, but no.

Re: Fixing a loud PSU fan without dying

#9
post #5
post #2

A new semi-passive 850-watt fully modular PSU is around EUR 130, the Noctua fan around EUR 30. I guess if you know electronics and how to safely handle the PSU internals, the risk of injury is low, but I personally would not risk it for EUR 100. Also, if the only problem was the noisy fan, I guess selling it used would have returned most of the investment, leaving him with like EUR 50 in added cost. Compared to the p…

I will put hundreds of dollars in Noctua fans into a second-hand chassis without thinking twice. It's sometimes uneconomical from a cost-ratio perspective, but it is crucial to making datacenter-grade equipment actually useable at home.

If you need pretty good fans for cheap as dirt, there is also Arctic Cooling.

Re: Fixing a loud PSU fan without dying

#10
post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I will put hundreds of dollars in Noctua fans into a second-hand chassis without thinking twice. It's sometimes uneconomical from a cost-ratio perspective, but it is crucial to making datacenter-grade equipment actually useable at home.

If you need pretty good fans for cheap as dirt, there is also Arctic Cooling.

They just never last. Arctic fans perform really well especially for their price but they all seem to develop problems. I have probably bought about 15 different Arctic fans from the F and P range and none of them survived 5 years, most were dead or developed noise within 1-2 years. Noctua on the other hand the old 80mm fan from the early 2000s still works just fine and remains quiet. Noctua fans are crazy reliable, they cost more too but I would suspect over the life of the fan they end up similar priced or cheaper.
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