How to Replace 1U Flex Power Supply Fan to 40mm Noctua Fan || PC Mod

[@Holmesiptt]

Finally someone gives the real details big thanks 🙏

[@ItsTimeToBuildIt]

hope it helps! thank you too

[@sunhine08]

@@ItsTimeToBuildIt whats this psu in the video? i wanted to do it with the hp pl11 1200w, but it's a 4 pin fan, with a different connector and way less space inside the psu :(

[@ItsTimeToBuildIt]

It's dark forest. Alternatively, you can connect the psu fan directly to mb too.

[@Spazzumiera]

Be sure that both fans have the same static pressure, it’s important for a good airflow inside a PSU like this one

[@MXb7R]

How I can know if my new fan have the same static pressure?

[@tronus98]

Also, the original fan was chosen because it ramps up/has a curve that goes along with the behavior of the power supply and the way behaves, temperature-wise, when it's under load. If you get a fan that has the wrong curve, the PSU could overheat.

[@Spazzumiera]

@胡元正 So, under a huge load the noctua fan would be worse

[@Spazzumiera]

@胡元正 i know, that’s what i wrote in the first comment

[@whitefata12]

does anyone can confirm if noctua performs worse on heavy load?

[@reversed-coffee]

I got this working with a 1100 watt Juniper power supply this evening. The power supply definitely runs more toasty and I'm getting around a 60% reduction in airflow and static pressure compared to the original Nidec UltraFlo W40S12BS1D5 that was installed with the unit. Worth it to get rid of that 60 decibel jet engine, though now I have to figure out how to swap out the fans on the chassis - because those are the loudest ones when the switch is heating up. Edit: I swapped out all fans but I have them on a separate power supply because of difficulties with the fan modules. I have an old 2015 Junos build on my switch (EX-4300-48P) that doesn't have a bug fix for unrecognized fans when the RPM is out of range, so I couldn't use the modules - although I did rewire one module and it did power the fans. Running two Noctua NF-A4x20 fans in series for the power supply seems to sufficiently cool it but I do not have a permanent solution for it, since it does add some bulk to the power supply that I haven't been able to make modular yet. I was able to run this power supply with a legitimate load for an hour and it didn't get to the point where it was concerning so I think that was a success. I also ran two NF-A4x20 fans in parallel, in place of the old fan modules. This seemed to keep the switch at 60 degrees Celsius under low load which is a good sign, but I plan to buy another NF-A4x20 fan and run that fan in series with the existing fans, which hopefully should increase static pressure tremendously and slightly improve airflow. Also, taking a bit of a risk here, but adding an extra volt to the fans seemed to help tremendously, but overvolt at your own risk. I know what I'm doing with electricity so I'm comfortable overvolting my equipment and I'm prepared for emergencies. If you ever mess with juniper equipment, just make sure you got the wires correct. You can use a multimeter to find out what pins are your power, and what pin refers to your tachometer. I crossed the PWM and tachometer wires because the color coding was different and it was causing the PSU to automatically shut down after a few seconds of operation. I wouldn't recommend doing this on enterprise equipment that requires higher airflow and static pressure because you could overheat your power supply. I only did this on my switch's power supply because I know I'm only going to be pulling ~100 watts on that supply. I could have bought a cheaper PSU that draws less current and I probably will in the future, but this is my solution for now. I haven't ran it enough for me to ensure it runs safely yet either (see edit); I'm just adding more load to it gradually to find its sweet spot. Definitely something I am not comfortable running overnight yet! The supply is pretty smart; it might shut down automatically if it overheats but I'm not entirely sure (couldn't find any datasheets that mentioned overheat protection). But I'll be watching it and if it runs fine for a couple of hours then I'm sure it'll be fine. Edit 2: Stacked noctua fans in place of the old airflow modules. Tapped into the power supply fan header for a 12v fan supply, ran it out of the PSU and made DuPont connectors, then hooked them up. No fan status but no big deal. The box runs at around 50C idle. Success!

