I got a Coolmax v-400 for my case upgrade as it was in the quiet-PSU section of the store, the box said it had a "silent fan," and it was only $25.

That was a bad choice! It sounds like a jet on takeoff. It is louder than the 5 year old PSU that came with my $40 case.

Does anyone have a recommendation for a reasonably priced (say under $50) quiet power supply?

Thanks.

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Trying to install KnoppMyth R5F27, ECS 671T-M, Celeron 430, 1gig RAM, 320gig SATA Seagate, Samsung SATA SH-S203N DVD drive, Onboard video and audio, DVICO Fusion HDTV 5 Lite, Seasonic S12II-330watt PS

The Nexus NX-4090 that we use in Dragons is more than double your price point, but most people can't even tell it's running...

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I have one of these Seasonic S12's in my FE only machine in my bedroom. Nice and quiet and in your price range...

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16817151021

I don't know if 330W is enough juice for needs, but they have more powerful S12 series power supplies as well.

I also own one of the Nexus power supplies Human mentioned and they're pretty darn quiet too. I've found my biggest enemy are case fans. Check out SPCR (the site tjc referenced) for great info on quiet/silent computing.

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Mike
My Hardware Profile

mihanson, have you had your Seasonic long? I was just looking at the S12-330 for a frontend, have read good reviews about it but was wondering about longevity...

I have an old (~3 years now) Nexus NX-3000. Easily the quietest in my fleet (of about 18 PSUs).

So far, so good here. The PS in my workstation is the 430W model of the S12 line. Once I replaced the videocard fan (which was failing), chipset fan (horrible noisy little thing), and one of the case fans that box is now very quiet indeed. The PS fan has never been an issue.

Here is the power supply I use in my box:

http://www.newegg.com/product/product.a ... 6817170019

No problems and runs very quietly.

I've only been running it for 5-6 months now. So far so good. I bought it because of the recommendation from SPCR and I have not been disappointed.

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Mike
My Hardware Profile

Sounds like I found my next PSU! Thanks guys...

For anyone considering getting the Seasonic S12-330, after reading more about it on SPCR and other sites, I would recommend paying the extra $15 and getting the 380 watt version at least.

The 380 has the larger heatsink of the 430 watt, so the fan doesn't have to come on as early and spin as fast as the 330. It seems the Seasonics are virtually silent at half load. Half load for the 330 is just shy of the average power draw for most computers.

I'm thinking I am going to try that LOGISYS PS550E12, you can't beat the price. If I don't like it, I can always spring for the Seasonic 380 later.

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Trying to install KnoppMyth R5F27, ECS 671T-M, Celeron 430, 1gig RAM, 320gig SATA Seagate, Samsung SATA SH-S203N DVD drive, Onboard video and audio, DVICO Fusion HDTV 5 Lite, Seasonic S12II-330watt PS

Hey colinnwn,

What was the verdict on the LOGISYS? Was it as quiet as expected? Just looking for another opinion.

thanks

As usual I am taking my sweet time getting it ordered. Hopefully I will have it next week and will post my opinion.

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Trying to install KnoppMyth R5F27, ECS 671T-M, Celeron 430, 1gig RAM, 320gig SATA Seagate, Samsung SATA SH-S203N DVD drive, Onboard video and audio, DVICO Fusion HDTV 5 Lite, Seasonic S12II-330watt PS

I decided to throw $20 USD at the Logisys PS550E12. Popped it into my Silverstone LC10M case without any trouble, hooked everything up and turned it on. This is definitely not the quietest PSU I've ever owned, nor is it the loudest. It has a constant low fan noise that I can hear from ~6 feet away, which I will not have an issue with as this case will be in the entertainment center.

Anyone looking for "dead-silence" would be better off looking into the Nexus PSUs. My older Antec Tru330 is a bit quieter than the Logisys, but doesn't have a 20+4 main power connector. I don't own any other Antec PSUs so I don't know how the current offerings compare.

The Logisys is quieter than all of the "generic" PSUs I have. Don't know about longevity yet as I just installed it tonight.