How to use a different fan with your PSU

[@tokiomitohsaka7770]

Please keep in mind whenever you open a power supply to be super careful, as the capacitors can still hold enough charge to kill you, and not all PSUs will open in a safe manner like the one in this video.

[@srr1887]

Really? Literally KILL?

[@mikeclement5383]

@@srr1887 Yeah, kill. Not very common. I've taken a few shocks. Certainly don't want any more.

[@srr1887]

@@mikeclement5383 i think most PSU has a sticker like "non repairable components inside" or something My thermaltake toughpower has that

[@mikeclement5383]

@@srr1887 They say that, but what do they know... Someone built it before we buy them. If it can be built, it should be able to be fixed. Just have to figure at what cost.

[@syc6598]

Shut down the PC, remove power cable then push power button, it should discharge all capacitors. I do it all the time.

[@coryandrum]

3m connectors work well too, Noctua even supplies them for the 40mm fans to switch out flex psu fans in servers

[@justinpatterson5291]

You're my kind of computer techy. Keep it up man.

[@viniciussousa9791]

Imagine this mod with a nf-a9x14 black, would be really nice to see.

[@smallformfactory162]

That was actually the fan I was referring to which changing out later... It's already been done, but didn't have it before filming. It'll show up in future videos though!

[@Drunjk]

@@smallformfactory162 I just tried this with my Noctua but the fan never moves. It spins if I only connect the 12v and ground, it's not clear which is PWM and which is 5v from the PSU, they only read 0.10v and 0.05v. any tips?

[@smallformfactory162]

Mine spins up fine, but I had one of the very early models. I read somewhere on reddit about 2 weeks ago that the blue and green cables may actually be flipped from standard PWM on the newer ones, but I haven't personally encountered this.

[@Drunjk]

@@smallformfactory162 Got it working in the end! A volt meter reads 12V and Ground fine, but the other 2 connectors I had to just guess and swap places, as the fan's not meant to move until the PSU is warm enough.

[@o0u0o3]

I have this exact power supply (sf750) and am looking to use a Noctua NF-A9x14 HS-PWM Chromax fan, do I need to change to pinout on the EK Mini 4 pin to Standard 4 pin adapter you have linked in your discription? a reply would be greatly appreciated as I cant find any info on this.

[@plagosus]

Well, if you already removed the sticker, in order to open the PSU, warranty is already gone...

[@samersamhan9161]

How can i usr pau fan as case fan? I have 4 pin fan but doesn’t fit in the mb

[@GraffDK]

Does Amps have a role in if i can swap? Tryed to swap a 0.90A mini 4pin fan with a 0.11A 4 pin fan, by sodering the fan connectors, but the system wouldn't accept it, it just turns on and off repeatedly, so i switch back to the 0.90A fan

[@RNLmoto16]

Good day sir, May I know the model of noctua fan you used? How's the performance now?

[@PureTazr]

Such a great video if my Fan's ever die I will refer back to this video.

[@gallahant]

Instead of cutting both wires, wouldn't it be better if we took the wires out with a tool on both connectors and put the mini 4pin on the noctua wires?

[@KayoOpina]

Tanks for video man🍷🗿

[@michh8376]

I'm looking forward to doing this on my noisy coolermaster Elite V3 230V 600W

[@aceberganabolic]

atx 3 form psu is different I think noctua fan wont spin at all starting voltage is too low ı think with atx 3 form psu..

[@NotReallyLaraCroft]

By opening psu case you basically kill the warranty. I don't think it's worth to do unless it's out of warranty already or it's a super cheap psu and you can just buy another in case it blows up or something

[@Boofski]

Nah it’s an easy fix and basically made my pc go from rather noisy at idle to dead silent, blame MSI for making terrible PSU’s I didn’t know before buying 🤷‍♂️

[@NotReallyLaraCroft]

@@Boofski But do you really want to pay warranty for that? Especially in case you got an expensive top tier psu

[@Boofski]

@@NotReallyLaraCroft Like i said it's an easy fix, i'd be impressed if you manage to break your PSU when doing something as simple as replacing a fan

[@NotReallyLaraCroft]

@@Boofski Sure it's easy to replace the fan, but what are you gonna do if your psu blows up one day?

[@Boofski]

@@NotReallyLaraCroft Well that would suck but that's unlikely and also almost completely preventable if you invest in a surge protector and handle your PC with care

[@jamesm568]

Me, replaces fan in power supply and hook it to a fan header on my motherboard and call it a day.

