PSU Fan moving slow (sometimes) along with other fans.

Will69 · 02-13-2008, 05:59 AM

Hey,

So just last night I noticed that my Power Supply fan wasn't moving at all, along with the big fan I have on the back of my case. When I booted up my PC, they both looked like they were trying to move, but couldn't. I left it on for a little while, keeping a big floor-fan on it just in case, and then for some weird reason, both fans booted back up again.. They both started moving slowly, but at least they're moving now. As I type this right now it looks like they may be moving at normal speed, but I don't know.

Now I'm just wondering.. Is this normal? Does my PSU fan slow down only when it's not needed to cool things down?

I phoned up a local computer store to ask them what they think, and they just told me to bring it into them. It would take a couple of days for them to get the computer back to me, and I need it for various things tonight, not only that, it would cost me $30.00 - and they might not even have to fix anything.

This all may just be a silly question, seeing that both fans seem to be working right now, but I just want to make sure.. Don't want one of these things stopping when I'm sleeping and waking up to a smoldering pile of computer parts.

PSU: Dynex 500 Watt PSU
CPU: AMD 64 X2 Athlon 4200+
Mobo: DFI LanpartyUT nF4 Ultra-D
Ram: 2 gigs
Video card: GeForce 7900 GS 256MB

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

HawMan · 02-13-2008, 06:21 AM

Sounds to me like your psu is dying. Ive never heard of Dynex so my first thoughts is that its a cheap psu thats under strain. I would replace it for something with higher quality like the Antec trio 550W or the Neo 500W

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817103940

Will69 · 02-13-2008, 06:30 AM

I've owned this Dynex for about a year and a half now.. More close to a year actually.

Is that usually what happens with dying PSU's? If the PSU was dying, wouldn't the fan just stop working all together?

Right now.. both fans seem to be moving at normal speed. The PSU is spitting out a little bit of warm air like it used to, and the big fan on the back is spitting out cold air.

I'm kind of broke right now, and I don't have a credit card to buy anything at NewEgg, so if I was going to get one, it would have to be something from a local store, which could run up to a fairly high price sometimes. So, I'm trying to figure out if this PSU is still good or not. Hopefully it is.

I clean out my computer+PSU monthly at least, usually every 3 weeks or so, because I keep my computer on 24/7. My room is usually always cool/cold, and there isn't much dust blowing around. I use an Air Compressor to clean it all out.

From the care I put into this PC I was hoping the PSU would last a lot longer than this.. seeing as I don't have enough money to be buying a new one even yearly.

**speedster123** · 02-13-2008, 06:44 AM

http://high-techoffice.com/dy500waatxcp.html
this is not a good power supply
we all wish components last longer, but the fact is when these supplies are used you take a chance of losing your system and info.
thats a good board and cpu you own, and requires steady voltage.

just make sure you are working with a clean circuit that the computer is plugged into.
bypass any circuit surge strips that might be in line.

but it looks as if you need a quality supply

Will69 · 02-13-2008, 06:48 AM

Alright, thanks for the post.

I'll have to start getting some money together to get a new one. Any idea on how long this one may last for?

Do you think it would be safe to keep it in there for now, until I get the money together to buy a new one? Like I said, I'm broke, so it may be a couple of weeks or possibly even a month till I can get one in there.

*EDIT* How does this one look?
http://www.avalonsoftware.com/viewproduct.asp?pid=4221

**speedster123** · 02-13-2008, 06:59 AM

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...tec-_-17371002

$75 for a 550 trio without rebates, and free shipping
you cant beat this with a stick

good luck

Will69 · 02-13-2008, 07:09 AM

As I posted above, I have no access to a credit card for online buying, so I'm stuck with buying stuff from local stores, which can cost a lot more money than needed sometimes.

Update with the fans though.. They both seem to start up normally now when I boot up the computer.. the PSU isn't going hot, just staying warm. Fans are moving at normal speed again too.

I understand that I'm going to have to get a new PSU soon, but I'm just wondering if this thing still has something left in it. It's acting normally now, so I'm just asking for other causes for fan slow-downs, besides the whole "it's dying", because if it was dying, I'm guessing it wouldn't really be working at all (the fan), or it would work but not move fast, but now it's moving fast again.

