Ultra-quiet psu's?

[samwelaye]

Hey all, thinkin about starting a new media PC. Gonna play back mostly high-def MKVs and listen to music. Most likely going to go with an Athlon II x2 245 for 59$, probably a fanless 5670 ( http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16814131348&Tpk=HD%205670 ) and thats all I have figured out so far. Might go with 2x1 ram, possibly 2x2gig but its not really necessary for what I wanna do. I DO need the videocard however because onboard video has trouble playing high-def video content and rendering stylized subs at the same time (mainly for my anime, also watch some foreign films).

What PSU should i go with for this build? It barely draws any power at all, and the thing i value most is how quiet the psu will be.

Theres an Antec Earthwatts 380 for 40 bucks http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817371033
and the only fanless psu on newegg is 120 after shipping http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817104035

Any recommendation on a quiet PSU is welcome! anything over 400 watts is overkill since my system load will be probably barely over 100watts, but if its quiet ill look into it.
thanks everyone

 

[Henry Chinaski]

If your priority is the silence and the price is secondary for you, go for a Enermax Modu 87+ 500W (modular), Enermax Pro 87+ 500W (no-mudular), Seasonic X-650 or Antec Signature 650W.
If you want a silent PSU but paying a reasonable price, then go for a Nexus Value 430 or a ANTEC Earthwatts 430.
Something intermediate would be the Nexus NX-5000 530W, the Seasonic S12II 380W and the Corsair VX450.

 

[enzo matrix]

See if you can find a Sparkle 350W for a good price. Dead quiet fan.

 

[JackNaylorPE]

Go here to size it:

http://www.antec.outervision.com/

Go here to pick it:

http://www.silentpcreview.com/Recommended_PSUs

Check out the:

Silverstone Nightjar ST45NF (fanless)

Nexus NX-5000

 

[Emperus]

One good method as hinted by above suggestions also would be to get a PSU which has a higher wattage rating as compared to what required by your rig.. That means You'll be running the PSU at 70% load or lower which in turn would result in silent operation of the PSU also.. The corsair VX 550W would be ideal IMO..

 

[slo]

I can tell from experience that the VX-series corsiar power supplies are (especially 550 and 450 are dead silent.
i've used probably 20 in the last 1 and half year and all my clients are more than happy with the accustics of their systems.

VALUE/PERFORMANCE PERSPECTIVE: With the hardware you mentioned above, id suggest a corsair 450vx and an akasa nero ak 967 (using it in my own system as well). The psu is inuadible and the akasa never needs to spin past 600rpm (4pin pwm fan)

MONEY NO OBJECT PERSPECTIVE: THE enermax pro87+ 500w is one of the best psu for your application IMO. Along with a Noctua or scythe cooler it would be a hell of a silent computer, assuming you have a quality silent case.

 

[ronss]

The ECO80+ has Enermax's famous MAGMA fan that spins only as fast as it has to, and thanks to clever design, Enermax was able to significantly reduce air turbulence. What that means is, even though your fan is spinning, it will be nearly impossible to hear. Ever. This is easily the best choice for a power supply. Best of all, it is very affordable!

http://www.provantage.com/enermax-ees500awt~7EMAX01R.htm


If you need something with a bit more power, then consider the TX series from Corsair. With a similarly designed low-turbulence 12cm fan that spins only as fast as it has to, the Corsair is nearly inaudible. It is only slightly louder than the Enermax above, but still very quiet. I used this one for a couple years, and was very happy with it (so should be quiet enough for just about everyone else!).
Keep in mind that having sufficient airflow is quite important in a silent PC, because you're likely to have very few fans on the individual components. Your CPU and your Video Card are going to heat up the case something fierce, and you need to expel that heat. Usually you would count on the power supply to help out, but remember that these are low noise power supplies, that move very little air. You ARE going to need a fan or two in your case, and you will have to pay close attention to what you put in there, and what kind of case you use.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005&nm_mc=OTC-Froogle&cm_mmc=OTC-Froogle-_-Power+Supplies-_-Corsair-_-17139005

quiet pc case is something to consider,,,go to this site, lots of info there-
http://www.quietpcusa.com/