Antec SL350SP issues.

dioSRL · Post by **dioSRL** » Wed Oct 27, 2004 8:51 am

I got the 3700BQE. Great case, default 120mm fan will soon be replaced wtih good ol' papst.

But, the PSU (Antec SL350SP) has two main issues:

1. It undervolts like hell (+12V gets even to 11.55V)
2. When full load the fan spins with ~2300RPM. I think the termistor makes contact with one of the heatspreader or it is very close to it. Panaflo L1A@7V soon

Idle 1400RPM, startup 8-900RPM.

But, before voiding the warranty, is there a burn-in period, maybe voltages will raise a bit after some uptime? I can change the PSU with another one, but only with Antec sticker on it... I will measure voltages with a proper tool, but I am quite sure it undervolts.. Any of you with this PSU?

Post by **Ralf Hutter** » Wed Oct 27, 2004 1:09 pm

1) PSU voltage is rated at ±5%, so your 12V rail could be as low as 11.4V and still be within spec.

2) I wouldn't trust any software voltage monitoring program to report voltages correctly. Use a multimeter to check it before you get your knickers in a twist.

dioSRL · Post by **dioSRL** » Wed Oct 27, 2004 1:41 pm

Since it's the same platform I tested with a calibrated multimeter.. I think I can estimate, at least.

Antec 430W TP - 11.86-11.92V (software) 12.01- 12.02V multimeter
Antec SL350SP - 11.55-11.73V (software) XXX to be tested

All SL350 speeds up like this? On Spcr website the review says that sample does not, or at least not that much. Mine is up to 2400RPM, but it will easely repaired with L1A. But I am curious if this is normal or simply the termistor is too close to a heatsource.

Thank you very much for your reply. Your work (and ofcourse the whole team) here at SPCR is greately appreciated in our community

Pauli · Post by **Pauli** » Thu Oct 28, 2004 10:29 am

dioSRL wrote:...All SL350 speeds up like this? On Spcr website the review says that sample does not, or at least not that much. ..

Can't vouch for anyone else, but mine did. I replaced it with a Seasonic ST-300 Rev A3 and am much happier.

larrymoencurly · Post by **larrymoencurly** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 12:45 am

My Antec's fan spins at around 900 RPM with no load (tested outside the PSU) and hasn't gone above 2000 RPM after prolonged use inside the computer.

If this is a dual-fan Antec, you can manipulate the thermistors through the opening of the top fan, but before doing this unplug the power cord because otherwise there will be exposed high voltage inside, including one of the heasinks.

I unscrew the grill and let the top fan drop. Older Antecs, at least my 300W, has thermistor, located next to the long heatsink (for low voltage components), on the side closest to the big bundle of power output wires. The thermistor is a dark green thing the size of a small bean, and it may be touching the heatsink. Newer Antecs have a second thermistor on the opposite side of this heatsink, next to the big transformer between the two heatsinks, but I don't know what it does. It's also located farther from the heatsink.

dioSRL · Post by **dioSRL** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 2:19 am

It's a single fan unit (SL350SP), but as long as I searched, it seems the only difference between the dual fan unit is, guess what, no second fan

I will open it tonight and I will also post some pics, if needed. I found a GREAT L1A, at 5-7V it simply beautiful, it does not have any clicking or other noise, it's perfect, very, very smooth. Made in China, btw, but handpicked from other 10 pieces, which all of them had some tsk-tsk light noise @5V. Pretty annoying, though.

chylld · Post by **chylld** » Sat Oct 30, 2004 2:57 am

yay for L1A@7v in an sl350s

that's what i've done and i've had no problems for i think it's been a year now.

dioSRL · Post by **dioSRL** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 12:05 am

OK, fanswap&airflow mod done.

