PSU's With AC Outlet

[Paul Maskell]

Hello,

I planning to build a new PC soon and decided to start with the PSU.
Can anyone recommend a good quiet PSU (400w or more) with a AC outlet?
Thanks.

 

[Tim Auton]

I planning to build a new PC soon and decided to start with the PSU.
Can anyone recommend a good quiet PSU (400w or more) with a AC outlet?

Do you really need the AC output on the PSU? They're not very common
any more, so you'll be limiting your choice quite a bit.


Tim

 

[Mike Redrobe]

Do you really need the AC output on the PSU? They're not very common
any more, so you'll be limiting your choice quite a bit.

...and even when they do have the "monitor" power outlet, ATX PSUs tend
to keep it powered even when the pc is off.

 

[S]

Hello,

I planning to build a new PC soon and decided to start with the PSU.
Can anyone recommend a good quiet PSU (400w or more) with a AC outlet?
Thanks.

Hi-

PC Power makes power supplies with great specs, longer warranties,
etc. They are pricey but many think that they are worth it.

I read up on their SILENCER ATX series and the only thing I didn't
like was the fact that under heavy load the fan speeds up and gets
louder. Even though I could have gotten by with their 275 watt
SILENCER it made more sense to me to get the 400 watt SILENCER so
I could be sure that the fan would be running at a slower speed.
(quieter)

For the most part, PSUs with multiple fans will almost always be
quieter than units with a single fan, because all of the fans run
slower. Of course, the added complexity of 2, 3, or even 4 fans in
a PSU would be something that would have to be taken into
consideration. There is an old saying that a two engine airplane
will have exactly twice as much engine trouble as a single engine
airplane.

At any rate these are two stratigies to consider for a quieter PSU.

My 2 cents,
S

 

[KCB]

Hi-

PC Power makes power supplies with great specs, longer warranties,
etc. They are pricey but many think that they are worth it.

I read up on their SILENCER ATX series and the only thing I didn't
like was the fact that under heavy load the fan speeds up and gets
louder. Even though I could have gotten by with their 275 watt
SILENCER it made more sense to me to get the 400 watt SILENCER so
I could be sure that the fan would be running at a slower speed.
(quieter)

For the most part, PSUs with multiple fans will almost always be
quieter than units with a single fan, because all of the fans run
slower. Of course, the added complexity of 2, 3, or even 4 fans in
a PSU would be something that would have to be taken into
consideration. There is an old saying that a two engine airplane
will have exactly twice as much engine trouble as a single engine
airplane.

....and exactly twice the chance of getting there if one fails...

 

[S]

....and exactly twice the chance of getting there if one fails...

Exactly?

Not at all. Statistically, with the failure of one engine in a
twin engine airplane the remaining (working) engine usually
delivers the pilot and all passengers DIRECTLY to the scene of
an accident.

The only chance for MOST pilots in this situation is to hope that
they have thought ahead and are flying a plane with both engines
INLINE -- like the CESSNA 'MIXMASTER'. Small chance.

In PSUs (as in small airplanes) the apparent redundancy can turn
around and bite you VERY hard. When one of those extra fans fails
will it short out the rest of the PSU with it? Will the failing
PSU take your mobo with it when it gives up it's smoke?

If the maker of the PSU provides good enough specs and the specs
are CORRECT, then and only then can one hope for any REAL
redundancy by the addition of more fans to a PSU. Until you have
a very good idea of how the PSU is designed (OR NOT) to handle
fan failures it must be assumed that additional fans only bring
INCREASED probabilities for catastrophic failure.

/S

 

[jeffc]

...and exactly twice the chance of getting there if one fails...

I would say your chances of getting there are infinitely better if 1 fails,
compared to a single engine failing (because then the chance is Zero).

 

[jeffc]

..

In PSUs (as in small airplanes) the apparent redundancy can turn
around and bite you VERY hard. When one of those extra fans fails
will it short out the rest of the PSU with it? Will the failing
PSU take your mobo with it when it gives up it's smoke?

If the maker of the PSU provides good enough specs and the specs
are CORRECT, then and only then can one hope for any REAL
redundancy by the addition of more fans to a PSU. Until you have
a very good idea of how the PSU is designed (OR NOT) to handle
fan failures it must be assumed that additional fans only bring
INCREASED probabilities for catastrophic failure.

If you don't know how the PSU is designed, then why would you make any such
assumption? You sound like a very paranoid person. That doesn't imply
they're not out to get you, of course.

 

[Al Dykes]

I would say your chances of getting there are infinitely better if 1 fails,
compared to a single engine failing (because then the chance is Zero).

Back to the OP; I'd say if it's a noname brand and the box the PSU
came in said in big flashing letters "And Two Fans!!!" I'd avoid it.

If it's a reputable PSU that's quiet I don't care how many fans it
has. The fans the manufacturers buy come in all levels of cost/life
expectancy and the good ones will probably outlast usefull life of the
rest of the system. It's the designer's job to make the tradeoffs.

 

[jeffc]

Back to the OP; I'd say if it's a noname brand and the box the PSU
came in said in big flashing letters "And Two Fans!!!" I'd avoid it.

Anyway, I didn't really think the point of having 2 fans was to avoid
failure anyway. I thought it was to direct the air flow better, or increase
the air flow without increasing the RPM and hence noise of the fan, or
something along those lines.

 

[S]

..

If you don't know how the PSU is designed, then why would you make any such
assumption?

Am I to infer from that statement that you would assume that anything
that you don't understand will always come out all right?

Usually, COMPLETE specs on a PSU are a selling point. The only reason
for a PSU manufacturer to not issue complete specs is because they
would be an embarrassment AND it would hurt sales.

You sound like a very paranoid person. That doesn't imply
they're not out to get you, of course.

My level of 'paranoia' doesn't enter into this. That crack
shows that you have no concept of the idea that ANYONE ELSE may
design a computer for different uses than what YOU HAVE IN MIND.

If you are correct, there are many components out there that were
just designed to bilk the 'paranoid market'. I can only hope that
the folks who maintain all kinds of important computers that we
have to depend upon in this society don't share your blind
acceptance of buying anything that 'sounds like a good idea' when
they need parts.

If you want to buy a groovy PSU with 4 fans and a great red
anodized finish and an incomplete spec sheet, knock yourself out.
It's your box. That's part of why they call it a PERSONAL
COMPUTER.

If you're building a box to run 24/7 -- it's probably not paranoia.
Sub-standard hardware 'reveals' itself MUCH more quickly when the
machine HAS to operate continuiously, week after week.

If you're building a box for gaming at LAN parties twice a month --
yeah, that's paranoid.

Many 'reputable' PSU makers list incomplete specs and often even
the items they DO list are OUTSIDE the ATX specification. A good
example is input voltage. Lots of 'alledged' ATX PSUs are only
rated to operate down to 92 VAC, which is a full 2 volts above
the ATX spec. Would it be paranoid to reject those units for
your box? Not if it were part of a system that was
mission-critical to you.

The main reason I built my own box was because I find it totally
unacceptable to have to rely on a machine that some vender slapped
together with cost being the DOMINANT thing on his mind. If you buy
a box from DELL and the PSU goes out, often your only recourse is
to go back to DELL and buy ANOTHER of their $20 PSUs...for $60.

In my original post I gave 2 examples of stratagies for quieter
PSUs. Just because you you cannot grasp the fact that anyone may
think differently or have differnt requirements for a computer
than you doesn't mean that they aren't valid considerations.

/S