Antec Earthwatts 430 fan swap

Topdawg · Post by **Topdawg** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 12:07 pm

Fellas:

I just replaced my Antec 450 TruPower that was whining to my insanity, with the Antec Earthwatts 430w. To my dismay, I find that the new PSU though not whining is fairly loud with its fan. I've noticed that when I clock down my CPU (Athlon XP 1700 OC'd to 2.2ghz... a power hog, for sure), the fan speed drops to an acceptable level, albeit still audible.

I am thinking about swapping out the fan. I have basically narrowed down to this choice:

http://www.performance-pcs.com/catalog/ ... s_id=22910

The airflow to noise ratio seems to be good. If it operates as it is rated, the PSU will be quieter than my case fan (Panoflow @22dB).

Reading the fan's spec, it shows that the fan runs off of a 3 pin or 4 pin connector. I know that the Earthwatts has a 2 pin connector inside. And since that I do not want to string a 4 pin wire into the PSU, I am thinking about using a 3 pin to 2 pin converter. But will that provide enough power for the Silenx fan?

Also, is there a way to open the PSU so to not void the warranty?

jhhoffma · Post by **jhhoffma** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 12:50 pm

I have the same PSU and I find it to be quite quiet. I cannot hear it above the stock Intel fan on my E6550, which quite quiet compared to other stock cooling solutions I've hear.

SilenX has a checkered past around these parts, due to misleading statements (their dBA readings on that link will attest to that). However, if the fan is in fact too loud for you, I suggest going with a Nexus or another 80mm fan from SPCRs recommended list.

Have you also reduced the voltage of your CPU? That will effect the amount of heat your CPU HSF must dissipate and reduce overall temps.

Topdawg · Post by **Topdawg** » Thu Jan 31, 2008 1:11 pm

hmmm... I checked the Newegg review of the fan, and it seems that people are REALLY impressed with its quiet performance...

As for the Earthwatts being noisy, I can say that it can be very quiet when I drop my OC back to stock speed. But that's almost a 40% drop in performance...

I do need my PC to be quite speedy (without an actual upgrade). So OC is a must for me. I do midi performance with piano sampler and I need every hertz of the CPU.

I do hope that the Silenx fan does perform up to its rated decibel level... otherwise I will be very disappointed.

By the way, I have checked the Earthwatts 430w review article and seen that the fan connector is not visible. Is the fan hardwired?

jhhoffma · Post by **jhhoffma** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 6:33 am

Topdawg wrote:By the way, I have checked the Earthwatts 430w review article and seen that the fan connector is not visible. Is the fan hardwired?

Probably. I haven't peeked inside me to check, but it's always cheaper to solder than to put a connector on.

I have revised my position on the EA-430 however. Before I had been surprised how quiet it could be, particularly at idle. However, I found a new way of making the PSU loud...enter Crysis.

After about 5 minutes, every fan in my system was at full bore, CPU and PSU fans were obnoxiously loud. I'm debating on buying an adapter for my CNPS7000B-AlCu (fan modded of course) to put on it and ducting the PSU through the front, though I don't know if that will make it quieter.

BTW, I don't put much stock in NewEgg user reviews on what is quiet (except my own), most of them are from people who have no idea what SPCR is all about.

Topdawg · Post by **Topdawg** » Fri Feb 01, 2008 9:48 am

To be fair, the EWs are not loud at all. It is just not silent, that's all

I also agree with your assessment that at idle, it is dang quiet. But I am kind of compulsive about noise...

Topdawg · Post by **Topdawg** » Sat Feb 02, 2008 9:35 pm

Well, the Silenx fan just came in, along with a 3 pin to 2 pin adapter.

It turned out that the EWs does have a 2 pin header. Plugging in the Silenx fan, the PSU is practically SILENT. Well, I also have to account for that fact that it is probably a little bit underpowered right now. But for the dramatic noise reduction, I am not complaining. Right now I am just waiting to make sure that the decrease in airflow doesn't melt down my computer

jhhoffma · Post by **jhhoffma** » Mon Feb 04, 2008 8:40 am

Well, after playing Crysis for about an hour last night, I think I learned one thing. The increase in fan speed I've been seeing is based on internal temperature not power draw. Before, I mentioned that the fan went nuts with my system all buttoned up; that's not the case with the side panel off. If the heat is not allowed to build up inside the case, then the PSU only ramps up a little, but is still overshadowed by CPU and GPU fans.

