Very quiet PSU

Hagar · 12 Aug 2010 at 09:34

Wanted very quiet PSU, preferably silent up to 50-60% load. High efficiency 80% plus a definite.
I would prefer personal experiences rather than suggestions of kit which I can do myself. Looking at Seasonic or similar quality. Branded, up to £100 retail. No links please as this may irritate the management.

kind regards, andy.

gt_junkie · 12 Aug 2010 at 09:46

What power rating are you looking at? Is it the rig in your sig that you'll be powering?

gt

Hagar · 12 Aug 2010 at 09:49

gt_junkie said:
What power rating are you looking at? Is it the rig in your sig that you'll be powering?

gt

Yes sorry ~550 -750w

andy

gt_junkie · 12 Aug 2010 at 09:57

If you want true silence then the Yesico FL-550ATX 550w psu is an execellent choice.

I ran one in a system with 8gb of ran an overclocked 775 quad and a 9800GX2 with no issues.

Was completely silent and beautifully built - not sure how efficient it is though.

Used to be available for around £120 but looking at current prices might be £20 - £30 more.

I've also used both a Tagan Piperock 1.1kw supply and a Nexus RX8500 850w suply for a while now. The Tagan is pretty quiet but i'd say that the Nexus is particularly unobtrusive. Used the Nexus in a system cooled by a silent Zalman Res2 passive watercooling loop and i could barely hear the PSU.

Might be worth a look. The Nexus goes for around £130 but there are 530w, 630w and 700w versions available that look identical and are obviously more affordable!

gt

andicole0 · 12 Aug 2010 at 09:59

I use a Be-Quiet 850 in my gaming PC and can't hear it above the background noise. But there are some completely silent PSU's out there. Have a look at a Nesteq ASM X-Zero.

Andi.

Tealc · 12 Aug 2010 at 10:09

Seasonic X-650 http://www.overclockers.co.uk/showproduct.php?prodid=CA-013-SS&utm_source=froogle

I think you may struggle to get a solid branded semi-silent unit below £100 at anything above 500W. Seasonic are coming out with totally fanless PSUs soon but they'll be 400W and 460W I think (and expensive)

Now if you wanted just quiet then doors start opening. You can always do a fan mod on a PSU to reduce it's noise if you laugh in the face of danger and warranties.

Speed · 12 Aug 2010 at 10:09

Many decent PSU brands cannot be heard over other hardware. If it was my money I'd go BeQuiet or Enermax, they have always been the quietest and most well built in my experience.

Remember to buy the highest wattage unit you can afford, most PSUs can only be heard when they are at over 80% of their rated wattage, as the fan curves are usually done by wattage not temp.

Tealc · 12 Aug 2010 at 10:21

Speed said:
Most PSUs can only be heard when they are at over 80% of their rated wattage, as the fan curves are usually done by wattage not temp.

Have to disagree with that. My OCZ PSU and my FSP PSU even at 20% load is noisy enough that I can hear it over the remainder of my system. Both these units are marketed as being quiet.

StealthXstream include a thermally controlled 120mm double-ball bearing fan maximum airflow at near-silent audible noise levels

It's rubbish.

Speed · 12 Aug 2010 at 10:28

Tealc said:
Have to disagree with that. My OCZ PSU and my FSP PSU even at 20% load is noisy enough that I can hear it over the remainder of my system. Both these units are marketed as being quiet.

That is why I said "most" PSUs, FSP are a rubbish brand and while OCZ are getting better, they are not up to the standards of the established brands.

My point was that if even a decent unit is close to its maxium capacity the fan will spin higher. The fan curve is often done by wattage not temperature.

Hagar · 12 Aug 2010 at 10:40

I currently have a coolermaster silent pro modular 500w and it is not silent. I am tempted by the seasonic X650, it looks good and may give me a lot more headroom. I will only run one graphics card.

MrBlobby · 12 Aug 2010 at 10:51

check out pico psu over 90% efficient

coldfused · 12 Aug 2010 at 11:11

Personally I use an Antec Truepower 650W PSU which is based on a Seasonic design, and it is very quiet and very stable at high loads. However saying that Seasonic will be realising a passively cooled fanless PSU soon.

crisbduck · 12 Aug 2010 at 11:37

Corsair HX650w is made by seasonic I believe and is £100

Cycrow · 12 Aug 2010 at 13:29

MrBlobby said:
check out pico psu over 90% efficient

not sure they will have enough power for a high end rig.

there perfect for low power systems, but not so much for the more power hungry ones

Tealc · 12 Aug 2010 at 13:42

Pico PSUs are for 100w or thereabouts systems at max load. Not much use for most of overclocking type people.

shadow_boxer · 12 Aug 2010 at 13:45

Corsair of BeQuiet PSUs are probably your best bet for reasonable power.

beefybarn · 12 Aug 2010 at 14:01

I have a corsair in one rig and a zalman in the other, out of them would definetly go for the zalman

MrBlobby · 12 Aug 2010 at 14:37

Cycrow said:
not sure they will have enough power for a high end rig.

there perfect for low power systems, but not so much for the more power hungry ones

You can have a few

Speed · 12 Aug 2010 at 14:42

Never found Corsair PSUs that quiet tbh, had a TX750W and changed it for an Enermax 625W, the Enermax was noticably quieter at the same load.

If you can afford it, go BeQuiet or Enermax.

Hagar · 12 Aug 2010 at 15:16

Thanks to all, you have given good feedback and I will decide tonight which way to go.

In the frame are be quiet, enermax, seasonic, antec and nexus in no particular order. I also like the look of nesteq.

Because I think that I will use generally 300w, I have put a base capacity of 600-650w and try for 750-850w

andy.