I installed this SilenX 400w power supply to my normal test bed which is the above hardware. As I suspected the cables are a good length and not too long which is nice. To test the noise level of this power supply I bridged one of the black wires with the green one on the 20 pin connector so I could run it without anything else. After comparing the two power supplies I found that the SilenX 400w was much quieter than the True Silent 450w. I installed the power supply to my computer and hooked everything up. I also took out the temporary video card that I have been using and replaced it with a XFX GeForce FX5700 Ultra that will soon be reviewed. The cables are a not too long but were long enough with some slack to reach down to the Molex on the video card.
Test Bed
- Albatron K8X800 Pro II (review to come)
- AMD Athlon64 3200+ (review to come)
- 60GB Seagate Barracuda IV HDD
- 1024MB PC3200 Corsair TwinX
- XFX GeForceFX 5700 Ultra (revire to come)
- Koolcase’s Panther
- Plextor 40x12x40 CDRW
- SilenX 400w PSU
- Zalman CNPS7000A-Cu
- Netgear WG311 wireless NIC
After booting up the computer I loaded up Motherboard Monitor 5 so that I would be able to get the voltage readings from the power supply. I always focus on the 5v and 12v line which is what I feel is the most important thing to look for when it comes to power supplies.
I let the system idle for about 20 minutes and after that time the voltages on both lines had not changed much. I am very impressed at how stable this power supply is and how strong the 5v and 12v lines are. With a reading of 5.19v and 12.04 you will have nothing to worry about. The True Silent 450w power supply output was a little lower at 5.11v and 11.92v.
After getting the idle voltages I loaded up Prime95 which I used to get the CPU to 100% load. The 5v line dropped 0.8v to 5.11v which is still very good and the 12v line changed to 12.16v. The results from the idle and load testing prove that this power supply is able to perform well and stay silent at the same time. I have to also mention that I could not note any difference in how loud the PSU was while it was stress testing. Normally with silent power supplies the fans that cool them speed up when they get hotter which makes them louder than expected.
Conclusion
This is a great power supply, though it lacks a box and fancy aesthetic features it does what it is intended to do very well. This power supply is designed for professionals who want a truly silent system. The fact that it is designed so well inside and out is truly a credit to SilenX.
This is the most silent power supply that I have ever reviewed and would definitely recommend it so someone seeking silence. This unit will run you about $100 which is a bit pricy for a 400w unit, however if you want silence you will not regret your purchase.
Overall I am giving this power supply a 10/10 and awarding it the OCmodshop Seal of Approval. I would like to thank SilenX for sending over this power supply for the review.
Pros
- Only 14dB which means its silent
- 5v &12v lines are very strong
- Cables are a good length
Cons
- Does not have a box
