Power supply fan is starting to fail...

...but hey, everything’s still running. I did a little deep cleaning, blew out the dust and all that jazz.

I honestly have zero clue what the exact specs on this power supply are—all I remember is grabbing it about eight years ago for $33 over at Starbucks, an ATX2 model.

Honestly, it’s not even surprising that after all those hours under load, the thing is basically on its deathbed.

Right now, it just does this weird cycle where it whirs loudly, then slows down, then whirs again... just constant back and forth.

The thing is, I can't find my specific model in any computer shop catalogs anywhere, so I'm assuming it's some outdated relic they don't make anymore. Every current model is way more expensive, too. Ugh. Plus, I highly doubt the connectors would even fit my motherboard or hard drive. Everything else has been modernized, but my junk pile? Not so much.

Quick question though—how long can a power supply actually limp along like this if I leave the case open? (I'm assuming that might help with airflow a bit, since this rig is 12 years old and doesn't have one of those massive side fans).

Sorry, I know that sounds stupid.

It’s all kind of a toss-up, really—it could potentially run for another five years, or it might give up the ghost in five hours. If I were in your shoes, I’d probably just keep running it until it finally bites the dust. Then, for about $667 + , you can just pick up a totally new rig that’ll feel like a literal rocket ship compared to this one.

Propeller 🤣 It's a Ventilator, we aren't on a boat 😁

You could always grab a new Ventilator for $10 and swap it into the power supply, though it’s probably a waste since the fan might end up costing more than the unit itself.
Honestly, it's a miracle it's even running after eight years if you bought it back in $33.

Anyway, it's an ATX power supply and follows the standard, so any new one you pick up should work. If you're planning on upgrading other parts soon, I'd suggest grabbing something decent for $100, but if you just want the PC to stay alive for now, you could just get the cheapest new one you can find (or maybe some used Corsair or EVGA stuff).

As for how long it'll last—who knows? I guess it just depends on how hard you push it and how much heat it's putting off.

Cheers.

I’ve been counting down the days until this thing finally kicks the bucket—whether it’s in five hours or five years—and man, I’m already at the 12-year mark. Honestly, if I give it a few more hardware tweaks, it might actually hit its "coming of age" milestone. 😵 But I’m holding onto it; I'm not letting go just yet.

I tried getting my hands on the blades/Ventilator/propeller/heatsink assembly, but it’s a nightmare. Either I’m way too lazy to tear the whole thing apart just to grease a part, or it was built by someone who clearly thinks you should only open things with a sledgehammer and a crowbar. I stripped every single screw and all I managed to do was loosen the Ventilator, which I somehow even managed to screw back together. And the power supply? It looks like it was welded shut at the factory. Maybe I need a bigger crowbar, huh.

I really don't feel like dropping cash on a replacement for $100 unless it completely dies on me. Like Larry Ortiz5 says, we've put way too much time and money into this thing already; it would be a total waste to toss the whole setup just because one tiny component is acting up.

Patrick Chavez60 said:Cheers.

I’ve been counting down the days until this thing finally kicks the bucket—whether it’s in five hours or five years—and man, I’m already at the 12-year mark. Honestly, if I give it a few more hardware tweaks, it might actually hit its "coming of age" milestone. 😵 But I’m holding onto it; I'm not letting go just yet.

I tried getting my hands on the blades/Ventilator/propeller/heatsink assembly, but it’s a nightmare. Either I’m way too lazy to tear the whole thing apart just to grease a part, or it was built by someone who clearly thinks you should only open things with a sledgehammer and a crowbar. I stripped every single screw and all I managed to do was loosen the Ventilator, which I somehow even managed to screw back together. And the power supply? It looks like it was welded shut at the factory. Maybe I need a bigger crowbar, huh.

I really don't feel like dropping cash on a replacement for $100 unless it completely dies on me. Like Larry Ortiz5 says, we've put way too much time and money into this thing already; it would be a total waste to toss the whole setup just because one tiny component is acting up.

I'm no expert on this stuff, but could it be that the motor driving the propeller is what actually died?

I wouldn't go that far—it's still spinning, just... painfully slow.
Like I was saying earlier, it’s really struggling to get any momentum, and honestly, I can't even get a look at what's going on inside.
I tried using a screwdriver to manually turn the propeller ( 😁 ) while the power was off, and man, it is a struggle.
It's highly likely some dust just built up in the bearing and eventually seized everything up—that's gotta be it. Look, I'm definitely not the first person to deal with this kind of headache.

