Replace fan in Antec TPQ-850?

[dgerol]

Hi all,

I recently put together a new PC of all high-end components and have been struggling with noise problems.

My setup is:

Motherboard: Asus P5E3 Premium WiFi with BIOS 0505 (latest)
Memory: 4GB of Corsair TW3X4G1800C8DF (2 x 2GB) in black sockets
Processor: Intel QX9770
Power Supply: Antec TruePower Quattro 850W
CPU Heatsink: Thermalright HR-01 Plus
Thermal Paste: Arctic Silver 5
Case: Antec P182
Hard Disks: 2 x WD VelociRaptor WD3000GLFS (300GB) in RAID 0 from MB controller mounted in Novibes III in upper chamber of case
4 x Seagate 7200.10 (300GB) in RAID 5 from Adaptec 5405 controller in lower chamber of case
Graphics: Powercolor HD4850 with Arctic Cooling Accelero S1
DVD Burner: Asus DRW-2014S1T
Fan Controller: Scythe Kaze Master
Fans: Upper Chamber:3 x Scythe Slip Stream SY1225SL12M to Scythe Kaze Master (Top, Rear, Front), and 1 x 4-pin Scythe PWM fan for CPU heatsink to MB CPU header)
Lower chamber: 1 x Scythe Slip Stream SY1225SL12M to Scythe Kaze Master
OS: New install of Vista-32

So far until this point I've been working out the kinks in memory timings, CPU heat issues etc. Now that's all fine, I need to concentrate on the noise that's driving me crazy!

By stopping all the running fans with a straw, I finally identified that it is the "quiet" fan in the PSU causing a constant whine, and loud air noise. I contacted the online retailer I bought it from but they won't accept it back as I've thrown away all the packing material (let that be a lesson...).

So, my options are to try and replace this fan, or throw out the PSU and get another!

Before purchasing this PSU I read many reviews and they all said that the fan hardly moved at all, and when it did it was really quiet.

My fan seems to be running at 100% all the time! I know that there are 4 hard disks in the lower chamber of the P182, but the noise was there before I installed these disks, so it can't be the heat.

I'm aslo running the 120mm fan in the lower chamber to draw in air from the front.

This PSU has no ventilation on the top, so it doesn't matter which way it is mounted - only the 80mm fan at the rear.

I found this review which gives me the fan specs:

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?na ... y2&reid=58

I suspect that either the fan is faulty, or the temperature probes on the heatsinks inside the PSU, or the electronins that determine the fan speed based on the readings from the temp probes.

So what to do?

1. I can perhaps open the PSU, cut the fan wires, and connect it to a fan controller to manually adjust the fan speed

2. Replace the fan with another. The existing fan is an ADDA AD0812UB-A70GL 80x25 ball bearing 43.8 CFM @ 3400rpm (according to the review I saw). How can I buy one of these? Should I replace it with a better one? If so, which one?

3. Any other ideas (besides throw the PSU away)?