Which PSU should I choose for this system?

npp · Post by **npp** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 1:47 am

Hi all,

I'm planing to build a system consisting of the following (basic) components:

Intel Core 2 Duo E6600 CPU (~65W)
MSI P965 Platinum (~40W)
Corsair TWIN2X2048-6400C4 (~20W)
Samsung Spinpoint T / 400GB (~10W)
XFX GF 7600GS (~20W)
LG GSA-H22L (~20W)
Fans, Mouse, Keyboard, etc. (~10W)

My aim is to build a system as quiet as possible, and I think that my choice till now would allow this. What I was wondering about is which PSU should I choose?

The Fortron Zen looks attractive to me, since the system would hardly consume more than 200W at full load. I don't think that any future upgrades would bring much more load with them, since I always go for passively cooled GPUs and a 130W CPU is also a highly unlikely choice.

However, for the peace of mind, I was considering a more powerfull model, maybe an Antec Neo HE (I would go for a Seasonic right now, but there is simply no way to find one out here). But... Such power supply is more expensive, and would reside 90% of the time around a very modest load, so why spend money for additional 200W wich never get used...

So I kindly request your advise, or some corrections on the estimated power consumption of the components.

Thanks,
Nikolai

kater · Post by **kater** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 3:03 am

Since you can't get an S12, then Antec NeoHE seems next best choice. For about a week I had both S12 430 and NeoHE 430 and found the S12 a bit quieter - especially under load. Ducting the NeoHE didn't help much (?!), so I stayed with S12. As I read lots of reviews and opinios on these two, it seems to me I either did something wrong or it was a matter of sample variance. Anyway, a NeoHE is never a wrong choice. Fortron Zen will require some additional cooling so you'll probably end up with a "fanned" PSU.
For some reason (geography?) SPCR has no access to Topower PSUs (correct me if I'm wrong), which many enthusiasts around here claim to be as quiet as the best. Having heard a Topower in action and knowing some of the folks personally I have no reason to disbelieve. I don't recollect which model it was, but it was decently quiet.

jaganath · Post by **jaganath** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 4:10 am

So I kindly request your advise, or some corrections on the estimated power consumption of the components.

Well, the estimate for the RAM seems very high, most sticks of RAM will consume 1-2W unless they are massively overvolted. Also for the motherboard I would say closer to 25W than 40W, although I don't know the specs of the P965 chipset. The Fortron Zen can have trouble powering very low-power configurations, so I would go for NeoHE. What other PSUs are available in your country?

npp · Post by **npp** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 4:33 am

Yes, I've put some large safety margins, just because I really don't know what those componetns are likely to draw

I was indeed surprised to find how little DDR-2 sticks consume - there is a nice (too complex, maybe) calculator on Micron's site, i think.

The only decent power supplies I was able to find were Antec (the Neo HE series), FSP (the recommended Green PSU), and a single Seasonic model - SS-401HT, which sounds promising - I guess it shouldn't be much different from the S12-430... Or is it?

There are tons of other crap that isn't worth mentioning...

EDIT: I guess this quote from MikeC answers my question:

The SS301HT, SS351HT and SS401HT are different from all of the above. They are NOT the same series as the SS400HT, SS500HT, SS600HT. This is an OEM, less expensive, less advanced model for system integrators.

Damn that there is no single Seasonic retailer around.

jaganath · Post by **jaganath** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 4:58 am

a single Seasonic model - SS-401HT, which sounds promising - I guess it shouldn't be much different from the S12-430... Or is it?

I wouldn't be discouraged so quickly. The SS-401HT has not as good efficiency as the S12-430, but otherwise it is almost as good (see this thread):

@Tibors:This is by far the quietest PSU (in stock form) I have ever owned.
@gipfeli:I have been using the HT301 for three weeks now and compared to my former Coba 400W 12cm fan power supply I can say it's very quiet and stable. When my ear is just beside the ps, I hardly can hear the fan.

So I think the SS-401HT could be a good choice for your system.

npp · Post by **npp** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 8:39 am

What I really care about are the acoustics qualities of the SS-401HT...

I don't want to know about sleeved cables and fancy shining retail boxes, or if there are two PCIE connectors, since I don't intend to use any

. A few percent shaved off from the efficiency are in my opinion not something to complain about, too.

At a price about half of the Neo HE, the Seasonic really looks like a nice choice. I'll just have to dig into the forum to find something about the fan controller etc. (hope it's the same found in the S12's).

jaganath · Post by **jaganath** » Thu Jan 11, 2007 10:20 am

I'll just have to dig into the forum to find something about the fan controller etc. (hope it's the same found in the S12's).

It is (S2FC). Because of lower efficiency it might ramp up quicker, but not much. (SS401HT)(SS430HB)