New PSU - Can it be mounted on the top of the case upside down?

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  1. Posts : 1,797
    Win 7 Ultimate, Win 8.1 Pro, Linux Mint 19 Cinnamon (All 64-Bit)
       #1

    New PSU - Can it be mounted on the top of the case upside down?


    Hey all,

    Looking at buying a new PSU as mine is only 375 watts and am adding new components.

    With a lot of the newer psu's the fan is on the top of the unit and not the back like mine. As I have no way to mount the psu at the top of the case (my case and board are both btx). I also have no vent holes at the top of the case.

    So am I able to mount it at the top with the fan blowing down? Will this cause any heat or ventilation issues in the case itself?
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  2. Posts : 12,012
    Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64-bit
       #2

    Burdus77 said:
    I have no way to mount the psu at the top of the case....................So am I able to mount it at the top
    Can you reword your post. The above is confusing.

    Does your case provide for a top mounted PSU or not?

    I have my PSU mounted upside down in a top mounted case. There is a vent immediately above the PSU (on the case top panel) through which the PSU fan can take in fresh air through that vent. The PSU fan is right up against this top panel vent.

    It's my understanding that the purpose of PSU fans is to cool the PSU itself, not the case interior or other components. I'd be concerned with case temps generally and if they were OK, I'd assume the PSU was taking care of it's own cooling.

    My PSU (Seasonic 560 KM) is semi-passive---the fan is designed not to spin at all unless heat reaches a certain level. That has never happened so I effectively have a fanless PSU. No noise.
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  3. Posts : 1,797
    Win 7 Ultimate, Win 8.1 Pro, Linux Mint 19 Cinnamon (All 64-Bit)
    Thread Starter
       #3

    Sorry Ignatz,

    Yes the psu is mounted at the top but my case doesn't have any vents on the top of my case. The fan is on the back of the psu not the top like some of the larger power supplies.
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  4. Posts : 1,797
    Win 7 Ultimate, Win 8.1 Pro, Linux Mint 19 Cinnamon (All 64-Bit)
    Thread Starter
       #4

    That should have said I can't mount the psu at the bottom not the top! :)
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  5. Posts : 12,012
    Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64-bit
       #5

    Burdus77 said:
    Sorry Ignatz,

    Yes the psu is mounted at the top but my case doesn't have any vents on the top of my case. The fan is on the back of the psu not the top like some of the larger power supplies.
    School me on your CURRENT PSU in the current case.

    It has one fan total? And that fan faces the rear exterior of the case, not up and not down?

    So even if you inverted the current PSU, the one and only fan would still be facing to the rear, through a vent of some type?

    With regard to a new PSU:

    I assume you will be getting an ATX PSU? Are those known to at least fit and mount in your BTX case? I have no experience with BTX cases.

    And if so, I assume your question is should it be mounted with its fan facing down into the case interior or up facing the unvented top panel?
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  6. Posts : 6,292
    Windows 7 64 Bit Home Premium SP1
       #6

    The fan on power supplies draws air into the supply and it exhausts through the circular patterned grill in the rear.

    In a standard computer case the PS fan is facing down into the case. It draws air from inside the case and exhausts it out the rear of the case. These standard cases rely on the PS fan as part of their air flow design.

    In some gaming computer cases there is a grill (port) on the top of the case. This allows you to mount the PS with the fan facing up. It will then draw fresh air from outside of the case and exhaust it through the back. These cases are designed to NOT use the PS for airflow through the case.

    So the proper orientation of the PS is determined by the case design, not the PS design.
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  7. Posts : 7,878
    Windows 7 Ultimate x64
       #7

    With many of the bottom mounted PSU cases, they have a grill at the bottom. Thus, the fan pulls cool air in from the bottom of the case and exhausts it out the back. This way, the PSU doesn't have to use previously warmed case air to cool itself.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 1,797
    Win 7 Ultimate, Win 8.1 Pro, Linux Mint 19 Cinnamon (All 64-Bit)
    Thread Starter
       #8

    Haha I've done a really poor Job of describing this haven't I?

    Yes my PSU is mounted at the top and the fan faces the rear of my case. So the fan would still face the rear it mounted upside down. It's a dell supplied psu so I couldn't give you any makes or models, etc.

    I've been looking into whether an ATX psu would fit into a btx case and it looks like it will.

    Looking around a lot of psu's seem to have fans on top or bottom. Can't seem to find that many with fans at the rear.
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 12,012
    Windows 7 Home Premium SP1, 64-bit
       #9

    Well, if it must be mounted at the top and you have no vent on the case top panel, then you are pretty much forced to use the traditional method of mounting right side up, with the PSU fan face down into the case interior, from which it will pull warm air out through its exhaust vent at the case rear.

    Leaving aside the ATX/BTX issue and whether a standard ATX PSU will fit properly.

    It sounds like it would be a losing proposition to buy a PSU to fit your BTX case if that PSU will be unusable when you eventually switch to an ATX case.
      My Computer


  10. Posts : 1,797
    Win 7 Ultimate, Win 8.1 Pro, Linux Mint 19 Cinnamon (All 64-Bit)
    Thread Starter
       #10

    Well at the moment my first priority is the SSD (from your sound advice). Then it will be looking into switching to a new case and the rest.

    I'm just wondering if my current psu can handle all the added components. SSD, wireless card I've added, blu-ray drive I have installed alongside a 2nd DVD-RW, and 2 spinners. It's working okay at the moment but going by these psu calculators they're saying I should have at least 500w.
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