I need to get a bracket so I can put my CNPS7000B -AlCu on the E6550 (I'm sick of the stock HSF), and I'm going to build a duct for the EA430 to the front of the case. I hope this will provide fresh air for the PSU to keep it from ramping up in speed when heat begins to build up inside the case.

On a related note, I replaced the slipstream with the my old TriCool that came with the case and set it to medium (yes, it's too loud for me), but that also kept the system from ramping up when playing Crysis.

So I definitely think that the EA430 can be nice and quiet when supplied with enough fresh air and not being fed recirculated heat.

jhhoffma · Post by **jhhoffma** » Wed Feb 06, 2008 10:04 pm

After playing around with the duct for a few days, I feel that it's serviceable, but I'd rather not use the duct, as I have to open the door to my SLK3000B to vent it.

Now I'm thinking of doing a fan swap and being done with the whole thing (along with a 1200rpm slipstream exhaust and the 7000B on the C2D).

Topdawg, how is the silenx fan holding up? Are your temps ok or getting unstable at load?

Topdawg · Post by **Topdawg** » Sun Feb 10, 2008 12:00 pm

Well, instead of the whole air duct thing, I heartily recommend getting the fan swap done

!

The problem with the stock Adda fan of EA-430 is that once it revs up the speed, it is just as loud as anything. The Silenx fan is running VERY quiet, though I do worry about its relatively low air flow at 5v. But since I don't game, I don't really worry about much. My CPU temp hovers around 44 C (for an OCed to max Athlon XP1700 @2.1ghz it is very good. My cpu fan only runs at 1100rpm).

I would definitely try to get another fan, for the fan swap though, since the Silenx while being quiet, doesn't move much air. That might be a problem for your setup.

Oh yeah, the EA-430 has a 2 pin header, so a 3 pin to 2 pin adapter might be handy!

yamahaSHO · Post by **yamahaSHO** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 5:55 pm

On my Earthwatts 380, I swapped in the fan that came with my Scythe Ninja Mini. I will be building a HTPC for my dad in the near future using the Antec Fusion and plan to do the same fan swap.

I've been happy with it... I can't even hear the fan.

jhhoffma · Post by **jhhoffma** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 7:15 pm

yamahaSHO wrote:On my Earthwatts 380, I swapped in the fan that came with my Scythe Ninja Mini. I will be building a HTPC for my dad in the near future using the Antec Fusion and plan to do the same fan swap.

I've been happy with it... I can't even hear the fan.

Is it running full speed or have you slowed it down at all (PWM or something else)?

yamahaSHO · Post by **yamahaSHO** » Wed Feb 13, 2008 7:22 pm

jhhoffma wrote:
yamahaSHO wrote:On my Earthwatts 380, I swapped in the fan that came with my Scythe Ninja Mini. I will be building a HTPC for my dad in the near future using the Antec Fusion and plan to do the same fan swap.

I've been happy with it... I can't even hear the fan.
Is it running full speed or have you slowed it down at all (PWM or something else)?

It's connected like the stock fan was. I read that it won't ramp the speed until a certain power draw. I just ran 3dMark and Orthos seperately which I would think would draw enough power to step the fan up and I still could not hear it.

Copyright · Post by **Copyright** » Sun Feb 17, 2008 8:18 pm

I am about to ditch my Antec earthwatts 380.... my system at idle is fairly quiet... soon as it goes under load the psu fan starts to get louder and louder... its the loudest thing in my system.

PenDragon · Post by **PenDragon** » Wed Feb 27, 2008 9:25 pm

I just popped an Antec EW380 in my primary computer to replace the EW500 that was in there, and wow- the EW380 is MUCH louder. (The reason for this swap is that I am slowing upgrading to a new computer- waiting on the e8400 to come back in stock at a reasonable price for the most part- and giving my current computer to my wife. I figured I'd go ahead and swap the EW380 PSU into the outgoing machine early).

Given the general commentary that the whole EA series is really quiet, and my personal experience with the EW500 being quiet, I've got to wonder... is my new 8800GT enough to make the 380W PSU ramp up even at idle? I've also noticed that the EW380 PSU gets even louder when gaming (which is to say that the fan controller isn't broken), but even at idle it's bothersome to me. The EW500 was quiet whether at idle or while gaming. So- am I just tapping too far into the 380W PSU's power band with my power-hungry video card?
Thanks,
Douglas

jhhoffma · Post by **jhhoffma** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 6:23 am

PenDragon wrote:So- am I just tapping too far into the 380W PSU's power band with my power-hungry video card?

