How to reduce the noise of a PC power supply. Incorrect installation of fans
Reducing the noise of the computer system unit at minimal cost
...the next morning, after redoing my first computer, I pressed the power button and, not hearing the usual howl of a fighter taking off, I thought that the computer was broken!
There are now completely silent desktop computers that have liquid cooling and an electromagnetic pump (no moving parts). But, if you are reading this article, then you most likely have a noisy budget computer. More details at https://site/ru/
This article is about how to assemble a relatively quiet computer or calm down an existing one.
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It is necessary to immediately make a reservation that it will most likely not be possible to assemble a quiet and at the same time very productive computer based on a budget case. Yes, and there is little point in saving 100 - 120 dollars when total cost system unit - 1000 - 1500 dollars.
It is assumed that it is necessary to reduce the noise of the system unit, which consumes 80 - 160 watts. https://site/ru/
In what follows we will only talk about budget building, which together with the power supply costs 20 - 30 dollars. There are many varieties of these cases, but in terms of cooling they differ only in the ability to install a front fan.
Sources of noise.
U desktop computer only two constant source noise, these are fans and hard drives (HDD). The resonator of this speaker system serves as a thin-walled metal casing.
The easiest way to reduce fan noise is to reduce the speed of the propellers. Reducing HDD noise will require a serious change in the design of the case.
Case.
To minimize fan noise, it is advisable to consider the cooling system before purchasing a case, unless of course you have already purchased one.
The arrows in the photo show the directions of air flows, which are easy to create inside the system unit cases.
Air flows in system units.
1 - power supply fan,
2 - processor fan,
3 - HDD fan
1 - power supply fan,
2 - processor fan,
3 - video card fan,
4 - front HDD fan.
Which case to choose for the system unit?
It is best if you can choose a case with the ability to install a front fan. This case allows you to easily reduce the HDD temperature by 10-15 degrees without a significant increase in noise. It should be borne in mind that reducing the temperature of the HDD by 10 degrees approximately doubles its resource.
Video card (Video).
How to choose a video card based on ease of cooling?
As an example, I will give cooling options for an inexpensive Radeon 2600Pro video card.
Most video cards are available in several versions, with active and passive cooling. Passively cooled video cards are a little more expensive, but do not contain a high-speed, small-sized fan, which not only generates noise, but also requires more frequent maintenance than larger fans.
The main thing when choosing a video card is to pay attention to the position of the radiator. The fact is that video cards with passive cooling and, accordingly, radiators installed on them come in two types: some are designed for vertical installation, others for horizontal installation.
The photos show the same video card with different options cooling.
1 - with active cooling,
2 - for vertical installation,
3 - suitable for horizontal installation, but in most cases, the heatsink will block the nearby PCI(E) connector,
4 - best suited for horizontal installation.
The most suitable video card with passive system cooling for installation in a vertical housing number 4.
Fans (Fans).
How to choose fans?
Fans vary in efficiency, noise level and the bearings they use.
But, if you can pay a little extra for the first two indicators, then with bearings the situation is different.
There are two types of bearings - ball bearings and plain bearings.
The fact is that ball bearings are more expensive, but they can also turn out to be quite noisy after a year - another job. In addition, during wear, the noise of ball bearings increases more than that of plain bearings.
Sliding bearings, with periodic lubrication, can last for many years, and their noise level will not change much.
Fortunately, buying a fan with ball bearings does not threaten us, since they are not used in budget fans, even if the seller swears to you that this is the case.
Also, you may be offered case fans with so-called hydro bearings. You shouldn’t overpay for this either, since these are the same sliding bearings, the bushings of which have grooves that improve oil access to the rubbing surfaces. The only problem is that usually bearings begin to wear out not because the oil is not delivered to the friction points, but because of insufficient precision in the manufacture of bearings, rotor eccentricity, due to the lack (drying) of lubricant or a change in its properties during the process. operation.
Another “improvement” that increases fan prices is the so-called electromagnetic clutch. It is believed that this thick metal washer, using a magnetic field, holds the shaft and thus reduces bearing wear. Everything would be fine, but this washer significantly shortens the length of the bearing, which cannot affect its service life. And you shouldn’t overpay for this either.
And one last thing. If you move the impeller by the edges with your fingers, you can easily determine the presence of play in the bearing. The amount of play is inversely proportional to the bearing life.
The initial choice of a fan can also be made based on appearance.
Quieter fans tend to have more aerodynamic impeller blades and lower current consumption.
For identical models, current consumption can serve as a proxy for performance and noise. Typically, the current consumption of inexpensive 80 mm low-noise fans is in the range of 0.1 - 0.15 Ampere, and 120 mm - 0.15 - 0.25 Ampere.
Here are some labels from budget fans. For all fans, the supply voltage is 12 Volts, but the current consumption is different for different models.
The following picture shows two 80 mm fans purchased at the same price. On the right is a quieter one, but less efficient.
We buy a fan.
Case fans can range in price from 2 to 10 dollars or more, but among inexpensive models You can choose not very noisy specimens.
All fans indicate current consumption. Noise level data is provided for some models.
However, in any case, it is better to hear and feel once than to see many times.
In order to evaluate the performance, noise and vibration of a particular fan, it is enough to take a pre-assembled circuit with a connector at the end to the store. Comparing different models and even instances, you can choose fairly quiet fans.
When testing, you need to hold the fan in your hand, then you can evaluate the amount of vibration of the case.
