SPCR

I just got my Seasonic SS-350FS Active PFC PSU (350W) today, tested it and modified it.

First impressions follow:

- the fan is 80x80x25mm. It ticks at the starting voltage very lightly (I can hear it if I put my head 30cm from the fan). It blows air quite faintly at starting voltage. There are definitely more silent fans around, but I don't have one at hand. My only silent 80mm Papst (out of 5 I tried 4 were noisy!) does not start at the PSUs starting fan voltage of 4.5V.

- There is no big intake hole at the bottom of the PSU (as with the Fortron FSPxxx-60PN series). The exhaust 80mm fan hole has a stamped grill. I cut it away and replaced with a lighter finger guard.

- The fan controller seems nice as it indeed does not pump up the. The default fan / devault voltage it is quite low noise (not silent) if I ignore the ticking, but does not move a lot of air. As such I'd recommend this for a case with a proper heat exhaust (like a case with 120mm exhaust). My single 80mm exhaust does not cut it, so I'll try two at a lower voltage.

All in all, looks like a decent PSU although not a mind-bogglingly silent or superior to others.

regards,
Halcyon

Now, now... I'm hearing something...

What is it?

A relatively high pitched whine!

Is it coil whine?

Arghghhg!

Why can't I just have luck with my PSUs? I've tried about all the brands available already

Time to start modifying again.

regards,
Halcyon

PS Not yet 100% sure it's coil whine, but it's coming from the PSU. Either the fan has developed a new sound or something else in the PSU is making it. What a disappointment. I hope I can fit it.

Oh bummer! Boot up the machine without the hard drives attached and see if the coil wine goes away.

I did that, but I could still hear the whine. Odd... I couldn't hear it initially, it started after the second boot.

Also, when I run it for some time the coil whine goes away (I don't just become oblivious to it, it does away). Odd.

I'm now back to running AOpen/Fortron FSP300-60PN(PF) while it produces more swoosh, it doesn' whine on my machine.

I'll think of modifying the Seasonic to fit a 120mm fan if possible, because in my machine the Seasonic, while being the most silent PSU I've had (sans the random whine), doesn't push out enough of air from my hot case.

I think the Fortron FSP 60PN series is a good compromise for those like me who have a hot case and have trouble making the exhaust work well and relatively silently.

I also need to run the FSP on my machine for a while now that I'm testing the Shin Etsu thermal paste.

regards,
Halcyon

PS I just calculated that I've spent over 800 USD on PSUs. This SilentPC thing is not a cheap hobby