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PC Power supply
The power supply in my home build low profile HTPC has become very noisy.
It is a Zalman ZM500-GT 500W and very good until recently. I want to replace it with a low noise job but do not want to spend more than I need to. Very few of those advertised on the Internet quote how many dbs to expect. Does anyone have any knowledge of what might be a good choice? TIA -- Mint 20.04, kernel 5.4.0-42-generic, Cinnamon 4.6.7 running on an AMD Phenom II X4 Black edition processor with 8GB of DRAM. |
PC Power supply
On 29/04/2021 16:40, pinnerite wrote:
The power supply in my home build low profile HTPC has become very noisy. It is a Zalman ZM500-GT 500W and very good until recently. I want to replace it with a low noise job but do not want to spend more than I need to. Very few of those advertised on the Internet quote how many dbs to expect. Does anyone have any knowledge of what might be a good choice? TIA look at QuietPC's website or get handy with a screwdriver and replace the fans yourself...... fans come in standard sizes..... |
PC Power supply
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PC Power supply
And don't forget all the other fans like on the processor, graphics
card, case fans and possibly the Mobo may have some too. |
PC Power supply
On 29/04/2021 16:40, pinnerite wrote:
The power supply in my home build low profile HTPC has become very noisy. It is a Zalman ZM500-GT 500W and very good until recently. I want to replace it with a low noise job but do not want to spend more than I need to. Very few of those advertised on the Internet quote how many dbs to expect. Does anyone have any knowledge of what might be a good choice? TIA Of you go for one of the more efficient ones they tend to only spin the fan at speed when pulling power close to spec's power budget. I went for Gold and can hardly hear mine. I've now had mine 2 years and it's already obsolete. They're not cheap but since I run mine 24/7 can justify the cost. |
PC Power supply
On 29/04/2021 16:40, pinnerite wrote:
The power supply in my home build low profile HTPC has become very noisy. It is a Zalman ZM500-GT 500W and very good until recently. I want to replace it with a low noise job but do not want to spend more than I need to. Very few of those advertised on the Internet quote how many dbs to expect. Does anyone have any knowledge of what might be a good choice? TIA Is that actually a standard size power supply? And have you worked out what power you actually need? |
PC Power supply
pinnerite wrote:
The power supply in my home build low profile HTPC has become very noisy. It is a Zalman ZM500-GT 500W and very good until recently. I want to replace it with a low noise job but do not want to spend more than I need to. Very few of those advertised on the Internet quote how many dbs to expect. Does anyone have any knowledge of what might be a good choice? TIA Somebody makes a fanless 700W supply, but I somehow doubt you need all that power for an HTPC. I'm showing you the first one, to show how the science has advanced. At one time, the highest for this sort of design, was around 500W. But they're past that now, by a tiny bit. https://www.newegg.com/seasonic-prim...82E16817151235 +3.3V@20A, +5V@20A, +12V@58A, , +5VSB@3A https://www.newegg.com/seasonic-prim...82E16817151233 +3.3V@20A, +5V@20A, +12V@37A, , +5VSB@3A Using a Kill-O-Watt meter, you can check your mains consumption on the HTPC, while it is performing a representative workload, and get some idea exactly what class of load this is. Maybe the thing is drawing 200W, and either supply would work. For example, my newest PC idles at 100W, and when both the GPU and the 156W CPU are engaged, it can go up to 400W. But, if I were engineering for a light-dedicated application (like running TV tuners but not transcoding), then 200W would cover it. When my video card transcodes, it only draws 60W of the 180W max. The PSUs above, like with normal PSUs, have a combined rating on the two low rails. +3.3V@20A, +5V@20A \--- 100W max ---/ That means, if the +5V rail goes to max, the 3.3V rail can't supply any current :-) In real life, it is expected neither rail goes to max, and the combined is around 50W or so. Some other PSUs, the combined rating is 130W or so, and that's the kind I buy. But then, I do want the fanless, so I have to make sure that my low-rails don't draw too much. Seasonic uses that 100W limit on some of their fan-equipped PCs, so this is "just a Seasonic thing". Because the designs are double-forward conversion, the 3.3V/5V supply is a