Zalman ZM80HP + ZM300A-APF?

Schimmel · Post by **Schimmel** » Sun Oct 13, 2002 12:56 pm

How do I know how quiet (that is how little airflow I can have)
power supply I can use If I use a passive GPU cooler along with a low-airflow Papst 8412NGL (12db) CPU fan?

I'm running an Athlon XP 2000+ with an Alpha PAL8045T heatsink equipped with the 12 db Papst fan.
On my GF4 Ti4200 i use the passive
Zalman ZM80HP* heatsink and I if I lay my flat hand on the side of my case, I can feel it's apx. 30 degrees celsius - just the case that is.
The power supply fan seems to need to work a whole lot to get all the heat out of the case.
So - if I get the obviously very quiet (=lower airflow) ZM300A-APF power supp, how do I know it's pulling enough air out of my case?

*http://www.zalman.co.kr/english/product/zm80-hp.htm

quokked · Post by **quokked** » Sun Oct 13, 2002 6:56 pm

hmm so u're relying totally on your PSU fan for your case ventilation?
I had that problem with my AOpen PSU, I ripped out the loud stock fan and stuck a Panaflow L1A onto it, but the computer would randomly reboot at intervals

so I had to move up to a M1A. If u're getting a quiet PSU like the Zalman u've mentioned here it will have a thermal fan control (correct me if I'm wrong here guys) on it so the hotter the thermistor gets the faster that fan will spin. So if you're computer runs stable and u're not getting any weird reboots and stuff u should be okay with something like the Zalman

Schimmel · Post by **Schimmel** » Mon Oct 14, 2002 8:26 am

Yeah, I'm relying totally on my PSU for ventilation - less fans, less audible, right?

And yep, the Zalman PSU has a temperature controlled fan but I still don't know whether it -even at max- can move enough air to keep the case cool enough, strangely enough these figures doesn't appear either on Zalmans pages nor on the pages of the manufacturers of my current case/PSU, though I've sent them both an e-mail about it, but no answer so far.

So if anyone knows these figures - please tell me!

Red Dawn · Post by **Red Dawn** » Mon Oct 14, 2002 8:36 am

I would like to know as well, I sent an inquiry about my aopen psu fan/airflow several weeks ago. Actually come to think of it, it's probably been longer than two months now, and I still haven't gotten an answer!
I just kept getting juggled around by someone who didn't know and would forward it to the technicians, who then decided to forget about my message and bury it somewhere, in the deep bowels of the aopen mail system?

So... I wouldn't count on getting a good answer (or any for that matter) from them... or maybe I'm just being cynical... oh well, cross your fingers!

quokked · Post by **quokked** » Mon Oct 14, 2002 11:09 pm

what PSU u got Reddawn?, I found that it took AGES for me to find the specs of my AOpen PSU on their website had to dig through some .DOC file that had the specs onto it. I found that the easiest way to get the spec for it is to pull the fan out and have a look at the sticker and then stick into google and see what it pulls up

GamingGod · Post by **GamingGod** » Tue Oct 15, 2002 1:48 am

i would put in one case fan for exhaust so the power supply wouldnt have to work so hard and maybe it would run quieter because it wouldnt have to spin up from getting too hot.

Red Dawn · Post by **Red Dawn** » Tue Oct 15, 2002 10:06 am

I'm not sure what model it is quokked, I just know I got it with my HX08 case, and it's a 300 watter. The fan is 'loom'-something, I can't remember, and I'm not at home, so I can't take a look at it, I'll do so when I get back in the weekend.

quokked · Post by **quokked** » Tue Oct 15, 2002 5:27 pm

Yate Loon rusty? I had a pyrotenic (or something sounding like that) fan on my AOpen try getting the PSU model number directly off the PSU u may have to take it out of the case to have a look at the sides as the stickers are usually covered by the case.

Red Dawn · Post by **Red Dawn** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 8:11 am

Right, got model number and the fan model now, I'll have a look at their site right away, but I'll post the info here anyway, after all, I don't consider myself a pro, especially not at finding stuff on the 'world wide web'.

Fan: Yate Loon (D80BH-12) 0.19A

PSU: 55.04300.A01

Red Dawn · Post by **Red Dawn** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 8:23 am

Got it!

D80BH-12 12V, 2900 RPM (Ball Bearing), 33 CFM, 35dB (yuck!).

I replaced it quite a while ago now though, I inserted a AVC fan undervolted to 5V, but that's soon to be replaced as well, it's also too noisy.

