With real-world loads (65W - 200W), that's the most efficient PSU SPCR have tested! It's crying out for a fan swap - perhaps you could try running it without

Thanks to Mike and Ed.

But why bother for the sake of 1-2%? The fan controller, especially, is not something you can do anything about except bypass. There's the hassles and then the loss of warranty... If the thing was $30 cheaper than a Seasonic, Nexus, or Enermax Noisetaker of the same power, OK, but as it is priced very similarly, there really is no point.

But gamers / OC'er without as much hearing sensitivity might like it fine. Power & bling...

Could you clarify a sentence you used?

Does this mean that there are sound reflections off of things like hard walls and floors that would make things seem louder than they actually are?

I might use this PSU in a custom wooden cube case I am still planning to build. It doesn't have the short cable problem of the the Nexus NX-4090. It doesn't have the stif cable problem of the Enermax Noisetakers. It is availlable in my country (Seasonics are not).

In a cube case the PSU only has to cool itself and the HDs, so the intake air will never be far above ambient. This avoids the fan ramping problem.

Yes. If the SPL readings were done in an anechoic chamber, they would all tend to be a bit lower. It should not be a huge difference -- maybe 2 dBA typically -- because the lab environment is pretty quiet & reasonably well damped.

Tibors --

You are right in that if you can keep the intake temp into the PSU low enough the fan ramp-up will not be a problem. In my test rig, the critical intake temp point seemed to be 29C, which is pretty low, IMO. Still, this will vary on conditions. The PSU test load in the lab is purely resistive while typical PC loads are not; they have resistance as well as inductance and capacitance, and so are more difficult to drive. On the other hand, most PCs don't routinely draw 150W DC continuously.

But your setup should work quietly. And if you want to get the noise down further, a fan swap w/ a Nexus 120 will make it very quiet indeed. (They usually start with 5.5V...)

WOOT!!! Two PSU reviews in a day. Thanks SPCR crew!!!!

Here's a link to a retailer in Belgium that has Seasonics:

Material.be

No affiliation, etc. and I've not used them before either. I am considering ordering a Seasonic though.

My knowledge of the french language is horrible, so I might be mistaken. But to me Materiel.be looks like a review and price comparison site. All the links in the list you linked above go either to a shop in Paris (France) or Rennes (France).

I prefer to deal with people I can communicate with. So that leaves only people who can speak Dutch, English and/or German. Since you're from Luxemburg, your French is probably a lot better than mine.

Ah, how right you are Tibors. Sorry about that - I hadn't followed it through.

If anyone is interested in this psu it is $25 after rebate
http://www.svc.com/rs-450-acly-19.html

an old kick...

Does anyone know if all coolermaster psu's have a three pin fan-header?

I would like to replace the fan of a CoolerMaster Extreme Power 650 with a scythe slipstream 1600 rpm, anyone knows if it would fit?