[@pàipgiawliakjjnca]

Hi there. Your video is helping to me. I recently purchased a Corsair rm850e and I've been noticing a specific noise when the fan kicks in. I can hear it because my setup is very quiet, so even the slightest sound stands out. It's not the sound of air flowing, it's more like... I don't know how to describe it exactly, but it reminds me of the sound a fridge makes when it turns on. Obviously, it's not as loud or intense as a fridge, but it's that kind of electrical hum. I do not know which fan conector my PSU has. Do you know it? thx

[@swordsinger1061]

Is the mega cheap fan Corsair has decided to use on the RMe variants. My RM1000e has the same issue, sounds like a tiny fridge kicking in.

[@pvankekem]

Question: I am interested in changing the fan direction. In other words what is the temperature effect if the fan is sucking hot air out of the PSU instead of blowing cold air in? Would love to see a test.

[@wilsentwins]

Can this apply to rgb fan?

[@alicemalt5099]

time to revise my soldering skills - its been awhile since my Sega Dreamcast mod chip solder

[@johnwang1712]

thanks！ i did the same to my SF600, which bring me a since world!

[@redshift3639]

Hi, I'd like to do this, and I don't mind soldering since my pc has no warranty. I think my PSU uses a 40mm or 60mm diameter fan. How do I know what order to solder the wire to wires in the psu? PSU is the one on a dell optiplex 3040. I'm hoping they use the same convention as the colour coding on the 3 pin and 4 pin case fans but i've no idea! If there's a good way to find out, let me know please! Thank you!

[@arashm517]

Hi, I bought a fan that has 2 pins ( black and red). My PSU has a 3 pin fan ( black red blue). can I connect the wires? where does the blue one go?

[@rhcamel4555]

I noticed in the photo top right is that a button battery like the cmos in the pc ? thanks

[@michh8376]

Underrated

[@forcebrick5904]

I used to have a rattly fan that made a very annoying sound

[@Konnidesign]

Greay video. Probably will go this way just to change fan ! NICE !!!! :D thank you

[@Bushwacked487]

Missing a before/after noise comparison

[@rubenn7212]

Hi thanks for the video! can you help me i have a EVGA bq 600 bronze and the fan is the loudest part of my pc. I have a artic p12 3 pin fan and i want to use that for the psu. I think the evga psu has a 2 pin fan connector so i need to buy a adapter. But i saw video's that said the fan connector on the psu is not enough to power a noctua fan so how do i find out if the artic p12 wil spin on a good rpm with the psu 2 pin connector ? Thanks

[@martinvillamayor5354]

did it work? i have a arctic p12 too and my psu is a nox urano 650w with a 2 pin connector

[@negrosenorx4658]

My PSU only have 2 cables, black and red... Can I use Be Quiet Pure Wings 2 BL045 fan? Thanks

[@smallformfactory162]

You can use any fan, you just need to make sure those cables are connected to the 12v (red) and ground (black) pins. If you aren't using an adapter, search for a PWM fan pinout to see which pin is which on the fan.

[@negrosenorx4658]

@@smallformfactory162 thanks 😍

[@hoodio]

what are usually the voltages on psu fans? 5 or 12v

[@RathOX]

12v

[@Bluren21]

How can I power a noctua 4-pin fan to the mains? I connected the +12v yellow wire to 12v, and the black wire to ground but the fan doesnt work

[@smallformfactory162]

Is this a 4 pin PSU or 2 pin? If it is a 4 pin you may have one of the newer models for which Corsair has changed their pin-out on. The 12v and ground wires have been flipped on their newer models, supposedly. I personally haven't encountered this issues, as I haven't modded any I've bought in the last year or so, but have read about it online from other users. Also keep in mind, Noctua requires more voltage to run and will take longer to spin up than the standard fan.

[@Bluren21]

@@smallformfactory162 i solded 12v wire and gnd wire of the fan to 12v power supply adaptor. I didn't connect Pwm wire and the other wire

[@smallformfactory162]

I am still unsure if your PSU is a 4 pin or not, as this will change how much voltage is needed to push the van and if those wires are flipped. Ground and 12v are flipped on newer PWM (4 pin) models. They won't be flipped on 2 pin PSUs. If yours is setup correctly and not spinning, you likely are not pulling enough wattage to cause the fan to run.