Now I have:

1 Papst 4412 F2/GL 120mm
1 Panaflo M1A 92mm Japan
1 Panaflo L1A 80mm China

All of them connected to Akasa fan controller Jr, at 5V most of the time. HDD is not like in the picture, today I changed it and put some rubber bolts in the default BQE tray (which already has some rubber) Now it's much better, but still not perfect

I think I will look for some 3M rubber band and put the HDD that way.

Pictures:

PSU:

Wire management:

chylld · Post by **chylld** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 12:15 am

very well done! gotta be the cleanest bqe interior i've seen yet.

pity the panaflo is in 'upside-down' when looked at from outside the case

dioSRL · Post by **dioSRL** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 12:20 am

Thanks, it has been a long night

Yea, I noticed it's upside down after I started to chop it

and I left it this way... but that's not a big issue.

chylld · Post by **chylld** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 12:23 am

ahh i also see you've managed to get the L1A's power cable through the proper hole with all the other power cables.. i couldn't do that, it was too tight (or i wasn't trying hard enough) so i ended up just passing it through the grill

did you have trouble fitting the fan in between the psu wall and the circuitboard? mine was an _extremely_ tight fit, even after sanding + filing

dioSRL · Post by **dioSRL** » Mon Nov 01, 2004 12:25 am

Yes, some problems fitting it. But I took a cutter and chop it off in no-time

In the second picture can be seen the right corner of the fan.

dioSRL · Post by **dioSRL** » Mon Nov 08, 2004 1:46 pm

OK, after a week of so of 24/7 running, I think the airflow is more than enough for a decent cooling. Even with 2xprime95 ([email protected]), at 7V it's perfectly stable, temps more or less OK

Those low voltages seems not to interact with stability in any way.

mr pink · Post by **mr pink** » Sun Nov 14, 2004 5:49 am

diosrl - you have inspired me with that interior shot!

wow

mr pink · Post by **mr pink** » Sun Nov 14, 2004 5:55 am

would this http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDe ... 206&depa=0

make a good psu replacement fan in my antec 380s p/s?

If so, should I use the resistor?

I've got one kicking around here I could use .

If the link is bad, its a zalman 80mm.

Thanks you inspirerers!

mathias · Post by **mathias** » Sun Nov 14, 2004 8:00 am

No, I think it would be pretty unsafe to put a ZMF1 in a PSU. It's a regular sleeve bearing fan, hence rather unreliable. The resistor gets pretty hot if you use it with a zalman fan, and might cause it to not even start, and without the resistor, it would be spinning fast which I think is quite bad for sleeve bearing fans, and it might be even louder than the stock fan.

mr pink · Post by **mr pink** » Sun Nov 14, 2004 12:17 pm

thanks.

dioSRL · Post by **dioSRL** » Sun Nov 14, 2004 12:41 pm

Use L1A instead, I think @7V would be more than enough for that PSU.

ls75 · Post by **ls75** » Mon Jan 03, 2005 4:30 am

My multimeter test with SL350SP 1-fan version stocked in SLK3700BQE.

_______idle____prime95
12V:___11,53__11,69
5V:____4,72____4,72
3,3V:___3,14___3,15

And conclusion is that this Power Supply has big undervoltage and it is nearly in the ATX norm. 5V and 3,3V are stable but what a values!! Antec.. shame on you.

I will replace this unit with tagan.

HellDiver · Post by **HellDiver** » Sat Jan 08, 2005 7:42 am

I swapped my SL350SP with a Cheiftec badged 360W. The supply looks very similar to the type used by Enlight etc.

The Chieftec is considerably quieter and has a stronger 12v rating than the SL350SP, even with the stock SuperRed fan.

My 3700BQE has the Chieftec supply, a 120mm L1A@7v and 80mm L1A@12v on PAL8942, and a Leadtek 5900XT. The leadtek is the noisiest item in the PC period.

ls75 · Post by **ls75** » Sun Jan 09, 2005 2:50 am

I decided to swap my SL350SP with a Tagan 420W.
It is definitive quieter then antec with replaced fan with quiet papst.

But something for something.. silence for heat. My temperatures raise 3 deg. up.