Buy an actively-cooled power supply designed with low-noise in mind, or choose a fanless model. The choices are nearly the same, unless your hearing is acute. Of course, you could argue that if PSUs like the ones from Seasonic and SilverStone deliver high-quality DC power, just like the solutions with fans, why not go all-passive and cut the noise altogether?
Although it is true that the fanless power supplies from Seasonic and SilverStone are perfectly silent and ran in our test lab for extended periods of time, they did heat up about 50 degrees Fahrenheit above the ambient temperature. In an air-conditioned room, that shouldn't be a problem.
However, if you're in a room that gets beat-up by the sun all day or lacks A/C entirely, the thermal situation can get somewhat dicey, and a fanless power supply may very well hit its design limits. In that case, it's better to have a fan blowing through your power supply than to suffer the instability of an overheated component. It's worth noting that a PSU with a fan typically costs less than one without, due to the necessary measures to keep the passive unit cool enough.
But if you insist on absolute silence for your next build, Seasonic's X-460 rises to the top of our recommendation list. Its workmanship is excellent, and its price/performance ratio is quite good.
| Manufacturer | be quiet! | Seasonic | SilverStone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Model Name and Number | be quiet! Straight Power E9 CM 480 W | X-460FL | SST-ST50NF |
| Street Price | Not available in U.S. | $130 | $200 |
| Power Certification | 80 PLUS Gold | 80 PLUS Gold | 80 PLUS Bronze |
| Dimensions (WxDxH) | 150 x 180 x 86 mm | 150 x 160 x 86 mm | 150 x 160 x 86 mm |
| Weight | 2.6 kg | 2.77 kg | 3.5 kg |
| Operating Temperature | up to 40 °C | 0°C–50°C | 0°C–45°C |
| Warranty | Five Years | Five Years | Three Years |
| Power Specifications | |||
| Specification | ATX12V v2.31 | ATX12V v2.3 | ATX12V v2.3 |
| Specified Output Power | 480 W | 460 W | 500 W |
| Max. Peak Output | 550 W | n/a | 550 W |
| AC Input | 100 - 240 V | 100 - 240 V | 110 - 240 V |
| AC Voltage Selection | Auto voltage | Auto voltage | Auto voltage |
| DC Output +3.3V | 24 A | 20 A | 18 A |
| DC Output +5V | 22 A | 20 A | 18 A |
| DC Output +12V (#1) | 18 A | 38 A | 38 A |
| DC Output +12V (#2) | 18 A | n/a | n/a |
| DC Output +12V (#3) | 18 A | n/a | n/a |
| DC Output +12V (#4) | 18 A | n/a | n/a |
| DC Output -12V | 0.3 A | 0.5 A | 0.5 A |
| DC Power +12V Combined | 456 W | 456 W | 456 W |
| PFC | active | active | active |
| Specified Hold-Up Time | 19 ms | > 17 ms | 16 ms |
| MTBF | 300 000 hours | > 100 000 hours | 50 000 hours |
| Cooling Specifications | |||
| Main Fan | 135 mm | N/A | N/A |
| Main Fan Speed | up to 1200 RPM | N/A | N/A |
| Secondary Fan | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Secondary Fan Speed | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Connectors | |||
| 20+4 pin Motherboard | 1x (55 cm) | 1x (60 cm) | 1x (55 cm) |
| CPU | 1x (55 cm) | 1x (65 cm) | 1x 55 cm) |
| PCI Express 6-pin/6+2-pin (Graphics) | 0/2x (55 cm) | 0/2 (60 cm) | 1/1x (55-70 cm) |
| Molex 4-pin (Peripherals) | 4x (85–100 cm) | 5x (45-75 cm) | 6x (50–80 cm) |
| SATA Power | 8x (55–100 cm) | 5x (45-75 cm) | 6x (50–80 cm) |
| 4-pin Floppy | 1x (115 cm) | 2x (90 cm) | 2x (95 cm) |
| Product Specifics | |||
| Accessories | Screws, Velcro Strips, Cables Ties | Screws, Velcro Strips, Cables Ties | Screws, Velcro Strips, Cables Ties |
| Cable Management | Yes | Yes, Fully Modular | No |
- Two Fanless Power Supplies, Compared
- be quiet! Straight Power E9 CM 480 W
- Measurements: be quiet! Straight Power E9 CM 480 W
- Seasonic X-460 460 W
- Measurements: Seasonic X-460
- SilverStone SST-ST50NF
- Measurements: SilverStone SST-ST50NF
- Test Setup, Hold-Up Time, Inrush Current, Peak Load, And Short Circuit Protection Test
- Efficiency According To The 80 PLUS Spec, Temperature, And Standby Power
- Efficiency Across The Power Spectrum
- Which Fanless PSU Is Right For You?
Last time I checked, Americans aren't the only ones who enjoy a silent computing experience...
Many companies that are focused on silence such as Noctua and beQuiet! are not "American."
I think it is quite neat that they have fanless option. I would never take the risk, but if I did I would chose seasonic, my 750W has done me well.
Last time I checked, Americans aren't the only ones who enjoy a silent computing experience...
Many companies that are focused on silence such as Noctua and beQuiet! are not "American."
--> argument over.
For the record I am not an American and I don't live in the US
I've been buying Corsair and even $45 Thermaltake 500... and I cannot hear them... with the cover open. The problems with FANLESS PSUs and GPUs is that they become heat-sinks... sure they are quiet, but everything around them gets warm. You need to blow the hot air out.
Going from a fanless GPU to something with a huge fan (H.I.S. brand) - the fans barely makes noise and use a rear exhaust and I can run the system fans at a lower speed.
Mitko: get soundproofing material, apply to inside of case. Put case on floor.
My case is on the desk, a foot or so away from me... its no louder than the A/C vent blowing air in the room.
1. The heat stress is the factor No. 1 for the lifespan of the capacitors, no matter if they are conductive polymer or very high quality electrolytic brand.
2. The case should use more higher intake flow to make sure that the power supply's heat does not enter the case.
3. A noise level of 10-13 dB can be tolerated for the sake of sustainability and avoiding the risk of heating up your case with the heat from from the PSU.
Personally, in the last 10 years I admire Seasonic for their stile... But I would use a passive solution that is still in the PC case just for a while.
most of the voltage regulators are mostly the same though they may add a larger heatsink on them.
you could pretty much turn a standard PSU into a silent one by swapping the caps and heatsinks. High quality capacitors are about 3-5 times more expensive (may take the cost of a single cap from 5 cents, to around 15-20 cents)
Yeap, and you get a better, more reliable, energy efficient bit of kit too. Bit I don't think I'll be having a go a swapping them
Not an 'American' thing, but a medical one. Noise pollution is becoming more and more of a problem; and affects long term hearing quality.
No wonder people can no longer hear the difference between an MP3 and a CD recording.
Every now and then you can find it on sale for $120. A steal for the best 650W PSU in the world.
it'll be used in an HTPC/home media server. to those that have doubts about the usefulness of such a PSU, I will ask: "what's the point of having that nice audio system in your living room if all you're gonna hear is fan noise in the background?"
Another article is what got me hooked http://www.silentpcreview.com/Seasonic_X-400_Fanless_PSU, they basically had to resort to a hair dryer to make the thermal protection trip. A very good power supply that can put up with alot of heat before having to shut down.
translate please...don't understand...thanks in advance