Looking for a recommendation for a quiet PSU limit options

[dfc]

Hi,

As for this post:
viewtopic.php?f=17&t=67887

I've decided to increase my PSU budget, because in the end it's a small part of all the build anyhow...

As I've written, since I have limited options, I would like something from the following list. I would think the SeaSonic X-650 would be the best choice, but I see there are complaints here about potential whine noise, and since the store isn't in a walking distance I rather not RMA all the time...

The hard part of the builds is an i7-4790K, EVGA 780 ACX FTW, and 1 SSD, 1 HDD.

Here is the list of the options in my price range:

COUGAR ST600
XIGMATEK - CPA-0600NGD-A5
Enermax - ENP500AWT
FSP - HE-600
Cougar - Cougar-RS550
Zalman - ZM500-GLX
Seasonic - S12II-620-Bulk
Enermax - ENP550AWT
Silverstone - SST-ST60F-ES - Strider 600W
Seasonic - S12II-620 - 620W
XIGMATEK - XTK-TB-0600A - 600W
Antec - Neo-Eco-520C - Neo Eco 520W Power Supply
Antec - VP-650P - VP-650P - 650W
Antec - EA-500D - EA 500D Green - 500W
Seasonic - SS-550RT - 550W - 80 PLUS Gold certified
FSP - RA-650 - RAIDER 650
Enermax - ETL550AWT
Antec - HCG-520 - HCG-520 520W
Cougar - A660-CGR-B3-660 - Cougar 660W
FSP - HE-700 - 700W
Antec - VP650PM - 650W - Modular
AcBel - PCA015 - 700/750w
Seasonic - S12G-550 - 550W
Zalman - ZM600-GLX - 600W
Silverstone - SST-ST70F-ES - Strider 700W
Antec - Neo-Eco-620C - Neo Eco 620W
Enermax - ETL650AWT - 650W
Seventeam - ST-460P-AD - SSI-EPS
Seasonic - M12II-620 - 620W
AcBel - PC7014-Z - iPower 560W
Seasonic - SS-750HT - 750W
Thermaltake - TR-500PCEU - Thermaltake TR2 500W
Seventeam - ST-550P-AD -
FSP - RA-750 - RAIDER 750
Seasonic - SS-650RT - 650W
Seasonic - G-550 - 550W
AcBel - PCA010 - 600/650w iPower 85H Series
Seasonic - SS-850HT - 850W OEM PSU
Antec - EA-650 - EA-650 650W
Enermax - ETA550AWT - Triathlor 550W
Cougar - A760-CGR-B3-760 - Cougar 760W
FSP - AU-600 - Aurum 600W
Seasonic - S12G-650 - 650W
OCZ - OCZ700FTY - OCZ Fatal1ty Series Power Supply 700W
Enermax - EPR625AWT - 625W
AcBel - PCA011 - 700/750w iPower 85H Series
Zalman - ZM700-GLX - 700W
Enermax - EMD525AWT-II - 525W
FSP - AU-550M - Aurum CM 550W
Enermax - ETA700AWT-M - Triathlor FC 700W
OCZ - OCZ850GXSSLI - 850W
NEXUS - VALUE-430 - Nexus Value 430W
XIGMATEK - Vector-S750 - 750W
Thermaltake - TR-600PCEU - Thermaltake TR2 600W
Antec - TP-750C - 750W
Seasonic - X-650 - 650W
AcBel - PC6022 - 670W - M8 Series
Enermax - EMG500AWT
OCZ - OCZ700GXSSLI - 700W PSU
FSP - PT-650M - Aurum 92+ 650W
FSP - AU-700 - Aurum 700W
Thermaltake - TP-650P - Toughpower 650W

[edh]

Have you looked at what power consumption your components need?

The i7-4790k is 88W, the GTX 780 is 250W. Add in hard disks and motherboard and your theoretical maximum is less than 400W. Your actual measured maximum will probably be around 300W and your idle (what a computer does most of the time) will be a fraction of that. 600 Watt + PSUs are not what you need, are a waste of money and electricity.

In terms of brands, you can immediately cross off Thermaltake. Nothing they have ever made is quiet. There are also quiet a few old PSUs in your list, the Antec Neo Eco and Seasonic S12 II for example. These older units are not so efficient and hence will be louder given the higher internal cooling requirements. I would suggest looking at 80 Plus Gold and higher only.

The Seasonic X650 is very good. The noise complaints come down to a few things. Seasonic do seem to have had a few revisions there also seem to have been some BIOS settings which can cause the coil whine. You can now get a Platinum version and the Seasonic 460W fanless would probably be the best match for your system.

[quest_for_silence]

Have you looked at what power consumption your components need?

