PC Power & Cooling Silencer 400 watt ATX
This content was originally featured on Amdmb.com and has been converted to PC Perspective’s website. Some color changes and flaws may appear.
PC
Power & Cooling has a well earned reputation for producing some of the best
power supplies available anywhere. They
are commonly specified for server class operation and Dream Machine builds. The
down side to all this perceived quality is cost. PC Power & Cooling power supplies are
undoubtedly some of the most expensive units available.
The
Silencer 400 unit included in this review looks just the same as a Silencer 400
unit I bought over two years ago and use 24/7 in my main PC. It comes in the same plain cardboard box and
without any fancy frills like some of the competition is sporting.
The
Silencer 400 is identical to the Turbo-Cool 425 watt model except for the
temperature controlled fan. It has been
de-rated from 425 watts to 400 watts to accommodate the slightly lower cooling
airflow (and less noise) of the variable speed fan. An internal thermistor keeps track of the PSU
internal temperature and adjusts the single, rear 80mm fan speed
accordingly. At low loads and cool
ambient temperatures the Silencer can be relatively quiet. But under normal loads and with typically warm
internal case temperatures, the Silencer 400 exhaust fan speeds up and becomes
noticeable.
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PC
Power & Cooling Silencer 400 – key features:
- Full ATX12V
Rev. 2.03 compliance
- Variable
speed, temperature controlled fan (80mm)
- Precise
voltage regulation (±1% for +3.3V, +5V and 12V
outputs)
- Low ripple (1%
p-p)
- Output ratings
based on 40ºC operating temperature
- 100,000 hrs
MTBF
- 5 year
warranty
Even
though the main wiring harnesses are not sleeved the wire used is heavy gauge
with a nice pliable insulation that makes the wiring easy to work with. There are only two 4-pin Molex connectors per
cable, which helps minimize the voltage drop to peripheral devices.
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As
you can see in the pictures above, the PC Power & Cooling Silencer 400 is
jam-packed with components and large heatsinks.
No wonder they only use one 80mm fan – there isn’t room for a second
fan. As we will see later, the Silencer
400 is one of the heaviest PSUs in this roundup.