Assignment of contacts (pinout) of connectors for different fans. The beginning of the numbering is marked with a unit, both on the fan connector and next to the connector installed on the motherboard.
Two-wire:
1 - “-” power supply
2 - “+” power supply
Three-wire:
1 - “-” power supply
2 - “+” power supply
3 - speed sensor
Four-wire
1 - “-” power supply
2 - “+” power supply
3 - speed sensor
4 - speed control
If the motherboard has four-pin connectors for connecting fans, this means that the motherboard can change the speed of the propellers depending on the temperature. Typically, this requires installing the appropriate utility or enabling the desired function in the BIOS.
Changing the rotation speed of the fan blades.
The supply voltage for all fans is 12 Volts. The easiest way to reduce the noise generated by fans is to reduce the speed of the propellers. To do this, just connect the ballast resistor in series with the fan. To select the required resistance and power of the resistor, it is enough to assemble the following circuit.
Having selected a suitable variable resistor value, you can calculate the required power for it.
The resistor power will be equal to:
W- required resistor power in Watts,
A- current flowing through the resistor in Amperes,
U- voltage across the resistor in Volts.
Although, you can do it easier. Simply measure the resistance of the variable resistor R1 and replace it with a constant one of the same resistance.
The power of the constant resistor can be selected in accordance with the current indicated on the fan label:
0.05 - 0.1A - 0.5 Watt,
0.1 - 0.2A - 1Watt
0.2 - 0.3A - 2 Watts
At the same time, it is not recommended to reduce the voltage on the fan below 6 volts, since a budget fan may not start at lower supply voltages.
In addition, if the voltage drops significantly, the fan lubrication should be inspected, especially if there is any suspicion. For example, if the fan makes strange sounds or starts hesitantly when the supply voltage is low.
To preserve the original connectors on the motherboard and fan, you can make adapters of a similar design. Adapters are also convenient because they allow you to change ballast resistors without removing fans, which can be useful when setting up a cooling system.
You can use any suitable connectors, the main thing is not to confuse the polarity. Connectors from old Soviet televisions and cassette recorders are suitable.
Several examples of installing ballast resistors.
1). Installing a ballast resistor in the power supply without using a connector (in many budget blocks this connector is missing).
2). Installing a ballast resistor on a video card with alteration of the original connector.
3). Installing a ballast resistor using an adapter while fully maintaining the original connectors.
Power supply unit (PSU).
To reduce the speed of the propeller of the power supply, you will have to disassemble the power supply. At the same time, you can install a power filter, which most likely will not be in your budget unit. If the power supply fan remains too noisy even after reducing the supply voltage or its performance becomes insufficient to maintain the temperature in a reasonable range, then a quieter model should be installed in its place.
To reduce air flow resistance, you should bend the partitions in the stamped windows of the power supply housing.
First, let's talk about what it's for.
Once, while checking the reading quality of a hard drive using a program that showed the reading process in real time, I decided to tap with a pencil on the body of the system unit, to which the hard drive was screwed, as it should be based on the design of the case.
It turned out that each such blow is accompanied by an increase in the time it takes to read blocks. Impacts, even the most insignificant ones, on the hard drive itself led to a whole fan of poorly readable blocks. But many computer desks are designed in such a way that the system unit is in mechanical contact with the table, which sometimes requires you to hit it with your fist.
In the case of installing two hard drives, interference noise caused by the beating of the spindle frequencies of these hard drives is also added.
These beats are in the region of low and infra-low frequencies. And if low frequencies in the region of 20 - 50 Hertz can simply irritate, then infra-low frequencies can depress the nervous system and have a detrimental effect on a person’s internal organs.
So, by using an elastic suspension for hard drives, we kill two birds with one stone: firstly, we reduce unpleasant noise, and secondly, we protect the hard drives from external mechanical influences.
To make room for elastic hangers and prevent the hard drive from touching the walls, you will have to rearrange the two load-bearing walls of the case to which the hard drives are attached.
To do this, we first remove from the center of the rivets the remains of the pins (I don’t know what these things are called correctly), with the help of which they were flared.
Then we cut off the flared part and knock out what is left.
We mark and drill holes so that the distance between the walls increases by 20 - 30 mm. We select the diameter of the holes depending on the available fasteners.
We attach the walls to the body. In the photo the fastener is M2.5mm.
Now we install the front fan. If the front wall of the system unit is not removable, and this is what usually happens in budget units, then you can secure the fan with an elastic band. The ends of the rubber band must be inserted into the gap at the bottom between the case and the front panel, and then threaded through the holes in the case and the corresponding holes in the fan.
Then, you should pull the elastic band over the remaining loop and secure it at the bottom of the block. The design is not very aesthetic, but it makes it easy to remove and install the fan when you need to replace the lubricant in it.
Number one in the figure indicates the front fan, and number two indicates sections of vinyl chloride tube that prevent damage to the elastic suspensions, which will be discussed below.
To attach the hard drives, you will need to cut hangers from porous rubber or other sufficiently elastic material.
The photo shows that the pendants have two rows of holes for attaching to the system unit case. This is due to the fact that the holes in the hard drive case are located asymmetrically with respect to their center of gravity. Different lengths of the hangers compensate for this asymmetry so that the hard drives are located parallel to the bottom of the system unit. If a front fan is used, then it is advisable to adjust the length of the hangers so that the hard drives are located symmetrically with respect to the fan, for more uniform cooling.
