Seasonic X-Series SS-460FL: 460 Watts of Fanless Power
by Martin Kaffei on October 20, 2010 12:01 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- Seasonic
- PSUs
- X-460
- Fanless
SS-460FL: Good and silent, but is that what you really want?
With a price of $160 online the Seasonic X-Series SS-460FL is as expensive as some previously tested 1000W power supplies. However, it offers the best performance we've seen and a fully modular connector panel. We've never seen a PSU that has no real weaknesses in our testing, and the worst thing we can say about the SS-460FL performance is that it only posted 80% efficiency at 10% load (which is still good).
We even managed to draw 110% of the rated output with reliable results, although it is difficult to assess what the performance will be after a few months of operation at high loads and the higher temperatures of summertime. If you're planning on running close to a 100% load with an entirely fanless system, we suspect you'll have difficulties, but provided you isolate the PSU from other heat sources it should hold up. Then again, finding fanless GPUs that require PEG connectors for power is hard to do, and that would almost be required to hit the 460W mark—that or a heavily overclocked CPU, neither of which would make much sense if you're after silent operation. Exercise some care in speccing out your system and err on the side of reason and the SS-460FL should perform admirably.
While you can't plug in all peripheral cable harnesses, the SS-460FL has two PCIe connectors—not bad for a passively cooled PSU. (Note that the 400W model only comes with a single PEG connector.) All of the cables are longer than 60cm as well, so you can safely use this unit in some larger cases. All the chosen components are upscale and the design and topology is outstanding. There is a line filtering stage (Yunpen) behind the entrance and Nippon Chemi-Con capacitors are used throughout the PSU. The Infineon transistors are well dimensioned and the attachement of the PFC-choke is adequate. And just in case something goes awry, Seasonic offers all the expected safety functions.
The SS-460FL reached up to 91% efficiency, with no more than 12mV ripple and noise on all rails and good voltage regulation. There's no fan to make noise, and the electronics are also free of static or any other unwanted effects. The PSU is exactly what you'd expect: silent. Even so, there's some serious competition for the X-Series Fanless models from Seasonic's own product line.
The semi-passive X-Series models are able to deliver more power, thanks to the addition of active cooling that kicks in at around 20% load and only really becomes noticeable above 50%, and you get all that for the same (or a lower) price. This includes the SS-560KM, which bumps up the maximum output and can still run silently under light loads, or near-silent at moderate loads. Considering you can get that unit for $30 less than the SS-460SL, and the peace of mind the "backup" Sanyo Denki fan provides, for the vast majority of users we'd recommend that route over a fanless PSU.
If you want to have an absolutely silent PSU that can run at high loads and you don't care about cost, the SS-460FL delivers. What we can't readily quantify is the long-term stability and performance after months or years of use. The SS-460GL is a prestige object that most will find unnecessary, but it's still an awesome product. For all other customers the SS-560KM is nearly silent through ~50% load and passive at low loads, and it represents a more reasonable selection for midrange PCs. After all, why bother with a silent PSU if you're still running fans on the CPU and GPU?
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numberoneoppa - Wednesday, October 20, 2010 - link
Well, in most quiet systems, the PSU generates most of the noise. This seems to really address that. Sure, 460W seems like the perfect amount of power for all but high-end gaming machines (this is fine for a single-card arrangement).I agree with the need for some sort of airflow, though, like a 120mm CPU fan pushing air along, which for all intents and purposes, is silent.
You need some fans somewhere, its up to you where you want to put them, though.
Me likey.
defacer - Thursday, October 21, 2010 - link
Not sure what you mean bu "most quiet systems", but in my experience the most noise is generated by the GPU fan and/or the HDDs (for the latter, vibration-induced noise can be a major pain unless your case or HD mounting can take care of it).My main system runs a few undervolted Nexus fans (2x120mm + 1x80mm on the CPU heatsink), an Arctic Cooling Accelero Turbo Module on the GPU heatsink and a Corsair HX520 PSU. The Nexus fans are louder than the Corsair (although of course you can't tell unless you open up the case -- there's not much to hear otherwise).
Hrel - Thursday, October 21, 2010 - link
well that's a quiet system not a silent one. It's not that hard to make a system with no fans at all and rubber grommets to mounts everything. In that case, you would want to use a low CFM 120mm fan somewhere to get some kind of airflow going, exhaust fan or on the CPU. Scythe makes a nice one rated at 8db, can't hear it.defacer - Saturday, October 23, 2010 - link
Technically I have to agree it's quiet and not silent. However, encased in an Antec P182 and placed under the desk you would be hard-pressed to hear anything at all unless it's the dead of night, and even then it's no more than a whisper.Anyway, the OP was referring to quiet systems and used the word silent with the disclaimer "for all intents and purposes", kinda like I tend to use it as well.
Of course I would use this PSU if I were gifted one, but I really don't think it's good value for money spending double for a PSU to make a practically silent system also be technically silent.
mindless1 - Tuesday, December 27, 2011 - link
You would not want to use a low CFM fan "somewhere" with a passive PSU. That's worse than no other fans but the one in the PSU because it pulls the PSU heat into the case or if it were only an intake fan, to be effective it'd be on the front of the case where a much larger % of noise reaches the user than if it were a rear exhaust fan.dj christian - Friday, December 30, 2011 - link
Eehh what? What's a CFM fan? If you put a fan in the front of the psu it would have to be small and noise so i don't see that as an option.Souka - Wednesday, October 20, 2010 - link
I see this in a more open case design...where natural convection would disappate the heat.For shame anyone who sticks this in a closed case, with a hot HD, and a gaming grade video card.....especially if they play games! :)
But yeah, in the case a single large fan, spinning slowly, would all the system needs.
numberoneoppa - Wednesday, October 20, 2010 - link
Yeah, like those new Antec Lanboy Air cases I see advertised on the banner here all of the time. Sounds like a match made in heaven.AstroGuardian - Wednesday, October 20, 2010 - link
Convection is not possible inside a case where there are few other fans.hangfirew8 - Wednesday, October 20, 2010 - link
"Convection is not possible inside a case where there are few other fans. " -AstroGuardianIn an open case design, as Souka stated, fans only affect what they are blowing against, and convection will happen whether you want it or not.
Convection assisted ventilation is entirely possible in a closed case with one or more fans. Just set the case fan(s) near the top to blow out (create negative pressure). A bottom mounted power supply will then draw cool air in, and once inside the case, that P/S-heated air will be heated will rise to meet the fans.
A blow-down CPU fan (Intel, AMD stock) can be disruptive of convection, while a blow-through CPU cooler design (Hyper 212+, Freezer Pro, Mugen 2) can assist convection, or if ducted both in and out, can co-exist with convection. Since we are talking about a $160 P/S targeted to the Silent PC market, there is no reason to assume stock CPU coolers and unmodded case internals.