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Currently, what are the quietest PSUs?

PostPosted: Sun Mar 23, 2003 11:11 am
by Wedge Maniac
I am looking for one that is quieter the 250 Watt ATX that I have in my P4 fsb 400MHz.

PostPosted: Sun Mar 23, 2003 12:34 pm
by dimitri
Zalman makes a very silent 300w, probably the quietest. Excellent quality too.

http://www.zalman.co.kr/english/product/zm300a-apf.htm

PostPosted: Sun Mar 23, 2003 1:34 pm
by burninfool
Antec are regarded as one of the quietest and most reliable on the market.My Antec 350watt PSU has two variable speed fans and a thermal sensor($65USD).

PostPosted: Sun Mar 23, 2003 2:02 pm
by BuddhaTB
Antec, Zalman, and Enermax are all good

PostPosted: Sun Mar 23, 2003 2:05 pm
by Wedge Maniac
What about Seasonic?

PostPosted: Sun Mar 23, 2003 2:10 pm
by tazdevl
Anand did a roundup of all the "quiet" PSU's on the market: Enermax, Thermaltake, Vantec, Antec. Not a bad read.

Short story, Antec was rated top.

http://www.anandtech.com/showdoc.html?i=1774

Of course a PC Power & Cooling makes a solid PSU as well.

Zalman is quiet, only problem is that there isn't a high power version. However, it should be sufficient for your system.

PostPosted: Sun Mar 23, 2003 2:16 pm
by BuddhaTB
Wedge Maniac wrote:What about Seasonic?

Never heard of them. Stick with a top quality brand like the ones people have been listing.

PostPosted: Mon Mar 24, 2003 10:52 am
by Wedge Maniac
Much appreciation on everybody's feedback.

I wanted to add to this thread that one of my freinds, whom I highly regard as a reliable source of hardware info, swears that PC Power and Cooling is top notch for power supplies.

They have an "Ultra-quiet" line of PSUs that caught my attention. But I am still researching the URLs and info that all of you have provided before making my decision.

PSU

PostPosted: Mon Mar 24, 2003 7:06 pm
by NeilPeart
There are many quality PSUs, but few are both powerful and silent. I have owned many Enermax units, and every Antec TruePower I have owned has run much quieter; the voltages were also much more stable. If a silent computing environment is what one is seeking, then the best choices (by FAR - even more so than the TruePower series) are the Nexus NX-3000 and the Zalman ZM300A-APF. Enermax would not even appear on my list if silence was of paramount importance. Many users and reputable reviewers (including the AnandTech guys) highly regard the Antec TruePower series for its performance and low noise levels. As for the so-called "silent" PC Power & Cooling PSUs, they are far from silent. While I agree that PCP&C's power supplies are probably the best power supplies for servers and dual-CPU workstations, they are simply too loud (and unnecessarily powerful) for the consumer market (the are also much costlier, and have not improved much since their earlier days - their reputation is what sells their products). There are 2 power supplies that suit your system well:

Zalman ZM300A-APF: One of the quietest PSU ever made, but maxes out at 300 watts, though a 400 watt version will soon hit the retail channel. Since you are running a 250 watt PSU right now, this should be more than enough for your current rig, though it probably lacks the juice for any future processor/HD/optical upgrades.

The Antec True430: While not quite as unobtrusive as the near-silent Zalman, it is still very quiet and will suit all but the pickiest of users. It also provides much more power and better voltage regulation than any PSU in its class (including Enermax). This power supply will not only sufficiently power your existing system, but it will also provide enough power for any future upgrades you may encounter.

Good luck with your system.

PostPosted: Mon Mar 24, 2003 9:58 pm
by BuddhaTB
Go with the Antec True430. A good buy for the money.

PostPosted: Mon Mar 24, 2003 10:06 pm
by Action Jackson
My Antec 430 TruePower is far, far quieter than my PCPower&Cooling 275W Silencer.