So I stopped all the fans ones by one to see what was making the noise, and it was the EVGA 500W power supply! I knew it was a pretty cheap model and wouldn't have a great fan, but this was nuts. Based on the frequency of the noise, the fan had to be running at a minimum 1,200RPM, which is unnecessarily fast considering it was all cold air blowing out. Took the fan out and powered it up on its own, and it had to be a 2,500RPM model! Buzzy motor and terrible rough sound quality from the airflow!
So I bought a Nexus standard 120mm fan. Only problem was, the Nexus fan's operation is somewhat poor when blowing air upward and the sleeve bearing was making a loud rubbing noise, so I pulled the fan apart to see what was up. Turns out, the ring magnet isn't pressed into the hub all the way. This makes it work better blowing down or to the sides, but it offers no support to the blades when blowing air up and puts excessive drag on the bearing. So I pressed it in the rest of the way, and the fan now has excellent performance blowing upward and no longer has that rubbing noise from the bearing!
With that finished, I spliced the EVGA connector onto the Nexus fan cable and installed it with the rubber pin mounts, making sure to also install the air baffle in the correct position. The results?
My EVGA power supply is now quiet as can be, and still runs cool enough since all intake is cool air from beneath the case! And with the slight modification to the magnet, the fan starts 100% of the time and works absolutely great! So now I have an ultra quiet power supply that makes no more noise than SPCR's top reviewed models, and my computer overall now makes less noise than the electrical whine from my junky printer.
In conclusion? If your power supply is noisy but runs cool, and you don't care about the warranty, modify it with a good fan!
