What SPL meter did you use, what are the test conditions, what is the precise output load (in watts), and how far from the PSU are you measuring noise? My guess is: you don't have an SPL meter, your PSU is in a closed up case, the load is probably more like 700-900W at most, and you're sitting a few feet away. Remember, input power is not output power, and generating a load of 1200W would require basically four R9 290X GPUs running at max power with a bit of overclocking added in for good measure. There aren't many ways regular PC users would ever have a constant load anywhere near 1200W, and at 800W (which is still a lot for a PC) the noise is quite a bit lower.
I love these power supply reviews, esp the value statements in the conclusion. That is exactly how I would think. I especially appreciate the hot tests. They are tests a reasonable consumer could not easily perform at home.
I admire your attempt to uphold your article's credibility, but did you think for a minute that perhaps you received a flawed unit, or compare your results with those of other credible reviews already out prior to publishing your findings?
Going into detail here regarding my setup would require a page and a half, however I will say that I was running four 780's pushing near 1200MHz and an overclocked 5960X at 1.25 volts. And that doesn't include the ~100 watts needed by the dozen Bitfenix PWM fans on the rads used to cool all of this. No, this was not in a closed case, the load being pulled from the wall was between 1150 and 1290 watts depending on the job being run, and I was not sitting "a few feet" away as you think I might have been.
In the three reviews listed here, neither mentions this power supply being as loud as your review suggests:
What kind of an answer is that man, giving links that doesn't even match the message you're sending to the anandtech reviewer?
Overclock 3D isn't a full review all he says is that it's quiet, no ambient room temperature no noise mesurement device based on his opinion only. One page review where half of the time on the video speaks about the ripple suppression and the overhype of coolermaster about that.
Techpowerup comes to about the same results from 800 to 1200 watts power usage hovering around 51 to 54dba. Only results that differ a little are lower ambient temperature but again they use a custom anechoic chamber to measure noise that reduces the ambient noises to 20dba which is not normal usage, no one games in an anechoic room and some people are really used to outstanding ambient noise.
Kitguru is the only one with very lower numbers but then again they use THEIR acoustic room, doesn't specify what kind of fan settings they are using and so on.
Three reviews different on their testing methodology and you tell us you have a DOZEN bitfenix fans on the rad plus what other noise around you, no wonder why you think it's quiet, you live in the noise! what's your sound measurement tool? From what I can hear ''I was not sitting "a few feet" away'' your EARS?
Goodbye! Brush up on your reading skills man nice system you have btw.
I will simply comment that do not feel the need to "compare" my results prior to publishing them. And, trust me, I can tell if a unit is "flawed" or not.
In the three reviews you mentioned, only one is actual, complete work and its results coincide with mine. Actually, since the floor noise of Techpowerup's setup is significantly lower, the PSU they tested appears to be even louder.
I have Seasonic SS-1200XP3, and its fan is quite loud when the PSU is fully loaded. I replaced it with Corsair AX1500i, and the fan noise is day and night compared to Seasonic - really quiet. My system easily draws 1100-1300 watts with 4 watercooled Titan Black videocards and really allows those PSUs to show what they are capable of.
Well, it can be entirely quiet, but it will also be very, very expensive.
The thing is, sound power and sound pressure are additive figures. This means that if you have a noise source that outputs a total SPL of 50dB(A) and add another device that outputs another 45dB(A) to it, you will have a system with a total SPL of 50+45 dB(A). That's NOT 95dB(A), the scale is logarithmic, so the exact math are X = 10log[(10^5.0)+(10^4.5)] = 51.193 dB(A).
To make things simpler, no, I do not expect that such a powerful system will ever be entirely quiet. You can however build a system that is fairly comfortable for everyday use and gaming without terrible effort. But if you keep adding high noise sources, the total noise output of the system increases and it will sooner or later surpass that "comfort threshold". Ignoring the noise output of a power supply just because the rest of the system "is not quiet anyway" is very logical - a noisy power supply will make the entire system, which already is not quiet, even louder.
If i remember correctly, at the same frequency every +3dB sound seems 2x as loud and every +10dB sound seems 10x as loud. as different humans are more/less sensitive to different frequencies even at the same dB.
that counts indeed for dB. But notice that the sound levels are measured in dBA. A weighed it takes +10dBA to have make it seem twice as loud, not +3dBA ;-)
How does the 24pin ATX cable connect to the PSU? I'm assuming the 2 ports labeled 18P M/B and 10P M/B are involved; but since they have a total of 4 more pins than needed I'm curious what's going on since it's apparently more than just splitting the connector to make it easier to arrange everything on their backplate.
The conclusion says: "it could be a good choice for systems that require a lot of power and operate under harsh conditions, as well as for gamers and professionals that do not prioritize low-noise operation over reliability and power quality".
Isn't that completely wrong? For any gamer with a <800W system, the PSU will be be completely silent. Since that power limit covers almost all real-world gamers, it seems to me that it's the ideal (if expensive) PUS for "gamers ... that do prioritize low-noise operation, as well as desiring reliability and power quality".
