I'm planning a system upgrade and face the problem of PSU selection. Currently I have a 360W HPC PSU which I somewhat mutilated, with one fan removed and another set at 5V; it's OK since my system is nowhere near 360W, but I don't want to take chances with anything more consuming.
The system's consuming components will be these:
CPU - A64 X2 4800+..5400+ or Core 2 6600
Video - GeForce 8800GTS or Radeon X2900
For the rest, 2 SATA HDD and all the typical stuff.
I'm planning to change it all soon, but I'm unsure of which PSU to take. First of all, I'm not sure of power requirements. I guess I could get away with 400W or so, but I'm keeping the computer on 24/7, plus I'm planning to keep it for long and want no problems caused by PSU. Some reserve is desirable, both for capacitor aging and just in case I change the video or whatever. I don't want to choose components based on PSU power.
There are a lot of contradicting reviews on the PSU quality and noise. I'm actually concerned a bit more with reliability, but still I don't want the PC to get loud. I've got all fans on 5V, the video card fan slowed by RivaTuner, and so the PSU might become the major noise source. No problem for occasions when I get to play games, but it's right in my bedroom, and silence at least at low power is needed.
Currently, out of ones worth considering, I've got a choice of:
Enermax Noisetaker, 485-600W
Enermax Liberty, 400-500W
FSP/Fortron OPS500-80GLN, 500-700W
Thermaltake Toughpower, 500-750W
And, though I don't trust it much, but still: Hiper 580-730W.
Don't have easy access to Seasonic, and don't want the trouble with ordering.
Which of these would you suggest? For both low noise and just being well reliable. And, also, what power would be best to have reserve for a couple years or so?
Power demands, and a choice of several PSU
Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee
Power demands, and a choice of several PSU
Last edited by EV10 on Sun Apr 15, 2007 2:54 am, edited 1 time in total.
Such a system will be running w/o any problems and wt a decent safety margin on any modern 350W with a strong 12V rail. Say, >25W on 12V will mean no worries about anything. For a bigger psychic comfort you might want to get a 400W. 450W will mean you'll be able to run any CPU with any single gf card, not matter how much you OC your rig and how may HDD's you put in.
Pity you can't get a Seasonic, but there are many other quiet PSU's to buy. From the ones you listed I'd personally go for Liberty 400W - v quiet in idle, but tends to ramp up a wee bit when pushed. Forget about Thermaltake and Hiper - loud and somewhat dated, not very hi-end. If the FSP Optim Pro is based on Fortron GLN - great. Noisetaker - no idea, but it was reviewed here and got opinions are favorable.
Can you get sth. like Be Quiet Straight Power (based on FSP GLN) or Be Quiet Dark Power (based on Topower P3 U12), or Topower P3 U12? These are also v good and quiet PSU's.
Pity you can't get a Seasonic, but there are many other quiet PSU's to buy. From the ones you listed I'd personally go for Liberty 400W - v quiet in idle, but tends to ramp up a wee bit when pushed. Forget about Thermaltake and Hiper - loud and somewhat dated, not very hi-end. If the FSP Optim Pro is based on Fortron GLN - great. Noisetaker - no idea, but it was reviewed here and got opinions are favorable.
Can you get sth. like Be Quiet Straight Power (based on FSP GLN) or Be Quiet Dark Power (based on Topower P3 U12), or Topower P3 U12? These are also v good and quiet PSU's.
I might be misled by this maybe infamous tool - http://www.extreme.outervision.com/psuc ... orlite.jsp . But it recommends to add some 30% for capacitor aging reserve, and, all things considered, it spits out about 500W. I'm not a particular overclocker, but I might also push the PC to some extra power if it becomes needed (for instance, Core 2 overclock easily).Such a system will be running w/o any problems and wt a decent safety margin on any modern 350W with a strong 12V rail.
It's also these new Radeon 2900 power consumption, which is promised to be 240-270W, though I guess I'll need to wait for the tests.
These seem to be just two names. OPS550-80GLN - that's it, right?If the FSP Optim Pro is based on Fortron GLN - great.
I heard bad things about them, though, that people recommend to buy a quieter fan for them right away.
I'm also wondering how do they compare in reliability and stability to Enermax.
