Computer Woes (power supply fan)

[Tritoch84]

(This is sorta about a machine problem, I didn't know to put it in Everything Else, or the Main Forum)

Well, my machine was working fine, and then one day I noticed it was very silent, and felt the back of the computer, and it was BLAZING hot.  I turned it off, cracked it open, and found out the power supply fan had not been working for quite a while! The power supply is fine, and it even has a green light saying everythings a go, but the fan won't turn. I looked around and all the newbie computer sites say,

"Problem: power supply fan not turning, Solution: Buy new Power supply."

But that costs money, and I'm sure finding one that will fit in this odd gateway case will be more of a pain. Since no one sees the case, I guess I could just mount the power supply outside of it, somehow.

What I'm really trying to ask is, can I fix it? I can't find power supply fans on the net for some reason. Anyone think of a cheap solution? I'll take anything you got.

FYI: The computer works fine for a while or to, it's in a freezing room, and I didn't notice this (and have been leaving it on over night! It is in a very cold room though,) for a while!

[pointdablame]

buy a new power supply.

You can change the fan in a power supply, it's probably a 60mm or 80mm fan... it may possibly be a low profile fan however.

Either way though, your best bet really is to buy a new one.  There are only a few sizes of power supplies.  If your machine is from the last 5 years or so, it's ATX, if its much older, it's gonna be a AT, either way, they'll fit.

[Tritoch84]

Thank you! I guess I might as well. I can't help being a cheap bast....well, anyway thanks.

(love the avatar)

[pointdablame]

Thank you! I guess I might as well. I can't help being a cheap bast....well, anyway thanks.

(love the avatar)

I'm all for fixing things too and saving cash when I can, but when you can get a good quality name brand PSU for 35 bux or so, it's not really worth it.  Plus, that way, you'll know you have a good supply in there.  Not to say that the fan going is any indication that the PSU itself is dying, but it sure would put me a bit at ease.

[RayB]

Cheapie PS's are about $20.

[pointdablame]

Cheapie PS's are about $20.

But cheapie off brand PSU's with bad voltage rails destroy systems.

[Tiger-Heli]

Thank you! I guess I might as well. I can't help being a cheap bast....well, anyway thanks.
(love the avatar)

Two things - I would try not to leave the computer running without fixing the fan.

I have been recommending this power supply to anyone who will listen.  It's rock solid, near silent, $35 shipped, actually specs better than many higher wattage supplies so the 300 is plenty.

With shipping, a PSU fan will probably run you at least $15 dollars, and who knows what all that extra heat may have done to the PSU internals in the mean time.

[Tritoch84]

Well, I just found that out, but, my power supply, it's not,, like,, a box.

It's flush with my computer, and it's got a slanted fan.... "newton power" is all I can read on it right now, but it's shaped like this "-----" then the fan is mounted like this "/"

Gah, I'll figure it out. it looks alot smaller than the power supplys I was looking at.       

[Tiger-Heli]

Well, I just found that out, but, my power supply, it's not,, like,, a box.

It's flush with my computer, and it's got a slanted fan.... "newton power" is all I can read on it right now, but it's shaped like this "-----" then the fan is mounted like this "/"

Gah, I'll figure it out. it looks alot smaller than the power supplys I was looking at.       

Can you find a part number on it, a Google on "Gateway Newton Power " brings up a lot of hits . . .

[Tritoch84]

Great...

http://www.barebonekit.net/itemdesc.asp?ic=CSPGW160WATT&eq=&Tp=

Thats it,  and it says "Gateway ATX 160 Watt power supply! Very rare and hard to find."

Great. 100 bucks? Screw that, can't I just get a cheaper one that won't fit in that case? or maybe just move everything over to a new case.

(stupid gateway)

[missioncontrol]

Check ebay....I had to find one that was smaller than the standard size to replace one for a friend's PC and that was the only place I could find one somewhat cheap....

[Tiger-Heli]

Great...
http://www.barebonekit.net/itemdesc.asp?ic=CSPGW160WATT&eq=&Tp=
Thats it,  and it says "Gateway ATX 160 Watt power supply! Very rare and hard to find."
Great. 100 bucks? Screw that, can't I just get a cheaper one that won't fit in that case? or maybe just move everything over to a new case.
(stupid gateway)

Okay, now you're up to my comments in this thread.

That will run you about $50-60 for a quality case and PS.  Then again, if the PC originally only had a 160W supply, you could get by with this    $35 case and 300W PS

[spystyle]

I work as a computer tech (for the record I'm an uncertified tech of 10 years and I also work in construction)

I have swapped out atleast 50 PSU fans, and as a modder I've added a 2nd fan by cutting a 3" hole in the psu case and hooking 2 fans up to 5 volt (quietly moving almost as much air as a single, louder, 12volt fan)

The guy at my local computer shop says "I never open those!" and he means it, they can zap you dead if you go poking around inside, so be SUPER CAREFUL when you open it.

The typical power supply is a box with a cover held on by 4 small phillips screws, removing the screws you can pop the cover off, you'll typically see an 80mm fan (3" fan) who's wires are soldered to the power supply board, or who's wires have a funky header on them that connect to the board. The replacement fan will most likely not have the same header, so you'll need to use a wire stripper and butt connectors to install the new fan.

A wire stripper , butt connects and 3" fan can be found for about $10

DO NOT run your computer with a bad power supply fan for any length of time, as the power supply can send a deadly charge to your motherboard and components killing them all if it gets too hot.

Make sure that the replacement fan is blowing in the same direction that the old fan was, fans are typically marked with a tiny arrow on top.