Jebtall · 02-13-2008, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Will69

As I posted above, I have no access to a credit card for online buying, so I'm stuck with buying stuff from local stores, which can cost a lot more money than needed sometimes.

Newegg.com will let you mail in a check or money order for orders. When you check out there is an option to mail in your payment. When they get you payment, they ship out the order. I did this a couple of years ago, works just fine, delays the order by about a week.

It sounds like your PSU may be going bad and having trouble with supplying the high current demands of startup. You should be ok for a while as long as you leave the computer running and don't restart or shut down and turn on. The more startup cycles you subject your PSU to, the more chance of it giving up the ghost for good.

I understand money can be an issue, but here is a good PSU for $40 after a $20 rebate (free shipping):
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817153052
The rebate ends on 2/18, so you'd have to get the payment to them pretty quick to qualify for the rebate. But, if you keep an eye on Newegg.com, they generally recycle rebate promos.

Will69 · 02-14-2008, 01:34 AM

Thanks for the replies everyone.

It's starting to look like my PSU fan and Case fan only start up after about 5 minutes, and then I thought about the fact that they both just might not be lubricated inside anymore, because they both do move after a while, but for them to move they have to become really warm, so whatever lubrication is left can be slick enough to get everything moving... Random guess though, for now.

Probably going to go out and buy a new case fan, if it fixes the problem for that fan, I'll know the PSU fan is my problem, because both fans seem kind of sticky, and both react the same after about 5 - 10 minutes. Then I'll have to get that fan replaced, which I'll get a friend of mine to do. (someone who has done it before)

With NewEgg do I have to live in the USA? Because I am living in Canada. I'll give that mail-in order deal a try though, never knew about that to be honest. If all else fails I guess I'll get a new PSU off there sometime soon.

Thanks for all the help everyone, it's greatly appreciated.

02-13-2008, 05:59 AM	#1 (permalink)
Will69 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 12 OS: Windows XP Pro	PSU Fan moving slow (sometimes) along with other fans. Hey, So just last night I noticed that my Power Supply fan wasn't moving at all, along with the big fan I have on the back of my case. When I booted up my PC, they both looked like they were trying to move, but couldn't. I left it on for a little while, keeping a big floor-fan on it just in case, and then for some weird reason, both fans booted back up again.. They both started moving slowly, but at least they're moving now. As I type this right now it looks like they may be moving at normal speed, but I don't know. Now I'm just wondering.. Is this normal? Does my PSU fan slow down only when it's not needed to cool things down? I phoned up a local computer store to ask them what they think, and they just told me to bring it into them. It would take a couple of days for them to get the computer back to me, and I need it for various things tonight, not only that, it would cost me $30.00 - and they might not even have to fix anything. This all may just be a silly question, seeing that both fans seem to be working right now, but I just want to make sure.. Don't want one of these things stopping when I'm sleeping and waking up to a smoldering pile of computer parts. PSU: Dynex 500 Watt PSU CPU: AMD 64 X2 Athlon 4200+ Mobo: DFI LanpartyUT nF4 Ultra-D Ram: 2 gigs Video card: GeForce 7900 GS 256MB Any help would be greatly appreciated.

02-13-2008, 06:21 AM	#2 (permalink)
HawMan Liam Join Date: May 2006 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland Posts: 2,938 OS: Win XP My System	Re: PSU Fan moving slow (sometimes) along with other fans. Sounds to me like your psu is dying. Ive never heard of Dynex so my first thoughts is that its a cheap psu thats under strain. I would replace it for something with higher quality like the Antec trio 550W or the Neo 500W http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...82E16817103940 __________________ Please Consider Donating to keep the site free.

