Re:AMD Threadripper 3970X under heavy AVX2 load: Defective b...
by wtallis on Friday February 21, 2020 @03:42PM
(#22386496)
> I overbuy power supplies because I think, but have not tested, that it will convince them to run the fan at lower speed. This strategy has resulted in quiet, for sure, but I'm not sure that it gets you reliability.
This theory is sound. High-end power supplies tend to not turn on the fan until reaching 30-50% of their rated maximum output. Fanless power supplies are usually internally using the same components as regular high-end models with 80-100% higher output ratings, but with larger heatsinks. A high-quality oversized power supply with a fan will be silent most of the time, but keep itself cool when necessary.
( I have a semi-passive 750W power supply that has spun up its fan exactly once, when I accidentally shorted two of its power rails together and melted some wires while burning out the PCIe slot I was measuring the power draw through. The motherboard and wires had to be replaced, but the CPU, PSU and PCIe card were all fine.)
This theory is sound. High-end power supplies tend to not turn on the fan until reaching 30-50% of their rated maximum output. Fanless power supplies are usually internally using the same components as regular high-end models with 80-100% higher output ratings, but with larger heatsinks. A high-quality oversized power supply with a fan will be silent most of the time, but keep itself cool when necessary.
( I have a semi-passive 750W power supply that has spun up its fan exactly once, when I accidentally shorted two of its power rails together and melted some wires while burning out the PCIe slot I was measuring the power draw through. The motherboard and wires had to be replaced, but the CPU, PSU and PCIe card were all fine.)