The calculator you used is (in)famous for its poor accuracy. Let's say it likes to suggest a v safe margin - which is not bad in itself, cause it's always a good idea to have some headroom. The problem is you end up having like 60% more power than you might ever need. Nothing bad in buying a 450-watter. I sometimes feel stupid as I have 430W and I know I only once used more than 50% of its capacity - it was when I OC'ed my machine to the extreme and loaded in unrealistically (+280W AC, meaning 225W DC taken from the PSU). Normally I idle at 80W DC and when I play my rig takes app. 180W DC). That's what my watt-o-meter says.
Try this one - SnooP's calculator. It's by far the most accurate one I've seen - it says my rig draws +190W from the PSU in "Typical max sustained total power consumption while gaming (watts)" mode, whereas I know for a fact (Voltcraft tool, remeber?) that it's app. 180W. Which is only a wee off. Not bad at all.
That said, you won't do a bad thing buying a 400W or 450W PSU, or even a 500W (say, the fantastic Corsair HX) - I'm just saying you should know how many watts you'll be really using
8800XXX cards were supposed to also need sth. in the 300W department. But 8800GTX needs "only" 150W and GTS needs 110W. Radeon X1950XTX will draw <120W under load. We *have* to wait for the tests, although one might expect the top R600 card to require more juice than 8800GTX.
Yeah - the names for different rebranded Fortrons always specify the, uhhh, specific model
Which in this case is GLN - e.g. like this one. Swapping the fan for a better one is usually a good idea, but it voids the warranty. And if you can just buy a new PSU that already is quiet enough - why not get it. The GLN model is, IMHO, a v good PSU - whoever labels it, the innards stay the same, almost identical, and that means it's still a v good PSU - hi efficiency, rock stable voltages, good reliability, low noise - what else can you ask for. Frankly, I never heard a bad thing about it. Yeah, you can always say "the fan is too loud" but it's v personal, and you might just as well find it the quietest PSU you ever had.
OK, my personal fave here is Enermax Liberty - test @ SPCR. It can also be fanswapped w/o problems if you find it too loud. The 400W version has a really powerful 12V rail (30A) for a 400W PSU. Modular cables. Good brand. Not really expensive too (around here is significantly cheaper than S12 430). Liberty and GLN are two different PSU's but tey perform v similarly and I guess even if one of them proves better, the margin will be v small and hard to see in normal operation.
Try this one - SnooP's calculator. It's by far the most accurate one I've seen - it says my rig draws +190W from the PSU in "Typical max sustained total power consumption while gaming (watts)" mode, whereas I know for a fact (Voltcraft tool, remeber?) that it's app. 180W. Which is only a wee off. Not bad at all.
That said, you won't do a bad thing buying a 400W or 450W PSU, or even a 500W (say, the fantastic Corsair HX) - I'm just saying you should know how many watts you'll be really using
8800XXX cards were supposed to also need sth. in the 300W department. But 8800GTX needs "only" 150W and GTS needs 110W. Radeon X1950XTX will draw <120W under load. We *have* to wait for the tests, although one might expect the top R600 card to require more juice than 8800GTX.
Yeah - the names for different rebranded Fortrons always specify the, uhhh, specific model
Which in this case is GLN - e.g. like this one. Swapping the fan for a better one is usually a good idea, but it voids the warranty. And if you can just buy a new PSU that already is quiet enough - why not get it. The GLN model is, IMHO, a v good PSU - whoever labels it, the innards stay the same, almost identical, and that means it's still a v good PSU - hi efficiency, rock stable voltages, good reliability, low noise - what else can you ask for. Frankly, I never heard a bad thing about it. Yeah, you can always say "the fan is too loud" but it's v personal, and you might just as well find it the quietest PSU you ever had.OK, my personal fave here is Enermax Liberty - test @ SPCR. It can also be fanswapped w/o problems if you find it too loud. The 400W version has a really powerful 12V rail (30A) for a 400W PSU. Modular cables. Good brand. Not really expensive too (around here is significantly cheaper than S12 430). Liberty and GLN are two different PSU's but tey perform v similarly and I guess even if one of them proves better, the margin will be v small and hard to see in normal operation.
I noticed it adds vastly overrated demands for PCI cards and peripherals. However, what about capacitor aging headroom?Let's say it likes to suggest a v safe margin - which is not bad in itself, cause it's always a good idea to have some headroom. The problem is you end up having like 60% more power than you might ever need.
