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MP3 SOUND RECORDINGS
Each of these recording start with 6~10 seconds of silence to
let you hear the ambient sound of the room, followed by 10 seconds of
the product's noise.
- Seasonic Eco Power 300 at 20~90W output, 23 dBA@1m: One meter
- Seasonic Eco Power 300 at 150W output, 27 dBA@1m: One meter
Sound Recordings of PSU Comparatives
- Seasonic S12II-380 at up to ~200W output, 21 dBA@1m: One
meter
- Sparkle Power SPI220LE at 65W output, 21 dBA@1m: One meter
HOW TO LISTEN &
COMPARE
These
recordings were made with a high resolution, studio quality, digital
recording system, then converted to LAME 128kbps encoded MP3s. We've
listened long and hard to ensure there is no audible degradation from
the original WAV files to these MP3s. They represent a quick snapshot
of what we heard during the review. Two recordings of each noise level
were made, one from a distance of one meter,
and another from one foot away.
The
one meter recording is intended to give you an idea of how the subject
of this review sound in actual use — one meter is a reasonable typical
distance between a computer or computer component and your ear. The
recording contains stretches of ambient noise that you can use to judge
the relative loudness of the subject. For best results, set your volume
control so that the ambient noise is just barely audible. Be aware that
very quiet subjects may not be audible — if we couldn't hear it from
one meter, chances are we couldn't record it either!
The
one foot recording is designed to bring out the fine details of the
noise. Use this recording with caution! Although more detailed, it may
not represent how the subject sounds in actual use. It is best to
listen to this recording after you have listened to the one meter
recording.
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CONCLUSIONS
Seasonic's marketing material does a good job of summing up what's good and
what's bad about the Eco Power 300: "Innovative use of 100% recycled cardboard
has eliminated all packaging plastics, placing Eco Power 300 at the forefront
of green electronic design." On the one hand, there's something to Seasonic's
claim that the Eco Power is at the forefront of green design. On the other, the main basis of the claim to green is just packaging; no quantum leap in electronic manufacturing efficiency is claimed.
Have pity for Seasonic's marketing team though: The greenest feature of the
Eco Power 300 is one that doesn't translate easily into marketing material: Its modest 300W capacity. Not only do smaller power supplies tend to have flatter
efficiency curves and better low-power efficiency, they also require substantially
less material to produce — and that's the key to Green electronics. The
unusual form factor is also to its advantage here, and they've made a wise move
to include an adapter plate for ATX systems.
The reality is, Seasonic hasn't really produced an outstandingly Green power
supply; they've given people a reason to buy a properly-sized power supply rather
than a massively over-powered model. And, if it works, that in itself will probably
do more for the environment than all the efficiency improvements in the world.
Just as the car industry is convincing people to drop their heavy SUVs for efficient
sub-compacts, Seasonic is trying to sell a smaller, more environmentally-friendly power supply. Given that the Eco Power 300 is one of the few good quality 300W
power supplies on the market, we wish Seasonic the best of luck capitalizing
on this developing market segment. We look forward to seeing even smaller units
in the future.
Much thanks to Seasonic
USA for this review sample.
* * *
SPCR Articles of Related
Interest:
Power Supply Fundamentals
Recommended
Power Supplies
Power
Distribution within Six PCs
SPCR
PSU Test Rig V.4
Sparkle Power SPI220LE 80 Plus FlexATX PSU
Seasonic SS-300SFD 80 Plus: Little Big PSU
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Discuss this article in the SPCR Forums.
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