Quiet, preferable passively cooled 350W PSU

[MadEye2]

I'm looking to buy a quiet PSU as my current one can be heard from downstairs. According to various calculators I've used my system requirements are between 250 and 300 watts, so I'm looking for a 350w, maybe 400w PSU that's preferable passively cooled, but a quiet fan based one will do, oh and with a monitor power port if possible. Can you recommend any please?

Also, out of curiousity, is there a decentish but cheap water cooling system for a socket A system? I have a Sempron 2200 running at stock 1500Mhz, and I don't intend to overclock it. I just want to keep noise down.

 

[MadEye2]

My mobo is Micro ATX - V2MDMP using the KM266Pro chipset

 

[Mrvile]

I think Antec makes a 350W passively cooled.

 

[Mik3y]

Originally posted by: Mrvile
I think Antec makes a 350W passively cooled.

you think correct. it's about $160 for it hto.

 

[Operandi]

Passive PSUs are waste of time in my opinion; they overly rely on the rest of your system to keep it cool. There are some very low noise PSUs available, the Tagan 380 or PCP&C Silencer 360/310 would be a good choice.

 

[Mrvile]

Yeah. I'd also get a fanned PSU to exhaust some air out of my system.

 

[cyberknight]

the 350W Antec Phantom is your best bet for quiet. It also runs at 80-85% efficiency and has a good +12V rail.

 

[MadEye2]

Will any of these work on a MicroATX board - I have no idea about the types of interfaces - are the connections the same with the difference basically being less card slots?

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: MadEye2
Will any of these work on a MicroATX board - I have no idea about the types of interfaces - are the connections the same with the difference basically being less card slots?

It's all ATX so it will be fine. If you decide to go passive make sure you have decent case ventilation.

 

[MadEye2]

Thanks all. I'm presumming I already have an ATX PSU in my machine already, because I'm having a difficult time finding an mATX PSU that's over 300w. My case dimensions are about 43*47*18cm/17*19*7inch. Does that sound about right for an ATX PSU?

Edit: Thanks Operandi, I think I'm going to go for a low noise one instead. Theres no way I can afford a passive one.

 

[Mrvile]

Yeah your case sounds like a smaller ATX or a mini ATX case. Any ATX PSU should fit.

 

[MadEye2]

Excellent. Thanks. I think I might go for the Tagan 380.

 

[Operandi]

MadEye2 you have a PM; I have a 380watt Tagan I may be selling.

 

[ZombieJesus]

Passive PSUs are not a waste of time! U need to think outside of ATX then you will understand their value.

 

[Zap]

I have a Fortron PS with 120mm fan and two TTGI PS with 140mm fan. All are really quiet to my ears.

 

[MadEye2]

I might be interested, Operandi, but only if you're from the UK - delivery seems to be a bit too expensive from Stateside. Thanks.

 

[MadEye2]

This one, Zap? : Fortron 350


Tagan 380

The Tagan is about £20 dearer than the Fortron, but it offers an extra 30w - my PC -seems- louder than it was a couple of months back before I added the ti4200 card, so I'm wondering if it's nearing full load, well, a high enough load to make the PSU work harder anyway. What are the differences between the ATX12V and ATX12V 1.3 compliances?

 

[Tiamat]

Originally posted by: MadEye2
This one, Zap? : Fortron 350


Tagan 380

The Tagan is about £20 dearer than the Fortron, but it offers an extra 30w - my PC -seems- louder than it was a couple of months back before I added the ti4200 card, so I'm wondering if it's nearing full load, well, a high enough load to make the PSU work harder anyway. What are the differences between the ATX12V and ATX12V 1.3 compliances?

louder could = dust in your psu. I dunno bout the environment your comp is in, but mine is in a neatly kept bedroom and every 2 weeks when i take canned air to the psu, lots of dust blows out...

 

[0roo0roo]

silentpcreview.com

 

[Toro 45]

This psu is what you need, very very quiet on low or auto setting. Combining this psu with the xp-97 cpu cooler and a VGA silencer has brought my noise level down close to my Dell.

 

[akira34]

Only 12A on the 12V rail though... Good thing it's as cheap as it is.

 

[Operandi]

Originally posted by: MadEye2
This one, Zap? : Fortron 350


Tagan 380

The Tagan is about £20 dearer than the Fortron, but it offers an extra 30w - my PC -seems- louder than it was a couple of months back before I added the ti4200 card, so I'm wondering if it's nearing full load, well, a high enough load to make the PSU work harder anyway. What are the differences between the ATX12V and ATX12V 1.3 compliances?

The Forton is good too, but I would go with the Tagan for the extra power and lower noise. Besides black looks so damn cool. As for selling mine I guess that?s out since I am in the States.

 

[Toro 45]

Originally posted by: akira34
Only 12A on the 12V rail though... Good thing it's as cheap as it is.

Actually it's 18A on the 12V rail, others around here who have bought one really like it. Runs my overclocked xp-m2400@2500 1.875V, system perfectly.

 

[MadEye2]

I suppose it could be dust - I smoke and so there's probably a bit of ash gone in there, but the mobo looks clean still so I don't know. New egg have a load of great deals, but they appear to only sell to the US sadly. I'm looking into that Coolmax PSU but I can't find it on the UK sites I've been looking at. How many decibels worth of noise does it make?

Edit: Didn't see the second page. The Coolmax is the one with the 18A 12V rail yeah?. It should be more than enough for me really as I'm not planning on upgrading much for a couple of years now, but I think I may go for the Tagan if I can't find the Coolmax in a UK store.

 

[Toro 45]

I couldn't tell you the exact decibles but I would estimate 18-20dec on low or medium(in theory auto could get louder but I never hear it ramp up) as quiet or quieter than my panaflo L1A. I always leave it on auto. On low or auto it is very quiet, you'll most likely hear your cpu cooler or case fan/fans before you'll here this.