Is Superflower Goldengreen HX350 supposed to be audible at very low temperature/load?

[Whiffle]

I bought this PSU to put in my headless server, over 12 months ago.

The server was originally in an office, so I did not really consider noise levels.

I have since had to move the server to my livingroom and have noticed that the PSU is pretty audible - you can hear it from wherever you are in the room.

The server pretty much does nothing other than recording TV programs and serving stuff to other clients on the network (CPU sits at 0% for most of the time, CPU temps are about 30C, system temps 25C, total idle wattage around 25w).

Having ruled out that temperatures and load were stressing the PSU and ramping up the fan, I did some tests on a few other parts of the system.

My harddrives spin down after 20 mins, so I waited to make sure that none had sped up. I then unplugged all the other fans in the system (CPU and case) and noticed that these were barely audible at all.

If it were not for the PSU, I would have an almost inaudible system (which I really want, given that it runs 24/7).

I was just wondering whether there was anyone else, that had this PSU, could tell me whether this is normal (a few reviews suggest that is should run very quietly).

 

[EsaT]

With cheap capacitors in cramped spot would certainly want its fan to stay running.
But minimal RPMs shouldn't really make sound.

 

[Whiffle]

Thanks EsaT - so despite being Gold efficient, it is not the best quality?

I cannot remember, exactly, how much it cost but it was quite a bit cheaper than the alternatives.

I am tempted to swap the PSU with my Antec High Current Gamer 400W - it has a 135mm fan and is quieter.

Do you think efficiency is going to suffer much?

I was obsessed with buying something Gold rated for my server as it is always on.

However, I reckon that my total power draw is only about 25w.

That means that on my Superflower, I am using 7.14% load and 6.25% load on the Antec.

Given that these are both well below 20%, am I thinking that the respective Gold and Bronze ratings are pretty much irrelevant for me, anyway?

 

[Habakkuk]

That is an extremely low powered system!

You are correct - the ratings are for 80% load, there shouldn't be much difference in performance at your level.

There are PSUs that turn off their fan below 50% load/50 degrees C incase you want quieter - they tend to be higher wattage ones though, with decent capacitors.

 

[Whiffle]

Thank you - the more I read about my PSU, the more I realise that it wasn't the purchase I thought it was.

A number of reviews I have read suggest that whilst the original Golden Green PSUs were really high quality (and expensive), the HX series was an attempt to make them cheaper by getting rid of various features that made them high quality in the first place - cheaper fan, capacitors etc. (just as EsaT mentions above).

I checked my invoice and found that I only paid £50.00 for the thing - given it was gold rated, I probably should have been a bit suspicious in the circumstances.

Anyway, my server has lots of important stuff on it and I really want something silent at low loads but with high quality parts. What do you recommend?

 

[Habakkuk]

Personally I like the Corsair AX series uses nice capacitors - the 860 has the option to turn the fan off below 50% load/50 degrees C.

Although this is even more wattage you wouldn't be using!

Still, at certain loads capacitors have been known to hum - this also vares even on identical models, make sure you get a recent one as they have lower hum rate.

 

[Habakkuk]

The Corsair CP-9020044-UK was the model/revision I was thinking about.