We fasten the hard drives to the walls, having previously placed pieces of vinyl chloride tube on the legs protruding from the walls.
To objectively assess the quality of the cooling system, you will need an electronic thermometer. Some computer components, such as CPU, video card processor, HDD have built-in temperature sensors. However, you should not limit yourself to just this data.
For example, if the processor's heatsink temperature is only 35 degrees, then it is hardly worth blowing it harder, regardless of the temperature of the crystal.
And vice versa, if the sensor shows a temperature of 60 degrees, and you measured the same temperature on the radiator, then you should think about blowing it.
Budget power supplies do not have a temperature sensor at all, or I don’t know how to take readings from it.
Samsung hard drives show a low temperature, and the error varies depending on the temperature value.
By touching the probe of an electronic thermometer to the cooling radiators, you can measure the temperature of the latter.
In order to measure the temperature of the power supply heatsink, you need to insert the thermometer probe through the rear grille.
Adjusting the cooling system.
First, turn off all the fans and turn on the computer, you need to monitor the temperature increase. For example, some configurations based on Pentium and Celeron third models could work with passive cooling. However, the design of a budget power supply is not suitable for operation in the absence of forced cooling. Therefore, in any case, we will need at least one case fan.
If the only fan is the power supply fan, then all the intake air must pass through the front openings of the system unit and exit through the outlet openings of the power supply outside the case.
And vice versa, if this fan is a front fan, then the case of the system unit must be sealed, and all the air pumped by the fan must exit through the outlet of the power supply unit. But you should remember that then, when you remove the cover from the system unit, the power supply may overheat.
An example of sealing a system unit using celluloid.
By reducing air flow, in conditions maximum load and the maximum temperature in the room, you need to measure the temperature of the radiators.
Do not raise the temperature higher for:
CPU, VGA, PSU - 50C (meaning the temperature of the radiators)
The crystal temperature may be higher.
Silicon crystals semiconductor devices They normally tolerate temperatures of 80 and even 100 degrees, but the reliability of the elements around them drops sharply. Therefore, what is important is not the temperature of the crystal, which we measure with a “thermometer” built into the crystal, but the temperature of the radiator, from which the surrounding parts are heated. Of course, if there is thermal conductive paste between the processors and radiators.
Noise is the main problem that overclockers face, as they say sitting behind powerful computer- sit at noisy computer. But this is not true at all. After all, you and I have brains, and this is a huge plus on the way to reducing noise. In this article I will give ten different ways reduce PC noise.
Method One
What makes the loudest noise in a computer? Of course, the processor cooler (fan), that’s what you need to deal with first, but how? Now this is a more serious question, there are many ways to reduce the noise of a cooler, for example, lowering the voltage on it, or installing a special device that regulates the speed of the cooler with a special slider. But this doesn’t make much sense, because when the cooler rotation speed decreases, performance is correspondingly lost, and with poor cooling, the processor temperature rises, and the higher the processor temperature, the lower the stability and lifespan of the processor; an increase of every 10 degrees leads to a decrease in lifespan processor service life for 10(!) years, this is completely unacceptable, so you need to look for another way out. I'll tell you, you can simply replace the standard 60mm cooler with an 80mm one.
What will it give:
Firstly, greater productivity!
Secondly, less noise, which is what we wanted!
So let's get down to business, but how can this be done, because the sizes are different, and an 80mm cooler simply will not fit on a standard mount. I propose this solution: we measure the radiator and, based on the dimensions, we make a cardboard adapter; if everything is measured and made correctly, then the 80mm cooler will hold without additional fastening. So you and I have taken the first step on the path to silence.
Method two
What else does it publish? extraneous sounds? Of course the cooler is in the power supply. You can overcome this noise by regularly lubricating the cooler in the power supply, but this will not give the desired result. You can look for a quiet 80mm cooler, it is much quieter than usual. Of course, you noticed that the cooler is soldered into the power supply. No problem, we unsolder this one, expose the wires in the new one, and solder it, and that’s it, the noise in the power supply went away.
Method three
What else could be making noise? Of course, the body, now we will torture him. But anything moving, like coolers in the case, is nothing. The housing makes noise by vibration against the surface on which it stands. How to eliminate it? - Easy and simple, you need to go to the nearest market and buy a rubber gasket about a centimeter thick there, and put it under the body. Before doing this, it won’t hurt to remove the legs from the body; they will only get in the way.
Method Four
To further reduce the sound, you can cover the inside of the case with noise-absorbing materials that are sold on any market, and cover the entire case with them, without exception, inside, of course. After that, it’s worth buying a couple of 80mm coolers. Using pliers, bite off the iron protections (where the 80mm coolers will stand) to improve air circulation and insert the coolers. One is for blowing air, and the other is for blowing air. To improve air circulation inside the case, it wouldn’t hurt to round the cables. What does it mean? - And this means cutting them into strips of 6-7 veins and gluing them with tape or tape.
Method Five
In the course of all this work, we have a lot of coolers in our case, what if their full power is not needed at all at some moments? How to temporarily reduce their power? -There is a special device, I think you can buy one because it doesn’t cost a lot of money, this device regulates the speed of the coolers, I already mentioned it above. All coolers in the system are connected to this device and the sliders on it regulate the voltage supply, and as a result the number of revolutions of the cooler, I believe that with such a device you can reduce the noise quite well.
