Exclusive: Antec Signature 850W
by Christoph Katzer on May 7, 2008 2:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
Fan Speed and Acoustics
Even though we are writing 17dB(A) at loads of 10% and 20% the fan is simply not audible and the 17dB(A) is the limit of our test equipment. If you lean close to the fan, even putting your ear next to it, you will only hear a low ticking noise. To compare the fan speed vs. acoustic noise with other units, we can see the Nidec fan is doing an excellent job. At higher speeds of 1500RPM there is only a small amount acoustic noise - up to 21dB(A). We have heard other fans that are clearly audible at this point even with lower rotational speeds.
Owner of Antec's Signature power supplies will appreciate a very quiet environment up to a power draw of 600W. The fan starts spinning faster and quickly reaches ~3000RPM and a noise level of 30dB(A) onwards, which is of course clearly audible and as annoying as all other power supplies at this level. With an ambient temperature of 50°C the fan can spin at up to 4600RPM and produce 40dB(A), reminding us of the old PC Power & Cooling power supplies.
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JarredWalton - Wednesday, May 7, 2008 - link
I have used dozens of Antec cases over the years... I have not yet purchased an Antec PSU separate from a case, however. Then again, Earthwatts might make that a reasonable thing to do these days.strikeback03 - Wednesday, May 7, 2008 - link
I've used EarthWatts 380 units in a couple of systems for the lab. Seem to do fine, nice and quiet, and prices around $20-30 after rebate at Newegg, works for me.DDG - Wednesday, May 7, 2008 - link
I recently picked up the Earthwatts 650 unit and I must say I'm impressed so far. It's quiet and has 6 SATA and Molex connectors as well as 2 PCI-Express (1 6-pin and 1 6+2 pin). It replaced a Truepower 550-watt PSU that was 5 years old but still going strong (just too noisy and not energy efficient).