replacement power supply unit

stulaunch

I have a whirring noise from my power supply unit when computer is running.

Not sure if it is the fan on the bottom of the unit or whether to replace the whole unit, but not sure of a suitable replacement.
Can any give me a link to a cheapish one.

I have AMD Athlon 64 processor 3700+ 2020 GHz with 3gb ram but i remember reading that you have to be careful about which brand to buy.

Thanks

macman

It's supposed to make a whirring noise, some PSU's are louder than others. If it's a standard size PC then any ATX PSU of the same or higher rating will fit (i.e if the current one is 300W, fit another 300W or higher).

stulaunch

macman wrote: »

It's supposed to make a whirring noise, some PSU's are louder than others. If it's a standard size PC then any ATX PSU of the same or higher rating will fit (i.e if the current one is 300W, fit another 300W or higher).

It has been quiet but recently become loud and smelling overheated. Do I have to open machine up to tell power rating?

Procrastinator333

Be careful, if your psu goes, it is possible for it to take other components with it. I would either not turn it on again until resolved, or if you must use, back up everything straight away.

Also, just check all the fans and in/outlets to check they are not clogged with dust.

If you are not a gamer or heavy user (guessing from your cpu), then the following will be more than sufficient.

http://www.ebuyer.com/product/240998

Yes there are cheaper PSU's. But this is a reliable branded PSU. The fact that yours is on the verge of going pop shows why the PSU is one component you shouldn't really scrimp on.

Toxteth_OGrady

stulaunch wrote: »

It has been quiet but recently become loud and smelling overheated. Do I have to open machine up to tell power rating?

Yes you will unless your case has a window. There will be a label on the side of your psu that looks like this to determine the wattage (in this case 450W):

+1 for Corsair psu

:cool:

TOG

Hammyman

You can check if its the fan in the PSU quite easily. With the computer off, get a pen or other thin non-metallic item and shove it in the grille at the back sufficient enough to stop the fan rotating. Turn the computer on. If the noise has gone away its that. If the noise is still there, then you need to repeat the same with the fan on top of the CPU.

esuhl

I had to replace a PSU in a mate's cheapo PC recently and (after a fair bit of research) went for the Corsair CX400W (probably very similar to the one Procrastinator333 recommends). As he/she says, you can go a lot cheaper, but a dodgy PSU can cause all manner of intermittent weirdness (requiring hours of troubleshooting), damage other components and (in extreme cases) explode.

Here's a review of it, in case it helps:
http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/psus/2009/04/27/corsair-cx-400w-psu-review/1

Richie-from-the-Boro

Do the ' Hammyman ' test, then take the sides off and get an airline on it, and on the whole of the insides of the case, you will be shocked at the amount of fluff that comes out. If the PSU [ it may have an additional unseen internal bottom fan also ] is clogged with carp you can bet your life the GPU & CPU will also need attention.

Attend to general housekeeping first, worry about a replacement later .. .. .. you may not need one.

stulaunch

Hammyman wrote: »

You can check if its the fan in the PSU quite easily. With the computer off, get a pen or other thin non-metallic item and shove it in the grille at the back sufficient enough to stop the fan rotating. Turn the computer on. If the noise has gone away its that. If the noise is still there, then you need to repeat the same with the fan on top of the CPU.

Hammyman
When i opened the computer case i tightened up the main fan, because there was some play in the holding screws but when i booted up the fan on the PSU was not running, its not on thermostatically controlled is it?

Running quiet now but i guess it was the PSU fan, if so can you just change the fan?

macman

No, you don't want to start dismantling a PSU, the capacitors can hold hold considerable charges, you just change the whole PSU.

Coveredinbees!!!!

I wouldn't bother replacing the fan anyway, if the fans on the way out the psu is probably fairly old anyway and as already mention if it does go it might take something else with it.