No, users with a <800W system would be better off going with a different PSU that is semi-fanless. As stated in the review even at 800w the sound level is 50db, dropping 600w which would be near typical you get about 44db. You would be better off getting a model such as the corsair hx1000i whose fan doesnt even spin below 500w, and costs $60 less. Hell, you dont even need a 1kw PSU for most builds that arent sli or cfx, you could even get a 800 watter that is semi-fanless and you'd be better off, in price and performance
Great review, as usual. I would really like to see more reviews of units in the 700-800W sweet-spot. You can already imagine SLI/Crossfire and some decent overclocking in that range. Situations that require anything over 1000W are less frequent, even in tech sites like this one.
It's fascinating to see reviews of these massive PSUs, but personally I'd be more interested in seeing reviews of lower powered units as well - exactly to see how the mentioned high end features trickle down. Also, with the launch of Maxwell 2, it seems to me that low powered PSUs would be more relevant than previously - a GTX 970 should be able to run off a 400W (or even smaller!) PSU. How about a round-up of ~450W units?
For the people wondering about the who uses these huge power supplies, one large market for these >1000W power supplies is Bitcoin/Altcoin ASICs. Many of the boxes require 90A on the 12V rail, all supplied through the PCIe connectors.
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27 Comments
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Essence_of_War - Friday, November 21, 2014 - link
Good gracious, that is a LOUD fan!Luscious - Friday, November 21, 2014 - link
Your sound measurements are off.I have this power supply, and at 1200 watts it is quiet.
JarredWalton - Friday, November 21, 2014 - link
What SPL meter did you use, what are the test conditions, what is the precise output load (in watts), and how far from the PSU are you measuring noise? My guess is: you don't have an SPL meter, your PSU is in a closed up case, the load is probably more like 700-900W at most, and you're sitting a few feet away. Remember, input power is not output power, and generating a load of 1200W would require basically four R9 290X GPUs running at max power with a bit of overclocking added in for good measure. There aren't many ways regular PC users would ever have a constant load anywhere near 1200W, and at 800W (which is still a lot for a PC) the noise is quite a bit lower.bebimbap - Friday, November 21, 2014 - link
I love these power supply reviews, esp the value statements in the conclusion. That is exactly how I would think.I especially appreciate the hot tests. They are tests a reasonable consumer could not easily perform at home.
Luscious - Saturday, November 22, 2014 - link
I admire your attempt to uphold your article's credibility, but did you think for a minute that perhaps you received a flawed unit, or compare your results with those of other credible reviews already out prior to publishing your findings?Going into detail here regarding my setup would require a page and a half, however I will say that I was running four 780's pushing near 1200MHz and an overclocked 5960X at 1.25 volts. And that doesn't include the ~100 watts needed by the dozen Bitfenix PWM fans on the rads used to cool all of this. No, this was not in a closed case, the load being pulled from the wall was between 1150 and 1290 watts depending on the job being run, and I was not sitting "a few feet" away as you think I might have been.
In the three reviews listed here, neither mentions this power supply being as loud as your review suggests:
http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/CoolerMaster/V1...
http://www.kitguru.net/components/power-supplies/z...
http://www.overclock3d.net/articles/power_supply/c...
Galidou - Sunday, November 23, 2014 - link
What kind of an answer is that man, giving links that doesn't even match the message you're sending to the anandtech reviewer?Overclock 3D isn't a full review all he says is that it's quiet, no ambient room temperature no noise mesurement device based on his opinion only. One page review where half of the time on the video speaks about the ripple suppression and the overhype of coolermaster about that.
Techpowerup comes to about the same results from 800 to 1200 watts power usage hovering around 51 to 54dba. Only results that differ a little are lower ambient temperature but again they use a custom anechoic chamber to measure noise that reduces the ambient noises to 20dba which is not normal usage, no one games in an anechoic room and some people are really used to outstanding ambient noise.
Kitguru is the only one with very lower numbers but then again they use THEIR acoustic room, doesn't specify what kind of fan settings they are using and so on.
Three reviews different on their testing methodology and you tell us you have a DOZEN bitfenix fans on the rad plus what other noise around you, no wonder why you think it's quiet, you live in the noise! what's your sound measurement tool? From what I can hear ''I was not sitting "a few feet" away'' your EARS?
Goodbye! Brush up on your reading skills man nice system you have btw.
E.Fyll - Tuesday, November 25, 2014 - link
I will simply comment that do not feel the need to "compare" my results prior to publishing them. And, trust me, I can tell if a unit is "flawed" or not.In the three reviews you mentioned, only one is actual, complete work and its results coincide with mine. Actually, since the floor noise of Techpowerup's setup is significantly lower, the PSU they tested appears to be even louder.
vred - Friday, November 21, 2014 - link
I have Seasonic SS-1200XP3, and its fan is quite loud when the PSU is fully loaded. I replaced it with Corsair AX1500i, and the fan noise is day and night compared to Seasonic - really quiet. My system easily draws 1100-1300 watts with 4 watercooled Titan Black videocards and really allows those PSUs to show what they are capable of.Flunk - Friday, November 21, 2014 - link
"This makes it virtually unsuitable for users with very advanced gaming systems that try to keep them as quiet as possible"Who would that be? Anything that needs a 1200watt power supply isn't going to be quiet. Quad SLI systems are loud, even with liquid cooling.
