Viewing page 1 of 5 pages.
1 2 3 4 5 NextApril 2, 2006 by Devon
Cooke
|
Product
|
Silentmaxx Fanless 400W
MX460-PFL01
400W ATX12V 2.01 Fanless Power Supply |
|
Manufacturer
|
Silentmaxx |
|
Market Price
|
US$175 |
Low noise computer equipment is a market segment of its own, with different
values and requirements from the gaming, server or workstation markets. "Fanless"
is a keyword; in the past year or so, we've seen fanless heatsinks, fanless
cases, fanless video cards, and fanless power supplies all proliferate. Manufacturers have recognized the low noise segment as significant,
and are responding with suitable products.
One of these products is the Silentmaxx Fanless 400 Watt. It looks almost identical to the
FSP Zen reviewed last year, but is rated for an extra 100W of capacity. Silentmaxx is a
German company that markets to the low noise market. It does not seem
to be well established outside of Germany, and its web site is in German only.
Nevertheless, its products are labeled in English as well as German, and its
products are available worldwide from QuietPC's
numerous web sites.
The similarity to the FSP Zen is more than skin deep. It's clear that
FSP is the OEM for Silentmaxx. There are similarities everywhere, from the size and
shape of the window on the retail box to the internal heatsinks and the general
layout of the PCB. The only major difference seems to the higher output rating. It's about the highest rated fanless power supplies we know of. Most
other fanless models are in the 300-350 watt range.
A large, retail-friendly package with a window.
FEATURE HIGHLIGHTS
|
Feature Highlights of the Silentmaxx Fanless 400 Watt
MX460-PFL01
(from a Google translation of Silentmaxx's
web site)
|
| FEATURE & BRIEF |
COMMENT |
|
Efficiency greater than 89%
|
Probably too high to be
realistic, but still a good sign. |
Separate 12V lines
for more stability (ATX 12V V2.01)
|
Whether or not they improve
stability is debatable, but they're required by ATX12V 2.01 |
|
Error protection (over-voltage, under-voltage, short-circuit, over-current,
overload, over-temperature)
|
The more the better,
but surely over-current and overload protection are the same thing... |
|
Punched housing for optimized heat transfer
|
The casing is
very open to the surrounding air. Whether that's good or bad depends on
system airflow. |
|
Very large and highly efficient cooling fins
|
The trademark of fanless
power supplies: Large heatsinks. |
Aside from the usual cables, screws, and a fully illustrated bilingual manual,
the Silentmaxx Fanless 400 Watt also comes with... a fan. This seems like an odd freebie to include with a fanless power supply, but perhaps Silentmaxx
is engaging in a little social engineering here. The fan is a subtle hint that
at least a little airflow is needed. In this respect, the Silentmaxx
is no different from any other fanless power supply; every one of them requires
help from system airflow to be cooled safely.
OUTPUT SPECIFICATIONS
|
SPECIFICATIONS: Silentmaxx Fanless 400 Watt (from Silentmaxx's
web site)
|
|
AC Input
|
100~240 VAC / 50~60 Hz
|
|
Maximum AC Input Current
|
6A
|
|
DC Output
|
+3.3V
|
+5V
|
+12V1
|
+12V2
|
-12V
|
+5VSB
|
|
Maximum Output Current
|
30A
|
28A
|
14A
|
15A
|
0.8A
|
2.0A
|
|
Maximum Combined
|
145W
|
168W
|
180W
|
9.6W
|
10W
|
|
380W
|
|
400W (460W peak)
|
| Help support this site, buy from one of our affiliate retailers! |
|
