Antec SmartPower 2.0 - Finally some info

BrianF · Post by **BrianF** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 11:33 am

Antec just posted a little info:

http://www.antec.com/us/pro_p_SPII.html

Unique Fan setup: usual exhaust, plus intake opposite (not on the bottom).

Strange text in their literature though: "exhaust fan starts to spin when the power supply reaches certain terperatures to ensure proper air flow, the scond fan spins on power up".

That to me would mean that the "inside" fan is spining more than the "outside" one...which seems odd.

Has anyone seen one in the flesh? Are there intake vents on the bottom?

mathias · Post by **mathias** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 11:51 am

BrianF wrote: That to me would mean that the "inside" fan is spining more than the "outside" one...which seems odd.

It's not odd at all, because that fan is more on the inside of the PC, it's noise will escape the case much less.

BrianF wrote:Has anyone seen one in the flesh? Are there intake vents on the bottom?

Yeah, someone has.

---

Modding idea for that PSU: remove the inside fan grill, and replace the inner fan with a 25mm thick one, preferably a yate loon or nexus, and replace the outer fan with a three blade delta so that it doesn't get in the way as much when it's off.

BrianF · Post by **BrianF** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 12:10 pm

It's not odd at all, because that fan is more on the inside of the PC, it's noise will escape the case much less.

Ok... I get the idea now...makes sense (as long as there are no vents on the bottom).....though as you mention, one would think that the outside fan would be restrictive to the inner one when not spining....

Still, the price is right. I think I'll order one.

Tibors · Post by **Tibors** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 1:54 pm

Not that I think this will be a bad PSU, but I have not seen any reason why this would be a quiet PSU. The new TruePower PSU's are marketed as quiet (21.3 dBA), but Antec does not give any noise spec or quietness claim for the new SmartPower PSU's. So don't get your hopes too high

frankgehry · Post by **frankgehry** » Tue Apr 26, 2005 2:36 pm

I just got one yesterday. I bought it more for its potential rather than a guarantee that it would be really quiet. I'm running it now with a psu tester before I commit to buying it, but there is really no question about it now. It doesn't have any vents on the bottom, but has a few holes next to the intake fan as you can see in the photos from an earlier post by edward. When I first turned it on I couldn't tell it was running. Of course I wasn't looking at the intake end. The intake fan starts when the psu is turned on and just barely spins. The exhaust fan is not going to come on until it has more of a load. The intake fan is a 9 blade 15mm model and the exhaust fan is a 25mm seven blade. So far, it all seems very clever and I'm hoping the exhaust fan will hold back until the system is really loaded. If it turns out to be a noisy fan, I can always replace it with a panaflo or papst or my current favorite a JMC. It looks like there are some pretty big heatsinks that run the length of the case except for the fans.

The detachable cables only come on the 500w version. - FG

If the exhast fan kicks in too early I will set them up with the t-balancer.

BrianF · Post by **BrianF** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 3:10 am

So...can you tell us any more? I'm dying to know about the exhaust fan: When it kicks in, does it come on slow and speed up according to heat, or is it a "full on/full off" thing?

scara · Post by **scara** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 3:56 am

BrianF wrote:I'm dying to know about the exhaust fan: When it kicks in, does it come on slow and speed up according to heat, or is it a "full on/full off" thing?

From the link in the first post

antec wrote:2. Unique Dual Fans Design: The external exhaust fan starts, stops and adjusts its speed in response to system temperature, while the other fan is temperature-regulated

One would assume it behaves the same as any other temp controlled fan except that it will stop/start at lower temperatures rather than always running.

BrianF · Post by **BrianF** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 5:54 am

One would assume...

I hate to assume, especially since if I order through work, I cant send it back.

I was going to take a chance ordering one, but then I had this horible vision of a fan kicking on to full speed all of the sudden right in the middle of me working or playing, which would of course be more anoying that if it were just allways on.

I dont think Antec would be so dumb but I want to know for sure before I order.

frankgehry · Post by **frankgehry** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 9:07 am

I've had one for a week or so, and the intake fan comes on when you turn the psu on but its extremely slow and inaudible. I thought it wasn't working although I was looking at the exhaust end. The 500w version has detachable cables. The rear fan hasn't come on yet. - FG

I already answered this a few posts earlier.

BrianF · Post by **BrianF** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 9:59 am

The rear fan hasn't come on yet.....I already answered this a few posts earlier.

Yes, I know. I was just hopping the fan HAD come on and you could comment on its noise.

That the first fan is sooo quiet is very interesting.

The SmartPowers sound (no pun intended) too good to be true. If they are as quiet (maybe quieter?) than the new TruePowers, there will be little incentive to pay ~25% more per watt for the Trues (unless you really want the "fan-only" connections).

frankgehry · Post by **frankgehry** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 10:15 am

I would like to hear the other fan too, but my enermax never ramped up or became louder in heavy use. I've been looking for a review but I don't think there's one out there yet. - FG

Arcticfox · Post by **Arcticfox** » Fri Apr 29, 2005 11:40 am

Sounds like this could be a great PSU for the duct in the Antec P180. I hope some reviews start popping up soon.