I don't really want to buy a new PSU just to open it up and swap the fan, unless it's the only way. What about Enermax Noisetaker, like EG425AX model?OK, my personal fave here is Enermax Liberty - test @ SPCR. It can also be fanswapped w/o problems if you find it too loud.
I don't need the modular cables etc, however the option to turn the fan down seems just what I need.
Well, none except fanless is going to be quieter than my current HEC with 5V 80mm quiet fan - but I guess two 12V fans were there for a reason, so it's only OK as long as it works on a weak system.Yeah, you can always say "the fan is too loud" but it's v personal, and you might just as well find it the quietest PSU you ever had.
For what's quiet for me, well, I have Zalman 7700Cu working at minimal speed (900rpm or so), and that's about the noise level I'm OK with for the PSU.
I'd risk saying that it only matters for lowendish PSU older than a few years. Decent brands use good quality caps which won't leak or dry up, unless stored in really poor conditions for long time, say, +3 years. Lots of people around here (Poland, Germany, Russia), geeks mainly, buy really old Fortrons, Deltas and Seasonic produced in 2002 and around, and have no problems with that. My knowledge on this is limited to theory so there may be issues I'm just not aware of. (nice way of saying - doh, me dumb nowwhat about capacitor aging headroom?
)Don't know this oneEnermax Noisetaker EG425AX
V little info on it.You seem to have a nice, quiet rig... Hard to beat an 80mm fan at 5V. Naturally, I don't want to say "fanswap any new decent PSU" cause I also wouldn't like to get such advice. It just seems to me that the Liberty is the best option right now. Also, take into account, that altho v quiet, 8800GTS has an active cooling and may be a tad louder than the PSU.
Can you get a passive PSU, e.g. Fortron Zen 400W, Amacrox Calmer 400W or Silentmaxx Fanless 400W (these 3 are identical
)? With a decently ventilated case you'll be fine with any of them.Hmm... Well, I hope it's so. After all, caps in other devices take more time, though electrolytics are probably the most common source of electronics "dying", and in PSU there's a lot of load on them.Decent brands use good quality caps which won't leak or dry up, unless stored in really poor conditions for long time, say, +3 years.
That's what Rivatuner is for. It can calm down the fan down to 25% speed, and pretty much anything is noiseless at such level, plus with separate speed for 3D it causes no problems. Of course, it might reduce device life, but a video card will get obsolete far earlier; I've never seen any problems with cards up to 6600GT working with fan just plugged out for years. Their cooling seems to be always overkill.Also, take into account, that altho v quiet, 8800GTS has an active cooling and may be a tad louder than the PSU.
Can get Zen 400W, semi-passive Topower TOP-420NF, 520NF (this one looks poorly designed, though), and some sort of Zippy, 420 and 520W.Can you get a passive PSU, e.g. Fortron Zen 400W, Amacrox Calmer 400W or Silentmaxx Fanless 400W (these 3 are identical Very Happy)?
But I'm not sure it's worth the trouble and cost. After all, it requires another fan anyway.
Also, does FSP Zen have the connectors for these new PCI-E cards?
BTW: I also guess I might have to change the case to fit the card, and probably to Chieftec CA-01, as it has excellent cooling options, enough mass to dampen vibrations, and space for the card. What can be said about quality of PSU they mount?
Currently out of PSU I'm looking towards, probably, Fortron GLN - seems to be very good (low voltage fluctuations) and quiet, although opinions vary, plus saves a little money. OTOH, Enermax, while wasting more heat, also has heatsink headroom and generally seems to provide more stable quality.
Enermax NoiseTaker 475 reviewWhat about Enermax Noisetaker
Enermax Noisetaker EG701AX-VE SFMA 2.0: 600 Watts!
Forget the Thermaltake and Hiper. Is the FSP the Epsilon? Good efficiency, but don't know how noisy the fan is. Liberty or Noisetaker look like your best choices. Bear in mind no PSU will be SPCR-quiet w/ a 270W GPU.Currently, out of ones worth considering, I've got a choice of:
Enermax Noisetaker, 485-600W
Enermax Liberty, 400-500W
FSP/Fortron OPS500-80GLN, 500-700W
Thermaltake Toughpower, 500-750W
And, though I don't trust it much, but still: Hiper 580-730W.
The semi-passive Topowers are kinda old and were not that good in the first place to recommend - there are better passive or semi-passive options.
