What silent PSU for HTPC?

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Goobie

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I'm in need of a silent PSU for my HTPC. At the moment I'm using a generic 400W PSU and I can hear the fan blowing when watching a movie. Advice will be greatly appreciated.

thanks
 
Goobie said:
I'm in need of a silent PSU for my HTPC. At the moment I'm using a generic 400W PSU and I can hear the fan blowing when watching a movie. Advice will be greatly appreciated.

thanks
Click to expand...

Recently bought a coolermaster extreme power plus pro 460w ... I wouldnt say its silent, but its definitely very very quiet
 
I spent a bit extra and got the CM Silent Pro M 600W and was stunned by how quiet it operates in the HTPC! I'm still considering replacing my gaming PC's Corsair HX650 with this same CM model. As a quiet-PC fanatic, I'm over the moon :D
 
flarkit said:
I spent a bit extra and got the CM Silent Pro M 600W and was stunned by how quiet it operates in the HTPC! I'm still considering replacing my gaming PC's Corsair HX650 with this same CM model. As a quiet-PC fanatic, I'm over the moon :D
Click to expand...

This looks very nice. Even though people rave about how quiet an HP Proliant Microserver is I find it too noisy, as a comparison and to describe how noisy my HTPC is, the microserver with 2 HDD is a tad bit noisier than my HTPC's PSU. I need it to be quieter. Will this CM Silent Pro M PSU be quieter than that?
 
Mier said:
Not cheap, but as silent as can be - 0db

Seasonic X-460L
Click to expand...

Got one of these. Had 2x Cooler Master Silent Pro (one 500W, another 600W) before.

Seasonic is better by miles. Mostly because the Cooler Master makes this annoying high pitch sound. It won't do it for the first few weeks but after that it happens, on and off, depending on the time of day.

Seasonic on the other hand has no whine, no fans, the negative however is, it must be mounted with the open grill to the top so that the heat can escape.

Both great for "silent" PC IMHO. With the Cooler Master I did a little of this and that to make the whining less noticeable and it worked well. Now that I use the Seasonic wouldn't go to any other PSU again.

Mier said:
http://www.sybaritic.co.za/store/product_info.php?cPath=73_269&products_id=59619
Click to expand...
Sybaritic gets it here: http://www.cyberdyne.co.za/

They sell to the public.
 
Goobie said:
This looks very nice. Even though people rave about how quiet an HP Proliant Microserver is I find it too noisy, as a comparison and to describe how noisy my HTPC is, the microserver with 2 HDD is a tad bit noisier than my HTPC's PSU. I need it to be quieter. Will this CM Silent Pro M PSU be quieter than that?
Click to expand...

Are you sure a standard PSU will fit the HP Proliant Microserver?

And yes the Silent pro is as good as it gets apart from the Seasonic. Very close to inaudible. Seasonic is really inaudible, only noise you'll hear is the click when it turns on (relay).
 
Gnome said:
Are you sure a standard PSU will fit the HP Proliant Microserver?

And yes the Silent pro is as good as it gets apart from the Seasonic. Very close to inaudible. Seasonic is really inaudible, only noise you'll hear is the click when it turns on (relay).
Click to expand...

sorry, I might not have been clear. I'm not using the microserver as a HTPC, it only serves movies to my HTPC which is in a Zalman HD501 case (http://www.sybaritic.co.za/store/product_info.php?cPath=50_52&products_id=38000)
 
My corsair psu is dead silent. Fan doesn't spin up when under 20% load.
 
Goobie said:
does the case then need to be open at the top as well? It will be in this case where the PSU sits at the back to the left...where it is not open to the top:

http://www.sybaritic.co.za/store/product_info.php?cPath=50_52&products_id=38000
Click to expand...

It doesn't HAVE to be open to the top, so long as the hot air isn't trapped in the PSU case. You might to have a fan in the case itself or you'll have a lot of heat in your HTPC case. The same company that sells that PSU (Cyberdyne Systems Pty. Ltd) also sell 120mm Nexus Real Silent fans (the best). You should get some of those.

Can get it from Sybaritic also (they just get it from Cyberdyne).

In my case I have it at the bottom and only 2 fans (front and rear). With that alone the PSU doesn't get hot at all. The fans are both Nexus fans running at minimum RPM, probably around 600rpm (running them at 6.8 volts which is the minimum the fans need to run).
 
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Goobie said:
sorry, I might not have been clear. I'm not using the microserver as a HTPC, it only serves movies to my HTPC which is in a Zalman HD501 case (http://www.sybaritic.co.za/store/product_info.php?cPath=50_52&products_id=38000)
Click to expand...

I have the same case you using and I got me a thermaltake Silent 500w psu it's whisper quiet and not expensive paid R600 also have a look at the OCZ whisper cool roundabout the same price if you going modular I will go for a Corsair or Seasonic since your budget is lil high
 
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