Tom's Hardware > Forum > CPU & Components > Power Supplies, PC Cases & Case Mods > [Solved] Is it okay to mount a power supply upside down in a computer case?

[Solved] Is it okay to mount a power supply upside down in a computer case?

Forum CPU & Components : Power Supplies, PC Cases & Case Mods - [Solved] Is it okay to mount a power supply upside down in a computer case?

Tom's Hardware: Over 1.4 million members in 6 different countries available to answer all your high-tech questions. Sign up now! Its free!

Ask the community Add a reply

Best answer from JohnnyLucky.

Bottom Search this thread

I am purchasing a new computer case for my system as my old case is too small for my new power supply, however, the case that I am leaning towards has the power supply mounts on the bottom of the case, and my current case has the mounts on the top. My Corsair supply has a large cooling fan on the bottom and it would not make much sense to mount it right side up on the bottom of a case. Just wondering if there is any risk of damage if I mount it upside down.

Add a reply

Definitely not a problem. Quite a few modern gaming cases are designed for power supplies mounted in the bottom rear of the case. You can safely install the power supply in the bottom of the case with the fan on top. It's not really upside down. Instead think of it as finally being right side up.

One idea behind the design concept is that a case with a heavy power supply mounted in the bottom is less likely to tip over than a case with a psu mounted at the top.

Another idea behind the design concept is that by moving the psu to the bottom of the case there is room for an exhaust fan at the rear of the top panel which could help to exhaust warm air.

A third idea behind the design concept is that the psu fan which pulls in warm interior air and exhausts out the rear panel can help cool the video card which is installed just above it.

How about that? Don't worry! be happy! Enjoy!

Yes, it is okay to mount the PSU upside down in the case. I have a Corsair TX850 and I have it so the fan is facing up in my Antec 1200 case.

------------------------------ Recommended Builds by Usage
Step-by-Step Guide to Building a PC
Reply to tecmo34

You won't have problems mounting it upside down.

Reply to sminlal

Best answer

Reply to JohnnyLucky

Thanks to everyone that replied, I had figured it wouldn't be a problem. I purchased an Antec 900 case. Should be large enough to handle my Corsair TX750, which has too many wires to hide in my old case resulting in it being jerry-rigged behind my case - resulting in obvious dust issues.

I have been in the process of completely re-doing my computer which I bought as a pre-assembled computer 3 years ago before I discovered the wonders of building my own computer. I started by upgrading my video card to an ATI Radeon HD4850, which I bought before foolishly realizing it required more power than my current psu could supply. Now that I'll have a case to fit everything in, I begin the search for a new CPU & Motherboard, as. Pretty happy with the direction my system is going.

Reply to Aviator8989

JohnnyLucky,

I'd be a little reluctant to claim that one of the key features of puting a PSU at the bottom is to act as an exhaust for the graphics card. Because a PSU is one of those parts that you don't want to overheat, it would be a poor choice for an exhaust port, although I don't deny that it does exhaust some of the air in a case. That being said, since heat rises, I don't think a PSU at the bottom of the case is in any danger of overheating even if it were closer to the GPU. In fact, I believe puting the PSU at the bottom of the case will keep it colder because it's not required to exhaust the warmer air on top of the case, increasing efficiency and long-term stability of the system. You are right to say that it leaves room for serious exhaust where it's needed most - at the top-rear of the case.

Reply to leo2kp

All modern power supplies pull in air and exhaust air out the back.

With the older cases with top mounted power supplies, they pulled in warm air from the cpu area and exhausted it out the rear panel. With the psu mounted in the bottom it simply changes location. It still pulls in warm air from the interior and blows it out the back. On most modern high quality power supplies the fans are temperature controlled. If temperatures increase the fan speed increases. I had to laugh when the Corsair HX620 came out a few years ago. PC's were sitting at idle and people were complaining the fan wasn't working. The didn't know about the temperature controlled fan and didn't realise what a heavy duty, high quality unit it was.

It's pretty normal for gpu temperatures to be higher than cpu temperatures. I'm also not too crazy about the design of fan shrouds on video cards. I have yet to see one that could efficiently exhaust hot air. Mostly they just blow hot air inside the case.

Message edited by JohnnyLucky on 09-24-2009 at 09:30:59 PM

Reply to JohnnyLucky

Ask the community Add a reply

Tom's Hardware > Forum > CPU & Components > Power Supplies, PC Cases & Case Mods > [Solved] Is it okay to mount a power supply upside down in a computer case?

Go to:

Help |
Forum rules

There are 575 identified and unidentified users. To see the list of identified users, Click here.

Page generated in 0.479 seconds

Focus On

[Solved] Is it okay to mount a power supply upside down in a computer case?

Forum CPU & Components : Power Supplies, PC Cases & Case Mods - [Solved] Is it okay to mount a power supply upside down in a computer case?