Need some hints on the ZM300A-APF

bonzichrille · Post by **bonzichrille** » Sun Jul 13, 2003 3:04 am

Hi everyone!

I finnaly deceided on modding my zalman psu(300-APF). I only use my computer as a mp3 jukebox, making excessive cpu power useless:

Duron 750
ge4 mx420
barracuda V

So I thought, lets mod this bastard with a papst 12db(not even close, but hey, pretty silent). Opened it up only to find that there wasen't a normal 2-pin connection, instead, it seems to soldered onto the pcb. Bummer!! So my questions are as followed:

1. Should I cut the two wires leding to the fan( in psu), and try to twin them around the expossed papst wires? Could get some kind of electric chock fiddeling with these?

2. Can i cut the wires to the psu fan, install my papst fan and take the 2-pin connection out of the psu and there connecting it to a normal motherboard fan head? Would the zalman psu sense my evil deeds and not even power on with the wires cut?

Thx!

ps. this has to be the #1 forum in writing skill! Never before have I had to get my dictionery in order to understand some of the posts here. Excellent stuff, everyone is so articulate it's scary. But when you come to think of it, who is in desperet need of a silent pc? University students living in small quarters....ds

BarCodeBlack · Post by **BarCodeBlack** » Sun Jul 13, 2003 5:13 am

Hi Bonzichrille, Welcome to SPCR!

Thanks for the heads up regarding the Zalman ZM300A PSU. I have two of these that I recently purchased and was considering modifying the fans with a Pabst or Panaflo also, but as you have already pointed out, if there is no 2-pin header I may aswell not void my warranty and just leave the fan as it is. At least I now don't need to open my units up to find out.

On the other hand, I recently modified a PowerMan PSU which had no 2-pin header for a fan swap, but found these little items quite useful. They are called "scotch connectors" and you will require 2 (one for each of the two fan leads).

http://www.pcsilent.de/en/products/misc.asp

I ordered from PCSilent.de and no instructions were included, but once you can figure them out, they are a POP (piece of piss) to install.

One other point, if you a finding the ZM300A too loud, one post I discovered here stated you could cover up one set of the intake vents for the PSU, preferably the bottom vents closest to the CPU. This should prevent the too much hot air from entering the PSU and keep the fan speed a little lower. This weill only work if you have sufficient enough airflow through other case fans i.e. exhaust.

Hope this helps

BCB

haral · Post by **haral** » Sun Jul 13, 2003 6:02 am

The Zalman 300w and the Nexus 300w is based on fortron. I have the nexus. So, where did you find out the information about covering up the lower vents? My case has sufficient airflow and the nexus is quiet. However I would like to read that article and maybe try that myself.

BarCodeBlack · Post by **BarCodeBlack** » Sun Jul 13, 2003 6:39 am

Hi,

Following a quick search on the SPCR forums (for 'bottom' & 'vents') I came across a mixed-bag of opinions regarding the taping up of the bottom vents. I advise you do the same and reach your own opinion of what to do.

I have the two Zalman PSUs ready for installation, and due to the noise of these units when under load I am edging towards the idea of taping up the bottom vents yet either cutting or bending to 90 degrees the vents on the rear (inside) of the PSU.

One entry I did find that may certify the idea of doing just this is below

Clippet wrote:
I find that note interesting. Many PSU's have vents both ways as you describe it. If a PSU that has it is going to be installed, one can wonder if it's better to turn it around to make the bottom vents point upwards (opposite direction of facing the motherboard and CPU).

I have one of those Nexus NX-3000 PSU's. On those the side vents are situated where the heatsinks are, maybe on this specific PSU it will only make good to have the vents pointing at the motherboard. The air must go through the heatsinks on it's way out.

Any thoughts of this?

MikeC wrote:
Rather than flipping it over, which makes some of the PSU mounting screw holes unusable, it would be easier to block the down-facing slots with -- electrical tape, duct tape -- whatever.

Try this with your NX-3000 if its fan speeds up as the system is worked harder. NOTE: for this to work without making your CPU/case temps go up, you need to have an exhaust fan other than the PSU fan, one that moves the right amount of air for your system.

Hope this helps

BCB

haral · Post by **haral** » Sun Jul 13, 2003 6:52 am

Thank you. I'll think I pass it because Nexus isn't speeding up it's fans.

bonzichrille · Post by **bonzichrille** » Sun Jul 13, 2003 8:56 am

well well Barcodeblack, you say welcome to spcr, you might take a look at my joining date, I was one of the first to spot this great site. Haven't been very active on the forums tough...

Scotch connectors sure is an alternative, just have to find them here in Sweden. But im really intrested an answear to question 2, any one who has a clue?

Wedge · Post by **Wedge** » Sun Jul 13, 2003 9:25 am

bonzichrille wrote: ps. this has to be the #1 forum in writing skill! Never before have I had to get my dictionery in order to understand some of the posts here.

Agreed!!

bonzichrille wrote: Excellent stuff, everyone is so articulate it's scary. But when you come to think of it, who is in desperet need of a silent pc? University students living in small quarters....ds

that should be desperate

sorry..just couldn't resist

Post by **MikeC** » Sun Jul 13, 2003 10:37 am

bonzichrille wrote:2. Can i cut the wires to the psu fan, install my papst fan and take the 2-pin connection out of the psu and there connecting it to a normal motherboard fan head? Would the zalman psu sense my evil deeds and not even power on with the wires cut?

Should work fine. Others have done it, I am sure. BUT you will bypass completely the thermal control in the fan speed circuit & get the full 12V output from the mobo header. I think this would be --

1) probably louder than the stock Zalman fan at whatever reduced voltage it's at -- 6-7-8V? This means you need to have something like the zalman fanmate1 and reduce the voltage to make it worthwhile.

2) not as "safe" -- because the fan speed wil no longer respond to rise in temp in the PSU, which can thus overheat.

So the BEST modding solution is to learn how to solder & do a real swap of the fan -- mechanically and electrically. The second best solution is 1) -- and keep track of PSU exhaust temp in some way when you're working the system hard & be prepared to turn the PSU fan speed up if necessary. Tho what consitutes an unsafe exhaust temp is very hard to say. See recent PSU reviews for some discussion on this matter, as well as PSU forum posts.

Another good mod you could do if you learned to solder is to wire in a resistor in series with the stock fan to drop the voltage fed to it across the baord by maybe 1.5- 2V. This would probably be as safe as the best mod solution above, maybe better, because resistors seem to reduce fan clicking.

You can use Kostik's Fan Calc Utility V 0.4 to calculate the resistor value you need. 1W resistor will be fine.

PS -- agreed about literacy of the SPCR forums -- but this doesn't mean we don't like stuff like engrish and other fun nonsense.

Kostik · Post by **Kostik** » Sun Jul 13, 2003 11:09 am

Why not just use terminal block ? It's easy.

The picture is from my girlfriend's computer. The resistor is used to undervolt a Papst 8412NGL, and it's pretty quiet. It's mounted with rubber washers, doesn't click, I can't hear it.

I only solder when I don't have any terminal block left

CoolColJ · Post by **CoolColJ** » Sun Jul 13, 2003 5:59 pm

WHy not put in a shield around the PSU - or fence it off from the rest of the PC and feed it cool air?

Need some hints on the ZM300A-APF

Need some hints on the ZM300A-APF

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