As you noticed, it is possible to make a computer almost silent. And it’s not very difficult, if you want and have time, you can do it in one day, but then for the rest of your life you will be glad that you have a silent computer!
Afterword
I am not responsible for the integrity of your hardware if you have crooked hands. Resoldering a cooler to a power supply may result in loss of warranty.
Every owner personal computer sooner or later he tries to adjust it to suit himself - increases memory, changes the central processor, adds hard disks to increase storage space for your favorite movies and music. More advanced users engage in modding cases and keyboards, creating sometimes unimaginable configurations and real works of art from acrylic, silicone and computer parts. But this article will talk about a problem that everyone has - reducing the noise level that the system unit creates.
The main sources of unpleasant low-frequency sound are the fans that cool the “insides” of your computer, namely the processor, video card, hard drives and of course, the power supply. But if the fans on components for the most part have speed control (both from the BIOS) and mechanically using rheostats (reobass), then with a fan installed in the power supply the situation is much worse.
If the power supply is equipped with a regular 8 cm cooler, or, even worse, 6 (the loudest are 4 cm impellers), then normal mode When operating such a fan makes quite a noticeable noise. IN Chinese blocks In addition, power supply coolers do not have bearings and the plastic bushings wear out over time, adding vibration to the noise of the impeller blades hitting the air. In such a situation, the only thing that will help you is replacing the fan with a new, better one, equipped with bearings.
But what to do when the new power supply, when turned on for the first time, disappoints you with its “quietness” (that’s right, in quotes). Especially in the evening, when everyone at home goes to bed, and you want to listen to music or just sit with your classmates? The computer is so noisy that you cannot hear the music in your headphones at 1/3 volume. How to reduce the fan noise of a computer power supply without soldering or any serious modifications, as well as without financial costs?
There is a simple, fast and proven way to reduce power supply fan noise. Just reduce its rotation speed a little and you will be surprised how quiet it can be. The question arises: How?
- Solder a resistor (resistance) into the supply wire which will lower the voltage. But we agreed - quickly and without soldering... So this method does not suit us
- Install a low-speed cooler of a suitable size on Zalman - but again, you have to go, buy it, disassemble it, and screw it on. The key is to buy, which means spend the nth amount of your money. According to the conditions of our task - not suitable
- But what if you use the power supply itself to lower the voltage supplying the cooler? This is an idea! The main point: the fan runs on 12 Volts, creating decent noise. The power supply can provide only 2 power options - +5 Volts and +12 Volts. Let's remember physics... And..
Go! For work we need simple tools. Take a look at the photo - a stationery knife, an awl (any hard metal object with a sharp tip will do), and a Phillips screwdriver (we came to the rescue pocket multitool– keychain from Swiss, but more on that later). As you can see, you won’t need a soldering iron or blue electrical tape.
Every child knows how to remove the cover from the system unit, so the picture below shows unscrewing the 4 bolts securing the power supply to the case. This is also not a difficult task that even a girl can cope with. Don't have a multitool? Buy it! Joke. Take a simple screwdriver (Phillips, also known as “plus”, also known as Phillips).
Disconnect all wires coming from the power supply to the motherboard, hard drives, fans. Don’t be afraid to mix something up - the connectors are universal, but at the same time, you simply won’t be able to insert something in the wrong place, just remember how many connected power consumers you had. So, we disconnected it - we take the power supply out of the case, put it on the table and clear our work surface. Next according to the plan is disassembling the block itself, 4 small bolts on its top cover. Comes to the rescue again keychain multitool Swiss Tech.
We put the bolts aside - it is advisable not to lose them. Without force, using an upward movement, remove the tin U-shaped cover from the power supply.
If your computer has been in use for some time, then shake out the dust and dirt that has accumulated in it during this period (the photo shows that this power supply has been in use for at least six months and has long needed cleaning).
Do you see 2 wires going from the printed circuit board to the fan (red and black), are they still secured with a nylon tie? These are the ones we need. 12 volts are supplied to them from the board. In your mind, of course, you need to unsolder the red wire from the board and insert a 50-100 Ohm resistor into the gap - but this is ideal. We will try to do everything quickly and without soldering.
Take a knife and carefully cut the wires from the board. Yes, we just cut it off. Carefully, without touching nearby parts and wires. Also make sure that there are no hairs (veins) of disconnected wires sticking out from the board at the cut point.
Then we need to bring these two wires out of the power supply housing - along with the main bundle. To do this, we simply thread them into the output of the main braid through a retaining rubber (plastic) ring; you can see in the photo that it is black.
Remove the insulation from the wires. Of course, for these purposes it would be possible to use a special tool or, but there is no such thing at hand, so an ordinary stationery knife comes to the rescue (by the way, it also copes well with many “non-core” tasks). You don't need to clean much - about a centimeter or one and a half, no more.
Well, then we find a free MOLEX connector in the power supply wire bundle. We look at the photo below at the pinout of the Molex - here we should probably finish the description, then everything becomes clear. In our case, the Molex is connected to the SATA power supply and the FDD drive power supply. They are all connected by wires of the same color, so it is simply impossible to get confused (well, unless you are a glamorous blond in a pink blouse). How to get a voltage of 7 volts from the available 12 and 5 - everything also seems to be clear from the diagram.
