Final Thoughts and Conclusions
SilverStone’s new SX600-G SFX is a very interesting little power supply that brings 600 watts of combined DC output to the small form factor market. Its most obvious feature is its small size, but the PSU also incorporates many of the features found in enthusiast-grade ATX power supplies (good voltage regulation, high efficiency, and modular flat ribbon style cables).
The SX600-G SFX power supply delivered 600W of combined DC load with good voltage regulation and high efficiency (80 Plus Gold certified) during our tests. AC ripple and noise suppression easily fell within the ATX guidelines but was not as good as you typically find in a high-end 600W ATX PSU. The build quality was very good and the component selection ranged from excellent to average. The power supply features an “intelligent semi-fanless” fan speed control circuit, which is supposed to turn the fan off at low power for silent operation, but during our testing the fan stayed on the entire time. Actually I was glad to see this fan profile as I personally like having a little air moving through a PSU at all times. Quiet, virtually silent at first, and then eventually ramping up to full speed at max load to keep all the internal bits cool.
The SX600-G SFX power supply is fully modular and comes with five relatively short ribbon style cables intended for use in small form factor cases. If you find one or more cables are too short for your particular build (especially if you are installing the SX600-G in a larger ATX enclosure) SilverStone offers a complete line of full-size modular cables that can be purchased separately. All of the sleeved cables in the PP06 and PP07 Series will work with the SX600-G SFX power supply.
SilverStone offers a 5-year warranty on some of their premium PSUs but unfortunately the SX600-G comes with only a 3-year warranty. Too bad, as the little SX600-G deserves better. The SilverStone SX600-G SFX power supply is currently available and selling for $129.99 USD (Amazon.com, December, 2014).
Even though the SX600-G was designed around the SFX form factor, it can also be used instead of a much larger ATX power supply via the included ATX adapter bracket. This can be a big advantage when working inside a relatively cramped enclosure packed with components, cables and hoses. As you can see in the photo above (CM Elite 110 mini-ITX case), using the SilverStone SFX PSU instead of a standard ATX power supply left enough room to incorporate a water cooling system into the build (no way would it fit with an ATX PSU installed).
Strengths:
• 600W Continuous DC output in the SFX form factor
• Can be used in place of a standard ATX PSU (adapter included)
• 80Plus Gold efficiency
• Good voltage regulation (±3%)
• Good AC ripple and noise suppression
• All modular cables, flat ribbon style
• Single +12V output can deliver up to 50A/600W
• Two PCI-E connectors (6+2 pin) and one 4+4 pin ATX/EPS12V connector
• Active PFC with universal AC input
• Compatible with SilverStone custom PP06 and PP07 sleeved cables
Minor Weaknesses:
• 3-Year warranty
• Relatively high price when compared to 600W ATX PSUs
While the overall build quality and performance are good, the SX600-G doesn’t stand out in any particular area (other than size!) when compared to other enthusiast-grade 600W ATX power supplies. It normally would not bring home a PCPerspective Gold Award (especially with a 3-year warranty) except that the SX600-G is unique and occupies a very specific niche market. We have enjoyed our time with the SX600-G and have come to appreciate the advantages of a relatively high power small form factor PSU for use in compact, cramped chassis; even when they are designed to accommodate a full size ATX PSU. The SX600-G does an excellent job of delivering on its design goals and deserves to be recognized.
SilverStone SX600-G SFX 600W Power Supply
Our thanks to SilverStone for sending us the SX600-G PSU to review!
I am building a mITX PC at
I am building a mITX PC at the moment, and liked the size, design and layout of a lot of Silverstone’s SUGO and MILO cases, but most take SFX PSUs. The price for a SFX PSU is hard to justify. I ended up with a SG08-LITE because it takes ATX PSUs, and got a Corsair CX600M for $54, vs the $130 Silverstone SX600-G.
That is a tradeoff with
That is a tradeoff with smaller builds, you get the convenience of a physically smaller computer and the advantages of that, but the build is often more involved, and the price has a premium. It sounds like you weighed those pros and cons and went with something that would fit your needs. That being said, if you didn’t need 600 watts, and most single GPU systems won’t even come close to that, the Silverstone ST55F-G 550 watt is $115, and the ST45SF 450 watt is $80. That is not a terrible price premium for a quality PSU.
Well i do own one of these
Well i do own one of these and i got to say:
Yes it is expensive but it uses high quality components and its the only 600W SFX PSU out there.
If other manufactures would build more SFX PSUs, Silverstone might drop prices.
The number of mini-ITX cases
The number of mini-ITX cases has increased lately, so maybe more companies will start making SFX power supplies. Nexus used to make short (125 mm) ATX power supplies, but not any more. I wish Seasonic would build an SFX power supply.
The new SX500-LG power supply, a 500 W SFX-L unit, has been posted on the Silverstone site, but it has not started to ship yet. Hopefully the extra 30 mm of length that allows the use of a 120 mm fan will result in a quieter power supply that is still very small.
Nice, this might allow me to
Nice, this might allow me to use the flex hard drive bays from my Caselabs M8 with my M3. Technically they fit, but with a normal size PSU, you can’t plug in the drives since they’re too close to the PSU.
I have this power supply and
I have this power supply and it works well but I do have a high pitch squeeling noise coming from it when the computer isn’t powered on. its a bit annoying.
Is this the 430w or 600w
Is this the 430w or 600w version? and when did you buy it?
got same problem…
got same problem…
I don’t notice any noises
I don’t notice any noises coming from mine.
I went for this over the 600w because it had the nice cables included.
Expensive power supply but not much competition. Modular was handy because it meant I could plug in to the motherboard first and also didn’t need to use the peripherals cable.
*the 600w over the 450….
*the 600w over the 450….
It’s a bit of a shame they
It’s a bit of a shame they have a nice black PSU, then include a boring plain metal adapter plate for ATX in it… looks nasty in a black case.