Final Thoughts and Conclusions
The SilverStone Nightjar ST50NF 500W Fanless power supply delivered excellent voltage regulation and dead silent operation. The ST50NF PSU includes a good assortment of fixed cables with two PCI-E connectors for high-end graphic adapter support and is constructed from high-quality, server grade components. While certainly a good power supply the ST50NF falls short of being a great power supply due to only 80Plus Bronze efficiency and AC ripple values higher than we like to see in a premium power supply.
Note: One often overlooked application for a fanless power supply is for use in dusty/dirty environments that might choke and kill a convention fan cooled power supply over time.
The SilverStone Nightjar ST50NF 500W Fanless power supply is currently available and typically sells for $199.99 USD, which is a little expensive given the ST50NF’s main competitor (Kingwin Stryker 500W Fanless power supply) sells for considerably less.
Strengths:
• Silent operation
• Ideal for noise-sensitive or dusty environments
• Excellent voltage regulation (±3%)
• Premium, server-quality components
• Single +12V output can deliver up to 38A (456W)
• Two PCI-E connectors for high-end graphic adapter support
• Active PFC with universal AC input
Weaknesses:
• Requires forced airflow (case fans) to operate at max output
• Only 80Plus Bronze efficiency instead of Gold or Platinum
• AC ripple a little higher than we would like to see at full load
• 3-Year Warranty
Could you use this setup and
Could you use this setup and turn it into a watercooled unit by adding some heat pipes or something?
The answer to your question
The answer to your question is “Yes, probably?” but the question itself misses the point _entirely_.
IT IS A FANLESS POWER SUPPLY! It is designed to cool itself Without Additional Cooling!
“Requires forced airflow
“Requires forced airflow (case fans) to operate at max output”
I think you were trying to
I think you were trying to make the following point??:
Most power supplies do not have the beefy heat sinks this fanless model has. The application of water blocks etc. would normally be a complete pain, but here we have big, flat chunks of metal to play with, making it bunches of easier.
Yes, you “could” but why even
Yes, you "could" but why even go that route… If you don’t need fanless then just get a good PSU with a quiet fan.
To watercool the ST50NF, you could cut sections of copper tubing and press them into the PSU’s large finned heatsink. Connect the tubes in parallel and add them into your PC’s watercooling loop. Or take a couple old CPU/GPU waterblocks and bolt onto the PSU’s heatsink (after drilling and tapping).
Awful value. You can get
Awful value. You can get Seasonic X-460 or Kingwin Stryker/SuperFlower Golden Silent 500W, both of which are:
-modular
-more efficient
-have better ripple suppresion than this unit.