A Closer Look (Cont’d)
The PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750W power supply has a full assortment of cables and connectors. All of the cables are hard-wired into the PSU chassis, which eliminates potential problems caused by the added resistance of modular cable connectors. At high power, even a little resistance can lower the delivered voltage and possibly cause overheating as contacts oxidize over time. The wiring harnesses measure approximately 19′ to 24′ long to the first connector and all of the cables are covered with black plastic mesh sleeving.
The following drawing illustrates the various connectors and cables lengths.
(Courtesy of PC Power & Cooling)
Note: The current shipping version of the Silencer 750 Quad features four 6-pin PCI-E connectors. Starting in May, the Silencer 750W power supply will be fitted with two 6-pin PCI-E connectors and two 8-pin PCI-E connectors (6-pin/2-pin split). These new 8-pin PCI-E connectors are designed to be used with the next generation of power hungry video cards, which may require both a 6-pin and an 8-pin PCI-E connector to operate. I was expecting the PCI-E 2.0 8-pin connectors to feature four +12V wires and four common leads, similar to an 8-pin EPS motherboard connector. However, this is not the case. The new PCI-E 2.0 specification has not been fully confirmed and from what I have been told, the extra two wires in the new 8-pin PCI-E connector will enable the video card to handshake with the PSU to insure adequate power is available for the GPU to run full throttle.
Here are a few pictures showing the layout and components inside the Silencer 750W Quad power supply. PC Power & Cooling has been using Seasonic to manufacture the Silencer power supply line for about 5 years. Seasonic is known for building high-quality units and has an excellent reputation in the power supply industry. It is important to note however that PC Power & Cooling does not re-label products as many do (Seasonic has no product of their own similar to the Silencer 750). PC Power & Cooling actually designs their PSUs and owns the tooling, printed circuit boards (their name is on them), safety certifications, etc., along with all other product rights. Seasonic (and others) are simply contracted to build the PSUs to PC Power & Cooling’s demanding specifications. So don’t get the idea you’re going to find the same PSU with PC Power & Cooling’s legendary performance and reliability with someone elses name on it! Their reputation has been earned, not bought.
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One feature that PC Power & Cooling uses to help minimize noise in the Silencer 750W PSU is a 1′ gap in front of the Adda cooling fan. They claim that the primary cause of system-related fan noise is air turbulence at the inlet side of the fan… caused by obstructions in the air stream such as capacitors, heatsinks, etc. Personally, I would argue that fan speed is the primary cause of fan noise but you get the idea.
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(Courtesy PC Power & Cooling)
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Leaving extra clearance around the intake area of the fan helps reduce noise by minimizing turbulent airflow created by nearby components as air enters the fan and impacts the fan blades.
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