Quiet PSU for a media player PC ?

[pc-freak]

Hi
I have some PC parts left and wish to build a media player:

CPU: Intel Core i5-4440S
Motherboard: Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H
Memory: 2x4GB DDR3

As the media player would be used for watching movies and listening to music I would use the integrated intel graphics.

All I need is a quiet power supply.

I've looked at corsair rm550w but I think it's overkill, I'd only buy it because I know RM series is very silent (i have one in my main PC)

Another PSU I've been looking at is Corsair CX 550, but is it silent?

Can anyone recommend me a quality quiet PSU for this build?

Thanks!

 

[profoundnoah]

Is it silent? No. Will it be enough? More than likely. How much are you looking to spend? If you want ABSOLUTE silence, you can get a fanless PSU, though it will cost you a bit: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/fBXfrH/seasonic-power-supply-ss400fl2 Alternatively, be Quiet PSU's are also quite noiseless: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/GMYWGX/be-quiet-pure-power-10-cm-600w-80-silver-certified-semi-modular-atx-power-supply-bn278 Personally, I'd just go with a standard Focus/G3 Power Supply from SeaSonic/EVGA. There won't be a noise difference that is worth the cost imo.

 

[JamesSneed]

Have you picked out a case? Will it hold an ATX power supply? Many of the smaller cases only fit a SFX sized power supply.

Look at the Seasonic fanless PSU, "SeaSonic Platinum Series SS-400FL2 ". A 400 watt PSU will be way more than you need for this build.

 

[pc-freak]

Is it silent? No. Will it be enough? More than likely. How much are you looking to spend? If you want ABSOLUTE silence, you can get a fanless PSU, though it will cost you a bit: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/fBXfrH/seasonic-power-supply-ss400fl2 Alternatively, be Quiet PSU's are also quite noiseless: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/GMYWGX/be-quiet-pure-power-10-cm-600w-80-silver-certified-semi-modular-atx-power-supply-bn278 Personally, I'd just go with a standard Focus/G3 Power Supply from SeaSonic/EVGA. There won't be a noise difference that is worth the cost imo.

I am not looking to spend too much. I wouldn't want to spend over £60, unless there isn't other option.

Have you picket out a case? Will it hold an ATX power supply? Many of the smaller cases only fit a SFX sized power supply.

Look at the Seasonic fanless PSU, "SeaSonic Platinum Series SS-400FL2 ". A 400 watt PSU will be way more than you need for this build.

I do have a case. Old one. It used to house a XFX 650W psu. I'd like at least a 550W PSU in case I later want to add a GPU for watching higher resolution videos.

 

[Darkbreeze]

All of the fanless units I can see are ATX form factor on PCPP.

https://pcpartpicker.com/products/power-supply/#F=1&sort=price&page=1

Knowing what form factor the case is would certainly be helpful. I think it might be better going with a unit that has a passive mode rather than purely fanless. It's doubtful that build will often trigger the fan operation if you go with a unit that is a few hundred watts higher than what is actually called for, and will likely be much cheaper than a fanless model in any case.

 

[Darkbreeze]

You don't need a GPU card for watching high resolution video. Only for gaming. All of the current integrated graphics solutions are more than capable enough for 4k video as long as you're just watching and not encoding or other intensive tasks.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Those CX units have aggressive fan profiles. I would not recommend them for "silent" or even "quiet" builds. A higher tiered Corsair model, or a good model from Seasonic, EVGA or Antec might be a much better option.

What sort of budget are you willing to work with?

 

[profoundnoah]

If you're looking for a reasonably priced silent PSU, then this would probably be your best shot. https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/N7Jkcf/be-quiet-pure-power-10-cm-400w-80-silver-certified-semi-modular-atx-power-supply-bn276 It also has a rather decent review on Jonnyguru as well: http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story2&reid=525 (though note that it is a difference wattage, componentry may differ a little)

 

[pc-freak]

All of the fanless units I can see are ATX form factor on PCPP.

https://pcpartpicker.com/products/power-supply/#F=1&sort=price&page=1

Knowing what form factor the case is would certainly be helpful. I think it might be better going with a unit that has a passive mode rather than purely fanless. It's doubtful that build will often trigger the fan operation if you go with a unit that is a few hundred watts higher than what is actually called for, and will likely be much cheaper than a fanless model in any case.

