2003 Power Supply Roundup Part II: Better Faster Cheaper
by Kristopher Kubicki on July 31, 2003 1:58 PM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
Hand in hand with the thermal testing of our units is the sonic examination. Using the same test trials from the previous test, we were able to take a measurement of the noise level. Obviously, we desire a quieter power supply.
Each sample was taken at a distance of 12” from each supply. Tests were conducted inside an industry standard Chenming case with no fans running. Ambient noise was under 21dBA.
Noise
|
|
5min (low) |
20min (high) |
|
Allied AL-A400ATX |
32.0 |
37.0 |
|
Antec TrueControl 550 |
30.5 |
37.5 |
|
Antec TruePower 330 |
31.0 |
34.5 |
|
Enermax EG465AX-VE FCA 460W |
29.5 |
36.0 |
|
Enermax EG651P-VE FMA 550W |
30.0 |
34.0 |
|
Enhance ENS-0246 460W |
38.0 |
43.0 |
|
Fortron FSP400-60PFN |
28.0 |
32.5 |
|
Kingwin KWI-450WABK |
37.0 |
49.0 |
|
PC Power & Cooling TurboCool 475 |
55.5 |
55.5 |
|
Sparkle FSP350-60PN |
32.5 |
36.0 |
|
ThermalTake PurePower 480W |
28.0 |
32.0 |
|
TTGI/SuperFlower 520SS 4Fan |
36.5 |
49.0 |
|
TTGI/SuperFlower 420SS |
36.0 |
47.0 |
|
TTGI/SuperFlower 350SS |
36.0 |
44.5 |
|
TurboLink 420W |
37.0 |
42.0 |
|
Vantec Ion 400W |
34.5 |
40.5 |
|
Vantec Stealth 520W |
39.0 |
48.0 |
|
Zalman ZM400A-APF |
28.0 |
32.5 |
As expected, the Sparkle 120mm power supply had one of the lowest pitch levels (and thus we perceived it to be very quiet). However, it was the ThermalTake PurePower 480W that really took the prize. Even with both fans running, it was virtually undetectable. The Enermax EG465, Zalman 400W and Fortron 400W did very well also. (Keep in mind that the Enermax units were the warmest units in the previous test).
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Anonymous User - Saturday, August 2, 2003 - link
#11, yes P=IxV, but the power ratings in the table were obviously taken from manufacturers' data rather than actual measurements, which is why when any power rating for any of the positive voltages is divided by that voltage, the quotient exactly equals an integer. That would not be a problem if all manufacturers applied identical standards to their specifications, but many computer users have learned that this isn't the case.Anonymous User - Saturday, August 2, 2003 - link
Perhaps you could include a Q-Tec PSU in the next review? They retail here in Sweden at about 60% of the price of corresponding Enermax and other high quality units, so assuming they aren't totally lousy they're very cheap.Anonymous User - Friday, August 1, 2003 - link
I agree with #15. Definitely take a look at the PC Power and Cooling 400w Silencer PSU. I own two of these units and they're very high quality with reasonably low noise.Anonymous User - Friday, August 1, 2003 - link
Enlight power supplies are always being excluded from these PSU comparsions. I have a Enlight 360W PSU and it's very stable and very quiet. Test some Enlight PSUs!Anonymous User - Friday, August 1, 2003 - link
I appreciated the comments concerning AMD users, but what I really need is some sort of guidance on AMD processor speed vs combined power or 3.3V rail current for upgrading older systems. Many older cases have limited power supplies and I'm trying to figure out the fastest processor I can install and still have reliable operation. Example: A 300 watt supply with 25A of 3.3V can only support up to a Athlon 1600+ on an ECS K7S5A Pro or a 350 watt with a combined power of 200W can support up to 2200+. Oh, and forget that old 250 watt power supply altogether. I need something like that... yeah, I know: your mileage may vary, void where prohibited by law, no watts were endangered in the making of this article.....:-)Anonymous User - Friday, August 1, 2003 - link
Next time you guys might want to check out the PC P&C Silencer 400. It's built just as heavily as the Turbo Cool but with a quieter fan.Anonymous User - Friday, August 1, 2003 - link
Hey guys, im sure 1 or 2 of you resistorheads are an ee or will soon be one.. ripple and noise are only part of a good pwr supply.. we need the facts... how many watts do these power supplies really put out. how do they respond with a big load.. will they take an overload.. how well are they protected...thats what i wanna read aboutMIDIman - Friday, August 1, 2003 - link
WOW - excellent review. I'm getting a zalman for my silent box.Nice to see you guys pumping out articles quickly again! Thanks!
idenyit - Friday, August 1, 2003 - link
hey just wondering the allied A400ATX hows that compare with the B400ATX thats offered on newegg? any differences?Anonymous User - Friday, August 1, 2003 - link
#10, doesnt P=IV? The Power and Voltage measurements were given.