separate card that runs off 12VDC from the main converter. Mains -+-- 12VDC --------- | | | 3.3V/5V ------- Double forward | ------- conversion | +--- 5VSB --------- Standby converter The highest low-rail load I've had, was 5V @ 25A on an Athlon system plus an AGP video card. Back in the day, they made ATX PSUs with up to 5V @ 40A for that reason. But today, 3.3V and 5V consumption is not even close to that. A clamp-on DC ammeter allows hobbyist engineering of low-power PCs (allows exact measurement of loads per rail). The Kill-O-Watt method, is a "lazy guy approximate method", to establish a load class and give a very rough ballpark of how challenging the load is. At 230V mains, the efficiency at 50% load on those is fantastic. Ballpark 95-96% (assumes most load is on +12V rail, less loading on 3.3V/5V). With double forward conversion, the PSU "looks better" if you only pull +12V from it :-) https://seasonic.com/pub/media/wysiw...s/Titanium.png Paul |
PC Power supply
"Paul" wrote in message ... pinnerite wrote: The power supply in my home build low profile HTPC has become very noisy. It is a Zalman ZM500-GT 500W and very good until recently. I want to replace it with a low noise job but do not want to spend more than I need to. Very few of those advertised on the Internet quote how many dbs to expect. Does anyone have any knowledge of what might be a good choice? TIA Somebody makes a fanless 700W supply, but I somehow doubt you need all that power for an HTPC. I'm showing you the first one, to show how the science has advanced. At one time, the highest for this sort of design, was around 500W. But they're past that now, by a tiny bit. https://www.newegg.com/seasonic-prim...82E16817151235 +3.3V@20A, +5V@20A, +12V@58A, , +5VSB@3A https://www.newegg.com/seasonic-prim...82E16817151233 +3.3V@20A, +5V@20A, +12V@37A, , +5VSB@3A Using a Kill-O-Watt meter, you can check your mains consumption on the HTPC, while it is performing a representative workload, and get some idea exactly what class of load this is. Maybe the thing is drawing 200W, and either supply would work. It's a bit more tricky than that. With my PVR which has a digital TV capture card which can do 4 multichannel streams, the PC would shut down when 4 were recording at once, but not with 3. Fixed with a beefier power supply. For example, my newest PC idles at 100W, and when both the GPU and the 156W CPU are engaged, it can go up to 400W. But, if I were engineering for a light-dedicated application (like running TV tuners but not transcoding), then 200W would cover it. When my video card transcodes, it only draws 60W of the 180W max. The PSUs above, like with normal PSUs, have a combined rating on the two low rails. +3.3V@20A, +5V@20A \--- 100W max ---/ That means, if the +5V rail goes to max, the 3.3V rail can't supply any current :-) In real life, it is expected neither rail goes to max, and the combined is around 50W or so. Some other PSUs, the combined rating is 130W or so, and that's the kind I buy. But then, I do want the fanless, so I have to make sure that my low-rails don't draw too much. Seasonic uses that 100W limit on some of their fan-equipped PCs, so this is "just a Seasonic thing". Because the designs are double-forward conversion, the 3.3V/5V supply is a separate card that runs off 12VDC from the main converter. Mains -+-- 12VDC --------- | | | 3.3V/5V ------- Double forward | ------- conversion | +--- 5VSB --------- Standby converter The highest low-rail load I've had, was 5V @ 25A on an Athlon system plus an AGP video card. Back in the day, they made ATX PSUs with up to 5V @ 40A for that reason. But today, 3.3V and 5V consumption is not even close to that. A clamp-on DC ammeter allows hobbyist engineering of low-power PCs (allows exact measurement of loads per rail). The Kill-O-Watt method, is a "lazy guy approximate method", to establish a load class and give a very rough ballpark of how challenging the load is. At 230V mains, the efficiency at 50% load on those is fantastic. Ballpark 95-96% (assumes most load is on +12V rail, less loading on 3.3V/5V). With double forward conversion, the PSU "looks better" if you only pull +12V from it :-) https://seasonic.com/pub/media/wysiw...s/Titanium.png |
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Speed, the auto-contradicting senile sociopath, blabbered, again: FLUSH the trolling senile asshole's latest troll**** unread -- Archibald Tarquin Blenkinsopp addressing Rodent Speed: "You really are a clueless pillock." MID: |
PC Power supply
Yes my last pc had a fan on the graphics card that squeaked. Not very nice.
