Quiet PSU--Enermax Whisper vs. Zalman vs. PCP&C Silencer

[hmsrolst]

In searching for a quieter PC, I've purchased and compared the Enermax 365 VE(FC), the Zalman ST-300BLP and the PC Power and Cooling Silencer 275. The Enermax and Zalman were put sequentially in the same PC--an Antec SX600 case with 3 PC Power and Cooling Silencers running at about 7v, a Silverado HSF (at 6v) and a Barracuda IV HD. There is no question but that the Zalman is much quieter. Because the rest of the PC is pretty quiet, it's easy to hear the difference directly. Although I didn't try the Silencer 275 in the same case, I did put it in an SX1000 case that is similarly set up. The Silencer 275 is also much quieter than the Enermax, and, although it may be more subjective, not quite as quiet as the Zalman. There is a more noticable hissing sound with the Silencer than the Zalman. The case temps are also very good with either the Zalman or the Silencer 275 running in the 24-26 degree C range at idle, perhaps a very little bit up from the Enermax. So unless my Enermax Whisper is unusually noisy, from my perspective the Zalman is the way to go for quiet, with the Silencer 275 a pretty close second.