[@Bluren21]

@@smallformfactory162 my power supply is like this: images.app.goo.gl/LxiK4nbX6cxrbjm67 I connected it to an adaptor and connected to my fan. It is a noctua nf-f12. It has 4 pin. I connected only 12v (yellow wire) and gnd (black wire). Sorry for my english, i hope you can help me please

[@strikeistrashlmao6891]

@@Bluren21 my guy who the fuck adds a fan to a dc outlet plug

[@Jdub169]

Trying to do this for my sf600 as well what size noctua fan is that like what model

[@smallformfactory162]

NF A9x14. Only the slim 92mm fans fit the SF Platinum series. You could maybe fit a full size 92mm fan in the Gold with some modifications, but I wouldn't recommend it.

[@jays1594]

Hey SFF. I do not have the knowledge to do this but trying to find as much information so that I could perform this. Could you potentially recommend me a very quiet fan for the Silverstone 1000w PSU? I was reading the reviews regarding the fan noise and was turned off by it, no pun intended.

[@ichi87]

Hi, great video and explanation! I have a question: My PSU has a DC fan, and there are only 2 pins to the connector. If I buy a PWM fan, and isolate the unnecessary wires (pwm signal and rpm) and just plug the 12v and GND, will the fan spin normally? I've heard DC fans work differently, so if you connect a pwm on a dc plug, it will not spin, no matter what.

[@smallformfactory162]

It will spin, PWM fans will run on DC connection if you isolate the wires - however depending on the fan it will take longer/require more power consumption to start spinning because the DC fan curve requires more voltage to start spinning.

[@ichi87]

@@smallformfactory162 Oh, I see. Well, Im about to replace a Globefan fan for a Noctua on my EVGA, and I found some contradictions about this matter on this video (kzbin.info/www/bejne/eZutmpyPYqt8mtU), and people commenting over it saying that PWM won't work due to the PSU plug being DC, and PMW working only with electrical pulses or something like that. For the fan I'm trying to replace, it starts it's spin at 4-5v, and the noctua is 5v, I think. Not sure if its a big difference tho.

[@GG-cq5vj]

Does this modify will lose some factory function?

[@keosett8995]

Did he say what the pinout was for corsair or did I just miss it? I can't find info on which colour goes to which anywhere.

[@smallformfactory162]

This is difficult to say, as Corsair has swapped their PWM pinouts in the past, and has different fans have different color schemes for their wires as well. Your best bet will be to do some research and use a multimeter. My older SF600 Plat has all wires lined up the same as standard PWM. My newer one and SF750 have the 12V and ground wires flipped (for what reason I have no idea). This did not become apparent to me until after this video was made, so again, I suggest you do some quick research into it for the safety of yourself and your hardware.

[@keosett8995]

@@smallformfactory162 thank you so much for your reply, I am getting a SF600 Plat so I will do as you said. Also I have another question (may be a stupid question but...) can you swap the male PWM header from the NF-A9X14 to the mini PWM header from the stock fan to avoid using an adapter?

[@smallformfactory162]

You will not be able to by de-pinning, as the pins of the fan are larger than the mini header pins. You can solder wires direct or to wires connected to the mini header, or of course you can purchase the parts to make that connection yourself. I made my own adapter simply because I tend to swap hardware and fans often, so doing anything permanent (or hard to reverse) is more time consuming than just planning to make things easy to swap later.

[@keosett8995]

@@smallformfactory162 thank you so much :)

[@jdw715]

Did you use 15mm? Would 25mm thick fans fit?

[@quavolaz6826]

My corsair psu makes a terrible noise and I'd like to know what fan you used and if it would be any different in my case?

[@smallformfactory162]

Depends on the your specific model, and if the noise is directly related to the fan. I used an Noctua NF-A9X14 for this, but at the end of the day a fan is a fan. I chose this one because of the size and low noise.

[@tessab5595]

I had an issue with this mod, the noctua fans seem to take more voltage to start than the sf750 psu by corsair provides so the fan doesnt spin up even when rewired properly 4pins. do you know if this is correct or if I did something wrong? or what I should do next?

[@smallformfactory162]

The 750 takes a long time to start spinning the fan regardless, not starting to spin until you are using 300 watts with the stock fan. With the mod, it likely will not spin until roughly the 400W mark because of the difference in voltage. If you know for a fact that you're drawing more than that, you may need to flip the yellow and blue or green and blue wires depending on your model, as Corsair has started using a different pinout from standard PWM on newer models.