Weirdly, if you laid the pc on its side it stopped. It did respond to, believe it or not to a tiny drop of 3 in one oil! Brian -- This newsgroup posting comes to you directly from... The Sofa of Brian Gaff... Blind user, so no pictures please Note this Signature is meaningless.! "SH" wrote in message ... And don't forget all the other fans like on the processor, graphics card, case fans and possibly the Mobo may have some too. |
PC Power supply
In article ,
SH wrote: And don't forget all the other fans like on the processor, graphics card, case fans and possibly the Mobo may have some too. Quite. A standard PS has likely the quietest one of the lot. -- *HOW IS IT POSSIBLE TO HAVE A CIVIL WAR? Dave Plowman London SW To e-mail, change noise into sound. |
PC Power supply
On 29/04/2021 16:40, pinnerite wrote:
The power supply in my home build low profile HTPC has become very noisy. It is a Zalman ZM500-GT 500W and very good until recently. I want to replace it with a low noise job but do not want to spend more than I need to. Very few of those advertised on the Internet quote how many dbs to expect. Does anyone have any knowledge of what might be a good choice? Any that say they are quiet will probably be fine. Depending on just how noisy the bearings have become you might be able to ameliorate it with some silicone washers on the fixings. That is what I did to effectively silence my own PC which from new as built had a slightly annoying fan hum that made the case resonate. It is now effectively silent after adding four soft silicone washers. If you are feeling brave you could probably replace the fan in the current unit even though officially there are no user serviceable parts in them. To bench test a PSU check for the instructions online. I have had one PC PSU where the magic smoke followed by sparks came out whilst it was in use. I switched the PC off PDQ. Smoke smelt foul. -- Regards, Martin Brown |
PC Power supply
On Thu, 29 Apr 2021 16:23:09 -0400, Paul
wrote: snip For example, my newest PC idles at 100W, Ouch! and when both the GPU and the 156W CPU are engaged, it can go up to 400W. Nice room heater. ;-) But, if I were engineering for a light-dedicated application (like running TV tuners but not transcoding), then 200W would cover it. The (passive / silent) TVHeadend server I built draws around 12W idle and a bit more when running all (USB) 4 tuners? I think the RPi2B OMV NAS with a 3TB USB drive is less than 8W. The Synology NAS was quite low as well. My WHS with 4 laptop drives around 20W and my new Odroid Home Assistant server is supposed to be just over 2W. ;-) I think this MacMini was about 18W and the ITX box I built to replace it about the same. I've not used the Buffalo Terastation NAS's a mate gave me as even the empty chassis (4 x RAID slots) runs at about 36W, the same power consumption as the mini freezer we have just bought. ;-) https://ibb.co/qB893nT (Not sure what the spikes are)? https://ibb.co/VV8m3Vj (I think the dropouts in the graph are because the ESP32 used to monitor the temperature has marginal WiFi signal. I am probably going to move the ESP32 nearer the AP and add two more sensors (to the same ESP32) to monitor the fridge and main freezer). That is the free air temperature of the inside of the freezer taken using a One Wire digital temperature sensor - DS18B20. Cheers, T i m |
PC Power supply
On 30/04/2021 11:20, Dave Plowman (News) wrote:
In article , SH wrote: And don't forget all the other fans like on the processor, graphics card, case fans and possibly the Mobo may have some too. Quite. A standard PS has likely the quietest one of the lot. But may not fit in his low-profile setup. You need a dedicated PS for those systems. |
PC Power supply
On 30/04/2021 07:37, Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote:
Yes my last pc had a fan on the graphics card that squeaked. Not very nice. Weirdly, if you laid the pc on its side it stopped. It did respond to, believe it or not to a tiny drop of 3 in one oil! The first PC "desktop" tower I bought (a Tiny) made an awful racket when I turned it on. I was resigned to it until I discovered that there was a stray cable fouling one of the fans. -- Max Demian |
PC Power supply
On Thu, 29 Apr 2021 16:49:58 +0100, SH wrote:
On 29/04/2021 16:40, pinnerite wrote: The power supply in my home build low profile HTPC has become very noisy. It is a Zalman ZM500-GT 500W and very good until recently. I want to replace it with a low noise job but do not want to spend more than I need to. Very few of those advertised on the Internet quote how many dbs to expect. Does anyone have any knowledge of what might be a good choice? look at QuietPC's website or get handy with a screwdriver and replace the fans yourself...... fans come in standard sizes..... When I want to upgrade my selfbuild PC I start with QuietPC. Don't necessarily buy from them though. |
PC Power supply
Martin Brown wrote:
