So I was choosing between these three models:
Corsair CMPSU-400CX for $40
Antec NEO ECO 400c for $56
Rosewill Green RG430-2 for $46
I hesitated to get the Corsair because of the noise level measured in this SPCR review. It might've been a extremely solid Seasonic psu, but I wanted the psu to be quieter.
The Antec NEO Eco was also rumored to be made by Seasonic. From the outside, it looks identical to the Corsair. So I assumed the noise level will be similar to the Corsair.
So that leaves the Rosewill psu. To be honest, I had very little faith in Rosewill products. Mass rebadge companies like Rosewill don't usually pick the best OEM. However, this particular power supply had very good reviews on Newegg. With 98 reviews, it had 75% five eggs and 11% four eggs. The one eggs usually come from the people who got DOA units. Another confidence booster is that the reviews often contained phrases of 'quiet', 'silence', 'can't tell if it's running'.
There is a dearth of professional reviews except for this on on Hardware secret on the Rosewill Green RG630-S12. It's not quite the same since it's considerably more powerful, and it's the cheaper -S12 line instead of the -2 line.
There are also rumors that the Rosewill Green RG430-2 shares the same OEM(ATNG) as the venerable Nexus Value 430. Being the gambling type, I ordered it hoping it would be as good as the Newegg user reviews said
1/22/10 EDIT: etnietering on badcaps.net forum posted inside pictures of the power supply here (You need to register to see the pictures). From from my untrained eye, the Rosewill PSU pcb looks IDENTICAL to the Nexus Value 430. The board layout and the caps are the same. The difference is in the fan. The Rosewill uses a Globe Fan S1202512M 0.30A while the Nexus uses a Muhua Industrial 0.18A fan. Since the fan is controlled via pwm (according to the SPCR review) it is possible that the Globe Fan runs at similar RPM as the nexus.
Packaging:
The power supply came in a simple and attractive box that advertised the 'green'ness of the power supply. The box was also fully wraped in clear plastic, which gave it a nice hint of irony.
The contents are pretty standard.
-power supply
-power cable
-5 cable ties
-4 mounting screws
-user manual (10pg)
The power supply feels fairly hefty in hand and have a very nice matte black finish. It's definitely not gaudy. Most of the cables are sleeved, but not all. The SATA power cable and molex cables are only sleeved up to the first plug. (see picture). It would've been nice if it were be fully sleeved, but not a deal breaker to me.
I am not gonna repeat any info that you can find online. So I am gonna go straight into my setup and noise impressions.
Testing Setup:
my computer:
Core 2 Duo E6600 [email protected] ghz at 1.22vcore.
BFG 9800 GT 512mb (65nm version that requires additional PCI-E power plug)
6 gig DDR2 @ 833mhz
1 320gb Seagate 7200rpm HD placed on foam - approx 2year old
Asus P5N-E SLI nforce 650i motherboard
Scythe DF12L @ 550rpm as rear exhaust.
Scythe 120mm Slip-stream 12L on a Ninja Rev B.
ambient temp: 22C
I would estimate (very very rough guess, please feel free to correct me) my power draw to be:
~100 watt at idle
~150 watt with CPU load
~180 watt with GPU load
~230 watt with CPU and GPU load.
Currently I have the psu sitting outside of my case. I plan on running some extended torture tests before I take out my motherboard to install the psu. This is just in case I got a lemon and have to do RMA. This however, also favors the power supply during testing since it can suck in cool air instead of warm arm from inside the case.
Noise impressions:
I have no scientific equipments, so all of my impressions are done with just putting my ear near the fans.
I try to put my ear 90degrees from the direction of the wind to avoid reverberation noise caused by my ear. But WOW! The user reviews on Newegg were not kidding when they say the psu is quiet.
While idling with my Scythe fans at 500 and 600rpm, the bearing noise of the hard drive is easily the most audible component.
The PSU fan noise is smooth and low in pitch. The noise consists of mostly 'whoooo' wind sound, not motor. I would say the absolute noise level is comparable to my Scythe fan ~500rpm, but with a more pleasant 'tone'. None of the fans are audible to me at 1 meter with the computer is partially covered by my desk.
With CPU load using LinX, I cannot discern any changes in fan behavior. The noise level is still very low. But remember, this is with the psu sucking in cool air.
With GPU load (using OCCT GPU tester), there is a slight increase in fan speed and noise level. I can feel more air being drawn into the power supply. The noise level is still very low. I would put it at about my Scythe DF12L at ~650rpm
With GPU+CPU loading, by running OCCT and LinX simultaneously, the fan speed did not appreciably change from the GPU load test. The noise level remained about the same, nearly inaudible.
Summary:
I am thoroughly impressed by this power supply! I don't know if the Nexus power supply is quieter (probably), but this is as quiet as I need a power supply to be in my environment.
Throughout my tests, the power supply case remains cool to the touch. The fans never sped up dramatically. Even with max load I can give it (230watt), it is still very quiet. I am convinced that at full load, my Scythe slip stream running at 1000rpm to cool my cpu and passive graphics card will be louder than the power supply.
One BIG caveat of my tests is that the PSU had the benefit of always sucking in 22C air. When it's installed in my case, it will not have that luxury. I will post an update on fan noise once I installed the power supply into my case.
I wish I was able to make direct comparisons to the Corsair or Antec, but this power supply was everything I hope it would be. I think this power supply is a great deal at $46. (Assuming it doesn't stop working in a few months!) Though fully sleeved cables would've been nice. I think the Antec and Corsair both have fully sleeved cables.
In summary:
+ Very quiet
+ Not expensive
+ Attractive black finish
- Unknown long term reliability and customer support quality
- Not cheap (Corsair 400cx is cheaper)
- only 2 year warranty. Corsair and Antec both have 3 year warranty
- Cables not fully sleeved
- Now I really really want that SSD!
If anyone want a close up picture of a particular section of the PSU. SPEAK UP NOW. Once it is installed, it is a pain in the butt to take it back out.
Hope this helps someone. I know I was super frustrated with the lack of information out there when I was researching.
More pictures
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