Finding a quiet PSU

PSUs: The source of DC power for all components in the PC & often a big noise source.

Moderators: NeilBlanchard, Ralf Hutter, sthayashi, Lawrence Lee, Devonavar

Post Reply
developer1
Posts: 48
Joined: Tue Aug 05, 2014 11:38 pm

Finding a quiet PSU

Post by developer1 » Mon Nov 24, 2014 6:56 am

Hello, I'm looking for a quiet PSU that fits my system. I'm from Argentina and after a lot of research I couldn't find any quiet PSU here, so I have to ship it from USA. Shipping charges for any PSU would be about the same.
The big downside is its warranty, I think I would not have any. I'm mailing some manufacturers to ask if they offer international guarantee. Nevertheless, doing a cross sea RMA would be expensive, so I have to go for a safe pick. I'm intented to get a unit which isn't likely to have coil whine

This is my setup:

CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 Black Edition 940 3.0 GHz
CPU Cooler: Hyper 212 Plus + Noctua NF-F12
Motherboard: Asus M3A78
VGA: ATI Radeon HD 4870 1GB
1x HDD WD Black
1x SSD
Case: I'll be buying a Fractal R4. If you have anything to say against this choice, I'm open ears too


These are the PSUs I've in mind. I was told my system will use no more than ~325W under stressed load. Gaming load will be under 300W. I would also like to add that my pc runs 95% under low system stress conditions. Its main use is browsing/playing music or streaming movies


be quiet! Straight Power 10 500W ATX 12V 80 Plus Gold Modular Power Supply SilentWings 3 Fan Ultra Silent - $100
be quiet! Straight Power 10 600W ATX 12V 80 Plus Gold Modular CrossFireX Power Supply SilentWings 3 Fan Ultra Silent - $110
be quiet DARK POWER PRO 10 BN601 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI CrossFire 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - $165
Corsair RM550
Rosewill Silent Night 500 Platinum 80 Plus


What about picking a be quiet E10? I have read many users recommending them, but I'm not very sure because of its chinese capacitors. I understand its a tradeoff to achieve a lower price, but that's making me wonder

And I'm not sure about getting a Seasonic unit because of their coil whine issues. I'm shipping abroad so I can't afford that risk

I guess that's all. All suggestions are more than welcome :)

Silencer56
Posts: 19
Joined: Wed Mar 18, 2015 10:21 am

Re: Finding a quiet PSU

Post by Silencer56 » Thu Mar 26, 2015 11:43 pm

developer1 wrote: CPU: AMD Phenom II X4 Black Edition 940 3.0 GHz
CPU Cooler: Hyper 212 Plus + Noctua NF-F12
Motherboard: Asus M3A78
VGA: ATI Radeon HD 4870 1GB
1x HDD WD Black
1x SSD
Case: I'll be buying a Fractal R4. If you have anything to say against this choice, I'm open ears too
I have the same CPU and using the R5 and an ancient GTS 250, works fine here. If you get the R4 cheap, it will be a great case, I chosed the R5 because all the HDD cages are modular and it's generally easier to maintain and assemble for only 20€ more... got mine for 90€ in Germany. But either R4 or R5 are near perfect, you will keep those forever.
be quiet! Straight Power 10 500W ATX 12V 80 Plus Gold Modular Power Supply SilentWings 3 Fan Ultra Silent - $100
be quiet! Straight Power 10 600W ATX 12V 80 Plus Gold Modular CrossFireX Power Supply SilentWings 3 Fan Ultra Silent - $110
be quiet DARK POWER PRO 10 BN601 650W ATX12V / EPS12V SLI CrossFire 80 PLUS GOLD Certified Modular Active PFC Power Supply - $165
Corsair RM550
Rosewill Silent Night 500 Platinum 80 Plus
Consider buying the be quiet! PSUs directly from Germany, because if you buy them from the US, you will pay customs duty twice. The Corsair has excellent reviews and it's pretty affordable, too. But unless you need a new PSU, you should think about replacing your GPU first, because the 4870 fans will probably be louder than any PSU on the market, so unless you get a comparably silent or Zero Fan Mode GPU, you won't actually hear much difference if you get a better PSU now.

Post Reply