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View Full Version : OT: PSU problem??

Renegade 13
January 23rd, 2006, 10:51 PM
I recently bought and installed a new PSU for my computer, a 500W PSU manufactured by Ultra. Everything seems to be working just fine, except for one thing. There is a highly annoying high-pitched whine emanating from the PSU ever since installation. Oddly enough, this noise totally disappears when the computer is booting up and when it is in standby mode. I don't think it matters at all, but at the same time as the PSU installation I also installed another Gig of RAM.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif Thanks!
Ruatha
January 23rd, 2006, 11:34 PM
It's not related to the PSU fan?
TurinTurambar
January 24th, 2006, 02:02 AM
It is most likely the fan. Either take it back, or if you're a bit more adventurous, like I am, open the powersupply case (completely powered down and removed from the tower), pull the fan off its spindle and look for any plastic burrs on the blades that may be unbalancing it, put some fine white grease on the spindle, remount the fan and close the PS, put it back in the tower... turn it on.

Suntan lotion works really well as a light, white grease btw.
Renegade 13
January 24th, 2006, 03:16 AM
Sure it's the fan? If that were so, wouldn't it constantly make the whine?
Fyron
January 24th, 2006, 04:43 AM
No. A lot of non-cheap PSUs have thermal sensitive fans that speed up when the PSU gets hot, and slow down as it cools.
Renegade 13
January 24th, 2006, 11:27 AM
That makes sense. Thanks for explaining. http://forum.shrapnelgames.com/images/smilies/happy.gif
Baron Munchausen
January 24th, 2006, 02:55 PM
Be very careful when opening a power supply! There are capacitors inside that hold very high voltages for a long time! You can suffer a serious shock if you touch the wrong thing, as in hospitalization or potentially fatal.
narf poit chez BOOM
January 24th, 2006, 08:47 PM
...In that case, I'd just replace the PSU.
Renegade 13
January 24th, 2006, 10:17 PM
Baron Munchausen said:
Be very careful when opening a power supply! There are capacitors inside that hold very high voltages for a long time! You can suffer a serious shock if you touch the wrong thing, as in hospitalization or potentially fatal.


I wasn't planning on cracking it open. I'd rather just try to get it replaced on warranty, and if you break the seal by opening it up, you lose the warranty...
Fyron
January 24th, 2006, 10:32 PM
So carefully remove the seal, and reseal it after you are done?
narf poit chez BOOM
January 25th, 2006, 02:30 AM
Still legally loose the warrenty...