Recommendations for a Cool, Quiet, Quality Power Supply

[Fallengod]

So for a long while I have noticed my computer gets fairly loud when gaming/load. I do not game much anymore but when I do, I still want the PC to be quiet. I had always thought it was my graphics card and was too lazy to check I suppose. I realized recently it was my fairly old Antec Neo Eco 620w PSU I bought probably like 5-7 years ago. No issues with the PSU but I want a quieter PC I decided. I just kind of started researching today, but I wanted to get some quick suggestions for a power supply which runs cool, quiet and is quality made. Looking to spend under $100 if possible.

So far it seems Seasonic Focus gold or platinum PSU's are pretty solid and quiet? I also started looking at the Corsair RMx Series RM650x. I was reading some good comments on the Evga SuperNova G3 psu's but on a few different review sites stated the fan gets loud at load which is not what I want if thats true.

I am trying to stay in the 80+ Gold or Platinum area to make sure I cut down on heat and fan speed. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Campy]

You're definitely on the right track.

Seasonic Focus Plus Gold/Platinum are great. I can't remember reading anything about their noise output but I doubt it would be an issue especially compared with your current unit. I recently read a review of the new Corsair RM850x v2 (aka 2018 version) which noted it as being very quiet and that the series is optimized for low noise output, so those should be good too.

Currently I don't think you can beat the 650W Focus Plus Gold for price though.

 

[UsandThem]

I own the platinum Seasonic Focus+, and the fan is quiet and it's a solidly built unit.

However, I turn off the "fan stop" mode, and have my fan run all the time to keep heat from building up, and causing the fan to have to run at higher RPMs. I think that's where most people hear fan noise.

There are many really quiet quality units to choose from. The EVGA G2 or G3 series are nice, as well as the EVGA G1+ units (which don't have a "fan stop" mode on that series). Even the Seasonic Prime Ultra gold units have been priced really nice as well lately, and if you catch a good sale, that's another unit to consider.

 

[Fallengod]

Thanks for the info. Whats the difference between the ultra gold and focus?

And let me ask that another way. Which is quieter and cooler?

 

[UsandThem]

Thanks for the info. Whats the difference between the ultra gold and focus?

And let me ask that another way. Which is quieter and cooler?

The Prime Ultra lineup is their top-of-the-line PSUs. It has a 12 year warranty. The Focus Plus line has a 10 year warranty, and is their mid-range offering. Both are quiet (I own both, and a EVGA G2, G3, and P2). I disable the "fan stop" on all of my units, so they run at low RPMs at all times, and I can't hear any of them at all. I am OCD when it comes to fan noise, and if a fan is noisy, I'd notice it right away in my home office.

Honestly, if you buy any of the above units, you won't hear any of the fans, and you should be happy with any of them as they are all well reviewed and built.

 

[Fallengod]

Alright. Thanks for the input.

So one honest question for you since you say you own the Evga Supernova G3. Poking around reviews and sites, as well as Evga forums, newegg and amazon reviews, many people seem to complain about the fan noise on the Evga Supernova saying the G3 line is among the loudest in this class of PSUs. Any comment on that? I was looking at the Evga because I can get it for the cheapest price compared to Seasonic, but I kind of decided against it due to people saying it has a loud fan and aggressive fan profile.

Also please note... When I am asking this question, I do mean at load, not idle or anything like that. I am asking in terms of gaming and higher load sound levels.

 

[UsandThem]

Alright. Thanks for the input.

So one honest question for you since you say you own the Evga Supernova G3. Poking around reviews and sites, as well as Evga forums, newegg and amazon reviews, many people seem to complain about the fan noise on the Evga Supernova saying the G3 line is among the loudest in this class of PSUs. Any comment on that? I was looking at the Evga because I can get it for the cheapest price compared to Seasonic, but I kind of decided against it due to people saying it has a loud fan and aggressive fan profile.

Maybe it's because the reviewers test the PSUs with "fan stop" enabled, and it has a more aggressive RPM set when it heats up enough for the fan to kick on. I've run a G3 24/7 for the last 6 months doing Folding@Home, and I never hear it at all because with the fan set to run all the time, it never has to spin up very fast at all.

