Suspending/insulating PSU ?

Dantheman · Post by **Dantheman** » Sat Dec 07, 2002 9:18 am

Hi y'all,

I just got one of the new Nexus single fans PSUs and it is very quiet, however it is not silent, giving out a low volume and low pitched hum, which seems to be being transmitted through the case. Has anybody tried to reduce this noise by either suspending or insulating the PSU from direct contact with the case ?

What I'm planning to do is find a sheet of soft rubber/ foam material, trace the shape of the hole in the case for the PSU onto the material and then cut out a peice to fit between the PSU and case when the psu is connected. I'm also planning on getting some foam/rubber washers with some longer screws and so insulate the PSU there as well.

Has anybody ever tried this and did it have any effect ?

powergyoza · Post by **powergyoza** » Sat Dec 07, 2002 11:56 am

Dantheman,

I haven't suspended my whole PSU, but I suspended the fan inside.

In my experiments with suspending fans, I found it helps a bit. I've posted something about this in the fans & fan control forum.

In my experiment I went suspended, but also frameless. With frameless, effective airflow goes down, temps go up. Suspended is definitely a good idea. I think it's better to suspend the fan inside rather than the whole PSU 'cuz the PSU chassis, even if decoupled can amplify the vibration noise of the fan. That said, there's very little room inside the PSU to suspend the fan. I had to get creative with zap straps to keep the fans blades from grazing the ciruit board guts inside.

Post by **MikeC** » Sat Dec 07, 2002 3:32 pm

Yeah, I tried pretty much exactly what you are planning, It does help, no question, it reduces noise. Another thing you can try is to mount the fan on the outside of the PSU using EAR type rubber damped mounts, if this can be done. Depends on the cutout for the PSU in the case. This has the benefit of reducing turbulence noise as the fan intake is now farther waway from the impedances in the PSU, and the fan vibes will be prevented from going into the PSU as well.

Dantheman · Post by **Dantheman** » Sun Dec 08, 2002 12:43 am

Do you happen to know where you can get damped mounts or fan isolators from in the UK ?

Red Dawn · Post by **Red Dawn** » Sun Dec 08, 2002 6:41 am

Kool 'n Quiet seems to have them, the product is named "Flexinut", although there is no picture of them. You can find them under fan accessories on the second page.

That's one place you can buy them from at least.

powergyoza · Post by **powergyoza** » Sun Dec 08, 2002 12:50 pm

I'm successfully using little pieces of grey camera foam to mount the fans. Any foam supply shop or maybe even camera supply shop has this for sale. In my setup, I cut pieces 1/2" x 1/2" x 1-1/2" and forced the foam through the mounting holes of the fan. The I forced the foam through the mounting holes of the PSU too. Presto!

simmers · Post by **simmers** » Wed Jan 29, 2003 4:32 pm

thanks for the tip about Kool n Quiet - hadn't seen that site before!

another one for the favourites list...