Chieftec makes great cases and good & loud PSU's - usually by Sirtec and Delta. Good brands but way too loud for the SPCR folk. I had one long time ago - nicknamed it the "Kiowa assault chopper" 
Amacrox Calmer 400W, as strange as it may seem, has no PCI-E connectors
But hey you can always get some - at least one should be supplied with the gfx card. The PSU's 12V rail is rated for 29A which is plenty for a 8800GTS. But - just like you said - you would probably end up sourcing a separate fan to help the PSU, especially that 8800 cards have v hi idling power consumption. But in a large, roomy, well ventilated case this IS a viable option. I'm sure a seriously undervolted 12cm fan position near the PSU or so as to blow on it would do the trick nicely and not contribute to the total noise.
Can you get Corsair HX 520? It is Seasonic made - a twin of M12. You said you can't get a Seasonic, but you never sais you can't get a Corsair
Chieftec makes great cases and good & loud PSU's - usually by Sirtec and Delta. Good brands but way too loud for the SPCR folk. I had one long time ago
- nicknamed it the "Kiowa assault chopper" Amacrox Calmer 400W, as strange as it may seem, has no PCI-E connectors
But hey you can always get some - at least one should be supplied with the gfx card. The PSU's 12V rail is rated for 29A which is plenty for a 8800GTS. But - just like you said - you would probably end up sourcing a separate fan to help the PSU, especially that 8800 cards have v hi idling power consumption. But in a large, roomy, well ventilated case this IS a viable option. I'm sure a seriously undervolted 12cm fan position near the PSU or so as to blow on it would do the trick nicely and not contribute to the total noise.Can you get Corsair HX 520? It is Seasonic made - a twin of M12. You said you can't get a Seasonic, but you never sais you can't get a Corsair
Hmm, is Toughpower that bad? It's not my priority choice, but I've read it's different from older ones, being on par with serious.Forget the Thermaltake and Hiper. Is the FSP the Epsilon?
That FSP is Epsilon, just has several names.
Which specifically? (apart from FSP Zen - already know it)The semi-passive Topowers are kinda old and were not that good in the first place to recommend - there are better passive or semi-passive options.
Nope. Unfortunately, no other known rebranded Seasonics as well. Well, if I really have to, I can, but I prefer to have it all with working warranty, without long wait, and so on. I guess Seasonic aren't that much better to forfeit all other factors.Can you get Corsair HX 520? It is Seasonic made - a twin of M12. You said you can't get a Seasonic, but you never sais you can't get a Corsair
Toughpower & Hiper - with so many other PSU's out there - good, quiet, modern etc. these two really don't seem the best you can get. OTOH Hiper Type-R is by far the nicest looking PSU I know of
By other passive & semi-passive options I meant, well, the Zen mainly, and its brethren - Amacrox and Silentmaxx. Also - Aerocool ZerodB (made by Andyson - Tacens Valeo is a v similar unit, not bad at all), Silverstone NightJar 300W, Antec Phantom 350. The NightJar may be a tad too weak for you, but otherwise is a great PSU.
By other passive & semi-passive options I meant, well, the Zen mainly, and its brethren - Amacrox and Silentmaxx. Also - Aerocool ZerodB (made by Andyson - Tacens Valeo is a v similar unit, not bad at all), Silverstone NightJar 300W, Antec Phantom 350. The NightJar may be a tad too weak for you, but otherwise is a great PSU.
I think I'll have to go for something with more power than 300-350W. Sure, it was enough for a while, but cards today are getting hungrier, and I'd rather have the PSU work with headroom - it's not just for games.
Unfortunately, no Aerocool ZerodB as well.
Currently I've stopped at three models:
FSP (Fortron) OPS550-80GLN or 600-80GLN - aka Epsilon. Pros: 45-50A on +12V line (compared to Enermax 32), high efficiency. 1x120mm fan, not sure how quiet.
Enermax, 535W, EG565AX-VE(G)FMA - aka Noisetaker II, 2x80mm, controllable.
Enermax, 500W, ELT500AWT - aka Liberty, 1x120mm.
The latter two are the same inside, but I'm wondering whether 1x120mm will be quieter than 2x80mm.
Also have an option:
Topower TOP-500P5 U14
Is it a good one?
BTW, I'm also wondering, how much does a good case affect noise? I might have to change it due to card size, but all big ones w/o PSU seem overpriced (cost as much as ones with PSU). How important is the case, and is it worth changing?
