4-fan PSUs

[SaveYourself]

http://www.kingwin.com/product.asp?cid=9&pid=99
http://www.directron.com/tt450ss4fan.html

These power supplies have 4 fans in them. There is an 80mm fan in the rear and in the front, and there are two 60mm fans on the underside.

Now, can you think of any advantage to this 4-fan design? Or are they simply a gimmick that lets manufacturers say they have 4 fans?
Prices aren't bad, though. If I were building a LAN-party box then I might use one of these just because they're cool-looking.

 

[OulOat]

Gimmick all the way. If they were smart, they would use a bigger fan that the two 60mms. 4 fans = loud psu.

 

[Lord Evermore]

The only thing that's useful for is if you were to have three fans fail. How often does anyone have a PSU fan fail at all? Better to get an Antec True430 for 74 dollars from Directron, more power on the 12V rail, still plenty of power on the other less important rails, good brand. Or a True380 from Newegg for only 70 dollars (not sure how bad Directron rapes you on shipping).

 

[Jeff7]

Originally posted by: Lord Evermore
The only thing that's useful for is if you were to have three fans fail. How often does anyone have a PSU fan fail at all? Better to get an Antec True430 for 74 dollars from Directron, more power on the 12V rail, still plenty of power on the other less important rails, good brand. Or a True380 from Newegg for only 70 dollars (not sure how bad Directron rapes you on shipping).

My sister's PSU fan nearly died - it got really loud and was turning fairly slowly; the fan in my uncle's PSU did the same thing - it would spin at only around maybe 200rpms by the time I was told. I don't trust the cheap sleeve bearing fans inside a lot of PSU's anymore; they fail too quickly. Heck, I don't use any sleeve bearing fans anymore (Panaflo's are the closest thing I'll use, with that "hydrowave" bearing they have).

 

[Auric]

How do they dare call it "Silent"? The more fans the less room for quality heavier duty components and heatsinks which do not require as much cooling. Basicially it is cheaper to add fans, gold plating, paint and other gimmicks than use good components and doing so also benefits marketing. A good PSU does not have room in a standard encosure for more than one fan.