[@tessab5595]

@@smallformfactory162 my 9600kand 1080ti were not drawing enough power I think. Do you think it's bad to let the power supply run hot or do this fan swap? I almost think it would just be smarter to spray paint the stock fan black to get better cooling. What do you think? Also thanks so much for your quick reply!

[@smallformfactory162]

I personally don't think that the mod is necessary on an SF750, as it runs relatively cool as is - it makes more sense on the 450 and 600 since they tend to kick the fan on quicker and spin at higher RPMs under lower load states. I ran mine without a fan at all with my Ryzen 5 3600 and 1080ti for months without issue. I put the stock fan back on when I moved it to use with a 3950x and RTX 3080. If you only care about aesthetics, you can paint the fan, but note it will hurt the fan's performance and likely make it louder, so if noise is a factor to you it definitely isn't recommended.

[@tessab5595]

@@smallformfactory162 I was thinking about painting it or using a motherboard header to power the noctua fan, I never thought that painting could hurt it though. I'm not sure which option to go with, I only care about how it looks though, so long as it doesnt run hotter either.

[@smallformfactory162]

If noise isn't a factor painting it is definitely an option - the reason being it adds weight to the fan slowing it down and if not applied perfectly (which you basically can't without painting at a factory) will unbalance the fan causing it to create more noise. If this bothers you running a fan off the motherboard is an option.

[@mami1330]

what adapter can I use on the corsair sf 750 W platinum with a noctua A9x14 HS-PWM chromax?

[@smallformfactory162]

Because the pin out is different for corsair and standard PWM, you would have to do some soldering, there isn't a standard adapter that exists. If you have an older model that doesn't have Corsair's proprietary pinout, there is an adapter linked in the description.

[@mami1330]

@@smallformfactory162 I’m having trouble figuring out the wires, can you tell me which color goes to which color?

[@wonderful888]

Hi. Thanks for the great video. What is the thickness of the original 92mm Corsair fan in these PSUs?

[@andre2716]

14 mm

[@Realrayt]

Great video, where would I be able to find an adapter as I have zero soldering knowledge Also would you be able to tell me what size fan that is? 92mm by 25 or slim?

[@unknown81360]

My fan doesn't spin after doing this

[@TheBarajas02]

looking at maybe doing this to my HX750. Im assuming since its corsair I would have to do the same adapter mod as you.

[@smallformfactory162]

This is likely, most PSUs do not use a standard fan size plug in their internals. Do your research though and see if you can find the pin-out online, just in case it's different.

[@micke9356]

why would you do that on a corsair sf? it is silent as it is

[@saibamoe]

maybe for you for me, who has NOCTUA FANS for everything else, CPU, GPU, INTAKE, OUT I don't OC, I actually undervolt So everything else is COOL and quiet as HELL While the corsair fan which isn't a noctua is the loudest thing which I can hear when gaming without a headset

[@notapplicable793]

Cute PSU, bro.

[@zyerath]

what about rgb fans?

[@smallformfactory162]

Completely doable, but you'll need to run the RBG cable outside the PSU regardless to power/control the LEDs. I don't believe there are any slim 92mm fans, so that rules this out for SFX models, but obviously you have options if you're using a different PSU.

[@asdmarv12]

hello? are you still there?

[@kev1959in]

Have used SF750 and older SF600 Bronze in builds and there is no reason to me to change fan being it is a quiet 92mm compared to 80mm on most cheaper SFX. Have swapped them before and not for Noctua but fans that are more suited. I think i used Titan 80mm one last time with more power and less noise

[@toxik38680]

Your feeling of quiet is not the same for everyone mate . that's all.

[@clipsonthespectrum]

Fan's ugly, thats about enough reason for some

[@SumoMan_53]

I'm trying to test if I wired mine up correctly. When I startup my computer with the stock fan, it spins for a few seconds right after I press the power button. With the noctua fan it doesn't move at all. Does your fan spin during startup?

[@smallformfactory162]

Which type of wiring is it using? 2 or 4 pin? My 2 pin models do spin at startup, but my 4 pin models do not, as the starting voltage is not enough to make the fan spin.

[@SumoMan_53]

@@smallformfactory162 Mine is 4 pin. Good to know, thanks!

