CS550M alternatives

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

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zendragon
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CS550M alternatives

Post by zendragon » Fri Apr 17, 2015 2:06 pm

I bought a Corsair CS550M, in part because it was mentioned in some articles here at spcr.
I wanted something silent and prefered something small (CSM550M=140mm), because I was thinking of moving to a small mITX case. It was also cheaper at 87€.
Operating noise is normal and acceptable for now, but unfortunately it makes a strange noise at start, "click" and another one at shutdown, "tong!". Amazon reviews mention fan can get very noisy suddently.

So, help me out here kind folks. This can't be normal. Return it and try again? Go for a bigger and more expensive alternative?
I can get:
XFX Pro Black 750 >> 155€
Corsair RM750 >> 131€
Corsair RM550 >> 115€
BeQuiet P10 550 >> 153€
BeQuiet E10 500 >> 111€
BeQuiet E10 600 >> 122€
Seasonic X-650 >> 161€
Seasonic G550Rm >> 111€
Seasonic P520W >> 165€

I don't have or need a fancy computer, just to cover an i5 + medium graphics card (max gtx 970, most likely less) + 1hdd +1sdd. Components use less and less energy each generation. Is there one that won't let me down with fan noise, clicks or buzzing? The chepear E10, is 500w enough to not enter the loud zone?

quest_for_silence
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Re: CS550M alternatives

Post by quest_for_silence » Fri Apr 17, 2015 3:01 pm

zendragon wrote:it makes a strange noise at start, "click" and another one at shutdown, "tong!".

A video or mp3 would be more useful than your concerned description: it *might* be normal (those don't seem fan related noises, you might hear some relay actions).
And what about if you prevent at all the fan from running?

zendragon wrote:Amazon reviews mention fan can get very noisy suddently.

Set aside that Amazon/NewEgg customers reviews are very often totally unreliable, that may be another problem: the CS fan is rather cheap and sometimes it can wear out much more easily than high quality FDB or BB ones.

zendragon wrote:The chepear E10, is 500w enough to not enter the loud zone?
It's highly probable that it will run very quietly at any your power draw (knowing your case could also help to carry out a more educated guess).

zendragon
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Re: CS550M alternatives

Post by zendragon » Wed Apr 22, 2015 12:50 pm

The fan is adequately quiet running, but the psu makes those two noises at start, and louder at shutdown. Unacceptable to me. I'm not gonna mess with it, since I want to return it intact, as is my right. Unfortunately postal sending costs are on me :(.

A good review gives you a snapshot of the early life of the product. I find certain forums threads and costumer accounts meaningfull in estimating a probability of something bad happening after that initial snapshot, or the chance of having to return it (a recently released sfx was cherry picked to reviewers).

You said it yourself, cheap and low quality, and like many reviewers said, just 3 years warranty, is Corsair trying to say something. ..
I know of many people that will not buy a Corsair gpu, a brand fallen from grace. I'm thinking of becoming one of them.

The idea was to start with the smallest silent psu that I could find and build a system around it, but it's a fool's game. The new sfx are proving lacking, and even 140cm is disappointing. Add to that that messing with a small case can be a real pita, so why bother? Let Intel, Valve, Silverstone and others do the heavy lifting, we will get there eventually.

About the alternatives, what do you think of the cheaper bequiet e9?

quest_for_silence
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Re: CS550M alternatives

Post by quest_for_silence » Wed Apr 22, 2015 1:49 pm

zendragon wrote:but the psu makes those two noises at start, and louder at shutdown. Unacceptable to me.

There's a chance that any modern ATX PSU may do similar noises, in your scenario.

zendragon wrote:About the alternatives, what do you think of the cheaper bequiet e9?

Quality-wise is better than the CS, but it's an old group-regulated design, the electrical performance are mediocre, and it uses so-called second-tier electrolytical capacitors: on the other hand, performances are still well in specs, it has a good fan, and it's rather quiet, at least up to 250-300W. I don't think it's Haswell-certified (most of group-regulated PSUs can't be).

