vantec stealth?

headache123 · Post by **headache123** » Tue Nov 18, 2003 3:56 pm

hey i was wondering if anybody has a vantec stealth 420 watt psu. i was thinking about getting one for my computer. i am pretty anal about how loud my computer is, so i got water cooling, but my psu fan is still annoying me. any comments on the vantec stealths?

Zyzzyx · Post by **Zyzzyx** » Tue Nov 18, 2003 4:09 pm

Welcome to SPCR!!!

I think the general consensus is that the Vantec 'Stealth' components are anything BUT 'Stealthy'.

I'd like a few more folks to chime in on this though.

Post by **Rusty075** » Tue Nov 18, 2003 4:36 pm

Hello!!

Yeah, he's right, the "Stealth"'s are more marketing than anything else.

Have you checked out the SPCR Recommended PSU's listing?

Basically anything there will be quieter than the Stealth, and alot of the units there are also both higher quality and lower priced.

headache123 · Post by **headache123** » Tue Nov 18, 2003 9:21 pm

im new here, and i hadent read the recommended psu listing. the Seasonic Super Silencer 400 looks pretty good to me, however i am also considering the zalman 400 watt noiseless power supply. its ony like 80 bucks. any comments on where i can get a seasonic for about the same price, or on the zalman 400 watt?

Post by **Ralf Hutter** » Wed Nov 19, 2003 6:12 am

headache123 wrote:im new here, and i hadent read the recommended psu listing. the Seasonic Super Silencer 400 looks pretty good to me, however i am also considering the zalman 400 watt noiseless power supply. its ony like 80 bucks. any comments on where i can get a seasonic for about the same price, or on the zalman 400 watt?

I would definitely go with the Seasonic over the Zalman. There's some links to getting the Seasonic cheaper in this thread.

wooglin · Post by **wooglin** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 9:56 am

Hi all. I'm another newbie in search of a quieter PSU. In hopes of buying local (support your local computer bunker) I've got a choice of the following:

Let me preface by saying that I'm guessing the 300W no-name vaccuum cleaner that my PC arrived with is probably just a bit underpowered. I've got boot issues where I have to double-hit the power to get both HD's spinning up. Question 1 - given the system specs below, should a 400W supply be adequate, and 2 - what is your preference out of the following?

Sys. Specs:
Asus P4R800 Delux MB
Celeron 2.66G proc.
2x256MB DDR 400mHz
WD 80GB HD1
Maxtor 160GB HD2
LG CD/RW
onboard graphics are decent enough for now (Radeon 9100)
stock intel HS and fan, very quiet compared to the PSU
No other case cooling (that's being added with the new PSU, intake for the HD's which are running a little hot and an exhaust for the backside)

Potential PSUs include:
-Zalman ZM-400B-APS which they call 'noise free', but I can see the fan grill! ~$110
-Enermax NoiseTaker 370W ~$70
-SilenX 400W iXtrema Pro ~$115

I've already dismissed the Vantec Stealth which could have been option #4.

This is my first trip back into using a home-base computer after having my laptop of 2 years cut out on me, and from what I've seen so far in these forums, I might have found a new hobby!

Thanks for your help!
Dave

sthayashi · Post by **sthayashi** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 12:37 pm

400W PSU is overkill for your computer. A brand name 300W PSU should be adequate for you.

That said, I'd go with the the Enermax over the Zalman, judging from SPCR reviews and your listed prices. The Zalman is VERY quiet, but shockingly, there are other PSUs that are even quieter. The Enermax Noisetaker is one of them.

liquid_celica · Post by **liquid_celica** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 4:54 pm

NO STEALTH!!! all of the above psu are good suggestions. Since you can afford watercooling that means you have a bit of money so i would go with the seasonic super silencer 300w. Enermax just as good...

wooglin · Post by **wooglin** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 5:55 pm

Thanks for the input, helped make up my mind...but now:.. here's the situation...

- I stop at my local compu-shop (Bigfoot Computers), pick up the Enermax EG375P-VE SFMA (as if all the extra letters make any difference)
- Rip out the vaccuum (carefully, yes)
- Bolt in the Enermax.
- Wire up everything loosely, just to make sure it all works before locking cables down.
- Plug 'er in and hit the power button.
- damn quiet I might say. (yes, the computer was running at this point)
- Booted up, worked fine, damn quiet. Shut down to tie everything down.
- tie everything down neatly, button down the case, plug everything back in and slide that little tower back under my desk, and......
-nothing (still damn quiet, but a little too quiet if you catch my drift)

I thought I was losing it. No whine, no screetch, no little puff of smoke.

-checked all the connections again - all good.
-tried old power supply - worked fine
-new Enermax won't send power to the MB, or drives.

I tried unplugging and letting it sit for 5-10, still no joy.
Yes, I realize that there is a manual switch on the back of the PSU...checked that too.

Any ideas before I head back to the store tomorrow for an exchange? (or at least to have them test it)

cruelsister · Post by **cruelsister** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 6:43 pm

Wooglin- You should also consider the Coolmax Taurus CX-450. All the rail readings are just about equivalent to the Antec TruePower it replaced and it is whisper quiet. Even better, you can get it for ~$50 shipped.

wooglin · Post by **wooglin** » Mon Sep 13, 2004 6:45 pm

cruelsister wrote:Wooglin- You should also consider the Coolmax Taurus CX-450. All the rail readings are just about equivalent to the Antec TruePower it replaced and it is whisper quiet. Even better, you can get it for ~$50 shipped.

Sorry, I didn't start the thread.... I think that I hijacked it. already bought the Enermax... see my last post.

sthayashi · Post by **sthayashi** » Tue Sep 14, 2004 10:47 am

If it's not too late at this point, it might be worthwhile to try the paper clip test. Just take a metal wire (e.g. paper clip) and connect the green wire to the black wire. That should theoretically turn on your PSU if it's plugged in.

wooglin · Post by **wooglin** » Wed Sep 15, 2004 6:12 am

Odd... it tested fine. Got back home, plugged it in, worked like a charm!

First time upgrades:
Enermax Noisetaker 375
2xSilenX 14db fans (1 intake, 1 exhaust)
stock intel HS & fan

Results - dropped my case temp avg from 48 to 35
- dropped my CPU at full load from 56 to 51
- dropped the HD temps from 55 to high 30's (this was my biggest scare to begin with)

Probably not the quietest by your standards (or obsessions), but quiet as a mouse compared to the stock PSU.