[@sirlikealot]

Thanks for pointing out how to use the Scotchloks. Was preparing to solder stuff when I found your video 😉I replaced a Delta EFB0412HD 40x40x20mm fan in a PSU with a Noctua NF-A4x20 FLX. My issue with it was not so much the noise level but more the frequency of the noise. The Noctua makes a lot less noise since it runs at a lower speed at the same voltage, but more importantly the frequency is different and much more bearable. The airflow and static pressure of the two fans do differ if you look at the specs: the Delta delivers 14,59 m3/h, 7,69 mmH2O, 28,5 dB(A) @ 7600 RPM. The Noctua instead does 9,4 m3/h, 2,26 mmH2O, 14,9 dB(A) @ 5000 RPM. So in terms of airspeed the Noctua delivers about 60% of what the Delta does. In terms of static pressure the Noctua delivers only 30%. I think it's this last spec that makes for the low measures noise level. Personally I estimate this will not cause any issues since the PSU I exchanged the fan in is utilized so little. It's a 200W PSU but it only needs to deliver 30-40W. The relatively stable climate in the room it's in helps.

[@mathewhair2892]

notice the current on the current rating on the original fan is 0.18 amps its 2.16 watts and the noctua is 0.05 amps thats only 0.6 watts so less then1/3 the power, it will deffinantly be a lot quieter but i would not put much load on that power supply for to long because at 1/3 the air flow it will heat up and die.

[@sinholueiro]

Could not be more efficient?

[@mrcmies]

@@sinholueiro yes it can be, but not that much

[@Alphahydro]

!!Caution!! Before servicing a PSU, allow it to remain powered down for a few hours to allow the capacitors to dissipate any charge that could be present.

[@Matpermad]

Or you could do it with a couple of wires

[@thibautnoah2599]

A few hours is enough? Thought there was some technique to discharge the psu

[@exploranator]

Unplug it then turn on the ON switch. That will drain them faster.

[@thibautnoah2599]

@@exploranator that it? thoughts there was more to do

[@AmigaWolf]

ONLY if you touch the underside of the PCB board, were the caps pins are soldered, and he did not have to remove the hole inside out of the PSU case, and if you do that you let them drain with switching the switch without power, or use a screwdriver, but it won't kill you if you touch the underside of the PCB board, were the caps pins are, i have had it more then a few times i touch the two solder pins of a full 400 a 450v cap, it hurt for a moment, but not terribly painful, it's more the scare you get from the shock, you cannot die of a 400 a 450v cap from a PSU, it has not enough energy to kill you.

[@schillyschote85]

Thanks buddy. You made me change the fans of my QNAP 1U PSU's. Huge difference and glad I did it.

[@ItsTimeToBuildIt]

You're welcome ;)

[@talos86]

You need to check the polarity too. Some PSUs are using revesre polarity on the 2 pin connector(like the In Win Chopins built in PSU).

[@connorp8408]

If you're replacement fan doesn't have an adapter (only three bear wires), which wires on the new fan would you tie your old fan? Just the red and black?

[@7BitOwl]

I've just done this ( i made an adapter from that 2 pin to the adapter noctua includes), but the fan won't start on its own. I have to blow on it to start it

[@chocodave]

Instead of Connecting the 3-pin Noctua to the Omnijoin Adapter, then through the Skotchlock connectors, and finally into the original 2-pin connector. Would it be possible to just cut the 3-pin connector off the Noctua, and connect the red/black wires directly to the 2-pin connector (using the Skotchlocks), and just wrap the third wire so it's not used?

[@cleverja]

Yes

[@yusele]

I did the mod few months ago and everything was wonking flawlessly furing the colder months. However now the PSU is overheating, the Noctua fan it is not enough for a Flex 650W PSU during the summer months in my region. Room temperature is around 30 degrees Celsius and when the computer is under heavy load for a couple of hours the system shutdown, I have to wait few minutes before the PSU functions again. Swapping back to the original fan even though it's noisier...at least for the summer.