If you are feeling brave you could probably replace the fan in the current unit even though officially there are no user serviceable parts in them. To bench test a PSU check for the instructions online. You will find a square fan inside. The fan will be of conventional design. The outer dimensions are industry standards, like 80mm, 120mm, 140mm. The thickness would be 15mm (slim), 25mm (normal), 35mm (deep). The added depth (the 35mm one) is only when huge CFM numbers are expected, like designing a vacuum cleaner or something. Fan classes are low, medium, high, ultra. Low and medium are typically used for general computer tasks. Medium would be a choice for the rear cooling fan on a PC (roughly 35CFM say). The connector within the PSU, for the fan, can be similar to a PC fan header. And you can disconnect the fan cable from the PSU PCB relatively easily, without touching any HV circuits in the PSU. A replacement can be done, assuming you can match the fan with a suitable replacement. Even the current consumption value of the fan printed on its hub (150mA) may hint at what class it is. For example, I have a 120x120x35mm fan that runs at 12V @ 1000mA, and it moves 110CFM and you cannot put up with that noise for more than a few seconds. It would be considered an "Ultra", but that isn't printed anywhere on the labeling. And at 35mm deep, there is no way that would fit inside any PSU. On ATX PSUs, there is usually a sticker over one of the four screws in the lid, labeled "warranty void if removed". Usually when a fan needs replacement, you're outside the warranty, and removing the screws is then not such a big deal. On some PSUs, the warranty is worthless (such as when all company representatives leave the country, and the chances of making a warranty claim are slim). Paul |
PC Power supply
On 01/05/2021 03:09, Paul wrote:
Martin Brown wrote: If you are feeling brave you could probably replace the fan in the current unit even though officially there are no user serviceable parts in them. To bench test a PSU check for the instructions online. You will find a square fan inside. The fan will be of conventional design. The outer dimensions are industry standards, like 80mm, 120mm, 140mm. The thickness would be 15mm (slim), 25mm (normal), 35mm (deep). The added depth (the 35mm one) is only when huge CFM numbers are expected, like designing a vacuum cleaner or something. Fan classes are low, medium, high, ultra. Low and medium are typically used for general computer tasks. Medium would be a choice for the rear cooling fan on a PC (roughly 35CFM say). The connector within the PSU, for the fan, can be similar to a PC fan header. And you can disconnect the fan cable from the PSU PCB relatively easily, without touching any HV circuits in the PSU. A replacement can be done, assuming you can match the fan with a suitable replacement. Even the current consumption value of the fan printed on its hub (150mA) may hint at what class it is. For example, I have a 120x120x35mm fan that runs at 12V @ 1000mA, and it moves 110CFM and you cannot put up with that noise for more than a few seconds. It would be considered an "Ultra", but that isn't printed anywhere on the labeling. And at 35mm deep, there is no way that would fit inside any PSU. On ATX PSUs, there is usually a sticker over one of the four screws in the lid, labeled "warranty void if removed". Usually when a fan needs replacement, you're outside the warranty, and removing the screws is then not such a big deal. On some PSUs, the warranty is worthless (such as when all company representatives leave the country, and the chances of making a warranty claim are slim). Â* Paul If you need to replace the fan, the easiest replacement is a similar-sized case fan with its lead brought out through the exit for the other PSU cables. The plug the fan into one of the PSU's other cable's connector. These fans are fairly easy to life-extend. If the fan lives in the vertical plane, then just unscrew it and remounted with a 90 degree twist. Also, you can pull off the small label at the centre of the fan. Under the label there's a flush seal to be levered out. Then drop in some 3-in-1 oil, pause for a minute then rotate the fan by hand. If it turns easily then power the fan and let it run for a while under power. PA (aka Scrooge) |
PC Power supply
On 30/04/2021 14:17, Max Demian wrote:
On 30/04/2021 07:37, Brian Gaff (Sofa) wrote: Yes my last pc had a fan on the graphics card that squeaked. Not very nice. Weirdly, if you laid the pc on its side it stopped. Â* It did respond to, believe it or not to a tiny drop of 3 in one oil! The first PC "desktop" tower I bought (a Tiny) made an awful racket when I turned it on. I was resigned to it ... That's funny. A lot of customers were resigned to their purchase of a Tiny computer system for various reasons, their name popularly got the reverse acronym "Tough, It's Now Yours" -- Adrian C |
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