BrianF · Post by **BrianF** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 3:22 am

I would like to hear the other fan too

Must be maddening. I mean, my obsessive compulsive side would allways wonder if the second fan is working unless I witnessed it spin up at least once.

I have an Onkyo Surround Sound receiver with a fan which never kicks in, but at least it spins for one second on power up as a self test.

Have you connected the Fan speed signal lead? I assume its slaved to the allways on fan and not the intermittent. Currious what sort of speeds you are getting.

winguy · Post by **winguy** » Sat Apr 30, 2005 9:24 am

frankgehry wrote:The detachable cables only come on the 500w version. - FG

Interesting, modular cable design for the 500W, and fan-only connectors too.

frankgehry · Post by **frankgehry** » Sun May 01, 2005 5:15 pm

Here is some more info on the Antec Smartpower 2.0 500w. The intake fan is an Xinruilian XFAN RDM8015S. The exhaust fan is a Top Motor DF1208SM by Dynaeon. Top Motor/Dynaeon/Dynatron are all the same. I am not that familiar with Antec psu's but I was surprised to see sleeve bearing models. I finally got the exhaust fan to spin with the help of a hair dryer pointed directly at the fan controller. It started silently at about the same speed as the intake fan and never ramped up. The intake fan spins at power on at about 900rpm.

The fan connectors can be seen in this photo. The intake fan has a tach. I can't tell if the exhaust fan has one or not.

Perforated heat sinks.

Here we see a Delta 80x15 and a Panaflo 80x25. These are not from the Antec but included just for comparison.

winguy · Post by **winguy** » Sun May 01, 2005 10:33 pm

frankgehry wrote:Here is some more info on the Antec Smartpower 2.0 500w.

Hi
Can you provide pictures of the cables (molex, fan-only, 24pin etc) and also the side of the PSU where you plug the cables in?

Just wondering, when the exhuast fan isn't spinning, is hot air pushed out of the PSU (through the back) effectively? I see vents elsewhere...

frankgehry · Post by **frankgehry** » Sun May 01, 2005 11:42 pm

Here are some more pictures -

http://forums.silentpcreview.com/viewto ... smartpower

and there are usually some good ones at newegg. The detachable cables are like the ones for the neopower that you can look up on the antec site or probably the neopower review here.

You can feel some warm air that drifts out the exhaust . The fan isn't on high enough to blow it out with any force. I think that because its not sucking up hot air from the cpu, there's really no reason to have the fans on very high. Consequently, they are both medium speed fans and the 15mm is more like a half of a fan. - FG

neopower

winguy · Post by **winguy** » Mon May 02, 2005 12:56 am

Thanks for the links.

Are there fan-only connectors? Don't see the fan-only connector like what's on the Neopower:

Neopower

SmartPower 2.0 500W

However, specs say there is...

frankgehry · Post by **frankgehry** » Mon May 02, 2005 1:25 am

Its supposed to have it according to the spec here

http://www.antec.com/specs/SP500_spe.html

but I don't see anything about it in the instructions, so it probably doesn't have a fan only connector. That photo doesn't look like the psu. The connectors are vertical, but I guess there were some changes to the initial specs.

BrianF · Post by **BrianF** » Mon May 02, 2005 5:57 am

Those holes are most puzzling.

Obviously, Antec found or felt they were needed for some reason. Instinctively, one would think it would just leak warm air back into the PC, especially if there is a case fan creating a negative pressure in the case. On the other hand, the vents might be there to allow more air in when the second (exhaust) fan kicks in and presumably draws more than the first fan is supplying.

All very unique....and curious....were is that Antec rep who posts here sometimes?

AntecRep · Post by **AntecRep** » Mon May 02, 2005 7:13 am

There's an error in the spec sheet. SmartPower 2' s do not have "Fan Only" connectors. We'll correct that soon.

AntecRep

frankgehry · Post by **frankgehry** » Mon May 02, 2005 10:18 am

Yes, I think the holes are there for the exhaust fan since its going to move more air than the intake fan. I'll see if warm air is coming out with the intake fan.

BrianF · Post by **BrianF** » Tue May 03, 2005 7:33 am

frankgehry wrote:I'll see if warm air is coming out with the intake fan.

It might be hard to gauge exactly what's happening unless we could shrink down like in Fantastic Voyage and be inside the PC while its running.

I thought about this at great length last night. I wish Mr.Antec would chime in here...

The singular 15mm intake fan is going to be pushing air into the PSU, creating a positive pressure inside of it. That air is going to want to get out any way it can, and there are only two ways: past the stationary exhaust fan, or through those holes.

Given that the PC case will most likely have a negative pressure inside of it (thanks in most part to the rear 120mm fan which is most likely there), the warm air inside the SmartPower2 will actually be encouraged to come out through the holes and into the PC case. I'm not surprised people are saying they cant feel much of anything coming past the stationary fan.

Am I crazy?