E.Fyll - Friday, November 21, 2014 - link
Well, it can be entirely quiet, but it will also be very, very expensive.The thing is, sound power and sound pressure are additive figures. This means that if you have a noise source that outputs a total SPL of 50dB(A) and add another device that outputs another 45dB(A) to it, you will have a system with a total SPL of 50+45 dB(A). That's NOT 95dB(A), the scale is logarithmic, so the exact math are X = 10log[(10^5.0)+(10^4.5)] = 51.193 dB(A).
To make things simpler, no, I do not expect that such a powerful system will ever be entirely quiet. You can however build a system that is fairly comfortable for everyday use and gaming without terrible effort. But if you keep adding high noise sources, the total noise output of the system increases and it will sooner or later surpass that "comfort threshold". Ignoring the noise output of a power supply just because the rest of the system "is not quiet anyway" is very logical - a noisy power supply will make the entire system, which already is not quiet, even louder.
E.Fyll - Friday, November 21, 2014 - link
"....is *not* very logical - a noisy...."bebimbap - Friday, November 21, 2014 - link
If i remember correctly, at the same frequency every +3dB sound seems 2x as loud and every +10dB sound seems 10x as loud. as different humans are more/less sensitive to different frequencies even at the same dB.jmke - Tuesday, November 25, 2014 - link
that counts indeed for dB. But notice that the sound levels are measured in dBA. A weighed it takes +10dBA to have make it seem twice as loud, not +3dBA ;-)DanNeely - Friday, November 21, 2014 - link
How does the 24pin ATX cable connect to the PSU? I'm assuming the 2 ports labeled 18P M/B and 10P M/B are involved; but since they have a total of 4 more pins than needed I'm curious what's going on since it's apparently more than just splitting the connector to make it easier to arrange everything on their backplate.vred - Friday, November 21, 2014 - link
You are right about the connectors. This is not a one-to-one connection between the two sides of the cable.redmist77 - Friday, November 21, 2014 - link
Exactly how many people out there are running 4-way SLI? They seem to be horribly over-represented in tech news.vred - Friday, November 21, 2014 - link
Because we are awesome?redmist77 - Saturday, November 22, 2014 - link
Both of you?vred - Saturday, November 22, 2014 - link
No, we're speaking of ourselves in plural. Do you mean there's... *another* one?rpg1966 - Friday, November 21, 2014 - link
The conclusion says: "it could be a good choice for systems that require a lot of power and operate under harsh conditions, as well as for gamers and professionals that do not prioritize low-noise operation over reliability and power quality".Isn't that completely wrong? For any gamer with a <800W system, the PSU will be be completely silent. Since that power limit covers almost all real-world gamers, it seems to me that it's the ideal (if expensive) PUS for "gamers ... that do prioritize low-noise operation, as well as desiring reliability and power quality".
refin3d - Tuesday, November 25, 2014 - link
No, users with a <800W system would be better off going with a different PSU that is semi-fanless. As stated in the review even at 800w the sound level is 50db, dropping 600w which would be near typical you get about 44db. You would be better off getting a model such as the corsair hx1000i whose fan doesnt even spin below 500w, and costs $60 less. Hell, you dont even need a 1kw PSU for most builds that arent sli or cfx, you could even get a 800 watter that is semi-fanless and you'd be better off, in price and performanceFriendlyUser - Saturday, November 22, 2014 - link
Great review, as usual. I would really like to see more reviews of units in the 700-800W sweet-spot. You can already imagine SLI/Crossfire and some decent overclocking in that range. Situations that require anything over 1000W are less frequent, even in tech sites like this one.Pork@III - Saturday, November 22, 2014 - link
Too noisy. Bad work!Valantar - Saturday, November 22, 2014 - link
It's fascinating to see reviews of these massive PSUs, but personally I'd be more interested in seeing reviews of lower powered units as well - exactly to see how the mentioned high end features trickle down. Also, with the launch of Maxwell 2, it seems to me that low powered PSUs would be more relevant than previously - a GTX 970 should be able to run off a 400W (or even smaller!) PSU. How about a round-up of ~450W units?The Von Matrices - Sunday, November 23, 2014 - link
For the people wondering about the who uses these huge power supplies, one large market for these >1000W power supplies is Bitcoin/Altcoin ASICs. Many of the boxes require 90A on the 12V rail, all supplied through the PCIe connectors.The Von Matrices - Sunday, November 23, 2014 - link
Also worth mentioning that people with ASICs have noise as one of their lowest priorities since the ASICs themselves generate 70-80dB.NithinJoji - Monday, November 24, 2014 - link
Found something amazing (400W PSU with TITANIUM Certification!!!!!!!!)http://www.plugloadsolutions.com/psu_reports/FSP%2...