The OP has been previously adviced (see the linked thread in the first post), even if, he seems to have some strong but somehow groundless disbeliefs about he don't ever need 42A on the PCI-E rail to power-up such a rig.

Anyway, if you give a look to the previous thread, the OP already posted such long lists based solely upon price: now it would seem he just raised that price bar.

The Seasonic X650 is very good. The noise complaints come down to a few things. Seasonic do seem to have had a few revisions there also seem to have been some BIOS settings which can cause the coil whine.

They're mostly poor QC issues, rather than any BIOS setting, so beware about the actual supplier (latest occurrence among SPCR readers).
But in spite of the risk, probably the OP may like it, as it's an OCP-free unit.

You can now get a Platinum version and the Seasonic 460W fanless would probably be the best match for your system.

Unless the PL460XP3 costs more (so that it's not included in that price-based list), it could be not available there: but in case it were, I agree it could be a safer bet than the X-650, noise-wise.

Still noise wise the other worthwhile option in that list is the EMG500AWT, which is also quieter (than the X-650): to be fair, on that list there are just two other (other than the X-650/EMG500AWT) quiet PSUs, the EMD525AWT-II and the VALUE-430 (both less efficient and dated, although probably a tad less expensive than the 80Plus Gold-rated ones).

Unfortunately none of those options, but the X-650, are 12V single rail, and therefore they cannot comply to the already quoted OP' requirement/misconception about that (whether he still hold on it).

[lodestar]

The hard part of the builds is an i7-4790K, EVGA 780 ACX FTW, and 1 SSD, 1 HDD....

Here is the list of the options in my price range:...

Seasonic - SS-850HT - 850W OEM PSU

That's a fairly hard core gaming system by any standards. Under gaming load the probable power draw is going to be more like 350 to 400w. It will also involve very high currents. So it's not surprising that the minimum recommended PSU for the 780 is 600w and for this reason all options under that capacity can be discounted. Of the PSUs on your list the standout one to me is the SS-850HT, which is an OEM version of the Seasonic M12D 850W. The fan on the SS-850HT would not run much above its idle speed up to around 400w so would fit in with your requirement of a quiet PSU. It can output a maximum current of 40A on each of two 12V rails, or a maximum combined current of 70A. For its capacity it is also reasonably priced. The downside is it is an older design, and is not to Gold standard. But it is a very efficient unit and there is not that much in it.

[quest_for_silence]

Under gaming load the probable power draw is going to be more like 350 to 400w.

It looks like a bit overestimated, lodestar, more likely 300 to 350W (also, there should be some math on the previous thread by Steve): and even so that would be around 30A (28 to 33A) but on two-three different connectors, wouldn't it?
Apparently there's no reason to require 42A on a single 12V rail.

[lodestar]

Yes, agree about the 42A 12V issue this is not likely to be a factor (previous post edited). The power draw is related to the CPU which as it is a K model can be expected to be overclocked from its standard 4Ghz with a corresponding voltage increase. The graphics card is overclocked as standard, but users of this type of card typically push the GPU and memory speeds, and the associated GPU voltage as far as they can take them. So I would stand by 350 to 400w as a potential real life power draw.

[quest_for_silence]

So I would stand by 350 to 400w as a potential real life power draw.

Well, even if the OP didn't have to OC ever, a bit overkill never killed anyone, I guess.
For what it's worth, incidentally that's also where an EMG500AWT or a P460FL-XP2 should excel: less noise, more efficiency (7-10% more at most of the rig's time, in my experience).

[dfc]

Hmm.... I don't understand this, you say the machine will take 350-400W at yet you recommend a 600W+ PSU ? why don't I need an 450W+ PSU ?

As for the fanless SeaSonic X-460FL it costs 170$ which is more than the X-650 which is 145$ (which is also above the 110$ I wanted to invest in a QUIET, not a SILENT PSU)...

Also it seems the X-460FL also has coil whine issues according to newegg reviews:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6817151099

At random times a coil whine will start that is easily audible from 2 meters away in a quiet room. Tried shutting down my system, and the whine persists. Then I have to use the switch on the back of the PSU to cut power completely

So I rather take my chance with a cheaper PSU like the X-650

I remind you that I also have an EVGA 780 that won't be as quiet, so the PSU should be quiet, not SILENT...

It can output a maximum current of 40A on each of two 12V rails, or a maximum combined current of 70A.

So the rails aren't totally seperate ? how can I know in a given PSU (like the EMG500AWT who has 3 25A rails) will give in a combined current ?

So I should go on the EMG500AWT from the list ?

[Telstar]

Did you choose the PSU?
See my reply to the other thread about replacing your VGA with a quieter one.