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CoolerMaster Silent Pro M2 720W PSU

Submitted by Mike Chin on Thu, 2012-10-11 04:54. Power
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7. COOLING & NOISE

The 135mm fan in the Silent Pro M2 720W started up a low speed with soft broadband audibility. It is a pleasant, low level whoosh devoid of any annoying tonalities. On the spectrum analyzer, the overall SPL was ~15 dBA@1m, which is one dBA higher than recorded for the Silent Pro M 700W back in 2009. Subjectively, this is about right — our beat-up M 700W lab unit seems a touch quieter at residual/minimal load. No change in the noise was detected till around 400W load, when perhaps a single dBA increase, to 16 dBA@1m, was seen. At 500W load, the fan sped up more significantly, and the SPL stabilized around 22 dBA@1m. From that point, the fan sped up progressively with increased load, reaching a maximum of 31 dBA@1m at full load. Throughout, the quality of the noise remained smooth and benign. No obvious electronic noise was heard at any power load.

The exhaust air temperature rose somewhat higher, somehat more quickly than usual beyond about 200W load. Another way of saying is is that the temperature versus load curve is a bit steeper than usual — but keep in mind that I've been testing 80 PLUS Gold and Platinum efficient PSUs almost exclusively for the last couple years, and they run very cool, so my "normal" here is a pretty tough standard. In any case, the Silent Pro M2 720W exhibited no signs of heat related stress at any time during the testing, even at extreme loads in the hotbox (see below) when exhaust temperature reached 60°C.

IN THE HOT BOX

When exposed to the heat of the hotbox, the Silent Pro M2 720W fan started to spin up about 100W lower, but the overall noise profile did not change. Even in an old-style case with poor fresh air intake for the PSU, the Silent Pro M2 720W will remain quiet to over 400W load. This is very good performance.

CoolerMaster Silent Pro M2 720W SPL: In Hot Box vs. Out
Power load
<250W
300W
400W
500W
600W
720W
out
15
15
16
22
27
31
in hot box
15
16
21
25
31
32
Measurements are in dBA@1m
* See note in text above.

COMPARISONS

The comparison table below shows the SPL versus Power Load data on PSUs tested in ambient room temperature, typically 20~24°C. It is most relevant when PSUs are used in cases that provide wide open access to cooler outside air for the PSU cooling fan. The Silent Pro M2 720W falls quite low on the list mostly because so many o the other models here have a lower default noise level. But this is somewhat misleading; as power load increases, the noise level of most of the other models rises more, and to a higher level. At the 400W level, for example, the 720W M2 is at the same level as the Seasonic X-650 (6 rungs up). It would also be 3-4 rungs higher at the 500W level.

PSU Noise (dBA@1m) vs. Power in Ambient Room Temperature
Model
90W
150W
200W
250W
300W
400W
500W
6-700W
850W
Kingwin Lazer Platinum LZP-550
<10*
<10
<10
<10
<10
<10
16
n/a
n/a
Seasonic X-400 Fanless
<10*
<10
<10
<10
<10
<10
n/a
n/a
n/a
Enermax Platimax 600W
<10
<10
<10
<10
<10
12
18
24
n/a
Enermax Modu/Pro87+ 500
11
11
11
11
11
11
18
n/a
n/a
Corsair AX850
<10
<10
<10
11~13
12
13
17
24
35
Seasonic X-650
<10
<10
<10
<10
<10
16
27
32
n/a
Nexus NX-5000
11
11
12
12
12.5
14
19
n/a
n/a
Antec CP-850
12
12
12
12
12
14
20
24
40
Enermax Eco80+ 500W
<11
12
12
16
20
23
28
n/a
n/a
Antec TP-750
12
12
12
14
15
27
31
40
n/a
Seasonic G360
<13
<13
18
24
34
39
n/a
n/a
n/a
CoolerMaster Silent Pro M2 720W
15
15
15
15
15
16
22
31
n/a
Cougar GX-700
15
15
15
17
21
25
35
35
n/a

The comparison table below shows the SPL versus Power Load data on all the PSUs tested in the hotbox. It's difficult to rank them, as the measured SPL varies differently with power load. The units which are quietest at minimum load are not always the quietest at midload (100W~300W), which may make them louder in actual use. Then there's the noise level at 400W and up, which will determine the quietest PSUs for high power gaming rigs, during actual gaming. In this environment, the Silent Pro M2 720W falls in the middle: It is very quiet but not silent at low loads, and stays quieter than most to a higher power level, and doesn't get that loud even at very high power.

PSU Noise (dBA@1m) vs. Power in Hotbox/Anechoic Chamber
Model
90W
150W
200W
250W
300W
400W
500W
6-700W
850W
Seasonic X-400 Fanless
<10*
<10
<10
<10
<10
<10
n/a
n/a
n/a
Enermax Platimax 600W
<10
<10
<10
<10
12
16
21
24
n/a
Kingwin Lazer Platinum LZP-550
<10*
<10
<10
<10
<10
16
22
n/a
n/a
Enermax Modu/Pro87+ 500
11
11
11
11
14
20
23
n/a
n/a
Corsair AX850
<10
<10
12
15
18
25
35
38
39
Seasonic X-650
<10
<10
12
14
16
31
31
32
n/a
Nexus Value 430
11
11
16
18
18
19
n/a
n/a
n/a
Nexus NX-5000
11
11
12
14
22
24
25
n/a
n/a
Antec CP-850
12
12
12
14
14
26
40
44
45
Enermax Eco80+ 500W
<11
12
16
19
26
32
33
n/a
n/a
CoolerMaster Silent Pro M2 720W
15
15
15
15
16
21
25
32
n/a
Seasonic M12D 850W
14
14
14
14
14
24
37
42
42
Antec TP-750
12
12
14
14
18
33
40
40
n/a
Chill Innovation CP-700M
15
15
15
15
17
30
34
34
n/a
Antec Signature 650
15
15
15
18
18
28
36
47
n/a
Coolermaster M700W
14
14
18
21
25
27
34
34
n/a
Seasonic G360
<13
17
23
30
39
39
n/a
n/a
n/a
Cougar GX-700
15
15
18
20
25
32
35
36
n/a
SilverStone DA700
18
18
18
18
23
32
35
41
n/a
Nexus RX-8500
14
14
17
22
28
32
32
33
33
NesteQ ECS7001
22
22
22
21
23
25
36
37
n/a
PCPC Silencer 610
20
24
24
24
24
30
40
50
n/a

The green boxes are >30 dBA@1m SPL.
*<10= below the ambient of our anechoic chamber; immeasurably low @1m in any environment

Caution: Please keep in mind that the data in the above table is specific to the conditions of our test setup. Change the cooling configuration, the ambient temperature and any number of other factors, and you could change the point at which the fans start speeding up, as well as the rate of the rise in speed. The baseline SPL is accurate, however, probably to within 1 dBA.



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