is there any downside to mounting a PSU upside-down?

Googly_Eyes · Post by **Googly_Eyes** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 1:14 am

I'm thinking of getting a case w/ the PSU mount located on the bottom of the case, but the SeaSonic PSU i'm looking at has 12cm fan located on the (normally) bottom of the unit.

Mounting it right-side up would have the fan facing the bottom of the case, not much room for air-flow.

Is there any reason why it shouldn't be mounted upside-down? or should i look for a PSU w/ a smaller fan mounted at the rear of the unit instead?

thanks

KlaymenDK · Post by **KlaymenDK** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 3:48 am

The PSU itself is not going to care which way you mount it. So do what's best in terms of case openings, screw holes, cable positions, et cetera.

However, depending on what the orientation does to your general case airflow, it may have an impact on other components.

Also, if you're into tight cable management, the bunch will have a slightly different source, that is, probably shifted out of the plane of the motherboard.

Googly_Eyes · Post by **Googly_Eyes** » Mon Dec 01, 2008 4:48 am

A layer of dust usually settles at the bottom of my case where i live, which i clean out every month.

Would this be problematic for a PSU sitting at the bottom of the case and pulling in air from the top of the PSU? Would compressed air clean it ok, or would the charge cause more stubborn cling?

KlaymenDK · Post by **KlaymenDK** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 4:28 am

Dust has a tendency to stay put, you need to place a pulling (sucking) fan *very* near dust build-up to actually move it that way -- that is, if the PSU is sitting in the dust but has its fan facing upward, I don't expect it to pick up any of the dust it's sitting in.

Compressed air won't make dust stick any more than it already does -- but it might well disperse it to places you'd not want it to be (opticals).

Monkeh16 · Post by **Monkeh16** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 9:56 am

Gas duster on one side, vacuum on another. Problem solved.

Ch0z3n · Post by **Ch0z3n** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 10:53 am

Is there any downside to mounting a PSU upside-down? Only what used to be the upside.

Spare Tire · Post by **Spare Tire** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 5:07 pm

I know some fans will click or make some kind of noise mounted a certain way. I remember my antec minuet sounded anoying if i turned it a certain way.

Ch0z3n · Post by **Ch0z3n** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 5:16 pm

That is mounting a sleeve-bearing fan horizontally. 120mm PSUs generally use ball-bearing fans for that reason. having the PSU 'right-side up' or 'upside down' doesn't actually change the axis the fan is mounted on.

Spare Tire · Post by **Spare Tire** » Wed Dec 03, 2008 7:24 pm

Actually, in desktop configuration, the psu fan of the minuet is vertical. In tower configuration on its left side (its anatomic left), the fan is horizontal. And neither these configurations made it noisy, but when laying on it's right side, the fan would make a noise. So from laying on the left to laying on the right, that's an upside-down of the other, and one made noise, the other didn't, on the same axis.