Last week I posted about replacing psu in SONY R526DS. As suggested here, I dismantled the psu and cleaned the interior. The fan is attched to power through a 3-pin plug. I removed the fan and cleaned it too. The noise is lot lower and tolerable. I am going to give the PC to a friend who will use it for word processing. I like to replace the fan with a quieter model. I found at CompUSA a 92mm fan that may fit inside the psu. They also have 80mm and 120mm sizes. The psu seems to be microATX and connects to the motherboard through a 20-pin connector and a 3-pin connecter. I guess the the 3-pin plug is for controlling the fan. My question is whether I could use any case fan that fits inside the psu or should check for specs like airflow, etc.? Thanks in advance

If you can find one that's the right size & has the right plug, my guess would be it'll work. Measure the old one...it's probably 80mm (approx 3 in) or take it with you when you shop for a replacement.

I agree with Jam. Just make sure that you install it so that it's blowing out.

Be careful working within a power supply. There are capacitors that still carry charge even if the unit isn't plugged in. MCSE, MCSA Messaging, baby!

Another thing you might do is just cut the old one out of there, and sometimes there is room to install a different fan on the OUTSIDE of the power supply case, in fact, some are built this way, and often, you can get a LOT more cooling through there. You should be able to find a "generic" fan that will plug into the standard power connectors.