02-13-2008, 06:30 AM	#3 (permalink)
Will69 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 12 OS: Windows XP Pro	Re: PSU Fan moving slow (sometimes) along with other fans. I've owned this Dynex for about a year and a half now.. More close to a year actually. Is that usually what happens with dying PSU's? If the PSU was dying, wouldn't the fan just stop working all together? Right now.. both fans seem to be moving at normal speed. The PSU is spitting out a little bit of warm air like it used to, and the big fan on the back is spitting out cold air. I'm kind of broke right now, and I don't have a credit card to buy anything at NewEgg, so if I was going to get one, it would have to be something from a local store, which could run up to a fairly high price sometimes. So, I'm trying to figure out if this PSU is still good or not. Hopefully it is. I clean out my computer+PSU monthly at least, usually every 3 weeks or so, because I keep my computer on 24/7. My room is usually always cool/cold, and there isn't much dust blowing around. I use an Air Compressor to clean it all out. From the care I put into this PC I was hoping the PSU would last a lot longer than this.. seeing as I don't have enough money to be buying a new one even yearly.

02-13-2008, 06:44 AM	#4 (permalink)
speedster123 Mentor Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: United States-New York-Long Island Posts: 5,212 OS: xp pro SP3	Re: PSU Fan moving slow (sometimes) along with other fans. http://high-techoffice.com/dy500waatxcp.html this is not a good power supply we all wish components last longer, but the fact is when these supplies are used you take a chance of losing your system and info. thats a good board and cpu you own, and requires steady voltage. just make sure you are working with a clean circuit that the computer is plugged into. bypass any circuit surge strips that might be in line. but it looks as if you need a quality supply __________________ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

02-13-2008, 06:48 AM	#5 (permalink)
Will69 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 12 OS: Windows XP Pro	Re: PSU Fan moving slow (sometimes) along with other fans. Alright, thanks for the post. I'll have to start getting some money together to get a new one. Any idea on how long this one may last for? Do you think it would be safe to keep it in there for now, until I get the money together to buy a new one? Like I said, I'm broke, so it may be a couple of weeks or possibly even a month till I can get one in there. EDIT How does this one look? http://www.avalonsoftware.com/viewproduct.asp?pid=4221 Last edited by Will69; 02-13-2008 at 06:52 AM.

02-13-2008, 06:59 AM	#6 (permalink)
speedster123 Mentor Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: United States-New York-Long Island Posts: 5,212 OS: xp pro SP3	Re: PSU Fan moving slow (sometimes) along with other fans. http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...tec-_-17371002 $75 for a 550 trio without rebates, and free shipping you cant beat this with a stick good luck __________________ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

02-13-2008, 07:09 AM	#7 (permalink)
Will69 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 12 OS: Windows XP Pro	Re: PSU Fan moving slow (sometimes) along with other fans. As I posted above, I have no access to a credit card for online buying, so I'm stuck with buying stuff from local stores, which can cost a lot more money than needed sometimes. Update with the fans though.. They both seem to start up normally now when I boot up the computer.. the PSU isn't going hot, just staying warm. Fans are moving at normal speed again too. I understand that I'm going to have to get a new PSU soon, but I'm just wondering if this thing still has something left in it. It's acting normally now, so I'm just asking for other causes for fan slow-downs, besides the whole "it's dying", because if it was dying, I'm guessing it wouldn't really be working at all (the fan), or it would work but not move fast, but now it's moving fast again.

02-14-2008, 01:34 AM	#9 (permalink)
Will69 Registered User Join Date: Jan 2008 Posts: 12 OS: Windows XP Pro	Re: PSU Fan moving slow (sometimes) along with other fans. Thanks for the replies everyone. It's starting to look like my PSU fan and Case fan only start up after about 5 minutes, and then I thought about the fact that they both just might not be lubricated inside anymore, because they both do move after a while, but for them to move they have to become really warm, so whatever lubrication is left can be slick enough to get everything moving... Random guess though, for now. Probably going to go out and buy a new case fan, if it fixes the problem for that fan, I'll know the PSU fan is my problem, because both fans seem kind of sticky, and both react the same after about 5 - 10 minutes. Then I'll have to get that fan replaced, which I'll get a friend of mine to do. (someone who has done it before) With NewEgg do I have to live in the USA? Because I am living in Canada. I'll give that mail-in order deal a try though, never knew about that to be honest. If all else fails I guess I'll get a new PSU off there sometime soon. Thanks for all the help everyone, it's greatly appreciated.