[@charliecooper5457]

Great video thanks! How long did you power the PSU down until it was safe to open and replace the fan? What would you recommend to anyone following your video as a safe amount of hours/days?

[@ItsTimeToBuildIt]

I actually disassemble the psu no longer than a minute after power off. Most psu are safe enough to handle after few seconds powered off as long as there's bleed resistor inside the psu (which most have). You can read this article for better understanding. ;) www.overclock.net/threads/capacitor-safety-in-power-supplies.1772888/

[@christopherjames9843]

Unplug your pc. The hit and hold the power button for a second.

[@xiangruyin7604]

Great video, I'm getting the velka 3 case and planning to do this to the psu. I saw one guy skipped the wiring and connect the 4 pin fan header from notcua fan straight to the motherboard, do you recommend doing that? Also whats the little thing called to join two wires? Great video

[@ItsTimeToBuildIt]

You could directly connect the 4-pin fan to the mb so that you can monitor and manipulate the fan speed. The little thing called skotcthlok connector, it's included when you buy the noctua set.

[@wjuniorstylist]

i think he did that because he got a 5v volt fan, to connect directly to the power supply you need a 12v volt fan. Noctua sells the same fan in both voltages.

[@sufiahmad6407]

Glad that i read this, i was confuse, i mean, i was concern about the fan voltage, i also saw some online seller put different option of voltage for the same fan model, now i know that the psu fan need 12v power

[@jovieasyrof2017]

dude, thanks! my psu now is super quiet!!!

[@nicholasbrown8384]

Does the Noctua offer as much airflow and static pressure as the original fan?

[@nobo8773]

Just replaced my NAS psu fan with same noctua. Honestly it was worth 14€ it costs! That annoying whine is gone

[@CoockieClassiCKeks]

I tried to change the fan in my sh570 barebone shuttle, but the noctua fan has other dimensions and a much lower airflow. Also different voltages to start the fan moving. The original fan rotates at round about 4 volt and noctua at 7 V (The supply starts with 5 V). The best way is a little resistor (with original fan) at 20 to 40 ohms, i tried a little, because the fan needs a little current for a correct start (maybe two 40 ohm resistors parallel). When the computer needs more load (rendering or something) the fans spins up, depending on the temperature and it seems, this will work for me (-:

[@WolfManCer]

Hi, great content, would this also work for a server power supply 1200w range? thanks in advance.

[@killerhussnain]

Can you put the fan anyway round? As long as the airflow is going out?

[@imheretocomment7655]

Great work!

[@ItsTimeToBuildIt]

Thank you!

[@Gab2456_]

Hello i have a question does the Flex 1U Power Supply and a Flex ATX power supply have same size or are they different?

[@ItsTimeToBuildIt]

They should be the same or similar size

[@Varengard]

Notable differences should be airflow wise, Flex ATX usually draw air from one or two of its sides. 1U has a linear airflow, front to back, as it's meant to be sandwitched on 3 sides by the case, on the forth has the motherboard (of which it shouldn't disturb the cooling path). 1U can also have different mounting holes, specific to some servers... they can also be longer, or lack some connectors you would expect on an ATX/FlexATX PSU... like PCIe power 6/6+2/8, or have fewer EPS connectors to none.

[@redshift3639]

are all psu fans wired the same way (colours wise)? e.g. if i connect a pwn fan to psu cables, if i go black to black and red to red, will it work, or do they have different colour codes for the 12v, 5v, ground etc?

[@ItsTimeToBuildIt]

Yes it should be colour coded. You should be fine :)

[@klayf_]

Great video, thank you so much

[@klayf_]

guess I can leave more than one comment :) Thanks again Pal

[@hook361]

What db levels were you getting before and after?

[@ItsTimeToBuildIt]

Unfortunately i didn't record the db level during this time, i haven't got the equipment yet during this recording.

[@jsharp9735]

Did I miss what CPU and what was the wattage of the load ?

[@riccardor1060]

Many thanks. Really helpful.

