ORIGINAL: K-OS
One more question, my PSU has an output voltage of 12.12 volts using 2 fans. 12.20 with one fan, and 12.30 without any fans. Is there a way to maintain the 12.30 volts without affecting my output voltage and using both (or perhaps even 1) fans? Or is 12.12 volts sufficient to run my Duratrax ICE charger.
FYI at 5amp draw it drops to 12.05 volts.
The 12.12v should be sufficient, but voltage levels are set by charger manufacturer specification, albeit on the conservative side. What pre-load are you running on the 5v rail?
It is worth discussing cooling, however. Most of the dual fan Antec supplies use 80mm fans running under noise suppression/thermal management circuitry. The average flow rate for 80mm fans is around 30 CFM. Taking into account airflow impedance, low fan speeds due to noise suppression and out and out lying by the manufacturers about their fan capacities, let's cut that figure by 2/3 to 10 CFM. A typical ATX supply case runs about 125 cubic inches in volume -- with components, the actual air volume is much less. Given the 10 CFM flow rate, you can expect to evacuate the PSU case around 135+ times/minute with a single fan which is more than sufficient cooling. Keep in mind that PSU fans many times are the primary ventilation source for the entire computer case, consequently, cooling capacities are well above the needs of the PSU alone. I would be inclined to run only a single fan.
If the converted supply does not have a noise suppression circuit, you can easily drop the speed of the fan, and reduce the associated fan noise, by running it on 7 volts. Just attach the negative lead from the fan to the 5v rail and the positive lead to the 12v rail -- it will run just fine.
Quite a detailed explanation Andrew. How much does NASA pay a guy like you?
Well, if I gave that out, then we would have to send a Predator up that way guided by one of the 3 geo-synchronous targeting satillites floating over SE Canada. Oh, and by the way, you might want to pull the shades on that back bedroom window.
