What should I do with the Sony Prime TX-1300 when adjusting its position?
What should I do with the Sony Prime TX-1300 when adjusting its position?
I am setting up a Seasonic Prime TX-1300 PSU on the left side of a Lian Li DK07 Desk Case. The ventilation holes on the case are positioned where the PSU is placed. I believe the fan side of the PSU should point toward the case's air vents to bring in fresh air and expel it through the back.
Yet the PSU manual advises that the ventilated side should face the motherboard. If installed this way, the PSU would pull in hot air from the GPU or CPU, rendering the case’s ventilation holes ineffective.
How does PSU airflow actually function? What orientation is correct for installation?
Yes. The opening for the fan should face the ventilation slots in the side of the case, and the PSU should vent OUT the back of the case. In the vast majority of modern cases it is not recommended to have the PSU intake drawing air from within the case because using already heated air to try and cool the PSU, except when absolutely necessary, tends to contribute to premature PSU failure from heat fatigue.
If in fact the manual says that, I'd ignore it. But I'll take a look just to make sure although it doesn't change the fact that there would be no point in there BEING ventilation slots there if the other side of the PSU was up against it since the opposite side of the fan intake is a solid panel.
The opening for the fan must point toward the ventilation slots on the side of the case, and the PSU should exhaust air from the back of the case. In most contemporary cases, it's not advised to draw air into the PSU from inside the case unless absolutely required, as using heated air to cool the PSU can lead to early failure due to heat stress.
If the manual permits this, I'll disregard it. However, I'll still check to be certain, since even if the requirement isn't there, having ventilation slots on one side would be ineffective if the opposite side is blocking airflow, given the solid panel on that side.
I believe the side of the PSU with the fan opening should point toward the case's ventilation openings, allowing it to pull in cool air from outside and release it through the back. Yes, that approach would have worked too, considering the PSU already has its own filtered air intake.
And indeed, the manual doesn't mention anything about this. However, even if it did, keep in mind that instruction manuals from Chinese makers are often written in "Engrish," and their accuracy isn't always guaranteed. Sometimes they're completely incorrect, so common sense should take the lead.
The key part of the Seasonic manual's guidance is: "Because of the various case designs, it is also recommended to refer to the manufacturer's instruction manual for further details." The images appear to be outdated remnants from an era when cases lacked ventilation on their tops and bottoms.