Since all connectors have the same power supply, it makes no difference which one we connect the fan power to. The choice fell on the block for the floppy drive. We are interested in the red and yellow wires! We remove the legs from the connector, do this one at a time, so as not to confuse their further position (suddenly you decide to equip your system unit with a 3.5-inch drive). They can be easily removed – everything is clear in the photo below.
Simply wrap the stripped end of the fan power wire to the metal leg from the connector. Important:
- Red yellow Molex connector.
- Black connect the fan wire to red Molex connector.
This way you maintain the polarity and direction of rotation of the fan in the power supply. Well, so that all this equipment does not dangle inside the system unit and short-circuit, we insert the leg back into the connector. The pliers on the multitool came in very handy - they are very convenient to push in the slightly “fat” leg after our manipulations.
As a result, we should get a picture like this (see photo below). Everything fits neatly into place and no additional insulation is required.
We attach it to the main bundle of wires with a tie and assemble the system unit in the reverse order. Do not forget, after installing the power supply into the case and connecting all the connectors, also secure all the hanging wires inside the case with ties. Firstly, this is a professional approach to business, and secondly, the wires will not interfere with normal air circulation inside the case.
Well, that’s all – turn on the power and enjoy the silence! And yes, finally – We wanted to tell you about this wonderful mini-multi-tool. A simply necessary thing in your pocket - it has come to the rescue more than once in a variety of situations, and is equipped with the minimum - a couple of screwdrivers, pliers, a flashlight and an opener, but so many problems have been solved with its help - it’s simply impossible to count. And yes – this is a stylish keychain!
Buy a stylish Swiss+Tech ST35000 multitool keychain: |
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| - Durable handles made of 0.8 mm thick steel Powder coated Convenient and reliable pliers Simple (flat) and positive screwdriver Bright LED flashlight Compact dimensions allow you to always carry this multitool with you Ring for attaching to a bunch of keys |
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Agree, for such a price, having a minimal set of tools “all in one” is very good. And since trademark Swiss has proven itself to be high-quality military survival knives, and this baby will serve you for a very long time without breakdowns!
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I think everyone would like to somehow reduce the noise made by coolers in the case or in the power supply.
There can be two reasons that lead to noise:
1) An old cooler is poorly lubricated, then it needs to be lubricated.
Spoiler
How to disassemble, lubricate and then reassemble a fan (Fan) if it starts to make more noise than usual.
The article is mainly devoted to preventive maintenance of fans assembled on plain bearings.
If one of the fans located in your system unit starts to make noise or rattle more than usual, then the reason, as a rule, is either bearing wear or lack of lubrication.
Fans used to cool the system unit (Case), processor (CPU), video card (Video card), hard drive (HDD) and memory (RAM) differ in size, design and type of bearings used.
Fans use only two types of bearings: plain bearings, including hydraulic bearings, and rolling bearings - ball bearings. There are, however, other options when, for example, the fan shaft is additionally supported magnetic field etc., but this circumstance does not in any way affect the preventive maintenance and repair of fans.
All fans used in PCs do not have a collector, but use an electronic winding switch. Therefore, the main parts subject to mechanical wear are bearings.
Fans with ball bearings.
In these fans, both the ball bearings themselves (two pieces) and seats in which they are installed, but the latter happens less often.
First of all, the ball bearing that is located on the impeller side wears out, as it experiences heavy loads.
Most fans use radial ball bearings, and the design of budget fans does not provide for the possibility of adjusting radial and axial play. This leads to premature wear of the ball bearings and increased noise of the entire fan.
Repairing a fan with ball bearings is advisable only in cases where it is not possible to find a suitable replacement. Such a fan, for example, could be a fan of an unusual design for a laptop or video card. In these cases, you can select a new fan of similar size and rearrange the ball bearings from it to replace the worn ones, if, of course, they fit there.
Fans on plain bearings.
The drawing shows a sectional view of a fan on a plain bearing.
1 – impeller,
2 – body,
3 – permanent magnet,
4 – printed circuit board with controls,
5 – stator with windings,
6 – retaining ring,
8, 10 – oil recovery rings,
9 – bearing sleeve.
Here the motor shaft and bearing bushing are subject to wear. Moreover, in most fans, only one bushing is used, which covers the entire free length of the shaft. However, unlike miniature ball bearings, in plain bearings the load is distributed over a large area of the bearing surface, which, in the presence of lubrication, makes these devices quite reliable in operation.
The reasons why fans assembled on plain bearings that have not reached the end of their service life begin to make noise are the following: drying out of the lubricant, leakage of lubricant, use of low-quality lubricant and lack of lubricant (this also happens).
It is advisable to lubricate a regular budget fan that operates 12 or more hours a day at least once a year during the first inspection and after six months during each subsequent inspection. The more often such prevention is done, the less wear on the bearings and the corresponding fan noise.
Fans operating from a reduced supply voltage can be lubricated a little less often. Small high-speed fans should be lubricated twice as much as large case and processor fans.
Tools that may be needed when assembling, disassembling and cleaning the fan.
http://oldoctober.com/pics/fan/fan-2.jpg
To disassemble the fan, first remove the original label. Then remove the rubber plug. (In small fans, this function can be performed by a label).
Next, use a sharp scalpel to expand the gap of the lock washer. We insert a thin screwdriver into the gap and push the ends of the washer apart in different directions.
Now you can remove the lock washer using the same screwdriver or tweezers. But, I strongly recommend that before finally removing the lock washer, cover it together with the tool with a piece of cloth! This will prevent the puck from being lost.