[@johsttincurahua5505]

What is the model of the PSU?

[@winwin796]

Can I connect the fan to the motherboard using the PWM model instead? There would be no risk of over voltage.

[@Dullydoes]

that's what optimum tech did.

[@Mr_Deee]

Hey man! Great Vid! Just one question, is it not necessary to strip the wires before inserting into the Skotchlock connector?

[@ItsTimeToBuildIt]

It is not necessary because the skotchlock somehow do it for you when you insert the wires:)

[@Mr_Deee]

@@ItsTimeToBuildIt Alright, thanks for the prompt response man! Stay safe! :)

[@ItsTimeToBuildIt]

Pleasure ;)

[@CalebRowell]

Old fan has red black and blue wires. New fan has red black and yellow. Okay to connect red-red, black-black, yellow-blue?

[@ItsTimeToBuildIt]

Best to check the wire colour code in your area, but apart from that it should be fine yellow blue.

[@royallion2634]

nice vid and jazzy music lol

[@joelconolly5574]

Wait you don't need to remove the red and black insulation to connect the wires? Or am I missing something 👀

[@Mirorval]

No you don't need.

[@robertanthonybermudez5545]

Are the mics the same distance when you recorded between stock and noctua fans?

[@ItsTimeToBuildIt]

Yes, same distance.

[@Hokunin]

I like your PC case

[@garfield12344]

why not solder the wires of those 2 connectors and sime shrinking tube?! Or better change connector type on Noctua by crimping 🤔💭😇

[@elcolin_]

I wonder if since there's no follow up video, it either went really well or really bad lol

[@Rose65]

Thank you very much ! really good and very easy to follow

[@ItsTimeToBuildIt]

You are welcome!

[@DonyMoney]

I have 4 pin connector fan on my psu (black, red, blue, white) and noctua fan have (black, red, yellow) I connected (black-black, red-red, blue-yellow) and white not connected. Now my PSU still blinking with green light and finally turns orange and no works. Any suggestions? Help please.

[@DonyMoney]

seems that fails cause last 4 pin (white) need to revive signal from RPM for works, what can i do

[@ItsTimeToBuildIt]

Seems like you have an flx fan. You need to get the pwm fan which has 4 pin in order to be compatible with the 4pin connector.

[@bjornroesbeke]

I don't think the Noctua fan has the same airflow, based on the power consumption of these fans. The connector looks like a JST-XH one, for which i've bought a cheap kit. It's neater (but still more expensive) than using scotchloks.

[@ydihtty]

The Noctua fan motor is probably more efficient. But you could compare the PQ curves if you want, although you would have to ask Noctua for them because AFAIK they don't provide them on their website

[@theskidude23]

i watch this video before bed

[@pianonian]

고마워요 덕분에 좋은 아이디어가 생기네요.

[@Sk3yN3t]

Have a link 2 the Fans?

[@ItsTimeToBuildIt]

I'll put the link in the desc

[@antonydelacruz7126]

Please someone can give me the name and the model of that power supply is for a project that I am doing greetings from the Dominican Republic

[@piotrlenarczyk5803]

Thank you for video.

[@ItsTimeToBuildIt]

You are welcome

[@neldanie]

Nice!

[@redshift3639]

i'm so annoyed. I opened my PSU today and the fan pin is glued to the socket. Any idea how to remove the white glue?

[@ItsTimeToBuildIt]

Maybe carefully use a small heat gun?

[@EarlCo]

Just cut it somewhere down halfway where you can reach it

[@inxiti]

Thank you so much!

[@ItsTimeToBuildIt]

Glad it helped!

[@VegyR6]

I did this mod on a mining psu, but when i boot the rig both fans are spinning but after a couple of seconds the intake fan stops. Do you know what the cause could be?

[@ItsTimeToBuildIt]

Probably some loose wires somewhere?

[@VegyR6]

@@ItsTimeToBuildIt I didn’t see any? And if they were loose, they wouldn’t start to begin with right?

