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Product:
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SilenX 400w 14 dBA Power Supply |
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Price:
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$132 (CAN) / $100 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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SilenX Corporation
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Author:
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Shatterstar
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Date:
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December 24th, 2003
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Rating:
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The power bundle was safely tied down using rubberbands, once removed there are six Molex connectors and 2 floppy
connectors shared across three strings. There is also the standard ATX power connector, Aux connector and P4 12V
connector. I would have liked to see some sleeving or even loom on the cables to help keep the PSU wiring organized.
Testing:
For testing I used two different configurations, standard and simulated full load configuration. The full load
configuration will include an assortment of the modification products that we would find on a "modded" computer.
Standard Test Configuration:
- Asus P4C800-dlx Motherboard
- Pentium 4 2.4C
- 2 x 512 OCZ Dual Channel Memory
- Plextor CD-RW
- Seagate 80 GB
- 2 x 80mm Fan and 2 x 60mm Fan
Modded Test Configuration:
- Asus P4C800-dlx Motherboard
- Pentium 4 2.4C
- 2 x 512 OCZ Dual Channel Memory
- Plextor CD-RW Drive
- Seagate 80 GB Hard Drive
- 2 x 80mm Fans and 2 x 60mm Fans
- 2 x Maxtor 15 GB Hard Drives
- 2 x 80mm Lighted Fans
- 2 x CCFL
I used Standford University's Folding@Home Client
to push the processor to 100% during the tests. To simulate real world use, during the test I ran word processors,
file transfers, CD-RW burning and gaming. Both configurations were run for 5 hours, using Asus PC Probe to record the
voltage fluctuations. The results are recorded below.
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SilenX 400w 14 dBA Power Supply Voltage Chart
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| Rail | Standard | Full Load |
| +12 volt | 11.977 - 12.033 | 11.855 - 1.977 |
| +5 volt | 5.193 - 5.268 - 5.295 | 5.193 - 5.268 - 5.295 |
| +3.3 volt | 3.264 - 3.280 | 3.328 - 3.296 |
| Vcore | 1.504 - 1.552 | 1.504 - 1.552 |
NOTE: The number in bold is the most constant rating observed.
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I noticed that when there were fluctuations in the power they were very little and far between. All the voltage rails
are extremely stable under both configurations, which in turn will help in keeping the system stable as well. I was
interested to find out why the 12-volt rail reacted that way under full load so I contacted SilenX’s technical support.
Within less than two hours I received a reply to my e-mail, and SilenX explained that they calibrate the power supply
while it’s under a full load of 12A on the 12V rail. Since most computer enthusiasts don’t put that much load on the 12V
rail, which would explain why my readings were a little low. They also added that they recently lowered there load levels
as some readings were high, they are still trying to find the ideal middle ground for a default configuration.
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They also explained that for troubleshooting and tweaking reasons there is a potentiometer on the PCB of the power supply
to help raise or lower the voltage of the 12V rail. Please note that changing the potentiometer should not be attempted
unless you know what you’re doing and are aware of the risks. Playing inside the power supply can lead to damage to either
you or the power supply. Tweaking the 12-volt rail can also lead to damage of your computer components. MODTHEBOX will not
be held responsible for any damage that may incur. Here is a quote from the e-mail received from SilenX:
"There is a potentiometer in the PSU that you can use to tweak the voltages. If you open up the power supply, you should
notice a white or orange disk with a cross shaped wedge so a screwdriver can fit. It's on the side opposite of the vertical
circuit board close to where the fan power cables mount to the bottom PCB. Turn this clockwise to raise the voltage. We don't
mention this in our manual as it is used for troubleshooting purposes only, we don't recommend the typical user to do this
and only if they are having stability issues do we bring this up since all PSUs are tested and calibrated to begin with."
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Conclusion:
The SilenX 400w 14 dBA Power Supply is an extremely silent product that offers very stable performance balanced
with a no nonsense look. Many of SilenX’s competitors are offering similar products and while they might not
be as silent there are some basic product features that I would like to see incorporated into this product. Loom and
sleeving on all the cables would not only enhanse this package but also keep cable management to a minimum. The
technical support offered by the SilenX Corporation is first rate and I received very quick responses to my
e-mail inquries with very helpful information. Overall, I was very pleased with the SilenX 400w 14 dBA Power Supply
and rate this product an 8.5 out of 10. If you have
any questions regarding this review be sure to visit the SilenX Corporation
website for more information or discuss them in
our forums.
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Pros:
- Extremely quiet fan <14dBA
- Stable power and performance
- AMD and Intel P4 certified
- Quality parts and reliable design improving stability.
- Amazing technical support and response times.
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Cons:
- Plain generic appearance
- No additional AC output
- Cables could use loom and sleeving for better organization
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