Can you dig it?
Craig

[missioncontrol]

was it the older gateway or dell pc's that the pin out was different going into the motherboard?

Edit:

Dell....guess I should have read the thread Tiger-Heli posted before typing....

[Tiger-Heli]

was it the older gateway or dell pc's that the pin out was different going into the motherboard?

Dell

Although I can't really verify that Gateway didn't do something similar, but I know Dell did. . .

[Tritoch84]

Ok, so, I've never delt with mini cases, will everything just pop over from the GateWay to the Mini Case? 

Also, I asked before, but I'm sure I could just get a ATX power supply that wouldn't fit, but it would still work, right?

I'm really considering the mini case option, but I haven't swapped a case in years. Hope my memory serves me (and common sense)

[Tiger-Heli]

Ok, so, I've never delt with mini cases, will everything just pop over from the GateWay to the Mini Case? 

Well, without seeing your PC it's hard to say, but you have 3 concerns:

1 - the motherboard mounting pins might not line up with the standoff locations in the new case.  If required, you could drill new mounting hole, or replace the mobo as well.

2 - The backpanel may be non-standard, but you could even run without one, it's mainly a dust and debris issue.

3 - Dell PC's has a standard ATX connector with the Pins in a different order, so you can't use standard PS's with Dell mobo's or Dell PS's with generic mobo's.  I don't think Gateway did this, but if you can find the documentation on the Gateway mobo and compare it to a new ATX mobo, it wouldn't hurt.

Also, I asked before, but I'm sure I could just get a ATX power supply that wouldn't fit, but it would still work, right?

As long as condition 3 isn't an issue, yes, sure.

I'm really considering the mini case option, but I haven't swapped a case in years. Hope my memory serves me (and common sense)

It's not very bad.  The motherboard and memory and CPU and fan will come across as a unit, and none of the drivers will change.  You will want to make note of the connections for Power, Reset, LED's etc. to duplicate on the new case, but that's about it.

[Tritoch84]

Thanks for all your help,  I knew that this forum (even though not a computer forum) would give me the help I needed. I'm going the case route, after a little research.

[Tritoch84]

Wait, when I said I had not switched cases in years, I ment it. You didn't take what I said about "space saver case" to mean a mini case, or tower, did you(it's jsut a really thin case that only takes low profile cards)? I hate to sound like an idiot (I used to be into computer when my dad was a computer salesman, then he quit and I haven't even looked at a computer mag since) but I  will my gateways 300s mother board and all go into the case?

[spystyle]

Just replace the power supply fan, it's less expensive, takes less time, and is guarenteed to work.

Switching from a proprietary case to a mini case that only accepts half height cards is like asking for trouble.

Quite likely it won't fit

In my experience those mini cases that require the half height cards have these skinny power supplies with small noisy fans, they run hot and loud, and provide poor ventilation for the CPU.

The last one I had had to be cut to provide adequate ventilation to the processor, it sucked, in the end I gave it away.

They look cool but that's it.

Don't say I didn't warn you,
Craig

[quarterback]

Just replace the power supply fan, it's less expensive, takes less time, and is guarenteed to work.

I agree.  I had a PS fan fail on one of my PCs once.  I opened it up, pulled out the fan, looked at my pile of leftover PCs in the basement and quickly found a replacement fan.

If you don't have any other 'dead' PCs lying around, then buy a $15 case w/PS, pull the fan and hang on to the case for the next replacement part you might need (molex connectors, wires, PS connections, LEDs, power switches, power plugs etc etc etc)

[Ken Layton]

I've fixed tons of game power supplies over the years. I replace the bad fan with a new one from Jameco Electronics (www.jameco.com). Their part number 16993CP works in a great many power supplies and it's only $7 (sometimes it's on sale).

[Tritoch84]

Thank you! And the case that only excepts half height cards is the one I already own, it's a gateway 300s. I want to replace the fan, but I can't find any sites that sell the fan except the one you mentioned. I'll give it a look.

Speaking of cases that only take smaller cards,
I had to do some virus hunting one day and had to put in an older PCI scsi controller card, and found that it wouldn't fit, at this time, I was highly annoyed, and was at the end of my rope. So I just grabbed some plyers, and bent the whole case back, so I could fit in the card, and then fix my problem. Good thing it bent back after I fixed the problem, and good thing gateway makes cheap CHEAP cases. (I'll never buy a gateway again, but then again, I didn't buy this one, either.)

[spystyle]

You want to replace the fan but cant find it on-line you say?

Does it look like the PSU pictured below? If so it may be an 80mm or 60mm fan, yank the dead fan and bring it to your local computer shop, I'm sure they'll have one for $5

[spystyle]

and this is the computer you have?

[fredster]

Radio shack sells fans man.

If you have an old PC, rip it out of it.  Even an old CPU fan hooked up is okay.

I'd just rip out a power supply out of an old one.  People toss old computers.  I have about 10 pentinum 200's laying around I got here and there.  Mostly people throwing them out.

Ask around, maybe somebody has an old one that works.  They will after Xmas anyway, you can bet that.

[Tritoch84]

Yes! Thats my exact computer. And the power supply is odd, it's the one I posted a link to above. I don't know why I didn't think of taking it to a computer store. I ask around for a junker I can take off someones hands (I forget MAME and Vantage run on praticly nothing and almost any computer can be used now a days.)

It's just, with all this crap gateway has thats different, I have to make sure I get the right fan.

[krick]

I have been recommending this power supply to anyone who will listen.