SilverStone Olympia 750W Power Supply Review

Differential Temperature, Noise and Weight

Differential Temperature and Noise Levels

To simulate real world operation the Olympia power supply was mounted in a modified mid tower case (Lian Li PC60) for testing.  Some of the warm exhaust air from the PSU under test is recirculated back into the case, which allows the internal case air temperature to increase with load, just like it would in a real PC.  The internal case air temperature is allowed to increase up to 40ºC and then held constant from then on at 40ºC. 

The differential temperature across the OP750 power supply was calculated by subtracting the internal case air temperature (T in) from the temperature of the warm exhaust air flowing out the back of the power supply (T out). 

Thermocouples were placed at the air inlet and exhaust outlet. The ambient room air temperature was 23ºC (74ºF) +/- 0.5ºC during testing.  The power supply inlet temperature is artificially increased by routing some of the warm exhaust air back into the test enclosure to simulate real-world operating conditions.

T out = temperature of air exhausting from power supply

T in = temperature of air entering power supply

ΔT = T out – T in

Sound pressure level readings were taken 3’ away from the rear of the case in an otherwise quiet room.  The background noise level was 29 dBA. 

The Olympia 750W power supply was very quiet (virtually silent) while operating at low to medium loads.  The fan speed increased to the point where it was noticeable at loads over 600W as temperatures also climbed, but never became objectionably loud.  The exhaust temperatures got warm at higher loads with almost a 40°C inlet air temperature, but the OP750 appears to be designed to handle these elevated temperatures thanks to the 50°C operating temperature rating.

I have read reports of some users experiencing an objectionable humming sound coming from the OP750 at certain loads but I did not encounter that problem with my review sample (rev V1.0).

Note: I was not able to take a SPL reading at the highest load due to all the programmable DC load cooling fans running.

Physical Size and Weight

The SilverStone Olympia 750W power supply measures: 150 x 86 x 150mm (5.9” x 3.4” x 5.9” W x H x D).  Note the OP750 enclosure is only 10mm deeper than a standard ATX PSU enclosure (140mm long), which is an attractive feature for a 750W power supply.

And last but not least, a basic measure of any ATX power supply is the unit’s overall physical weight.  This may seem rather simplistic but it generally holds that more industrial grade components and larger heatsinks equal a better PSU.  The following graph illustrates how the OP750 compares to some other popular power supplies on the market.

(click to enlarge)