Power Supply Location

peleliu5

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Jun 5, 2010
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I have a case that is ready for a top mounted PSU. I am looking at a PSU that has a rear and top mounted fan. Is there a standard gap that will allow enough room for air flow on the top of PSU since the upper case is not vented? Or is this a case of you get what you see. The manufacture of the PSU web site is not specific about the intended location for the PSU they manufacture.

Thanks

Phil

 

Collie147

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Feb 25, 2010
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Not always the case. Check the PSU when it's turned on and see if the airflow is coming out the top, if it is then turning it upside down is going to cause problems (hot air rises)! A lot of newer cases have ducts/vents and fans at the top to remove the heat from PSUs that blow the air upwards, but there are some that take it from the bottom and blow it out the back. just have a feel when it's on and you'll know. If you don't have a vent at the top of the case and you feel that you can make one, by all means go a head, but if not you'll need a new case (or a new PSU). It'll work for a while, but eventually the components will degrade as it wont expel the air correctly and they will get hot.
 

It's true that the psu can be mounted in either direction if the case is vented for it. It then becomes a question of wether or not you want the psu to be acting as part of the system cooling.
Where you are going wrong is with the direction of the psu airflow.
120 mm power supply fans draw air into the psu and expel it out the rear grill, they do not blow into the case.
Some CWT oem'd units have a bit of blowback, caused by a plastic sheet in the casing that is used to help direct the airflow over the heatsinks, this makes it seem as though the airflow is opposite of what it really is.

PS; " (hot air rises) "
In a forced air system hot air goes where it is directed.
 


That's one of teh reasons why new case designs are putting the PSU at the bottom.