Do you find this mod report credible?

[jpdoe]

This guy claims he obtained a more stable 12v PSU output by attaching a couple of old cpu heatsinks to the stock PSU heatsinks. The kicker is, by looking at the pictures, it seems he only used a couple of screws and thermal paste to join them.
Do you think that simple a mod can have such an important impact on 12v stability?

http://alfredoblogspage.blogspot.com...0w-inside.html

[Kaine]

Re: Do you find this mod report credible?

Considering how shitty the original heatsinks were, it wouldn't surprise me. He's just about doubled the heat dissipation capacity there. I'd still want to see it on a CRO for proof though.

[kikkoman]

Re: Do you find this mod report credible?

don't know.
there's space in there for a PFC transformer... either he removed it or PFC isn't mandatory where he lives. in case of the latter, why those crappy heatsinks in the first place?
i have the extreme power 430W version which definitely has better heatsinks. mine's a rebranded Hipro unit. can anyone tell from the pictures who is the manufacturer of this unit?

[jpdoe]

Re: Do you find this mod report credible?

@kikoman: In his profile he says he is from my country, Argentina. Down here is very common to recognize on a PSU with missing components the PCB of a model seen on the web with all the components in place. My theory is that the argentinian importers dictate the price point they want to the PSU providers, and they in change decide which components they can skimp on, or totally remove, to achieve this price point. This got much worse when local brands got into the game. Kit (case, PSU, keyboard, mouse, loadspeakers) importers started to have his products branded with their local brand. PSU quality went downhill. There was a time when it was safer to buy international brands, no matter how shitty they were. In comparison to the local brands, it was a safer bet. Nowadays it seems even these players figured out they can't sell the same product worldwide, and they make even shittier products for Latin America.

[i4004]

Re: Do you find this mod report credible?

that's not limited to latin america: cheap pcs have cheap psus, and that's it.
usually another thing is also true: mid-range pcs also have crappy psus.

overall only way to get a good psu is to build a machine yourself, as you never know what the assholes are putting in.

but worst crap are the supplies for external hdd boxes.
(if i have some time i'll do a writeup about that...)

[kc8adu]

Re: Do you find this mod report credible?

better be careful! the heatsink with the choppers on it is live.
short it to the rectifier heatsink and kill whatever is hooked to the unit.
shock hazzard too.

[zandrax]

Re: Do you find this mod report credible?

that's not limited to latin america: cheap pcs have cheap psus, and that's it.
usually another thing is also true: mid-range pcs also have crappy psus.

overall only way to get a good psu is to build a machine yourself, as you never know what the assholes are putting in.

but worst crap are the supplies for external hdd boxes.
(if i have some time i'll do a writeup about that...)

Too true to not to quote this

Zandrax

[Gianni]

Re: Do you find this mod report credible?

It is strange IMHO that he can have so good results just with a small contact area between original HS and the added ones.
I would like to see with my eyes... and measure with my equipment.

For sure, like kc8adu wrote, it is not safe to put the primary HS so close to the secondary HS.

Gianni

[jpdoe]

Re: Do you find this mod report credible?

Thanks for all your answers. I guess if I try something like this I'll be changing the whole heatsinks. Don't like the idea of frying something otherwise, or the unhealthy live voltage kick.

[Krankshaft]

Re: Do you find this mod report credible?

Yeah it's very funny that this guy didn't display a waveform from a scope to prove his theory.

My guess is he doesn't even own one.

[Fizzycapola]

Re: Do you find this mod report credible?

What more can you do than thermal paste and screws. Atleast it's better than glueing little pieces together several times and calling it the Thermaltake Ultra XXX edition.

[999999999]

Re: Do you find this mod report credible?

That is just crazy. First of all, putting those heatsinks on doesn't significantly extend the life of the other components, the same amount of heat is being produced in the PSU either way so it his fan is slower, everything else gets hotter.

You can see the thermal sensor strapped onto one of the fins, putting a heatsink on the end like that will at most cool the sensor a bit due to proximity, and moreso due to blocking the empty area in the back of the PSU so it will cause more of the airflow to flow past the other components on the way out. This can be seen as good for a different reason, that it causes more airflow on the other parts instead of just the thermal sensor's heatsink fin. Even so, odds are his PSU components temp rose besides maybe a very small decrease in the two heatsink temps, offset by lower airflow as he described it. The PSU is worse off for having been modded before even considering the possiblity of the heatsink shorting on something if it moved.

It won't substantially change the voltage either, he must've had a different load as the PSU regulates based on feedback voltage, it's not an unregulated PSU that would respond to thermal drift of the parts inside.

As far as what more you could do, you could take the original heatsinks out entirely and put different ones in. The 600W version has copper 'sinks instead of aluminum, that is what Coolermaster already did.