If the price difference were relatively small, I would never prefer the E9 to its successor, the E10, which is more modern, much more performing and even quieter.

Lucky Luciano
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Re: CS550M alternatives

Post by Lucky Luciano » Thu Apr 23, 2015 12:32 am

The click and tong are caused by the coupling/decoupling of a electromagnetic relay meant to avoid current surges: http://www.jonnyguru.com/forums/showthr ... post109590
I have it too on my Superflower psu.

zendragon
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Re: CS550M alternatives

Post by zendragon » Fri Apr 24, 2015 12:26 pm

That is interesting Luciano. Can you clarify? It is the first time I'm hearing about such a thing. It is also the first time that I noticed it, even with pre-assembled computers with non brand psus, anywhere.

Do you need to be using a ups to cause it? Is it because of bad electrical wiring? Or non grounded?
Do only some psu do it, and if so, how do you know which ones?

quest_for_silence
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Re: CS550M alternatives

Post by quest_for_silence » Fri Apr 24, 2015 1:42 pm

zendragon wrote:It is the first time I'm hearing about such a thing.

Not the very first time: maybe the first time you eventually pay attention to that.

zendragon wrote:Do only some psu do it, and if so, how do you know which ones?

Likely any PSU with NTC and relay to comply new ErP and EU regulations (to reduce vampire power, increase power grid safety and PSU efficiency at low loads).

Derpington
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Re: CS550M alternatives

Post by Derpington » Mon Apr 27, 2015 3:55 am

I have it on my Seasonic X series as well. It's more noticeable on shutdown, a sort of metallic "ping" sound (best as I can describe it).

Why is this an issue? You'll only hear it once or twice a day.

zendragon
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Re: CS550M alternatives

Post by zendragon » Sun Jun 14, 2015 5:41 am

Returned it and bought a bequiet 600 M E10. Makes no noise of relevance of any kind, for a while now. Maybe the Corsair was faulty after all, anyway it looked very flimsy. What is the most frequent mod by us silencers of a psu? To break the warranty and change the fan - the bequiet already comes with a great and expensive fan installed (at the same approximate cost of the other psu+fan, on amazon.de).

5 years warranty and I am fairly confident that it will last longer without problems. They need to work a bit on availability. I decided that for now I don't need the hassle of a tiny box where I have to be careful with gpu, psu, coolers, thermals, etc. In 5 years we will probably be in NUC territory even for gaming or at least NUC + another small external box for a serious alternative GPU, with silent integrated PSU.

"why is this an issue?" - are you a true silent aficcionado? if your smartphone or toaster or heater made those funny noses would you want it if you could have a better one? It's faulty. Truth be said nobody dies if subject to a very noisy psu or neighbour but who want that. Prefer peace, quiet and quality.

Vicotnik
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Re: CS550M alternatives

Post by Vicotnik » Sun Jun 14, 2015 9:12 am

Any power draw difference between the two at idle or power off? Or are you not a true efficiency aficionado? ;)

Derpington
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Re: CS550M alternatives

Post by Derpington » Sun Jun 14, 2015 12:12 pm

Hard disk and fans spinning up create enough noise for the little "ping" not to matter. It's not like it's constant.

What's curious is that be quiet! Straight Power E10 also has inrush protection (NTC thermistor and relay) according to a review I read on techPowerUp, yet it lacks this noise. Maybe the hardware is somehow different than that of Seasonic X series or OP's Corsair CS550M.

xen
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Re: CS550M alternatives

Post by xen » Tue Oct 18, 2016 12:28 pm

I worry about this. I have had a Corsair VS350, a Corsair RM550, and a Corsair RM650i and I have never heard these sounds.

The CS550M is said to be not very well engineered. If you compare pictures of the internals of the CS550M and the EDGE 550 for example, the difference is outstanding.

In how well it looks to the unsuspicious eye.

But the EDGE is expensive, said to be rather loud, and even the fan is said to make a ticking noise at low speeds. I would prefer to have the edge, or to have it at least once, but it is 15 euro more to acquire for me currently, and for this case I guess I prefer semi-modular and a shorter PSU.

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