[@bobdole3157]

I assume the fan inside the power supply is running at a fixed speed. My SF600 GOLD may get a mod like this. You should sell a modified Noctua low noise adapter to Corsair SF connector cable. Could keep things quiet and look factory. Also I assume an A9-14 slim fan is the fan that would fit in this setup.

[@smallformfactory162]

Correct about it being an NF-A9X14. It does not spin at a fixed speed, it will continue to use the same curve the PSU was built for, although it generally will take longer for the fan to start spinning as the PSU gives off a 5V signal and the fan expects 12V. As much as I would like to sell something like that, there are enough cheap adapters out there to compete, and I barely have any free time for something like that as it is.

[@bobdole3157]

@@smallformfactory162 Would it harm the Fan to only receive a 5V signal from the SF600 Gold? Would you need to wire it up somehow to convert from 5V to 12V? I only ask as I no not very much about electricity but I just don't want to harm the fan or worse the power supply by messing with the electricity. Thanks SFF!

[@smallformfactory162]

No, it will not harm either. It just means the fan takes longer to begin spinning and will take longer to reach higher speeds than the included fan. This is fine for 2 reasons. 1. The Noctua will push a lot more air than the included fan even at slower speeds. 2. These PSUs are designed to get hot. 105C is their max rating. Unless you are pulling the PSUs max power rating constantly and not supplying good enough air, you won't have any issues keeping temps below this. I have 3 of my 4 Corsair SF PSUs running these mods the same way I show in the video. 2 of those for roughly 2 years now. My SF750 hasn't been modded only because it is quiet enough that I haven't found it necessary to do so, and even if I did honestly haven't had the time as I started a new job a couple months ago.

[@gabrielgabo9914]

would be nice noise diferences, bit good video

[@JH-uh3cc]

Do you have any experience with thermaltake psu? Want to swap fans for mine

[@smallformfactory162]

I do not, only Corsair and EVGA. But most PSUs use the same connectors and pin outs for their fans as they are almost all manufactured in the same 3 factories in China/Taiwan. I would search for your specific model and see if anyone has done a swap in the past, or you can just open it up and see what kind of connection it uses and go from there.

[@JH-uh3cc]

@@smallformfactory162 damn still replying to Comments after so long. Thanks for the reply. I'll look into it.

[@smallformfactory162]

Trying my best - still trying to develop the channel while working from home. Hope it works out for you.

[@eckpyrosis7232]

Awesome!

[@Dorfjunge]

thanks!!! this will make my bitcoin mining setup even more quiet

[@VechaiKoban]

Nice mod! will a 25x14 fan fit in there ?

[@smallformfactory162]

That's not a standard fan size...I believe you either mean 9x25 or 12x14. Either way, at least in the case of this specific PSU, no. There isnt enough space to add a larger fan. The components are too tall. And the casing isnt wide enough.

[@VechaiKoban]

@@smallformfactory162 haha sorry about that, I meant 9x25 tho! thanks a lot for the answer

[@Persason]

These corsair fans in the SFX PSUs are pretty silent. I am not sure you will yield anything by swapping it out for a noctua. my SF650 plat is not the loudest component in my PC and I am running 100% noctua fans.

[@jonatkinson108]

My bearing is ass in my SF600 and creates a clicking noise, considering doing this mod.

[@athmaid]

@@jonatkinson108 why don't you RMA it, SF series PSUs have a warranty of 7 years apparently. A noisy bearing should fall under that

[@jasonzhang7725]

why is your video quality so bad but you have such good mic lmfao

[@matteopiscopo5819]

vale più la ventola della noctua di tutto il psu

[@OutOfNameIdeas2]

avoid corsair psus... load af. corsair fans are one of the worst ones on the market in terms of noise pollution

[@RathOX]

SF750 is literally one of the best you can get its CWT..

[@OutOfNameIdeas2]

@@RathOX I've had one die. They don't Honor the warranty and the fans on them are incredibly loud. The Corsair maglev fans are pure junk. Corsair are FAR from the best. Just get a seasonic or a be quiet one. Thank me later.

[@hpsfresh]

No compare - no like

[@sakkemo4787]

Warranty was void when you broke that sticker, so adapter wont help with that anymore

[@smallformfactory162]

Depends entirely on your country's laws. In the US, "warranty void if broken" stickers are no longer enforceable or legal. The older Gold PSUs sticker used to say this, and they changed it to the "Danger High Voltage" for newer models.

[@merry1694]

This is a terrible idea.