Bottom mounted psu, fan covered? Is this a problem?

[Pilman]

Built my system about 3 weeks ago and I never realized but I just noticed that i mounted the PSU with the fan facing towards the bottom of the case and is completely covered by a mount. My temperatures appear to be relatively cool (running around 30-35 C idle) and while gaming, getting about 45 C. Case temperature is around 20 C. Going through the hassle of having to literally redo everything is not really going to be fun but I'd rather do that then see my PSU fail, are there any known issues with the bottom fan not having clearance? I know that in the past when i've built computers, the fan was covered when I mounted on the top and never had any issues. Running a Antec ECO PSU btw.

 

[Onus]

Yes, this is a problem. Your case may stay cool because there is air flowing through it, but your PSU could be heating up like an oven since it is not getting any such flow. Turn it over; it is perfectly ok to have the fan facing up.

 

[Pilman]

Ok, i've just heard of multiple ways to do it, i think the bottom fan is a exhaust fan, this is a picture of my setup.

 

[teh_gerbil]

PILMAN,

Ask yourself this, your psu fan is cooling your psu right? So if your psu heats up, and the fan doesn't work thus your psu blows up, what suffers? you're nice new fancy computer.

It's as simple as that. Get some cooling onto your PSU, whilst it may have worked in the past, no forum poster will can nor will condone it.

I just had a thought:: your PSU fan will typically SUCK, creating a vacuum right underneath your GFX card, potentially increasing temperatures, to counter this, have you got a fan to the lower right in front of HDD slots?

 

[xtreme5]

If someone covered your mouth and nose could you take breath, a same story here yes, this is a problem you have one option but if you like to do, take a nail and hammer and start making a holes for fan through which the airflow go out.

 

[Pilman]

Think i'm going to remount the psu then, I don't want anything critical to happen. I just had noticed the PSU does not feel hot to the touch at all but very cool including the vent fan in the back. I do have 2 large fans inside the case as well.

 

[teh_gerbil]

Hi PILMAN,

The problem will only really show itself when you're overclocking, or running a partiularly spectacular game, like BF3 etc.

xtreme5 that's a great idea, it's out of the way for the OP, ie: won't be visible to the outside world, just if you do decide to do this OP, as it would be sucking cold air from underneath your case, please somehow rangi up a air filter to avoid dust getting directly into your PSU.

 

[xtreme5]

That is the only way for OP to get airflow otherwise new case can solve the CASE.

 

[delluser1]

Think i'm going to remount the psu then, I don't want anything critical to happen. I just had noticed the PSU does not feel hot to the touch at all but very cool including the vent fan in the back. I do have 2 large fans inside the case as well.

If the psu feels cool to the touch under load there's nothing to worry about
It's mounted half an inch or so above the bottom of the case and has a front fan blowing at it, it can breathe just fine

 

[Pilman]

I gotchya, I felt the back and the air blowing out definitely feels cold but on the antec 300, theres a small aluminum platform or something the PSU mounts to so there was no clearance or opening on the bottom. I've read a couple of posts regarding this, the PSU actually sounds completely quiet and temps look consistent.

 

[teh_gerbil]

If there's no clearance, you're purely running on passive cooling, this is unacceptable for overclocking, or for gaming sessions.

And yes, whilst it may be cool, there's no reason at the moment for it to heat up, try running prime95 for a while! 😛