Re PC/XT/AT Power Supply Fans (was: IBM 5150 PC)

[Chuck Guzis]

On 10 Jul 2009 at 9:00, jd wrote:

> 
> There were a lot of Taiwanese PC/XT, AT & tower power supplies with
> sleeve-bearing fans that would seize up at any time after they were
> shipped from the factory. If you were lucky, you would hear the fan
> fail but they often died a silent death, taking the whole power supply
> with them. If you can, find one with ball-bearing fans or replace the
> sleeve bearing fan. Personally, I like the US Toyo fans. I have a
> whole bunch that replaced sleeve bearing fans and are still working
> fine after 20+ years, some after running 24/7 for several years.

If I had to have a quick-and-dirty rule of thumb for selecting a good 
fan, it'd be "pick one with a diecast frame".  Alternatively,, it'd 
be "pick a name brand".  Your Toyo, Sanyo, Panasonic, Rotron, etc.  
are all good bets.  If you don't mind a slightly higher noise level, 
an AC-line fan can often be had at a good quality-vs-price point on 
the surplus market.  Papst isn't bad either--you find them on a lot 
of old commercial equipment.

--Chuck