Which way round should i install my PSU?

dubcat

dubcat

dubcat

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Hi - this may end up being the first of many questions. Apologies in advance.

Should i install the PSU in my case (coolermaster storm sniper) with the fan up or down? The case does have vents under the psu but there is no dust filter. Also all of the photo's i have seen on the web show the fan on the psu pointing up.

Could someone point me in the right direction?

Thanks,
Dub
 
Install it one way up, check temps over a few days, then change it, check temps again. Whatever gives you the lower temps in your case I guess is the better option.

It will depend on a few things, how tidy your case is, where your case it situated in your room (eg air flow around/under it)

I have used the sniper case myself and the large side mesh panel means that having the hot air come up out of the psu is not going to be that big of an issue.
 
If you read your case manual, it will probably say fan down for CM's "tunnel effect". Essentially it isolates the psu and the psu's cooling from everythign else. The psu gets cool air from outside and vents the warmer air out the back.

If it is fan up then it is taking warmer air from inside the case and venting it outside.
Given the ambient temperature inside the case is not likely to be much higer than outside the case, realworld differences will be negligable.

Fan down, it may help your psu be a fraction of a percentage more efficent, but not a noticeable difference, the same with psu life span - the slightly cooler air will prolong the psu's life, but if its going to fail within its useful lifespan it will do. So again mostly marketing rubbish.

Fan down can help from an airflow point of view, if you have intakes at the front and bottom, exhausts at the back and top, then the flow will be more stable than if you are also extracting air at the bottom/back with the psu. But again this will depend on the fans, layout and messy-ness of the cabling.

All in all it will likely make little or no differnece to cooling. but you can try either way.
 
In favour of fan up are a reduction of the dust being sucked in to the psu and better looks. In favour of fan down are better cooling for psu (but only marginally better) and better airflow in the case.

Hmm ok. Thanks for that info guys. I'll have a think about it. If the cables are long enough i can indeed try both ways.
 
so there is no issue with the fact that the psu will be sucking in air about 2 inches above my carpet with no dust filter in place?
 
dubcat said:
so there is no issue with the fact that the psu will be sucking in air about 2 inches above my carpet with no dust filter in place?
Click to expand...

Yep there will be it will get dusty quickly :0 try putting it on something instead of carpet or hoovering once a day :)
 
ok i installed it with the fan down. This had the added advantage that i did not have to get an extension for the 8 pin motherboard cable as with the fan down the cables are closer to the mobo and just about reach. Just have to keep an eye on dust in the psu now - not quite sure how to do that.
 
This may help, Search 'magnetic fan filter' I use these under my bottom grill & PSU fan to keep the dust out, infact I use several on my case, I think they're brill!
 
Last edited:
RJC thanks for wink! I'm such a Numpty & obvious Newbie! Forum Rule 1 broken already, what a Thug! :p I've edited the post & I'm off to read the rules thoroughly! :)
 
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