The most stable/efficient/reliable sub-500w ATX PSU?

[ratdude747]

Re: The most stable/efficient/reliable sub-500w ATX PSU?

fanless, to me, is a bad idea. it can skewer motheboard cooling, (vrm coolers on the top edge of the board, idk if your board has them).

fanless psu's and cpu coolers never souned good to me, it souned like a good way to accidentally fry something if the cpu gets too hot.

the AcBels are not silent, but it is not full blower by any means. wlg always complained of his being a jet engine, but i never saw that wit

also, heavy duty often = higher quality. and if they were intended for servers, then they are very stable... they normally cost way more than a consumer psu... the acbels are a rare case.

[jalyst]

Re: The most stable/efficient/reliable sub-500w ATX PSU?

I would say the DC output quality of the X650 is actually superior.

The AcBel is temperature controlled, but not quiet. It's a heavy duty workstation/server psu, it has a lot of components crammed in there and has very little fan gap. Also only has 2 sata connectors, and A LOT of molex connectors.

Yeah TBH I really want modular, I hate having excess cables I'm not using.
Especially in a HTPC desktop case build....

So that's prolly the single biggest reason the AcBel's gone for me.
Thank everyone for your thoughts/advice though!

[Scenic]

Re: The most stable/efficient/reliable sub-500w ATX PSU?

another thought would be the Antec NeoPower/NeoHE that i've got in my main box.
has cable management, is a Seasonic OEM, fairly efficient (around 80% on 115V, 85% at 230V) and very quiet, even though it only has a 80mm fan.
only problem is that it's out of production .__. (ebay?)

edit:
http://desc.shop.ebay.com/i.html?_nk...0.l1313&_rdc=1

the 430W that's listed there is the one i've got.. powering my overclocked Core 2 Quad Q6600 w. GTX260 no prob.

[jalyst]

Re: The most stable/efficient/reliable sub-500w ATX PSU?

Thanks Scenic!
Think I'll just get the x-650 even though i don't need the excess wattage, assuming it's the most efficient, and has the best dc output overall.

[jalyst]

Re: The most stable/efficient/reliable sub-500w ATX PSU?

I would say the DC output quality of the X650 is actually superior.

The AcBel is temperature controlled, but not quiet. It's a heavy duty workstation/server psu, it has a lot of components crammed in there and has very little fan gap. Also only has 2 sata connectors, and A LOT of molex connectors.

What about the DC output quality/efficiency etc.* compared to the other models you suggested?
Being a much higher wattage unit, the X650 should hit less than 20% utilisation more readily than the other models.
Is that potentially a factor that weighs against it IYO?

I'm sorry for the million and one questions

*don't really care about ultimate silence.

[jalyst]

Re: The most stable/efficient/reliable sub-500w ATX PSU?

The absolute cram-of-the-crop sub 500w PSU is the Corsair 450VX. I think it's around $80 but it is well worth the money. And I think they just released a new revision of it.

Stay away from the Antec and Seasonic sub 500w units. They tend to have junk caps.

But it's not as good all-up (even at much lower avg loads) than the x-650 is it?

[370forlife]

Re: The most stable/efficient/reliable sub-500w ATX PSU?

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php...tory2&reid=169

Stays 88.8% efficient even at ~10% load. ~20% load shows 90.5% efficiency (as well as fanless operation) ~40% load shows 92.1% efficiency and still fanless operation.

[jalyst]

Re: The most stable/efficient/reliable sub-500w ATX PSU?

Hmm,
So far I haven't seen anything better than that at 10%, so I guess this suggestion stands.

I wonder with my set-up if I'm likely to sit at 65w or below a lot of time.
I wouldn't be surprised if I am...

That being the case, I may often be below 10% load...
How does it handle load below that, does it drop right off in efficiency at that point?

I guess no other PSU's would necessarily be dramatically better at that point?

I've been told the new x-series coming out in approx. 2mth aren't much of a change at all.
Just a marketing tweak by altering wattage amounts across the line etc.

Time to go find a deal on the x-650 soon methinks, thanks for all your input!

[Scenic]

Re: The most stable/efficient/reliable sub-500w ATX PSU?

looking at the X-650's specs, i immediately wanted one
looking at the price, i immediately thought "my Seasonic-Antec is OK too.."

[jalyst]

Re: The most stable/efficient/reliable sub-500w ATX PSU?

Price is not an issue for me,
So you're not too sure how to answer my 2 final Qns?

Weird....
Seasonic's not listed as one of the OEM's that's gold/platinum certified for 115v or 230v internal
http://www.80plus.org/manu/psu/psu_join.aspx

Thanks!

[Scenic]

Re: The most stable/efficient/reliable sub-500w ATX PSU?

http://www.80plus.org/manu/psu/psu_d...x?id=60&type=2

?

[jalyst]

Re: The most stable/efficient/reliable sub-500w ATX PSU?

Apologies, I think I can see how you found that, but still no 230v internal.
So you're not too sure how to answer my 2 final Qns in post #28?

[Scenic]

Re: The most stable/efficient/reliable sub-500w ATX PSU?

Hmm,
So far I haven't seen anything better than that at 10%, so I guess this suggestion stands.

because there is basically nothing better ATM.

I wonder with my set-up if I'm likely to sit at 65w or below a lot of time.
I wouldn't be surprised if I am...

That being the case, I may often be below 10% load...
How does it handle load below that, does it drop right off in efficiency at that point?

with the System you listed, i doubt it's going to be below 65W most of the time..

I guess no other PSU's would necessarily be dramatically better at that point?

ATM, no..

edit: Seasonic is listed as "Sea Sonic ..."

[jalyst]

Re: The most stable/efficient/reliable sub-500w ATX PSU?

edit: Seasonic is listed as "Sea Sonic ..."

Hmm, they still have no plat/gold under 230v (which is Australia's standard).

[Behemot]

Re: The most stable/efficient/reliable sub-500w ATX PSU?

I dislike X650 because of it's cooling. They use stupid small heatsinks which could not keep the transistors cool on very high load. As a result, the fan is very loud than, you can even read it in Johnyguru's review. They have so much room inside, I think they though it has so super eficiency, but in reality it's slightly worse so the fan spins on max...

I'd personally take some of the new Enermax Gold or Platinum PSU's they showed on Computex.

[jalyst]

Re: The most stable/efficient/reliable sub-500w ATX PSU?

I'd personally take some of the new Enermax Gold or Platinum PSU's they showed on Computex.

Must be the next-gen Enermax mdk777 was talking about
http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/show...3316#post63316
But are they actually available now....

[Behemot]

Re: The most stable/efficient/reliable sub-500w ATX PSU?

I wrote about them here http://extrahardware.cnews.cz/enerma...i-zlate-zdroje

Those are the 87++

[jalyst]

Re: The most stable/efficient/reliable sub-500w ATX PSU?

Unfortunately I don't speak chech.
Are they available now? Thanks.

[jalyst]

Re: The most stable/efficient/reliable sub-500w ATX PSU?

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[Scenic]

Re: The most stable/efficient/reliable sub-500w ATX PSU?

http://translate.google.com/translat...n&hl=&ie=UTF-8

^ that translation didn't work out too well.. lol