At the time I replaced the fan I didn't know about such things as thermistors in the PSU changing the volt output to the fan, and consequently I cut the wire from the fan almost exactly at the point where it made entry (were soldered) to a tiny PCB, mounted by a screw to one of the heatsinks. I also cut up a small hole in my grill to let the 3-pin powerconnector slip through.
At least I've learned something, next time I'll connect my fan to the original cable, to allow variable voltages according to PSU temps to be delivered to the fan.

quokked · Post by **quokked** » Fri Oct 18, 2002 7:46 pm

doh!, what I did with my AOpen (powerman) mod was to cut the wire with a little bit of extra clearance to work it, when I swapped my 2nd new fan into the setup (the 1st one didn't have enuff airflow panaflow L1A) I put a 3 pin connector onto the end of the wires with the 3rd RPM pin pulled out so as not to cause any sparking

and now if I want to do further changes to my fan in my PSU all I need to is to unscrew the fan and pull it straight out no more soldering

Red Dawn · Post by **Red Dawn** » Sat Oct 19, 2002 4:33 am

Nice solution, I'll think I'll do that instead next time.
Good thing you mentioned it, because I probably wouldn't have come to think about it otherwise!

Also, a general question: Is it 'easy' to replace the heatsinks on any given PSU, or is that a major no-no, and I'd be better off forgetting I ever thought about it?

quokked · Post by **quokked** » Sat Oct 19, 2002 6:02 am

ummm with the heatsinks on any PSU, I've heard that some PSU's have heatsinks that are live :S very bad, I've seen someone do it b4 actually, taking off the power transistors and then putting them onto a waterblock (and it worked as well)

have to get someone like TerryW to talk about this, advice?

Red Dawn · Post by **Red Dawn** » Sat Oct 19, 2002 6:14 am

Yeah, I've seen that as well, it was at zero fan zone, right?

I am a bit curious about this, though I probably won't run to my electronics store right away to purchase a heatsink, I would like to know if it's 'do-able', and reasonably safe as well.

quokked · Post by **quokked** » Sat Oct 19, 2002 6:21 am

http://www.members.optusnet.com.au/~rai ... _wpsu.html
here's one much simpler mod as well, just put copper plates where the heatsinks were and a copper pipe running water through it

and the zero fan zone article http://www.zerofanzone.co.uk/content.as ... 50w&page=1 tell us how it goes

Red Dawn · Post by **Red Dawn** » Sat Oct 19, 2002 6:49 am

After thinking about this a little, I've decided I won't do anything stupid until I actually know exactly what I'm doing. :p

I'm not particularly familiar with handling of electronics, cutting cables, reconnecting them, doing modifications etc.
So until I gain that knowledge, I'll try and sit tight, planning what I will do when I know how to.

I am thinking of taking some sort of basic electronics course at university - or elsewhere (if such a thing exists), so I could get to learn the basics at least.
I have no idea where else to turn, since I don't have any friends/relatives/acquaintances that has any knowledge about these things.

quokked · Post by **quokked** » Sat Oct 19, 2002 7:02 pm

hmmmm basic electronics knowledge? ummmm what I've seen a lot of ppl do to gain basic electronics knowledge without training is to build kits, like little electronic projects, figure out how they work and then move up to bigger kits, u build up your electronics knowledge this way

Red Dawn · Post by **Red Dawn** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 4:21 am

I guess... still, I'd like to have somewhere to turn if I botch something.

I'm usually extremely careful when working with things, and perhaps even more so when working with computers. What bugs me is that as soon as I don't have any precise knowledge of how to do something, I tend to avoid doing it alltogether, simply because previous experience has proven to me that if I don't know what I'm doing, I probably shouldn't be doing it. What does this all mean? Well... let's just say I've wrecked my fair share of things...

For the time being, I think I'll stick with the small stuff (like you say), and then later on, move on to bigger (and badder?) things. It is nice to dream though.

GamingGod · Post by **GamingGod** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 7:52 am

Smart man.

quokked · Post by **quokked** » Sun Oct 20, 2002 6:43 pm

yeah though my theory is that u haven't REALLY twiddled with a computer till u've fried something, my tally so far is two toasted BX boards (the fan wire I hacked up the electrical tape slipped and was shorting to the case)

didn't find out till my new KT133A board just wouldn't boot up, it wouldn't start until I got rid of the short, don't u love modern mobo protection

Red Dawn · Post by **Red Dawn** » Mon Oct 21, 2002 9:36 am

Two motherboards here as well (amongst other things), but that was mostly due to carelessness... and the occasional lightningbolt right through the house.

First motherboard I managed to completely rip off the lever of the socket (nice one huh?), and the second was like I said before, lightning causing massive overvoltage, and a fried motherboard. Luckily, everything else turned out to be ok, the motherboard took the hit.

Zalman ZM80HP + ZM300A-APF?

Zalman ZM80HP + ZM300A-APF?

Zalman APF300