Remove the rubber ring. Use a screwdriver or awl to push the shaft out of the bearing.
Remove the second rubber ring. The figure on the right shows the minimum set of small parts that must be used during subsequent assembly. These are two rubber oil rings and a lock washer (if you haven't lost it yet). Some fan models may additionally have one or two fluoroplastic washers.
Now you should use a brush to clean the fan housing and impeller from dust, and use a piece of cotton cloth to remove all traces of old grease from all bearing parts.
Old organic grease can be removed with gasoline, and silicone grease with acetone, but care must be taken, as such solvents can damage appearance plastic products of some fans. In this regard, the most harmless solvent is alcohol, but it does not dissolve fats well.
Apply a few drops of lubricant to the area of the bearing and shaft, after putting on the first low-fail rubber ring. It is convenient to dose the amount of oil with a small screwdriver of the appropriate size. The wider the blade of the screwdriver, the larger the drop of oil.
We insert the shaft into the bearing. We place something like this ring in the picture on the right under the impeller so that it (the impeller) can be pressed inside the fan housing. This will help us when installing the lock washer.
Add a couple more drops of lubricant from the shaft extension side and put on the second oil ring.
We put the lock washer on the very end of the shaft and then push it further into the gap. In this case, you need to cover the tweezers and the washer with your fingers so that it has nowhere else to go except downward. This will prevent the puck from being lost.
After installing the lock washer, you can reinstall the plug and branding label.
Oil for lubrication of plain bearings.
Professor Preobrazhensky: “...and secondly, God knows what they threw in there. Can you tell me what comes to their mind?”
Dr. Bormenthal: “Anything!”
Under no circumstances use edible vegetable oil, thick lubricants or petroleum jelly to lubricate fans!
You can use machine, spindle, silicone, synthetic, mineral, household and other oils sold in retail stores. If we know more about the oil than just its name, then we will use an oil intended for lubrication of high-speed plain bearings.
Lubricants vary by heap different parameters, but most of them we cannot verify.
However there is one important parameter, which is easy to determine by eye, is viscosity. Even by dangling bubbles with oils of different viscosities, you can determine which one is more viscous. Indirect confirmation can also be the size of the drop that is held on the working surface of the screwdriver.
Oil with low viscosity can leak from a bearing that does not have seals (most budget fans do not have them), and oil with very high viscosity can make it difficult for the motor rotor to rotate.
However, any lubrication is better than no lubrication.
2) A new branded cooler was selected with a higher speed than necessary.
The way out of this situation is simple - reduce the cooler speed.
So, we have found out that by reducing the number of revolutions of the cooler, we will reduce the noise it produces.
Of course, productivity will drop slightly, but let’s assume that in some “nodes” of the computer this will not cause a significant deterioration in cooling. Thus, fans that are installed in cases and power supplies are high-speed, and the noise/performance ratio is not always at the optimal level.
There are several ways in which noise can be reduced while cooling remains at an acceptable level.
So to speak, find the “Golden mean” in the noise/performance ratio.
Let's start with the simplest and cheapest methods:
Spoiler: Method No. 1.
Enable a function in the BIOS that automatically regulates fan speed.
According to the principle, the greater the load on the computer, the faster the fans rotate.
This function is supported by some motherboards: ASUS (Q-Fan control), Abit (Smart fan control), etc.
Let's look at the Q-Fan Control function, with the Silent/Optimal/Perfomans presets.
1) Go to the BIOS (Immediately before starting the boot, press the button repeatedly)
2) From the Main section go to the Power section
3) Select the line Hardware Monitor
4) Change the value of the lines CPU Q-Fan Control and Chassis Q-Fan Control to Enabled
5) As a result, the CPU and Chassis Fan Profile lines will appear.
In these lines you can select three operating modes:
- Perfomans is a productive mode,
- Silent is the quietest mode,
- Optimal is an intermediate mode between productive and quiet.
6) Then save the settings via
Important! Automatic adjustment fans will be produced only on CHA_FAN and CPU_FAN connectors.
And PWR_FAN is not regulated by the Q-Fan Control system.
Similar adjustment systems are also present on other motherboards from other manufacturers.
If your board does not support this function, then I recommend paying attention to other methods.
Spoiler: Method No. 2.
Reducing cooler speed by switching.
In order to reduce fan speed, you can switch the fan to a lower voltage.
The nominal voltage for the fan is 12 Volts. And the entire specification (speed, noise level, current consumption, etc.) is indicated for the rated voltage.
We can switch our fan to three other voltage ratings: +12 Volts, +7 Volts, +5 Volts.
This is done using a regular Molex connector, which is present in sufficient quantities in all modern power supplies.
In order to switch the case fan you need:
1) Turn off the computer, open the lid and disconnect the desired fan from the socket to which it is connected.
2) Release the required legs, using a needle or awl, from the 3-pin fan connector.
3) Simply cut off the power supply fan wires on the board itself (usually two red wires are “plus” and black are “minus”), bring them out to the outside of the power supply, and also connect them to a free Molex connector.
4) And connect it to the Molex connector at the voltage you need:
At 12 Volt:
At 7 Volts:
At 5 Volts:
Approximately the following speed values will be at rated voltage values for a fan with 2000 rpm and 3500 rpm:
Important! Never move the legs in the Molex connector itself. This may damage the equipment.
