Quiet PC Power Supply
ABOUT QUIET PC POWER SUPPLIES
A poorly-designed power supply is usually the major noise generator in a PC. Inexpensive (cheap!) fans may have poorly designed blades that cause the air to oscillate at audible
frequencies as it’s pulled through the fan housing, as well as inexpensive, noisy bearings. Better fans have improved ball bearings or noiseless sleeve bearings designed to rotate at
high RPM with little friction, and a more efficient blade design. Unfortunately, with power supplies it’s hard for sleeve-bearing fans to move enough air, so ball bearing-based units are
usually preferred. A “bonus” of ball bearing fans is that they often get noisier just before failing, whereas sleeve-bearing fans can seize up without your knowing it potentially leading to
failure of the whole power supply. Audible oscillation of air can be generated as the fan pulls air past internal components, adding even more noise. Poorly-designed chassis holes in
the power supply’s case often cause an audible “siren effect” as air is forced through the openings. Unlike older single-speed power supply fans, some of the better power supplies
now available include temperature-sensing circuits and variable speed control so the fan rotates only as quickly as needed for proper cooling. This is good for audio applications, but
make sure you check out any power supply under full load; a unit that’s quiet when idling can get very noisy when the fan’s higher speeds kick in.
There are now off-the-shelf power supplies that produce in excess of 350W yet are virtually inaudible. Installing a quiet fan in the power supply can be a worthwhile upgrade, but the
procedure requires a qualified technician. Power supply capacitors can retain a lethal shock, even when unplugged. Also, the fan connector may be non-standard or may require a direct
solder connection to the board.
Special fan-less and semi-fanless power supplies are now available such as this impressive 620 watt model made by Aerocool. How about '0' dbA! There are some relatively new
models of fan-less power supplies now avaiable which are very well designed and very efficient, but remember that the main source of venting for most internal case heat build-up is
usually the power supply fan so you may have to install an extra case fan anyway to exhaust the internal case heat. Also, a fan-less power supply may not need a fan because it doesn’t
produce a very high output, so you may not be able to expand your computer without pushing it over the edge. There are more elaborate silencing methods, such as water or oil cooling,
but these options are generally impractical in the typical sound production/playback environment.
When selecting a power supply, look for “sheathed” cables that supply 5V and 12V power on the ATX connector (as well as the serial ATA connectors if so equipped) to the PC’s various
components. These improve airflow and don’t have gaps that can generate noise as air goes through them.The Zalman line of power supplies are the most quiet, efficient, and have
sheathed cables. The Ultra Quiet 500 watt Yate Loon Fan Series power supply unit made by Nexus are super quiet, generating only 17db(A), with an overall acoustic noise level range
of 17 - 26dB(A).
Some power supplies have the exhaust fan mounted on the power supply’s bottom. This helps keep fan noise inside the case rather than directly out of the back where there’s a more
direct path to your ear. However, as the area at the top of the inside of the case behind the power supply gets less air flow, try to mount hard drives toward the bottom of the case to avoid
inadvertently creating “heat pockets.”
Extremely quiet power supplies. The NeseQ Nova is an impresive fanless switching power supply excelent for work benches as well as auxilary and for external use on a pc case running
fanless therefor producing less heat inside the computer case.
A poorly-designed power supply is usually the major noise generator in a PC. Inexpensive (cheap!) fans may have poorly designed blades that cause the air to oscillate at audible
frequencies as it’s pulled through the fan housing, as well as inexpensive, noisy bearings. Better fans have improved ball bearings or noiseless sleeve bearings designed to rotate at
high RPM with little friction, and a more efficient blade design. Unfortunately, with power supplies it’s hard for sleeve-bearing fans to move enough air, so ball bearing-based units are
usually preferred. A “bonus” of ball bearing fans is that they often get noisier just before failing, whereas sleeve-bearing fans can seize up without your knowing it potentially leading to
failure of the whole power supply. Audible oscillation of air can be generated as the fan pulls air past internal components, adding even more noise. Poorly-designed chassis holes in
the power supply’s case often cause an audible “siren effect” as air is forced through the openings. Unlike older single-speed power supply fans, some of the better power supplies
now available include temperature-sensing circuits and variable speed control so the fan rotates only as quickly as needed for proper cooling. This is good for audio applications, but
make sure you check out any power supply under full load; a unit that’s quiet when idling can get very noisy when the fan’s higher speeds kick in.