You don't need a GPU card for watching high resolution video. Only for gaming. All of the current integrated graphics solutions are more than capable enough for 4k video as long as you're just watching and not encoding or other intensive tasks.

Those CX units have aggressive fan profiles. I would not recommend them for "silent" or even "quiet" builds. A higher tiered Corsair model, or a good model from Seasonic, EVGA or Antec might be a much better option.

What sort of budget are you willing to work with?

The case is cooler master n200. I didn't know intel integrated graphics have capability of playing 4k video. What about 3D videos? I know I'm pushing it a bit. Just want to make a right choice just in case ^^'

Budget would be something in range of £60. The power supply doesn't have to dead silent. Just not noisy.

If you're looking for a reasonably priced silent PSU, then this would probably be your best shot. https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/product/N7Jkcf/be-quiet-pure-power-10-cm-400w-80-silver-certified-semi-modular-atx-power-supply-bn276 It also has a rather decent review on Jonnyguru as well: http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story2&reid=525 (though note that it is a difference wattage, componentry may differ a little)

If I were to go with a 400W PSU this would be a perfect solution!

 

[JamesSneed]

Is it silent? No. Will it be enough? More than likely. How much are you looking to spend? If you want ABSOLUTE silence, you can get a fanless PSU, though it will cost you a bit: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/fBXfrH/seasonic-power-supply-ss400fl2 Alternatively, be Quiet PSU's are also quite noiseless: https://pcpartpicker.com/product/GMYWGX/be-quiet-pure-power-10-cm-600w-80-silver-certified-semi-modular-atx-power-supply-bn278 Personally, I'd just go with a standard Focus/G3 Power Supply from SeaSonic/EVGA. There won't be a noise difference that is worth the cost imo.

I am not looking to spend too much. I wouldn't want to spend over £60, unless there isn't other option.

Have you picket out a case? Will it hold an ATX power supply? Many of the smaller cases only fit a SFX sized power supply.

Look at the Seasonic fanless PSU, "SeaSonic Platinum Series SS-400FL2 ". A 400 watt PSU will be way more than you need for this build.

I do have a case. Old one. It used to house a XFX 650W psu. I'd like at least a 550W PSU in case I later want to add a GPU for watching higher resolution videos.

A 400 watt PSU will handle that as well. Hit up a PSU calculator and you will see. I mean you aren't thinking of putting a high end GPU in there from the sounds of it. Even with a low end say Nvidia GTX 1050 you are under 275 watts.

 

[Darkbreeze]

Even up to a GTX 1060 you'd be fine with a high quality 450w unit. If you also wanted it to be quiet, then I'd go no lower than a 550w, with a 1060.

Bottom line though, ANY kind of video watching that I'm aware of is easily handled by that HD 4600 iGPU on your processor, so long as it is at or below the following resolution specifications.


Model: Intel Intel HD 4600

Specifications:
spacer
Chipset Manufacturer Intel
Maximum DVI Resolution 1920x1200
Maximum HDMI Resolution 4096x2160
Maximum DisplayPort Resolution 3840x2160
HDCP Compliant Yes
GPU Specifications
Stream Processors 20
Memory Specifications
Shared Memory Up to 1700 MB
Additional Information
DirectX Support DirectX 11.1
OpenGL Support 4.0


Pretty much anything listed here would work well, given the idea you might add a GPU card at some later date.

https://uk.pcpartpicker.com/products/power-supply/#W=400,2000&t=2&e=4&sort=price&m=52,11,14,101,71



And if you will not be adding a GPU card, then of the units that fit within your budget and are available in your region, this is likely the unit I would most recommend.


PCPartPicker part list / Price breakdown by merchant

Power Supply: Super Flower - Golden Green HX 350W 80+ Gold Certified ATX Power Supply (£53.94 @ CCL Computers)
Total: £53.94
Prices include shipping, taxes, and discounts when available
Generated by PCPartPicker 2018-07-25 19:47 BST+0100

 

[Rexper]

Fanless power supplies are not “absolute” quiet. Electronics noise is another big factor in sound.
With a power supply using a good fan at low RPM, you won’t be hearing the fan anyways.

300W is enough for your system, just make sure it’s good. And higher power rating does not mean it will be quieter, it’s usually the opposite.

The be Quiet Pure Power 10 400 is good.
I’ve seen many aggressive fan profile on super flower units, perhaps this isn’t the case with the 350w. I’m yet to find a reliable review.