Maybe, but you can always experiment with a duct to be sure. I have a duct on mine and the PSU doesn't really ramp up anymore. I just bought some more parts (including a Globalwin 80mm) to help quiet the system a little and I'll see if that has any effect as well. Ultimately, I want to get rid of the duct as my SLK3000B has a door that I don't like leaving open to use it.

I'm trading the Tricool for a Slipstream (1200rpm), putting a 800rpm Slipstream on my EN8800GT, replacing the stock C2D cooler with my trusty ol' CNPS7000B-AlCu (Scythe Kaze-Jyu fan swap), and, if necessary, swapping the fan on my EA430. I really hope I don't have to, I'd hate to void the warranty...

PenDragon · Post by **PenDragon** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 4:24 pm

Thank you for your reply. I'm pretty sure my "n00b" will be showing a little here, but I'm not sure what you mean when referring to ducting in terms of reducing load on the power supply. Could you please elaborate? I have always thought of ducting in terms of creating an airflow path.

BTW, the 8800GT I bought is this one, and I'm very impressed with the HSF- it stays quiet and cool. Just thought I'd throw that plug in

jhhoffma · Post by **jhhoffma** » Thu Feb 28, 2008 5:29 pm

PenDragon wrote:'m pretty sure my "n00b" will be showing a little here, but I'm not sure what you mean when referring to ducting in terms of reducing load on the power supply. Could you please elaborate? I have always thought of ducting in terms of creating an airflow path.

Exactly. You didn't mention what case you have, so I assumed you had a standard ATX layout with the PSU in the same compartment as the rest of the hardware. The Antec's and other use their design of separate compartments to duct the PSU so that the heat from the rest of the components doesn't add to the PSU's and make it ramp up it's own fan to compensate.

You can do the same thing (like I have right now) in a standard case, by using cardboard or some other material to create a duct to channel the airflow from the outside of your case (say, through the empty 5.25" bays) directly to the PSU. That way your PSU gets fresh air and only has to worry about using the heat it generates itself, and the case exhaust can take the load of the heat from the remaining components.

PenDragon · Post by **PenDragon** » Fri Feb 29, 2008 12:49 pm

Thank you for elaborating- that makes a lot more sense to me now. This particular case is a standard ATX (Thermaltake Soprano). My new build will be making use of an already-purchased Antec P182

, but the 380W PSU will be housed in the Soprano, so I need it to work in there.

I was thinking in terms of the majority of the heat generated in the PSU being from the PSU itself, with higher temps occurring as the PSU is asked to work harder, but you are absolutely right that case temps can be a significant contributing factor as well in the standard ATX design. I will play around with this. I think the Soprano has decent airflow (120mm and 90mm intake, 120mm exhaust, and I'm NOT using the TT fans), but the fans are all undervolted to 5V. And while the CPU, NB and GPU temps are all reasonable, they're also all receiving active cooling.

I'll start easy by both removing the side panel and increasing the voltage to the exhaust fan. If that has a positive impact, then I'll look into creating a duct. The 2 caveats here have to do with the case's design- it has a door that, when closed, only allows air down at the very bottom (I tend to leave it partway open to help alleviate this), and the "front panel connectors" are on the top of the case and would cut into the path of a duct.

I'll let you/any other interested parties know the results of my weekend tinkering. I hate to have to return this PSU, so hopefully I'll find something that works!

PenDragon · Post by **PenDragon** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 4:35 pm

oh, yeah, I was supposed to report my findings- whoops.

I created a duct, going from the 2nd 5.25" bay, now open, to the PSU. I somehow managed to tear off a box flap that was the perfect length and width for the duct without any need for modification- not sure how that happened, but it's nice to finally know the feeling of all the stars aligning in my favor

Anyway, I think it helped, as it seems somewhat less noisy, but the PSU is still the loudest component in the computer, and it still ramps up when gaming. If I ever build my new computer (I don't think God could find an e8400 in stock in the US for a reasonable price at this time), I'm hoping that the lower power draw and heat requirements of the system in my wife's hands (lesser video card, fewer add-on cards) will be sufficient along with the duct for a quiet PSU/system.

I'm certainly open to any other suggestions/comments/*cough*e8400 in stock locations*cough*

Thanks
Douglas

jhhoffma · Post by **jhhoffma** » Thu Mar 06, 2008 6:07 pm

Looks like your in the mix for a fan swap...

