Really having a hard time finding a quiet PSU. Please help.

[raventy]

Hey guys,

I just built a new PC (i7 4790k, installing a GTX970 soon.. currently have a GTX580 installed, 2 HDs in RAID, 2 SSDs, bluray burner, etc.) and the whole thing is dead silent except for my PSU! Been having a hard time trying to find a good one that actually shuts up even after reading the recommended list.

First, I bought a Corsair HX850. The fan was loud and ended up being more noticeable because it would be silent for a few minutes and then ramp up. Further, under heavy graphics load, the electrical noise coming off it was pretty bad.

Second, I bought a Seasonic X-850. It arrived busted in the mail. RMA'd it, got a second one. The fan is real quiet however, the electrical noise coming off this thing is giving me a splitting headache! Plugging a second monitor into the system even makes it much worse! Oddly enough, under heavy load, the noise seems to go away!!!!! It's under light load like browsing the web that it sits there screeching! I would have much rather had fan noise then this loud electrical crap!

I'm really lost as to what to try next as I'm afraid I will get another dud. I don't care how energy efficient this thing is at this point, or how much it costs, I just want silence! I write this with a pounding headache because of my sensitivity to electrical noise is pretty bad... would rather have a louder fan then the buzzing..

[quest_for_silence]

Second, I bought a Seasonic X-850. It arrived busted in the mail. RMA'd it, got a second one. The fan is real quiet however, the electrical noise coming off this thing is giving me a splitting headache!

RMA it again: it's defective.

[edh]

Something to try with the Seasonic is to follow Seasonic's recommendations on BIOS options:
viewtopic.php?p=573354#p573354

It has fixed the problem for some people.

The fact it is worse with a second monitor is interesting. Are the two monitors the same? Have you tried swapping them over and seeing if just running the second monitor gives the noise too? I'm just very interested as that seems to suggest an external factor may influence the noise. If that is the case, try plugging it in somewhere else just in case it is to do with the power source.

Have you also tried it with different loads? If for example you remove the graphics card and use just the onboard graphics is the noise different?

I'm guessing that the noise must be pretty bad given that a high end graphics card like the GTX 580 gets drowned out by it.

[audigy32]

Go for beQuiet! E9 , you will not believe your ears. Not so expensive . I have 2 of them . High efficiency

[quest_for_silence]

Go for beQuiet! E9

It is discontinued, there's the E10.

[useful_idiot]

I run the Corsair AX650 with my 4790k and 280x. The PSU itself is a few years old but dead silent at idle and light duty. The fan will turn on under gaming loads but its not noticeable. I wanted to go platinum and digital so i got the AX760i and ended up putting the AX650 back in because the AX760i fan clicked ever so slightly every 10 seconds or so. Corsair says this click/pulse is normal and i believe them but when you have no case fans or other moving parts the clicks become audible when the house goes silent as a library.

[Abula]

I'm really lost as to what to try next as I'm afraid I will get another dud.

Dud can happen with any brand and multiple samples.... there is no perfect brand that can guarantee trouble free or in this case coil whine. Personally i feel its a combo of hardware that makes this happen. I would RMA as Quest suggested, but if after RMA it also the same situation, then i would try another brand, Superflower comes to mind, as one of the best manufacturers on the market, but this is not to say they wont be affected by coil whine... i seen some, but very few that have reported on their PSU, much less than i see Seasonic.

PSU that you should look into that are made by Superflower as the OEM, Kingwin Platinum Series LZP, they have from 550 to 1000W, SPCR reviewed the 550W version, Kingwin Lazer Platinum 550W Power Supply and the 1000W version, Kingwin LZP-1000: Platinum Efficiency at a KiloWatt. Another based on a superflower model is the Rosewill SilentNight-500 (today on sale 20% off), also reviewed by SPCR Rosewill Silent Night 500 Platinum 80 Plus.

[CA_Steve]

You might opt to get the new video card before getting a new PSU. Resolving the problem with the GTX 580 installed may not resolve it for the GTX 970 and vice versa.

BTW, the GTX 580 doesn't idle the GPU clock or memory clock when two monitors are attached. With one monitor, it'll consume 20-30W. With two, it'll use 80-90W. Newer cards (Kepler and Maxwell) will idle with 2 monitors.

[raventy]

Thanks for all the suggestions guys! Interesting to know the old 580s don't idle with 2 monitors hooked up.. Guess that explains why it makes more noise when the 2nd was plugged in -- more power being consumed!

I decided to RMA my 2nd power supply because the coil whine was just unacceptable.
On the way home from work, I stopped by my local Microcenter and grabbed a Corsair RM850 just "for shits and giggles" to see how loud it would be... (and because NewEgg seemed a bit resistive this last time to my RMA...so figured i'd try from somewhere I could easily return the next day if I had an issue) and you know what... it's dead silent! No coil whine at all! and the fan never seems to run even under full load. I intentionally over-spec'd the power supply since the fan isn't supposed to kick in until 40% load (or if it's very hot) and according to my measurements, under full load I'm only using 300W which puts me below the point where the fan is supposed run. So all seems well now! If this one acts up (hopefully not!) then i'll give the Kingwin or Rosewill Silent Night a try.

[quest_for_silence]

So all seems well now! If this one acts up (hopefully not!) then i'll give the Kingwin or Rosewill Silent Night a try.

The only concern about the RM-series is their longevity due to questionable manufacturing choices. Set aside that, a Chicony-made RM850 is a more than fine unit, electrically and sonically (the RM-750 is identical and averagely even quieter).