I've just disposed of two salvaged cooling fans, and now I'm going to pick up a bigger one.

This Thermaltake power supply unit (PSU) was retired because it would turn on and run for only a short time (less than ten minutes, sometimes only a few seconds) then the computer would shut down. The fan turns, so it's probably not simple overheating. Since it turns on, it's not as simple as a blown fuse. But at least it didn't fill my room with smoke, so that's good.

It's a shame this PSU died because it's got nice specs, along with the convenience feature of modular connectors reducing wiring clutter inside the case.

Six screws held two halves of the enclosure together. Once removed I could slide them apart.

The 140mm fan is connected via a commodity JST-XH header, making it easy to repurpose.

This 140mm fan is larger than the 120mm fan I had just worked with, which on paper moves more air even as the fan turns at a slower (and thus quieter) speed. I'm curious to see if it is true, but I have to find a place for it first. This will be my first 140mm fan and I'm not sure what I'll do with it just yet.

Here's an inside view of those modular connectors, implemented as a collection of circuit board connectors. The power wires leading to this connector board is very hefty. Lettering on the insulation says 12AWG.

There were no obviously failed components inside this PSU.

And I see no obviously burned traces on the back of the circuit board. It's a shame a high-spec PSU had to be retired, but I don't like to take the risk of unreliable power. Bad power could damage far more expensive components (CPU, GPU, SSD) plus the annoyance factor of a computer that randomly shuts down. It's just not worth it.