Conclusions

All three of the Seasonic power supplies reviewed produced very respectable results.  The Super Silencer 350, Super Silencer 460 and Super Tornado 400 are quite similar in construction with the only major differences being the 12 VDC output rating, size of the cooling fan and heatsink design.  The units appear to be well made but do not include any of the fancy exterior features (custom painting, LED fans, side windows or pre-installed cable looms) that many competing brands are currently offering in similar price ranges.

All three units exhibited good voltage regulation with excellent stability and very low AC ripple.  Each of the power supplies tested include active power factor correction and produced some of the highest efficiencies I have measured to date.  Seasonic backs each unit with a 3-year warranty, one of the best in the industry.

On the down side, none of the three Seasonic power supplies came with serial ATA drive connectors or even adapters.  With the popularity of serial ATA hard drives I hope Seasonic will soon remedy this situation.

The following table summarizes the data collected during testing for the Super Silencer 350, 460 and Super Tornado 400 power supplies.

Three Seasonic ATX Power Supplies Reviewed - Cases and Cooling 61

(click to enlarge)

Here is the summary table from previously tested power supply units for comparison.

Three Seasonic ATX Power Supplies Reviewed - Cases and Cooling 62

(click to enlarge)

The Super Silencer and Super Tornado names may be a little misleading.  The ‘Tornado’ is actually quieter than the ‘Silent’ units while operating under an identical, moderately heavy load.  For the typical home PC user, noise should not be a problem.  If you place a heavy load on one of these power supplies and/or have relatively warm ambient room temperatures with poor case cooling, then expect the fan to run at a higher speed and become noticeably noisier.

One feature that may appeal to some is the cable management kit labeled Dr. Cable.  The included cable ties are a useful addition and the spiral wrap is easy to install but the finished result is not as clean and professional looking as cables dressed with nylon web looming.

Three Seasonic ATX Power Supplies Reviewed - Cases and Cooling 63

(Dr. Cable kit installed on main wiring harnesses)

 Strengths:

  • Excellent DC voltage stability
  • Very low AC ripple (noise) on DC outputs
  • Good DC voltage regulation (all rails within spec)
  • Active power factor correction (PF = 0.99)
  • Above average efficiency (>70% with typical load)
  • Auto voltage select and Power On-Off rocker switch
  • Very quiet during normal operation (<35 dBA)
  • High quality, backed by a 3-year warranty

 Weaknesses:

  • No serial ATA drive connectors or adapters
  • 3.3 VDC output on the low side (but still within the ATX spec)
  • Cooling fan can become rather noisy at high speed (heavy load)
  • Expensive (especially for not having any external custom features)

Overall, three excellent power supplies! 

I would like to thank our new friends at Seasonic for sending us these three power supplies to review.  Check out a Super Silencer or Super Tornado the next to time you are ready to build a new system or upgrade an existing one. 

 

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