Which of the 3 350-380w PSU should i get? Thanks

[Y-3]

Hi there im about to build a 690G system and would like to know which of the following 3 PSU would be best in terms of quietness / stability.

These 3 PSU have the same price where i live.

AcBel intelligent power API4PC27-Y2E 350W 12CM Fan
Antec EarthWatts EA380 380W
Silverstone Strider ST350

will Antec's NeoHE 380w be alot better than the 3 above, given its about 15us more expensive?

Thanks in advance.

[Chris Chan]

I'd go with the AcBel or Silverstone. Their 120mm fans enable to get your system more quiet without ductwork. If you're willing to make a PSU duct, I'd go for the EarthWatts. The Neo HE is just an EarthWatts with modular cables and a different paintjob. I wouldn't pay $15 more for it.

[burebista]

Antec EW 380.

[HueyCobra]

The Neo HE is just an EarthWatts with modular cables and a different paintjob. I wouldn't pay $15 more for it.

There is considerable difference according to Antec's power supply comparison chart (PDF): the EarthWatts has ±5% load regulation compared to ±3% on the Neo HE, two +12V outputs against three on the Neo HE, lacks gold-plated connectors, and is 80 PLUS-certified (the chart erroneously ascribes a 120mm fan to the EarthWatts). Also, the Neo HE's MTBF is rated at 50°C (as opposed to 25°C for other Antec PSUs), and it is covered by a 5-year warranty instead of the regular 3-year warranty as on the EarthWatts.

SPCR's EarthWatts review also concludes some differences:

Although the Earth Watts has almost the same starting voltage as the Neo HE, it was slightly but audibly louder at minimum speed. Most significantly, it produced a low hum that was absent in the Neo HE. The measured difference may only have been 2 dBA@1m, but the subjective difference was easy to notice. That's not to say that the Earth Watts was loud, exactly, but it didn't quite fall into the "practically inaudible" category that made the Neo HE so special.

So, of Antec's two "efficient" PSU models (the Neo HE and the Earth Watts), which would we choose? That's a tough question because it depends on your priorities. There's no doubt that the Earth Watts is the more efficient of the two, but it's equally clear that the Neo HE has less residual noise. This being Silent PC Review, we'd lean towards the Neo HE, especially for lower power systems where the lower efficiency is less significant and the fan is unlikely to ramp up. For more powerful systems, the choice is less clear: Do you go with the lower residual noise of the Neo HE, or do you get the Earth Watts so that the fan is quieter when the system is under load? Much depends on how noisy the rest of the system is.

The Earth Watts seems best suited to systems where absolute silence is not the goal. It's quiet enough for general use, especially in mid-range gaming systems where the graphics card is likely to drown out any noise from the power supply unless the fan ramps up. Extreme silencers may prefer a Neo HE, and high-end enthusiasts will no doubt want one of Seasonic's designer power supplies, but the Earth Watts seems like a good quality mainstream choice.

[Chris Chan]

Thanks for catching my misteak, Huey. I must have been thinking of another brand's modular line. In that case, I'd say the Neo HE is worth the extra $15 definitely.

[HueyCobra]

Thanks for catching my misteak, Huey. I must have been thinking of another brand's modular line.

Not at all. When the EarthWatts was released I thought it may have been related to the Neo HE based on the similar efficiency.

In that case, I'd say the Neo HE is worth the extra $15 definitely.

If the $15 more isn't an issue, the Neo HE would probably be the better choice. But the EarthWatts doesn't sound like a bad PSU either.

[mcoleg]

i didn't notice any hum on my earthwatts 380 - could be a sample difference.

btw, the earthwatts series are actually single rail 12v psu's, according to jonnygury.

that's a good thing, stability-wise.

[Y-3]

thanks for the replies

im leaning towards the Neo since it seems to be more stable and better build. is the Neo designed by Seasonic?

EarthWatts has 80 PLUS-certified, but Neo has efficiency of 85% as well right? am a bit confused here with the efficiency here.

[HueyCobra]

btw, the earthwatts series are actually single rail 12v psu's, according to jonnygury.

That wouldn't be surprising. In my previous linksoup, Hardware Secrets claims the Neo HE has a single +12V rail (separated into three "virtual rails" to meet ATX12V and EPS12V specifications):

... even though this power supply has two +12 V rectifiers, they are connected in parallel, so there is only one +12 V output inside the power supply. Antec separated the +12 V wires into six wire groups and grouped them two by two ... On Figure 17 you can see the six separated wire groups, but they are connected together by the six jumpers (wires). On Figure 19 you can see how these groups are simply connected together to the same single +12 V rail.

im leaning towards the Neo since it seems to be more stable and better build. is the Neo designed by Seasonic?

I don't believe SPCR's review makes any mention of this, although it does say the Neo HE has an Adda fan from the same family used by the Seasonic S12-500/600. X-bit labs claims the Neo HE 550 (and presumably the other Neo HE models) is manufactured by Seasonic, owing to its UL certificate number.

EarthWatts has 80 PLUS-certified, but Neo has efficiency of 85% as well right? am a bit confused here with the efficiency here.

80 PLUS certification requires ≥80% efficiency at 20%, 50% and 100% of rated load. So while the Neo HE may be up to 85% efficient at certain points, it may still not be able to meet the 80 PLUS requirement. In fact, SPCR didn't calculate ≥80% efficiency at any output points tested with the Neo HE 430.

That said, it may still be the better choice for the other reasons given.

[MavSPCR]

What about the Silverstone Strider ST350?

Any views on that?