Noisy OCZ GameXStream PSU

[Gary Brown]

Hi,

A newly installed OCZ GameXStream 700W power supply
is annoying noisy, much noisier than the basic 450W
Cooler Max it replaced. It is quiet enough at startup but
the fan quickly gets to what seems full speed.

Most of the reviews on NewEgg laud it for quietness but
a few had the same noise problem I do. Those that
replaced the unit thinking it was defective found the same
noise problem with the replacement. Do some systems
just provoke this noise? In my case, the CPU is just below
the power supply. Exhaust is only a bit warm.

Configuration:

MB: A7N8X V2 Deluxe
CPU: AMD 2800+ single core, 32b
Mem: 1GB (1 x 512MB, 2 x 256MB)
HDD: 1 250GB, 1 400GB, 1 160GB
1 x CD/RW, 1 x DVD/RW
Full Tower

Thanks,
Gary

 

[Paul]

Hi,

A newly installed OCZ GameXStream 700W power supply
is annoying noisy, much noisier than the basic 450W
Cooler Max it replaced. It is quiet enough at startup but
the fan quickly gets to what seems full speed.

Most of the reviews on NewEgg laud it for quietness but
a few had the same noise problem I do. Those that
replaced the unit thinking it was defective found the same
noise problem with the replacement. Do some systems
just provoke this noise? In my case, the CPU is just below
the power supply. Exhaust is only a bit warm.

Configuration:

MB: A7N8X V2 Deluxe
CPU: AMD 2800+ single core, 32b
Mem: 1GB (1 x 512MB, 2 x 256MB)
HDD: 1 250GB, 1 400GB, 1 160GB
1 x CD/RW, 1 x DVD/RW
Full Tower

Thanks,
Gary

My guess would be, the A7N8X uses +5V for processor power. On
my system, Vcore uses 16 amps and my video card uses 5 amps
(only under highest gaming conditions). On the 5V at 30A rail,
that is a little over 2/3rds of the capacity, and we're not
counting drives yet. On the other hand, the massive
12V capacity is hardly being used at all.

The 3.3/5V has a combined power limit of 155W. If that was a
thermal limit, it could be that the 3.3/5V part of the design,
is getting hot, and causing the fan to run at a higher speed.
But because the 12V has next to no load, the actual air stream
is cool.

It all depends on whether the fan speed is set by heatsink
temperature or air stream temperature, as to whether it is
appropriate for the fan to speed up.

I would try the power supply on a more modern system, one with
massive 12V loading, and next to no 3.3/5V, and see if the
loading pattern causes a lower fan speed.

Paul

 

[larry moe 'n curly]

A newly installed OCZ GameXStream 700W power supply
is annoying noisy, much noisier than the basic 450W
Cooler Max it replaced. It is quiet enough at startup but
the fan quickly gets to what seems full speed.

Most of the reviews on NewEgg laud it for quietness but
a few had the same noise problem I do.

It probably just has a loud fan. The GameXstream is made by Fortron-
Source, whose PSUs aren't known for quiet. Both of my 500W Antec
Basiqs, which are also made by Fortron (Epsilon series?), each have an
80mm fan that's annoying even when the PSU is cool and only 6.0V is
being fed to it.