More than once I witnessed how a hard drive was connected to a Molex connector, in which the legs were rearranged not according to the standard. The result is that the hard drive is irretrievably damaged!!!
Spoiler: Method No. 3.
Adjusting fan speed using rheobass.
To be able to constantly adjust the fan, you can use a device called REOBAS.
Reobas is a device that allows you to smoothly regulate the voltage supplied to the fan. As a result, the fan speed is smoothly regulated.
You can make a reobas yourself using the diagram below:
The first circuit is similar to the FanMate regulator from Zalman, which is used on processor coolers:
The adjustment range is from +5 Volts to +12 Volts. But the microcircuit gets a little warm.
The second circuit is a little more complicated, but it has a wider range of adjustments: from +1.5 V to +11.8 V. It is also possible to set the threshold lower voltage, since the starting voltage for the fan is +3.5 V.
Advantages this method- cheap and accessible, you just need to try a little.
==========================================
You can buy ready-made REOBAS from well-known companies in a 5.25" compartment.
Such reobass are produced by ZALMAN, SKYTHE, AeroCOOL, Akasa, etc.
Advantages: very beautiful and effortless. Disadvantage - expensive!
Which of the presented methods to choose is up to you.
©
Added after 2 minutes 51 seconds:
Spoiler:
Proper cooling computer
It's no secret that when a computer is running, all of its electronic components are heating up. Some elements heat up quite noticeably. The processor, video card, north and south bridges of the motherboard are the hottest elements of the system unit. Even with normal computer idle time, their temperature can reach 50-60 degrees Celsius. But if the system unit is not periodically cleaned of dust, then the heating of the main components of the computer becomes even greater. Increased heating leads to constant computer freezes, fans run at high speeds, which leads to annoying noise. Overheating is generally dangerous and leads to an emergency shutdown of the computer.
Therefore, the main problem of the entire electronic part computer technology– this is proper cooling and effective heat removal. The vast majority of computers, both industrial and home, use heat removal air cooling. It gained its popularity due to its simplicity and low cost. The principle of this type of cooling is as follows. All the heat from the heated elements is transferred to the surrounding air, and the hot air, in turn, is removed from the system unit case using fans. To increase heat transfer and cooling efficiency, the hottest components are equipped with copper or aluminum radiators with fans installed on them.
But the fact that heat removal occurs due to air movement does not mean at all that the more fans are installed, the better the cooling will be overall. Several incorrectly installed fans can do much more harm than solve the problem of overheating, when one correctly installed fan will solve this problem very effectively.
IN Selection of additional fans.
Before purchasing and installing additional fans, carefully examine your computer. Open the case cover, count and find out the dimensions of the mounting locations for additional case coolers. Look carefully at the motherboard to see what connectors it has for connecting additional fans.
You need to choose the fans yourself big size, which will suit you. For standard cases this size is 80x80mm. But quite often (especially in Lately) fans of sizes 92x92 and 120x120 mm can be installed in cases. With the same electrical characteristics a larger fan will be much quieter.
Try to buy fans with more blades - they are also quieter. Pay attention to the stickers - they indicate the noise level. If the motherboard has 4-pin connectors for powering coolers, then buy four-wire fans. They are very quiet, and their automatic speed control range is quite wide.
Between fans receiving power from the power supply via a Molex connector and those running from the motherboard, definitely choose the second option.
There are fans on sale with real ball bearings - these are best option in terms of durability.
Installation of additional fans.
Let's look at the main points correct installation case fans for most system units. Here we will provide advice specifically for standard cases, since non-standard cases have such a varied fan arrangement that it makes no sense to describe them - everything is individual. Moreover, in non-standard cases, fan sizes can reach 30cm in diameter. But still, some aspects of cooling non-standard PC cases are discussed in the following article on proper cooling of computers.
There are no additional fans in the case.
This is the standard layout for almost all computers sold in stores. All the hot air rises to top part computer and, due to the fan in the power supply, goes outside.
The big disadvantage of this type of cooling is that all the heated air passes through the power supply, heating it even more. And therefore, it is the power supply of such computers that most often breaks down. Also, all the cold air is not sucked in in a controlled manner, but from all the cracks of the housing, which only reduces the efficiency of heat transfer. Another disadvantage is the thin air produced by this type of cooling, which leads to the accumulation of dust inside the case. But still, this is in any case better than incorrectly installing additional fans.
One fan on the back of the case.
This method is used more out of desperation, since the case has only one place to install an additional cooler - on the back wall under the power supply. In order to reduce the amount of hot air passing through the power supply, install one fan that works to “blow” out of the case.
The fan must be installed opposite hard drives. It would be more correct to write that the hard drives should be placed opposite the fan. This way, the cold incoming air will immediately blow over them. This installation is much more effective than the previous one. A directed air flow is created. The vacuum inside the computer decreases - dust does not linger. When additional coolers are powered from the motherboard, the overall noise is reduced as the fan speeds are reduced.
Installing two fans in the case.
Most effective method installation of fans for additional cooling system unit. A fan is installed on the front wall of the case for “blowing”, and on the rear wall – for “blowing”:
A powerful, constant air flow is created. The power supply operates without overheating, since heated air is removed by a fan installed underneath it. If a power supply with adjustable fan speed is installed, the overall noise will be noticeably reduced, and more importantly, the pressure inside the case will be equalized. Dust will not settle.
Incorrect installation fans.