There are now off-the-shelf power supplies that produce in excess of 350W yet are virtually inaudible. Installing a quiet fan in the power supply can be a worthwhile upgrade, but the
procedure requires a qualified technician. Power supply capacitors can retain a lethal shock, even when unplugged. Also, the fan connector may be non-standard or may require a direct
solder connection to the board.
Special fan-less and semi-fanless power supplies are now available such as this impressive 620 watt model made by Aerocool. How about '0' dbA! There are some relatively new
models of fan-less power supplies now avaiable which are very well designed and very efficient, but remember that the main source of venting for most internal case heat build-up is
usually the power supply fan so you may have to install an extra case fan anyway to exhaust the internal case heat. Also, a fan-less power supply may not need a fan because it doesn’t
produce a very high output, so you may not be able to expand your computer without pushing it over the edge. There are more elaborate silencing methods, such as water or oil cooling,
but these options are generally impractical in the typical sound production/playback environment.
When selecting a power supply, look for “sheathed” cables that supply 5V and 12V power on the ATX connector (as well as the serial ATA connectors if so equipped) to the PC’s various
components. These improve airflow and don’t have gaps that can generate noise as air goes through them.The Zalman line of power supplies are the most quiet, efficient, and have
sheathed cables. The Ultra Quiet 500 watt Yate Loon Fan Series power supply unit made by Nexus are super quiet, generating only 17db(A), with an overall acoustic noise level range
of 17 - 26dB(A).
Some power supplies have the exhaust fan mounted on the power supply’s bottom. This helps keep fan noise inside the case rather than directly out of the back where there’s a more
direct path to your ear. However, as the area at the top of the inside of the case behind the power supply gets less air flow, try to mount hard drives toward the bottom of the case to avoid
inadvertently creating “heat pockets.”
Extremely quiet power supplies. The NeseQ Nova is an impresive fanless switching power supply excelent for work benches as well as auxilary and for external use on a pc case running
fanless therefor producing less heat inside the computer case.
Acoustic PC Offers - ATX quiet computer power supplies, with low noise fans for a "Quiet PC." Looking for a new quiet computer power supply or
quiet PC power supply, tester? Acoustic PC stocks the leading brands in Quiet power supplies. Like the new Zalman power supply, Nexus power
supply units (PSUs) with modular cables for increased airflow (CFM), We have SLI ready power supplys, Crossfire ready power supplys, modular
supply units (PSUs) micro-ATX power supplys External power supply's and auxilliary power supplys, fanless power supplies for true silence. We
also have a big selection of quiet PSU power supply accessories like psu cables, psu connectors, psu silencers, and psu testers. We carry the best
of class power supplies from leading manufactures like Zalman, Nexus, NesteQ, Enermaxx, Seasonic, Fortron, Scythe, and Aerocool.
quiet PC power supply, tester? Acoustic PC stocks the leading brands in Quiet power supplies. Like the new Zalman power supply, Nexus power
supply units (PSUs) with modular cables for increased airflow (CFM), We have SLI ready power supplys, Crossfire ready power supplys, modular
supply units (PSUs) micro-ATX power supplys External power supply's and auxilliary power supplys, fanless power supplies for true silence. We
also have a big selection of quiet PSU power supply accessories like psu cables, psu connectors, psu silencers, and psu testers. We carry the best
of class power supplies from leading manufactures like Zalman, Nexus, NesteQ, Enermaxx, Seasonic, Fortron, Scythe, and Aerocool.
| Zalman Power Supply |
| NesteQ Extremely Quiet PC Power Suplies |
| Aerocool ZERO dB(A) Fanless Switching Power Supply |
| Seasonic Power Supplies |
| Nexus Power Supply |
| Quiet Power Supply Accessories |
| Realated Products |
| Robust, Ultra Quiet, Modular, Extreme Stability, ENERGY EFFICIENT, Heat Pipe Cooled Assist |
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