I might get AT one, for low cost, but will it fit ATX motherboard?
If not, I'll probably have to get Chieftec CA-01 500W and change the fan to a better one; warranty on cases is a moot point anyway (due to their bulk and role in system).
Unfortunately, no Aerocool ZerodB as well.
Currently I've stopped at three models:
FSP (Fortron) OPS550-80GLN or 600-80GLN - aka Epsilon. Pros: 45-50A on +12V line (compared to Enermax 32), high efficiency. 1x120mm fan, not sure how quiet.
Enermax, 535W, EG565AX-VE(G)FMA - aka Noisetaker II, 2x80mm, controllable.
Enermax, 500W, ELT500AWT - aka Liberty, 1x120mm.
The latter two are the same inside, but I'm wondering whether 1x120mm will be quieter than 2x80mm.
Also have an option:
Topower TOP-500P5 U14
Is it a good one?
BTW, I'm also wondering, how much does a good case affect noise? I might have to change it due to card size, but all big ones w/o PSU seem overpriced (cost as much as ones with PSU). How important is the case, and is it worth changing?
I might get AT one, for low cost, but will it fit ATX motherboard?
If not, I'll probably have to get Chieftec CA-01 500W and change the fan to a better one; warranty on cases is a moot point anyway (due to their bulk and role in system).
Provided these are identical to Be Quiet Straight Power or OCZ GameXStream they'll be v quiet. I know BQ Straight Power 450W is extremely quiet - that's what a lot of my geek friends have been saying, and they do care about quietness. I'm not sure tho how quiet teh stronger models are - I'd expect them to have faster fans. AFAIK there are now some new revisions of BQ SP on the market with different fans. Also, bear in mind that Amacrox Frei Erde - yet another GLN in disguise, has a different fan and is not as quiet as the BQ SP I'm constantly mentioning. Which all goes to say - try to find out what fan is inside the OPS.FSP (Fortron) OPS550-80GLN or 600-80GLN - aka Epsilon. Pros: 45-50A on +12V line (compared to Enermax 32), high efficiency. 1x120mm fan, not sure how quiet.
Topowers are good, especially the newer models. Topower P3 U12 450W is v popular around here and also said to be v quiet - SPCR's recommended Be Quiet Dark Power 430 is its copy, so no wonder. I suppose the one you mention is pretty similar but you can't get it in Poland so I can't really say how it fares against other Topowers.Also have an option:
Topower TOP-500P5 U14
Is it a good one?
Before I got P150 I had an ordinary, budget case with only a single 800mm fan in the rear. My system was weaker but I had the Ninja and the S12 and Scythe QD - so the system was decently quiet. But with P150 it got even quieter - you really benefit from big & slow spining fans and sturdy construction, not to mention the dampening. Chieftec makes strong and generally well ventilated cases, but I don't think you'll like its fans and PSU's. To fit an ATX board inside an AT case you'd have to maul its back and work on the mobo tray. I'm not sure about the buttons (pwr, rst etc.) but I'd expect problems there too.BTW, I'm also wondering, how much does a good case affect noise? I might have to change it due to card size, but all big ones w/o PSU seem overpriced (cost as much as ones with PSU). How important is the case, and is it worth changing?
I might get AT one, for low cost, but will it fit ATX motherboard?
If not, I'll probably have to get Chieftec CA-01 500W and change the fan to a better one; warranty on cases is a moot point anyway (due to their bulk and role in system).
Wish I could... But I'll try.Which all goes to say - try to find out what fan is inside the OPS.
Well, they come without fans anyway, and I'll change the PSU fan once I get it. Or even get one w/o PSU.Chieftec makes strong and generally well ventilated cases, but I don't think you'll like its fans and PSU's.
BTW, about P150.. More specifically, P180, since P150 will probably be too small. How significant would be the improvement over just good big tower like Chieftec CA-01? The latter is larger and heavier, has more open construction; it would also be excellent for a fanless PSU, or keeping one with fan cooler. My system isn't so quiet that HDD would become a major noise source, or maybe I'm less annoyed. I actually had some problems with my crappy case vibrating, though fixed it by padding legs with rubber washers. Nothing serious, but still. Getting Antec case and a decent PSU is a good deal costlier, plus more troublesome (I don't have Antec P-180 sold close).