The way I look at it, is the #1 killer for PSUs is heat. All of these premium power supplies all come with 5 - 12 years of warranty, come with premium bearing fans, so I have no concerns letting the fans spin at low RPMs so heat never builds up inside the unit. Plus, people who face their PSU intakes down in a case (gets it's air from the outside on the bottom), all the manufacturers state to disable the "fan stop" feature because heat rises, and sits in the PSU, which will shorten its life. Otherwise, if they face up inside the case, all that heat will be pulled into your case if the fan is not spinning to push it down, and then out.

Just my .02 on power supplies.

 

[IntelUser2000]

I bought the EVGA based on my previous(limited) experience and that they had good reviews. Yea, the G3s can get a bit loud. I'm tempted to point to the culprit being the tiny EVGA logos on the fan blades themselves - I'd assume it would have an impact on the noise or airflow characteristics.

>50% load - Likely it'll be silent if the room is cool
50% load - Fan stop but with Noctua fan mounted
>50% load - Noctua fan with PSU fan running all the time

Solution? I mounted a Noctua NF-F12 on it. Way quieter. In fact, after my experience with the Noctua fans I want to stick them everywhere where the fan is loud.

 

[Fallengod]

I bought the EVGA based on my previous(limited) experience and that they had good reviews. Yea, the G3s can get a bit loud. I'm tempted to point to the culprit being the tiny EVGA logos on the fan blades themselves - I'd assume it would have an impact on the noise or airflow characteristics.

>50% load - Likely it'll be silent if the room is cool
50% load - Fan stop but with Noctua fan mounted
>50% load - Noctua fan with PSU fan running all the time

Solution? I mounted a Noctua NF-F12 on it. Way quieter. In fact, after my experience with the Noctua fans I want to stick them everywhere where the fan is loud.

Yeah. Interesting. What do you mean you "mounted" a Nocua fan on it? You opened up the PSU and replaced the fan? You mounted it on the outside of the PSU?

 

[IntelUser2000]

Fallengod,

the latter.

The PSU is quite new, I didn't want to open it up and risk nicking the case or voiding warranty. Yes, its not elegant, but it works. Plus if it really needs the airflow, the two work together.

By the way, while other fans will work too, not only the the NF F12 is among the quietest for the airflow and static pressure, it also happens to use extremely low power - only 0.6W at max. This is a fraction of the amount I've seen for other fans.

 

[Luddite]

The Prime Ultra lineup is their top-of-the-line PSUs. It has a 12 year warranty. The Focus Plus line has a 10 year warranty, and is their mid-range offering. Both are quiet (I own both, and a EVGA G2, G3, and P2). I disable the "fan stop" on all of my units, so they run at low RPMs at all times, and I can't hear any of them at all. I am OCD when it comes to fan noise, and if a fan is noisy, I'd notice it right away in my home office.

Honestly, if you buy any of the above units, you won't hear any of the fans, and you should be happy with any of them as they are all well reviewed and built.

Hi, I am in the same boat trying to make a decision between the Seasonic Prime Ultra Platinum and the Focus Gold. Both on sale currently at Newegg Canada.

https://www.newegg.ca/Product/Produ...re=seasonic_focus_plus-_-17-151-189-_-Product

https://www.newegg.ca/Product/Product.aspx?item=N82E16817151218

Do you have a preference between either one? Is the Prime Ultra Platinum, with its 135 mm fan, hybrid fan control, and extra two year warranty, worth the extra cost?

 

[UsandThem]

I'd probably go with the Focus Plus gold. It has a mail in rebate, making the difference between the two units $65. If the price difference was say around $30, I probably would recommend the Prime Ultra, but a $65 difference makes it tough to do that.

The efficiency between platinum and gold are very close, and you would likely not recoup the full difference in energy savings. But both are good choices, with the Prime Ultra with a 12 year warranty, and the Focus Plus with a 10 year.

 

[Campy]

Hi, I am in the same boat trying to make a decision between the Seasonic Prime Ultra Platinum and the Focus Gold. Both on sale currently at Newegg Canada.

The Prime Ultra Gold looks like it has a nice rebate. They're all quality units though.

 

[Fallengod]

Yeah. There have been many Seasonic rebates lately. I saw the focus plus platinum 550watt for like $60 after a rebate. That is very competitive. I was surprised. I almost bought it.

Anyways, I ended up going with the Evga 650 G2. I bought it for lets just say, very very cheap. That was my deciding factor. Already have it installed and so far so good. I am in the middle of the GPU upgrade so I dont actually have a GPU to stress my system at the moment, so I cant comment on noise. But I am sure it will be fine. I have it set ECO mode, the fan is off so far.