 

[Darkbreeze]

When it comes to noise levels, there are no more reliable reviews than those done by Silent PC crew. Other aspects of their review is definitely lacking but I don't know of any other review site with the kind of noise testing equipment setup they have there. If their review says the unit is quiet, then it is quiet. Some slight tonal hum they said, but that was likely a review sample issue as I've heard from many others with this unit that it was entirely quiet in the configurations they used it in.

Furthermore, all the other Golden green based units are pretty damn good performers including those domestic manufacturers that use the Golden green platform for their products, such as the EVGA 750 and 850w B2 units. There are others as well. While not as good as the Leadex units, the Golden green units are good performers, very good in fact, considering what you get for the price. In the US there are better options AND the Seasonic Prime unit available to him in the UK is certainly a better unit, but it is also outside his budget.

As for the BeQuiet unit you listed, I can't find ANY reviews for the 400w model, and Aris review of the 600w model, while not terrible, weren't outstanding either.

 

[Rexper]

The Pure Power 10 400 is same platform as the 500/600, and same RPM at low loads (~580), and is quieter than the Super Flower HX 350. Not only due to lower RPM, but the use of a better bearing.

A computerbase review for the hx 350: https://www.computerbase.de/2014-05/super-flower-golden-green-hx-350w-netzteil-test/7/

Subjective assessment: Super Flowers HX 350 is neither a loud nor a quiet power supply. The volume is never unpleasant, the use in particularly quiet computers is out of the question. The speed is too high at low load, and the fan causes a slight, even bearing noise. At high loads, slight electronic noises (whirring) are possible. In contrast to systems that are not optimized for low volume, the HX 350 will perform inconspicuously.

Every reviewer has different noise methodology. What is important is controlled variables, which means dBA readings should be compared only through the same reviewer. E.G don't compare dBA from Cybenetics Database to a review from SilentPC.

The Pure Power 10 has better protections aswell as a bit better performance. For the price, you can't expect much more...

Except for the Bitfenix Formula 450W at 60. Excellent quality power supply and very quiet. Only issue is the lack of modularity.

 

[pc-freak]

I ended up ordering Be Quiet T380670 BN278 600 W PSU because I will install a GPU (GTX 770) once I retire it from my current PC.

Online PSU calculator estimated a power usage of 500W.

The final media PC build will be:

Intel Core i5-4440S
Gigabyte GA-H97M-D3H
Corsair vengeance 2x4GB DDR3
1x 4TB Western digital blue
1x 120GB Kingston SSD
1x optical drive

and later on MSI GTX 770 2 GB

Thank you all for your help! I appreciate it!

 

[JamesSneed]

Good choice albeit you could have stated your specs at the start and made this chain more precise. Knowing you were placing a 225 watt GPU in your system would have helped a lot, in fact the GPU is pulling more than everything else in total. It always helps to give more information than you think is needed as people have insights you wouldn't always think about.

 

[Darkbreeze]

LOL. Computerbase.de. Might as well trust performance reviews from gamedebate.

You have no comparative proof that the BeQuiet unit is quieter, aside from your own opinion. Likely, it is, but you have no direct proof of that so stop making assumptions.

 

[pc-freak]

Good choice albeit you could have stated your specs at the start and made this chain more precise. Knowing you were placing a 225 watt GPU in your system would have helped a lot, in fact the GPU is pulling more than everything else in total. It always helps to give more information than you think is needed as people have insights you wouldn't always think about.

You're right! I'll have this in mind next time I'm asking for advice, thanks!

 

[Rexper]

LOL. Computerbase.de. Might as well trust performance reviews from gamedebate.

You have no comparative proof that the BeQuiet unit is quieter, aside from your own opinion. Likely, it is, but you have no direct proof of that so stop making assumptions.

What is wrong with Philip’s review methodology? If experts at JonnyGURU can trust his review, I’m not sure where you’re coming from.

RPM values, fan size, comparing the PSUs noise levels relative to other PSUs tested, in other reviews also measuring the Pure Power 10.

There’s no need to make assumptions here. Just a bit of logical thinking.

 

[profoundnoah]

Like others have said, OP, knowing your system specs would've helped tremendously, but there's no harm done. 600W will give you PLENTY of overhead in case you want to upgrade to some more powerful hardware down the line