This could have been (for me at least) the perfect PSU if they had just put two identical quiet fans in the same positions (ie: no openings on the bottom) and let them ramp up and down together. The push pull arrangement would let them easily overcome neg case pressure as well as the impendence of the PSU innards, allowing them to spin slowly while not leaking heat back into the PC.

BTW Frank, thanks a tonne for the photos. Seriously.

StarfishChris · Post by **StarfishChris** » Tue May 03, 2005 7:54 am

I wonder if they would've been better having a fan at the bottom and the front and leave the back (kettle socket side) grilled a la early PSUs...

BrianF · Post by **BrianF** » Tue May 03, 2005 8:01 am

Oh no. IMO we need to get away from any openings on the bottom of PSUs. All that does is allow heat from the CPU to go right in, compound with the PSUs own heat, drive its fan speed up...you know the rest.

Actaully, I really dont know why the "12cm bottom fan" design persists in an age where decent rear case fans are the norm (actually, I do know: because they "look cool"). We dont need the PSU to be part of the heat extration system any more. All they should be doing is cooling themselves. But I digress.....

Tibors · Post by **Tibors** » Tue May 03, 2005 8:04 am

BrianF wrote:Am I crazy?

Yes

The "always on" fan is a low flow fan, so whatever the rest of your design is, it hardly plays a role in evacuating the case air anyway.
The thick fan is off whenever the temp inside the PSU is low enough anyway.
"Hot" air escaping through those holes back into the case will probably mostly be sucked back into the PSU again.

So the "problem" you have with this design only occurs when the load and the case temp are low. As soon as one of them becomes too high it disappears. So as long as this doesn't cause an on/off cycling of the second fan, it is not a problem at all.

nici · Post by **nici** » Tue May 03, 2005 8:04 am

Or just a fan at the inside, and the outside like on a 120mm fanned PSU

Or maybe two high-quality 70mm fans.

But seriously, if you are running negative case pressure and the exhaust fan does not start its easy enough to just tape the openings

BrianF · Post by **BrianF** » Tue May 03, 2005 8:41 am

Tibors wrote:
BrianF wrote:Am I crazy?
Yes

Indeed. I overanalyse I know. Its just that this purchase is going to have to last. My wife is not going to let me re-buy a PSU for years to come.

Seriously though, if we could just hear from Antec about their design, I'd feel better about buying one. Why the 15mm fan on intake and 25mm on exhaust? Why the holes? Why is the intake the allways on and not vice versa. Etc.

Tibors · Post by **Tibors** » Tue May 03, 2005 9:04 am

BrianF wrote:Why the holes?

This is the only one I can answer, because it is quite obvious. Two fans in series move as much air as the weakest of the two alone. (Given that there is no back pressure.) So when the second fan kicks in, it won't have any effect unless there is another path for air to enter the PSU. Ergo the holes.

I still don't understand why you are so worried whether there is some warm air recycled in the top of your case or not. The only component affected by this is the PSU, as there is nothing else in the top of the case. Except maybe the rear of some optical drive, but that is not really a heat critical component is it? As it happens only when the PSU isn't hot, the air won't be that hot either. The net airflow in that part of the case will still be from the case, through the PSU and out. So IMHO you really are hunting ghosts.

frankgehry · Post by **frankgehry** » Tue May 03, 2005 9:28 am

I did notice one other thing and that is an air guide in the top half of the case. Its just a folded piece of plastic that deflects the air from the intake fan down on to the heat sinks.

The air has a path inside the psu, but by the time it gets to the exhaust fan it has travelled around the heatsinks and over the capacitors and then exits at the adjacent corner through the exhaust fan.

15mm fans don't push much air, especially at low speeds. On the exhaust side its almost as if someone were just breathing heavy from the intake side. There's no steam of air - you have to put your hand right next to the fan to feel it. The same thing for the holes in the back. I can feel a little bit of air but all of the cables are gathered there and its not a clear path out. The area is so small and the air flow is so little that I don't think much heat is going to escape, although I can definitely feel some.

I also have a fortron with inline fans and it is real noisy. Both fans come on at about 1500rpm, but it doesn't have any holes other than for fans. I'm going to replace the fans and do something for the fan controller and it should be fairly quiet. The antec and the fsp530 are smaller than the ocz powerstream, but you could put a larger fan on the outside and tape the holes up and just have one fan, or you may be able to put in some more air guides to minimize the amount of air that comes out of the holes. I don't think the antec needs any changes from what I've seen so far. The extra holes could also be there to make sure that corner gets some air.

Its running on my table with a psu tester and I put a kleenex over the intake fan, but it just fell off. I will try to load it some more before too long. Right now I'm seeing how I'm going to make the fortron as quiet as the antec. - FG

The more I think about it the extra holes do help air to circulate over to that corner.

Antec SmartPower 2.0 - Finally some info

Antec SmartPower 2.0 - Finally some info

Re: Antec SmartPower 2.0 - Finally some info

Re: Antec SmartPower 2.0 - Finally some info

just got one

Re: just got one