[Kirby]

Hello everyone,


I have had 5 frustrating emails with Antec regarding my SX1030 case, it's 300 watt power supply, and it's fans. I can't seem to get an answer to this question so I thought I'd ask here.


The question is:


"I want my fans to shut off when my computer goes into standby or hibernation. What kind of power supply and case fans do I need to accomplish this?


Thanks,

Kirby

 

[Yvonus]

2 things ; even in standby, the power supply is still online, generates heat and such. So even in standby, fans should be running.


Second thing, if you really want to, then you can connect the power supply fan to a power connector on your motherboard. This one will be cut off when the computer is in standby. However, do it at your own risk. Don't burn your house because the heat becomes too high.


One advice ; keep a thermometer outside the vent of the power supply to check the heat.

 

[Lester Jacobs]

When my computer goes into hibernation or standby then all of the fans, both the case fan and the power supply fans shut down completely


Fan shutdown only occurs if BOTH your motherboard and power supply support this. I'm using the Enermax power supply with an ASUS P4T motherboard and the fans shut down as expected. On my previous HTPC the fans never shut down in standby or hibernate mode. The power supply supported it but the motherboard (Abit BE6) didn't fully support the protocol.


Connecting the power supply fan to the power connector is a work around for those situations where the motherboard and power supply do not implement the protocol properly.


Overheating should not be a problem in standby mode. If the motherboard and power supply both implement the standard properly then the power supply should shut down except for a trickle current output and the motherboard should be able to operate off this trickle current. The power supply is manufactured to supply this trickle current without needing a fan to keep it cool.


I agree though that if you use the workaround method of the power connector then the power supply might overheat since it hasn't throttled its power output and therefore probably needs the fan to keep it cool.


Cheers

Lester

 

[Kirby]

Yvonus,


Well, my Onkyo receiver has a 380 watt power supply and it doesn't need a fan when on standby so why does myHTPC's 300 watt power supply need one when on standby?


Maybe my HTPC PSU doesn't really go on standby the same way?


Kirby

 

[Kirby]

Lester Jacobs,


That is good to know that it can be done. I'm using an Asus CusL2 MB and an Antec PP-303X 300 watt power supply. I'm not sure how to go about finding out if this combo will work as your rig does? Antec wasn't any help on my many repeated questions.


I will certainly check into this much more closely when I upgrade.


Oh, BTW, are you implementing Standby in software only or are you implementing it in the Bios? (I"m using Win2K)


Thanks,

Kirby

 

[obsidience]

Kirby,


The reason you haven't gotten a reply from Antec is because your question concerns the motherboard not the PSU.


The motherboard starts the PSU. If the PSU is on then its fans will be on. If you are in stand by your fans should be on but it may be different from motherboard to motherboard. If you are in hibernate mode your computer literally dumps it's memory to disk and shuts off - no fans should be running.


Best regards,


Obsidience

 

[Lester Jacobs]

Quote:

Originally posted by Kirby Oh, BTW, are you implementing Standby in software only or are you implementing it in the Bios? (I"m using Win2K) Thanks, Kirby

Kirby,


As far as I know I set the BIOS up for Power Mangement by the OS and then simply use the standby features of Win2k (I'm running win2k as well). I can check and get you the exact settings I have in the BIOS tonight.


Cheers

Lester

 

[siwilson]

I have that case and what happens to your fans really depends on where they are conneted.


My case has a cable from the PSU that should be connected to the FAN connector on the motherboard so that the motherboard can control the fan in the PSU. The other fans in the cae, 3 of them also have the same type of connector, but with 3 wires instead of 2. THis allows the to take power, control and ground from the motherboard. These 3 fans also have adapters supplied to allow you to connect them to the drive power connectors.


If you connect your case fans to the drive power then when in standby they will be off as the only power coming out of the PSU will be the +5vSB. I don't actually have any of the fans connected to the motherboard as the connectors are not the same an I haven't found a source for converter cables yet. However in my setup, when the PC goes into standby, all the fans shut off, including the PSU fans. I have'nt hat any overheating problems yet and I don't expect to as the PSU cools off completely when in stanby.


YMMV

 

[Kirby]

Siwilson,


Doesn't your PSU have a 20 pin connector that attaches to the CUSL2? ...that's the way mine is.


My case fans all have 4 pin connectors (I guess that is what you are calling "drive Power") so I'm not sure why my fans aren't turning off on standby.


Can you tell me what your BIOS settings for Power Options are? I'd really appreciate it. I have been using the Win2K software Power Options exclusively so maybe I am missing something in the Bios that actually turns the PSU off.


Thanks to Lester Jacobs for those settings too.


Regards,

Kirby

 

[Paul_Seng]

I believe that some MB's have the capability to have fans shut down according to temps. You can do this in a bios, not only at the Power option menu, but at the CPU clocking menu or health status menu


The reason receivers don't have a fan is because there is no real CPU doing calculations that can render a tiny piece of hardware extremely hot. The amps are relatively large compared to a CPU and the case for PC's do not have slotted tops to dissapate the heat. The heat in PC's is pushed out by fans at a relatively small area

 

[Kirby]

Quote:

Originally posted by Paul_Seng The reason receivers don't have a fan is because there is no real CPU doing calculations that can render a tiny piece of hardware extremely hot. The amps are relatively large compared to a CPU and the case for PC's do not have slotted tops to dissapate the heat. The heat in PC's is pushed out by fans at a relatively small area

CPU's aren't running when the computer is on standby Paul