About the FSP/BQ SP/OCZ conundrum - I have the info from a guy who actually sells these PSU's and runs a PSU-oriented forum populated with major geeks. Now I know info from dealers should be always taken with a grain of salt. OK, make it a bucket. But I really don't think the manufacturer (FSP) would play with the fan controller a as this would mean changing the cooling characteristics of the entire unit. Ther could be different fans (from different producers) but with the same performance - some would be on fluid bearings, some on ball bearings. Well, OK, I won't fight for it as I haven't seen & heard them personally. It could just as well be that all these FSP based PSU's differe significantly from one to another. Which brings us back to Liberty as there is only one Liberty and it has been reviewed by SPRC.
Chieftec cases vs P180. Well, due to its special design P180 will certainly behave much better than any other standard case not specifically designed for silencing. But with some careful modding, ducting etc. a very sturdy and decent Chieftec case can certainly be made really quiet. Get some fans like Nexus or S-Flex, cut the grills out, mount everything on silicon, suspend the HDD(s), use some mats (I believe Chieftec offers some precut mats) and you'll end up with a really quiet case. A lot of people around here have Chieftec cases and always stress how rigid and strong they are - means no vibrations.
Chieftec cases vs P180. Well, due to its special design P180 will certainly behave much better than any other standard case not specifically designed for silencing. But with some careful modding, ducting etc. a very sturdy and decent Chieftec case can certainly be made really quiet. Get some fans like Nexus or S-Flex, cut the grills out, mount everything on silicon, suspend the HDD(s), use some mats (I believe Chieftec offers some precut mats) and you'll end up with a really quiet case. A lot of people around here have Chieftec cases and always stress how rigid and strong they are - means no vibrations.
Hmm... BTW, what about Zalman?
I have ZM500-HP, ZM460(B)-APS available. The last is decidedly FSP 450-60GLN (or 400?) with Minebea fan and a bit larger heatsink, and is reported to be quiet. I'm unsure about the former, -HP series.
Also, what about a sort of modern take on dual-PSU system? It was bad a while ago, but today there are PSU stable even at near-zero +5V load, and cards might require a lot of power. Two high-quality, low-noise low-power PSU aren't much more expensive than one still noisier high-power, but easier to get.
In case it becomes required, of course.
I have ZM500-HP, ZM460(B)-APS available. The last is decidedly FSP 450-60GLN (or 400?) with Minebea fan and a bit larger heatsink, and is reported to be quiet. I'm unsure about the former, -HP series.
Also, what about a sort of modern take on dual-PSU system? It was bad a while ago, but today there are PSU stable even at near-zero +5V load, and cards might require a lot of power. Two high-quality, low-noise low-power PSU aren't much more expensive than one still noisier high-power, but easier to get.
In case it becomes required, of course.
Both Zalmans were reviewed here - ZM 600 and ZM 460. Definitely the smaller one is the better. But it still likes to ramp up pretty quickly and so will only be acceptable to you in idle. From what I can remember, the Liberty would be quieter.
2 PSU's - uhm, hmmm, well... I can't see any resons to go for two small ones. Even if you need a single large unit, S12 E+ or Corsairs will do better and are one of the very best. You'd first have to build a system that would require such a strong PSU. And at that point, this system would not be quiet anyway.
2 PSU's - uhm, hmmm, well... I can't see any resons to go for two small ones. Even if you need a single large unit, S12 E+ or Corsairs will do better and are one of the very best. You'd first have to build a system that would require such a strong PSU. And at that point, this system would not be quiet anyway.
Well what can I say...EV10 wrote:If I could get a Seasonic without troubles....
Liberty is pretty popular around here and I've never heard a single word of complaint. On the contrary, ppl are very happy with it in every respect - performance, quietness, comfort of use, etc. Zalman - there may be a few units in the whole country so I can't say.EV10 wrote:So, Liberty is better? Just that the review of Liberty complains again, and ZM-460-APS is quite positive. Though both only seem quiet at low load.
I guess you can maintain your idle consumption at app. 100W real watts takes from the PSU, so you'd only have to deal with a little more noise under load. But hey - it's "under load" - the rest of the machine will also go up and you won't notice that when gaming anyway. I also like to up the fans a bit when gaming - altho I don't have to. Just feel safer that way and I don't mind as there's lots of other noises when playing a game.