Quietness vs. usefulness?

dan302a · Post by **dan302a** » Thu Sep 22, 2005 3:55 am

Well, I have been reading this site & forum for a while now and have decided to finally jump in - I should have done it ages ago!!

I just have a fairly simple question - I am definitely going to buy P180 for my new case, and seem to have narrowed the PSU choice down to a couple.
Everyone here recommends the Seasonic S12 PSU's for quietness (which is very important to me) but it has the 120mm fan and this doesn't appear the best solution for the P180 chamber & HD cooling. (Or am I wrong?) I don't really want to use a separate fan in the lower chamber if it can be helped.
So, the Antec Smartpower 2.0 500w is my other choice, a) for modular design b) for inline fans which I hope will draw air through just enough to keep the HD's cool, with the PSU air vents taped up. (I have only 2 HD's)
However, having read the SP2.0 450w review here noise of this line of PSU's isn't the greatest.

So what do I do - go for quietness or go for practicality, I am torn!

Zorander · Post by **Zorander** » Thu Sep 22, 2005 4:19 am

You can also go with a fanless PSU (but make sure to install a fan in the lower chamber). Yo can then have a huge choice of silent 120mm fans.

moritz · Post by **moritz** » Thu Sep 22, 2005 4:45 am

A Seasonic PSU will keep the HDs cool without the middle fan - pretty much any active PSU will, as long as the vents on the back of the case are taped up. PSUs with top intakes (ie basically all 120mm units) are not exactly what the guys had the designers had in mind, but it turns out they work fine, there is some room above the PSU after all. Alternatively, Mike recently suggested the usage of the previous generation of Seasonics, ie the Super Silencer series. They're 80mm units and are perfect for the P180. But again, S12s are also perfectly viable, lots of people on these boards use them in P180s. The best argument against S12s is that they are fairly expensive.

On a sidenote, you almost certainly do not need a 500W PSU in your computer. Why not save some money and increase efficiency by a small degree by going with a 400 or 450W PSU (or even lower than that).

dan302a · Post by **dan302a** » Thu Sep 22, 2005 8:25 am

You can also go with a fanless PSU (but make sure to install a fan in the lower chamber). Yo can then have a huge choice of silent 120mm fans.

Zorander - You're absolutely right, and I had considered this option. Something like the Phantom 350 seems appropriate, but the price of these units does put me off a little, they appear to be getting on for double the price of the S12.

A Seasonic PSU will keep the HDs cool without the middle fan - pretty much any active PSU will, as long as the vents on the back of the case are taped up. PSUs with top intakes (ie basically all 120mm units) are not exactly what the guys had the designers had in mind, but it turns out they work fine, there is some room above the PSU after all.

Moritz - Thanks for that comment. I wasn't sure if they would cool the HD's as well, I think I read somewhere which pointed out that cooling could be more difficult to achieve as the air had to turn a couple of 90 degree turns to get into the PSU, and then out again. However, in practice it may not be that important.
You're right about the power - I don't need 500w that's for sure, just liked the modular design for connecting only the leads required. Also am I right in saying the S12 430w doesn't have a PCI-E connector?

frankgehry · Post by **frankgehry** » Thu Sep 22, 2005 8:53 am

You also have to consider the fact that the seasonic s12 by design vents heat out the front as well as the back. Just how much of a problem this is I'm not sure.

http://forums.silentpcreview.com/viewtopic.php?t=25201

There is a new review of the S12 500w at www.extremeoverclocking.com
Its interesting to compare the case temperatures with the antec tp2.0 480w.

Seasonic - 28.0c to 49.6c
Antec - 30.6c to 45.6c
This is despite the S12s greater efficiency, but the antec has no front vents.

And as you mentioned, a 120mm fan psu is not an ideal solution, but works nevertheless. You really wouldn't design a front to back duct with a fan mounted horizontally, with the idea of moving air straight through. - FG

On the other hand, under moderate loads, the sp2.0 500w provides such little airflow with its 80x15mm intake fan, I wonder how useful it would be providing air flow to cool drives.

This looks like it might be a good choice as it was noted for being quiet -
http://www.extremeoverclocking.com/revi ... 0UB_1.html

dan302a · Post by **dan302a** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 9:28 am

Thanks Frank. So based on:

On the other hand, under moderate loads, the sp2.0 500w provides such little airflow with its 80x15mm intake fan, I wonder how useful it would be providing air flow to cool drives.

it would perhaps be necessary to have a lower chamber fan after all in the P180, even with the SP2.0, and with back vents NOT taped up to keep HD's cool.
Gosh - I think I am getting more confused as time goes by with all these potential scenarios! Maybe its toss a coin time!

frankgehry · Post by **frankgehry** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 10:54 am

Hi Dan,

The exhaust air flow from the sp2.0 500w is barely detectable in my system so if I were moving to a p180 I would put a nexus or other quiet fan in the tunnel and leave the vents open just to move some air over the drives.

I noticed yesterday that the seasonic 500w model doesn't have nearly as many front panel vents as the 430w model and the only heat venting problems that members have reported are from 430/380/330w models. The seasonic is probably a better power supply, although I don't really know how as a user you would be able to tell the difference, unless the sp2.0 exhaust fan kicks in at your typical power consumption level. I have to run cpuburn to start the exhaust fan.

After using modular cables I would not want to be without them. So I guess the ideal psu for a p180 would be as efficient as an s12 (although the sp2.0 is pretty good), have modular cables, and a straight thru fan design that moved enough air to cool the drives. - FG

dan302a · Post by **dan302a** » Sun Sep 25, 2005 11:10 am

Hi Frank,

Thank you for your insight - I think you have summed all relevant points made so far perfectly in your last post, and with that help me come to a decision.

At my current power consumption, I doubt the exhaust fan of the sp2 would kick in - I only have 5700Ultra GPU, Athlon XP3200+ and 1Gb PC3200 RAM, 2 HD's & single DVD writer. Some may say why bother with 500w? but I do plan on upgrading in the future, and as you seem to have exerienced, modular cables are great, and only come on 500w sp2.0.

I think I can live with a bit less efficiency than the Seasonic's provide, and it sounds like if I get a quiet fan for the lower chamber to cool HD's, the sp2.0's fan(s) should (hopefully) hardly make a sound!

Great! I'll post to let everyone know if the system is quiet!! Cheers for everyone's input.