[@ItsTimeToBuildIt]

Or maybe it's the fan faulty? Alternatively you can connect them directly to the mb see if they're spinning.

[@VegyR6]

@@ItsTimeToBuildIt i switched the other fan that was spinning all the time to the other port, and it had the same issue. So it seems its the port somehow.

[@ItsTimeToBuildIt]

Glad you found the issue:)

[@estebaneordogh4564]

Thank you!!!!

[@PWNY]

Thank you so much!

[@excysyr]

did anyone did this with a fsp psu ?

[@udirt]

Give time (like 15 min or more) to let everything discharge. Do not use a metal screwdriver to search for components. ...

[@oryanyemini2045]

great video. shouldn't you expose the wires first?

[@ItsTimeToBuildIt]

expose to what exactly?

[@oryanyemini2045]

@@ItsTimeToBuildIt expose the copper, remove the red/black cover

[@ItsTimeToBuildIt]

Probably in some cases you need to do it that way, but in this case that's not necessary :)

[@oryany100]

@@ItsTimeToBuildIt hi again, my PSU's fan connection has 4 pins. should i connect only the red and black? or i better forget about it and don't touch? i assume the other 2 lines are for PWM. what happens if i'll disconnect them? drive.google.com/file/d/14qRPRCLp9dtOoS6NOQn5ZSIzgwswp3tX/view?usp=sharing

[@ItsTimeToBuildIt]

@@oryany100 yes you could definitely use the power (red) and ground (black) wires only. the other two wires usually for read out and controlling the fan speed.

[@AdamDeBeers]

There is a huge problem with Noctua fans, you never know if it is spinning, because it is so F quiet 😄

[@elcolin_]

I wonder if since there's no follow up video, it either went really well or really bad lol

[@OleksandrSe]

brother, can I just use something like "Goobay FanPower 3p-2p M/F 0.3m"? copy/paste name in the internet

[@OleksandrSe]

instead of cutting wires

[@yairvaknin4202]

my PSU fan is (40x30mm). Who can i close the 10mm gap hermetically so that no air came out? @ittbi

[@EarlCo]

Electric tape

[@christopherjames9843]

2:30. In the phone company we call those "chicklets".

[@gpp8681]

Really? You can live with that! I use a server, can't even hear my self think sometimes, whe under load, and people are complaining about a tiny little power supply fan.......... bruh

[@Flowerhorn1108]

hey bro , why not connect the gpu fan to the mobo so that you can control the fan speed by yourself 😃?(to prevent overheating)

[@ItsTimeToBuildIt]

Yes you could also do that

[@obedulloa6219]

you mean the psu fan? some PSUs won't work if they don't detect a fan connected

[@alicemalt5099]

what is the brand of your 1U Flex PSU in this video?

[@ItsTimeToBuildIt]

It's dark forest.

[@lifanvil8112]

low airflow , low noise add a resistor to slove ur problem

[@Oblique0]

Connect it to sys_fan

[@AlbertStafford-d8s]

Ullrich Views

[@Jackson-bh1jw]

you really have a lot of trhill to touch psu components i see, nice move.

[@SoWhat07]

What are the rpm difference? ;) Replace server components with desktop one. ;) ;) ;) Big mistake dude. OMG so much money for what? Improvement? What? No! You need to understand in a first place difference between noctua desktop and delta server fan. Delta 20K RPM fun price is almost like this psu. Do you know why?

[@ItsTimeToBuildIt]

The point here is to get rid of the noisy sound from the fan. Delta fan are noisy, they're loud. They're built to long last but not for silent performance. You're suggesting to get delta fans with 20k rpm, more rpm means it get more noisy which is not the point here. The point here is to be more silent with optimum performance, and where you can get it from a trusted brand? Noctua!

[@intel386DX]

@@ItsTimeToBuildIt he want to tell you that with the silent fan the PSU may overheat due the insufficient air flow

[@kailenhoward4764]

Has anyone did this with a 500v and is it still alive