I'll give a little update on my system since I'm in the sharing mood. I redid the system as I laid out earlier. First of all, not too impressed with the noise level of the 1200rpm Slipstream at stock. Mine had a chirping noise at first that went away (along with some of the whoosh) at 1000rpm speed via mobo control. It sounds much better now. I'm also a little unhappy with what I thought was a quiet 1500rpm Kaze-Jyu at the heart of my 7000B. I'm going to put a Fanmate on it and run it around 1000rpm which is plenty quiet (I have another 7000B @ that speed in my HTPC).

The 800rpm Slipstream on my vid card works very well and is perfectly quiet. However, at this time I don't think I'll be doing the fan swap on the PSU. Even when running Bioshock (I beat Crysis), it doesn't ramp up anymore. I'm guessing the exhaust fan (Slipstream 1000rpm) is pulling enough air away to evacuate the heat from the CPU before the PSU can suck it up. It's much more effective than the Tricool on low.

For now, I'll keep the GlobalWin on standby just in case...

sjp010 · Post by **sjp010** » Sat Mar 08, 2008 6:08 pm

Wow, I just did a fan swap on my Earthwatts 380W. As recommended above, I swapped out the stock fan for the 80mm fan that came with my Ninja Mini. What a difference! I'd now call it silent; before it would have to be considered only very quiet. Thanks for the suggestion!

Jokoto · Post by **Jokoto** » Sun Mar 09, 2008 11:01 pm

It does make a big difference. In my case however, an EarthWatts 380 in an NSK3480, it revealed the electrical noise. It can only be heard if you listen to it up close, though, and it getting out is partly due to the vent on top of that case. How do yours sound? Stop the fans for a moment if there's whooshing air covering it up. Some time much later I might consider hot gluing the coils etc. to try and dampen the electrical noise, if it can be judged possible. Has anybody done that?

sjp010 · Post by **sjp010** » Mon Mar 10, 2008 5:58 pm

I"m not getting any electrical noise -- no noise at all until your ear is about 6" away. It's in a Solo so no top vent.

jhhoffma · Post by **jhhoffma** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 6:34 am

Oh, I can definitely hear the coil noise from my EA430 with my ear nearby. Once the case goes back in it's cubby, it goes away though.

After some tweaking, I have my exhaust fan running about 800rpms (via mobo control) and CPU fan around 1000-1100rpm (via Fanmate2). It's quiet but it no longer keeps the PSU fan from ramping up during gameplay (Bioshock this time). I'll probably have to replace the PSU fan with the Globalwin I have (it's pretty quiet), but I'm in no rush to void the warranty, especially with the coil buzz. It ramps down quickly when I exit the game anyway.

PenDragon · Post by **PenDragon** » Tue Mar 11, 2008 10:55 am

Yeah, I'm very hesitant about doing a fan swap on the PSU. Considering that SPCR's own review of the EW430 shows this to be similar to a Seasonic S12 PSU, except that the heatsinks and the fan are significantly smaller, I'm hesitant to put a quieter fan in the PSU for fear of overheating the unit.

My exhuast fan right now is a Yate Loon D12SL at 7v, which I'm pretty happy with. I'm hoping that once I ready the computer for my wife (read: remove 8800GT, sound card, other miscellany, insert 6600GT), it will be sufficiently cool to keep the PSU from ramping up.

PenDragon · Post by **PenDragon** » Tue Apr 01, 2008 12:22 pm

I just wanted to provide an update on my loud EA380. I put the Geforce 6600GT in the computer, and the PSU has become much quieter now. So, I guess all the extra heat and power draw from the 8800GT was sufficient to cause the EA380 to ramp up (but not the EA500).

On a side note, something blew out on the 8800GT- it was making an annoying high-pitched noise for about a week (capacitor, maybe?), and then all of a sudden, no more video image. Tried it in a different computer, and no go. So much for my glowing review...

mahdiy85 · Post by **mahdiy85** » Wed Sep 02, 2009 1:30 pm

hey lads,
so if i pick up somehting like a nexus 80mm fan for this psu, what type of 3 pin to 2 pin connector is needed? there seem to be several types.

thanks

Antec Earthwatts 430 fan swap

Antec Earthwatts 430 fan swap

Antec EarthWatts 380 noise

Re: Antec EarthWatts 380 noise