Well, whatever. If he wants to chase it like that, I guess he can just keep running until he hits a wall.

Patrick Chavez60 said:I wouldn't go that far—it's still spinning, just... painfully slow.
Like I was saying earlier, it’s really struggling to get any momentum, and honestly, I can't even get a look at what's going on inside.
I tried using a screwdriver to manually turn the propeller ( 😁 ) while the power was off, and man, it is a struggle.
It's highly likely some dust just built up in the bearing and eventually seized everything up—that's gotta be it. Look, I'm definitely not the first person to deal with this kind of headache.

You really ought to disassemble the unit, peel back the protective sticker, and apply a few drops of machine oil directly onto the shaft; you will find that it performs significantly better immediately after doing so.😉.

Look, that was my first thought, okay? Just read what I said up there—I can’t even get to the shaft. I stripped every single screw and I’m still stuck. My only option is to just hack through it with tin snips, but honestly, that’s just gonna butcher the whole thing.
Maybe I can try opening up one of those newer power supplies to see how they're built, but this old relic? It feels like it was built once and then left to rot forever.

What kind of power supply we talking about? Brand and model?

Patrick Chavez60 said:I wouldn't go that far—it's still spinning, just... painfully slow.
Like I was saying earlier, it’s really struggling to get any momentum, and honestly, I can't even get a look at what's going on inside.
I tried using a screwdriver to manually turn the propeller ( 😁 ) while the power was off, and man, it is a struggle.
It's highly likely some dust just built up in the bearing and eventually seized everything up—that's gotta be it. Look, I'm definitely not the first person to deal with this kind of headache.

Honestly? Just toss it and grab a new power supply. Isn't it way cheaper to buy a new unit than trying to rebuild an entire house after a fire? 😬

fadedorca66 said:What kind of power supply we talking about? Brand and model?

@Patrick Chavez60:, ...or perhaps you could simply take a photograph so we can see exactly what is happening; from my understanding, you are unable to even open the power supply casing itself.

I honestly have no idea how anyone manages to browse the web on a dinosaur of a machine like this...
I mean, seriously, I just open up a basic news site or a local paper and—boom—it’s already swallowed 2GB of RAM...

The entire hardware industry is going to hell in a handbasket if this is the standard. It’s enough to tank the economy in China, really...
😁

fadedorca66 said:What kind of power supply we talking about? Brand and model?

I don't know—maybe some kind of NEON.

John Palmer4 said:Honestly? Just toss it and grab a new power supply. Isn't it way cheaper to buy a new unit than trying to rebuild an entire house after a fire? 😬

Man, I am absolutely losing my mind here—I’m only 20 and already feeling like I’ve lived three lifetimes of pure chaos.19 miles I'm gonna have to head to the nearest Best Buy or something—it’s just not on my way these days, so I'll deal with it later.

frozengull94 I can't even begin to process what was just said... seriously. It's like, does anyone actually read these things before hitting send? Or are we all just shouting into the void at this point? Because if we are, I'm officially opting out. This whole thing is just... wow. Just wow.
I honestly have no clue how anyone manages to even crawl through the web on a dinosaur like this... seriously, it's a miracle the thing hasn't just spontaneously combusted yet.
I mean, seriously... you barely even open Index and the Evening News in a browser and—poof—there goes 2GB of RAM just like that. It’s honestly ridiculous.

Running Ubuntu Forums on Firefox with Audacious spinning in the background... only 252MB used. Honestly, sometimes you gotta love how light this stuff can be when it's actually behaving. 🙏

If you're working with a tight budget, you can actually find some decent power supplies on Craigslist for next to nothing $17 (think brands like Chieftec, Be Quiet!, or Cooler Master).

For instance,
http://www.craigslist.org/listing/pc-power-supply...14565628
http://www.craigslist.org/listing/pc-power-supply...14503178

It isn't just a matter of being in a different tier; it’s like comparing two entirely different galaxies to what you're currently running—and $17

Grab that beQuiet! unit before someone else snags it 😁.

It’s got efficiency almost 80 + Silver, decent capacitors, and the build quality seems solid enough.

I can’t believe that thing hasn't sold yet.

Maybe he thinks because it says "300w" it's just some low-end junk.😬

crimsonstag84 said:Grab that beQuiet! unit before someone else snags it 😁.

It’s got efficiency almost 80 + Silver, decent capacitors, and the build quality seems solid enough.

plus it's dead quiet 😬
I put that same power supply in my aunt's PC. It’s just like those Seasonic ones 😳