Below are examples of unacceptable installation of additional coolers in a PC case.
One rear fan is set to "injection".
A closed air ring is created between the power supply and additional fan. Some of the hot air from the power supply is immediately sucked back inside. At the same time, there is no air movement in the lower part of the system unit, and therefore cooling is ineffective. 
Two-wire:
1 - “-” power supply
2 - “+” power supply
Three-wire:
1 - “-” power supply
2 - “+” power supply
3 - speed sensor
Four-wire
1 - “-” power supply
2 - “+” power supply
3 - speed sensor
4 - speed control
===========================
I should have added it a long time ago, but I forgot
In computer Noise sources are usually moving parts. First of all, this is a fan on the processor cooler; it can also be a fan on the radiator of the chip cooling system on the video card. It may make noise And fan from the power supply, cooling fan of the computer case. Well, perhaps the lowest noise source in a computer is hard drives, unless of course we are talking about an old Pentium 166 type computer.
Of all the above, the loudest and most intrusive noise in a modern computer is the noise of the processor fan. Noise, emitted by other devices is not so loud, to focus attention on it, with the exception of some cases, for example, when a loose case rattles (true for old computers).
There may be several reasons for increased fan noise in a computer system unit:
- Wear, evaporation of lubricant on fan bearings;
- Clogged, clogged radiator grilles with dust;
- The fan speed is incorrectly set to maximum;
- Cheap Chinese cooler no name (my version by the way).
How to reduce computer fan noise?
Often, modern computers sufficiently equipped noisy coolers, which operate at a speed exceeding the minimum required speed to cool the computer processor. Excessively high fan speed are the main cause of increased computer fan noise. Therefore, to reduce or remove noise from a computer cooler, you need lower the fan speed on the cooler. This is most relevant for the video card and processor; you need to be careful with fans in the power supply, since they help cool the entire computer. There are several ways in which you can reduce noise, while leaving the computer's cooling at an acceptable level. That is, choose the optimal ratio of cooling system performance to emitted cooler noise.
The most common ways to reduce cooler emissions:
1. Enabling the function of automatic fan speed control in the BIOS
It works on the principle that the higher the performance of the application (games, video processing), the faster the fan on the cooler rotates. This function is supported by many motherboards: ASUS (Q-Fan control), Gigabyte (Smart fan control), MSI (Fan Control) and other manufacturers.
Let's look at an example maternal ASUS boards function Q-Fan Control
Let's go to BIOS, we get to the section Main
From section Main go to the section Power and in select the line Hardware Monitor
Changing the value of strings CPU Q-Fan Control And Chassis Q-Fan Contro l on Enabled
After this, additional settings will appear CPU Fan Profile And Chassis Fan Profile.
In these lines you can select three operating modes:
- Performances- this is a productive mode;
- Silent- this is the quietest mode;
- Optimal- This is an intermediate mode between productive and quiet.
Important! Automatic fan adjustment will be performed only on connectors CHA_FAN And CPU_FAN. A PWR_FAN not regulated by the system Q-Fan Control. Similar adjustment systems are present on other motherboards from other manufacturers. If your board does not support this function, then you should reduce the cooler speed in the following ways.
2. Reduce the voltage on the cooler
The method is based on a method of reducing the voltage in the circuit section between the source and the fan. For that to reduce fan speed, Can submit on the fan lower voltage. The nominal voltage for the fan is 12 Volt. And the entire specification (speed, noise level, current consumption, etc.) is indicated for the rated voltage. We can try switching our fan to three other voltage ratings:
- +12 Volts;
- +7 Volts;
- +5 Volt.
This is done using the usual Molex connector, which are present in sufficient quantities in all modern power supplies.
How to disassemble the MOLEX 4 pin connector?
In the plastic case, 4 metal contacts are clamped with tendrils; to pull them out, you need to bend the spacers (tendrils) to the base with tweezers and press on the pin. While pulling the wire, carefully remove the wire with the pin, see photo.
Similarly, you need to remove the power wires from cpu fan connector. We remove only the power wires, that is, +12V and ground (minus).
Now, connect the extracted wires to molex connector according to the scheme, from beginning to "+7" volts, if it continues to make a lot of noise, then "+5" volts, make sure that the speed-to-noise ratio is optimal. Don’t forget about the polarity (yellow/red wire goes to “+”).
All that remains to be done is the adapter to +7V or at +5V as in the photo below.
3) Adjusting the cooler speed using rheobass
Reobas- a device for controlling the rotation speed of fans (coolers). As a rule, rheobass are installed in a 5.25" port, but installation in a 3.5" port is also possible. Exists a large number of panels of this kind - with additional USB outputs, audio inputs and additional accessories. You can buy branded reobass ZALMAN, SKYTHE, AeroCOOL and other manufacturers or produce simple DIY reobass from available radio components.
Branded multifunctional rheobass with temperature monitoring AeroCool Touch 2000
Visual diagram of a homemade reobass
To assemble a homemade reobass, you will need the following radio parts:
- Voltage stabilizer KR142EN12A, analogue of LM7805;
- Resistor constant 320 Ohm;
- Trimmer resistor 4.7 kOhm;
- Variable resistor 1 kOhm.
This scheme allows manual mode set the voltage from 1.5 to 11.8 volts. The threshold voltage for starting the fan blades is 3.5 volts.
At the end of the article, I suggest watch the video, which shows how to use a resistor to reduce cooler speed: