Is it dangerous to change the fan on a PSU?

Not sure about that PSU specifically, but as a general safety tip, let the PSU discharge for 24hours before you work on it - the caps can hold a lethal charge for quite some time.

In many PSUs you can replace the fan as you would a case fan, although you may have to join the wires directly instead of plugging them in.
 
jimmybates said:
I have a gamexstream 600w and its a little bit loud, I was wondering if its difficult or dangerous to change the fan inside to a quiet one?
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Wellll...... PC PSU's are not decoupled from the mains which means there is a possibility of death if you don't know what you are doing. Remember mains voltage (in the UK) is over 600V peak to peak...

If you know what you are doing then you will be fine. I've done it loads of times on cheap crappy PSU's as they often sound like a jet engine. I've even made one passive but that was a PITA tbh.

If the fan doesn't shift enough air and the PSU overheats, this won't be a problem with a good PSU, as it should shut itself down. I've never had this happen tho so don't take my word as gospel.
 
The inside of a PSU is a scary place. I looked inside one once many years ago, and gut instinct told me that wasn't a place I wanted to be poking screwdrivers around! :eek:

Personally, I'd steer well clear.
 
Not a death trap at all if you follow the advice people have been giving you here. Like anything, if you know what you are doing you will be fine.
 
Monkeynut said:
Really? How?
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1) unsolder all the heatsink semiconductors
2) bolt the semiconductors to a huge passive heatsink
3) solder thick extension cables between the PCB and semiconductors
4) turn on with a long pole :eek: ;)

Mine worked, it was for a passive rig I built. I do have previous electrical experience, fixing hifi amps and things tho, which helps.

To the OP, if I were you, take out the gamexstream and replace with a Seasonic or Tagan 380W or 480W. 600W is pointless unless you are running some crazy SLI setup. Seasonics are very quiet, I can only hear mine if I put my ear up against it. :cool:

EDIT: If you really want to try it and are happy with a bit of soldering, test out the modded PSU with an OLD worthless motherboard first, then also test it under load, you can use car bulbs to load the 12v rail.

EDIT2: Another option would be to have a resistor in series with the fan, this way you can keep the original fan in there, it would just spin slower.
 
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i got electrocuted by an open psu once, was just trying to open the case. came with a really small pc. made my arm jolt but nothing particularly painful

i bet they vary though
 
When words like "death" are mentioned I think I'd save my pennies for a replacement rather than fart around. If you've had to ask it obviously means you're not an expert and PSU have never been user-serviceable.

Electrocution hurts, believe me.
 
As theheyes says the fact that you are asking suggests to me that it is less than ideal for you to be messing about inside a PSU. It is quite possible to replace the fans in a PSU but if you don't know what you are doing then I certainly wouldn't suggest it.
 
Devil_Spawn said:
i got electrocuted by an open psu once, was just trying to open the case. came with a really small pc. made my arm jolt but nothing particularly painful

i bet they vary though
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I’ve never had a mains shock worse than that tbh, once opened an antec psu to take some test measurements while it was connected to the mains and somehow touched the live lead out and it made my arm buzz. Did it again last week while I was fitting a silent fan to my HTPC psu, gave the same sensation.

Once When I was testing out my home made valve amp I accidently put my hand on the B+ output of the mains transformer, made my chest tense up and heart race a bit but I guess 900v+ ac volts would do that.

Think I need to start taking more precautions when working with high votages.


Edit: oh btw jimmyb, there is a known issue with some gamexstream psu’s which causes the fan to run at full speed. OCZ will happily replace the psu if yours is suffering from the same issue.
 
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It's quite safe IF you follow the precautions - basically leave it switched off and unplugged for a day or so. Rubber gloves/shoes/Spaceman etc. are not required. Do the work while someone else is about, so they can call an ambulance if required.
 
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