SilenX 400W PSU Review - Specifications and Features
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According to the specs on the unit itself, it is rated for the following:
- +3.3V - 30A
- +5V - 40A
- +12V - 18A
The 3.3V and 5V lines are shared, so you aren't going to be able to actually get all that power handling out of it. That's not a big deal, since it's more than sufficient. What strikes me as odd is the rather low rating on the 12V line: 216W isn't a huge amount of power any longer, at least when you have an Intel CPU drawing specifically from that rail, and those are over 100W by themselves when overclocked. Theoretical numbers don't really matter though; we'll have to see how it tackles the heavy duty setup I have planned for it.
SilenX has added quite a few new features into this unit that aren't common on your typical Enermax or Antec unit. I've already mentioned the single fan configuration and rubber mounts for noise isolation. Besides those, this particular unit has what is called "Active Power Factor Correction," or active PFC. Much like the sleeving I mentioned earlier, this isn't going to be a noticeable performance enhancement to you. Your power company though, will love you. Computer power supplies, because of the AC/DC and DC/DC converters they use, tend to draw what is called reactive power, as well as apparent power from the wall socket. Previously this hasn't been an issue, as computers made up a very small amount of the electrical draw in a typical residential area. Now - with nearly every home having a PC, and many with multiple PC's, in addition to schools and businesses that have hundred's of computers hooked up 24/7 - that extra reactive draw is starting to add up. Large industrial complexes typically have to pay an extra rate depending on their power factor, or the ratio of reactive power to total power. Residential consumers have avoided this so far, but that looks like it might change. In Europe now, all computers are required to have at least a passive PFC power supply, to bring it's reactive power draw down. I'm not going to bore you on how this is done, just be assured that this will soon be a requirement in North America as well. Passive and active PFC also raises the efficiency of the unit, which of course will help on your next power bill.
Another feature of this unit is that each one is load tested prior to being packaged and sent out. As a part of that load test, the PSU has it's voltage lines adjusted to ensure that it will perform within spec. I don't believe that any other volume distributor other than PC P&C go to such lengths to ensure you get a correctly operating product. And just in case you find a need to raise the voltage, there is an adjustable potentiometer inside which controls all the rails. Not something that most people would ever find a need for, but for the extremist out there, this can be very useful.
SilenX, like every other power supply maker claims to have quality over-voltage and over-current protection. I had wanted to test this out, but I did it unintentionally before I planned to; accidentally tapping a live molex connector against the side of the case will do that. Since I'm still writing this article on that same computer, obviously it worked without killing any of my hardware.
What about looks? LED fans? Aluminium casing? UV reactive everything? Nope, none of that here. As far as I'm concerned, if you have to resort to using these kinds of gimmicks to sell your power supply, it's because the performance of unit is not capable of doing so on it's own. I know that's boring, but I don't want to be paying for stuff that does not affect performance. I'm sure I'm not alone in that.
Next: Putting the SilenX to the Test >>
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