• Welcome to Overclockers Forums! Join us to reply in threads, receive reduced ads, and to customize your site experience!

Future-proof, silent, strong PSU.

Overclockers is supported by our readers. When you click a link to make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn More.

koolman187

Registered
Joined
Dec 5, 2004
Naturally it's going to be a tad expensive... but I don't care. I built an Athlon 3500+ with a Geforce 6800GT and I require MORE. MORE DAMNIT!

So I want to buy the PSU thats going to power my beast rig that I create in about 2 years.

[Edit: Oh, uh... yeah, post some suggestions.]
 
Last edited:
PC P&C 510w or 850w, Fortron AX500 or FSP550-60PLG, OCZ over 520w, or Zippy over 500w should meet your needs nicely.

Zippy has a 950w 3U form factor unit (P3M-9950P) that could probably power a whole stack of Prescotts if you want bragging rights at the expense of your bank account. Don't know what the price is... not sure I want to know either. Their 700w monsters are costly enough.
 
There is a custom 600w unit by SilenX based on these as well (single 36A 12v) - that one is meant for silence with a single 80mm quiet fan, but their claims of 14 decibels is a little optimistic and the price is insane. It's the highest watt Fortron unit one can get though - IIRC it has more 5v and 3.3v than the two Fortron 550w models.

Thats a quote from Oklahoma Wolf helping me out. You might want to check it out. Not sure how much future proof it is though. I even did a search on google for a review. the review claimed he could not hear it even with his head to the psu. Not sure if I believe that or even the less than 14db claim. But who knows. Also been hearing alot about the seasonic s12 and maybe also the new 500w phantom thats coming out.

Seasonic s12:

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-151-024&depa=0

Silenx 600w:

http://www.computerhq.com/SilenX_SX_6014AB_iXtrema_SX_6014AB/hardware/partinfo-id-488092.html

on the silenx I just did a search on froogle so becareful thats a good reseller before ordering.
 
k, nm, ic I replied a little late, Oklahoma came to the rescue. thx wolf :)
 
Forgot about the SilenX unit for a second there ;)

Not many people have those 600w units yet... they're lacking in features compared to the popular OCZ 600w units, yet cost about the same leading to them getting somewhat overlooked. It's one of the units I'm thinking about for my next PSU purchase... I might take pity on it and see how good it is myself.

However, it's also the most expensive of the bunch I'm thinking about - money's a big deal to me these days :(
 
yeah, me too. Whats the difference between the two? (in case he's interested- its a little more money than what i'm looking for right now, then again you never know). He did say he's looking for silent. Is the ocz silent? And can he get adapters for what its lacking and what comes out in future ??
 
I hear good things about the OCZ units being relatively silent, but can't speak from experience there since I don't have one. I can tell you they're very efficient with huge heatsinks, which is one way to make them quieter - less heat means the fans spin slower than less efficient units at the same power level.

Here's a review of the SilenX... this isn't a terribly good review, but will give you an idea what the PSU looks like and what connectors come with it: http://www.planetamd64.com/index.php?showtopic=4470

The main differences between the OCZ 600w and the SilenX are:

-Single 36A 12v rail on the SilenX, compared to dual 12v on the OCZ
-SilenX is Fortron built, OCZ is Topower built
-SilenX unit is lacking PCI-E connectors, but will work with adaptors
-Single fan on the SilenX vs. dual fan on the OCZ... claim is for 14dB, but I don't believe it for a second. Might be close, but 14dB is stretching it.
-SilenX lacks externally adjustable pots, unknown if Fortron built any into the inside (but they probably did)
-No power switch on the SilenX
-Active PFC on the SilenX, none on the OCZ (I think - someone correct me if I'm wrong)
-OCZ probably has a better warranty
-The SilenX has no 12v advantage over the more readily availible Fortron FSP550-60PLG.

Some commonalities... both units are massive overkill for any standard PC configuration I can think of not involving pelts. Both claim over 75% efficiency, but not sure if either live up to it. Both should be fairly heavy. Both should laugh at SLI current needs ;)

The only other difference I can think of to point out is that being FSP made, the SilenX will likely have a long term reliability edge. I say likely, because if that silent fan turns out to be insufficient at high load levels, the SilenX's life will be shortened. We'll just have to trust SilenX on that one, I guess.
 
Okay, I want EXCELLENT quality, but $450 for a psu is just ridiculous.

The OCZ models seem nice. I was thinking about the 480w OCZ psu. That'll last me until the next upgrade in 2 years. Right?
 
You mean the 470w? Yep, it should last a good while. It carries the same 12v rating as the 520w, so I often tell people to go for them first if I hear they're still availible for them.
 
Back