DH Review: North Q Pacific 400w Fanless PSU

Zardon · Mar 30, 2007, 06:35 PM

Read The Review Here
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If you want to build an entirely silent PC, you have to (logically) either take out or replace everything that generates noise. Every moving part inside a PC generates noise, mainly fans and hard disk drives. A common source of noise that comes from a PC is the power supply unit. These high power devices require cooling and so there are fans installed inside them. A cheap, less efficient or extremely powerful unit is commonly cooled by a fast, noisy fan. As of late, companies try to make their units more ‘user friendly’, making them more efficient so as to require less cooling, and therefore to be as quiet as possible. Nevertheless, for something to be entirely quiet, it has to be missing any moving parts. And so some companies introduced extremely efficient, fanless power supply units which generate no noise at all, for the most demanding of users.

ronnn · Apr 2, 2007, 07:16 AM

Nice review! Am always interested in silent stuff. If NCIX sells it here at a decent price, will get one for a multimedia type machine.

Matth · Apr 2, 2007, 05:21 PM

The story is probably going to be very different in most cases, unless the case is also completely swiss cheesed, as in a case with the normal amount of ventilation, the PSU fan will end up being forced to turn on, once the system is at any more than idle.

Dummy load testing may give a precise load, but in a real system, something would have to deal with the power used in the case, as well as the wastage in the PSU.

ronnn · Apr 3, 2007, 05:20 AM

Of course the case will make a difference. I can tell you that quiet computing is not cheap or easy, but for the anal ones (like me), is a very tempting option.

procupine14 · Apr 12, 2007, 01:29 PM

then there are people like me who just dont care about silent computing
unless the thing is making an obvious dying fan noise i don't mind
not that silent computing wouldnt be nice but the noise keeps me company
and i i get tired of it i turn up the volume =)

Mar 30, 2007, 06:35 PM	#1
Zardon DriverHeaven Founder Join Date: May 2002 Posts: 32,480 Rep Power: 179	DH Review: North Q Pacific 400w Fanless PSU Read The Review Here _____________________ If you want to build an entirely silent PC, you have to (logically) either take out or replace everything that generates noise. Every moving part inside a PC generates noise, mainly fans and hard disk drives. A common source of noise that comes from a PC is the power supply unit. These high power devices require cooling and so there are fans installed inside them. A cheap, less efficient or extremely powerful unit is commonly cooled by a fast, noisy fan. As of late, companies try to make their units more ‘user friendly’, making them more efficient so as to require less cooling, and therefore to be as quiet as possible. Nevertheless, for something to be entirely quiet, it has to be missing any moving parts. And so some companies introduced extremely efficient, fanless power supply units which generate no noise at all, for the most demanding of users.

Apr 2, 2007, 05:21 PM	#3
Matth Flash Banner Hater Join Date: Jun 2002 Location: UK Posts: 3,426 Rep Power: 93 System Specs	The story is probably going to be very different in most cases, unless the case is also completely swiss cheesed, as in a case with the normal amount of ventilation, the PSU fan will end up being forced to turn on, once the system is at any more than idle. Dummy load testing may give a precise load, but in a real system, something would have to deal with the power used in the case, as well as the wastage in the PSU. __________________ Mary had a little lamb, Her father shot it dead Now Mary takes her lamb to school, Between two crusts of bread

Apr 2, 2007, 07:16 AM	#2
ronnn DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 617 Rep Power: 0	Nice review! Am always interested in silent stuff. If NCIX sells it here at a decent price, will get one for a multimedia type machine.

Apr 3, 2007, 05:20 AM	#4
ronnn DriverHeaven Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 617 Rep Power: 0	Of course the case will make a difference. I can tell you that quiet computing is not cheap or easy, but for the anal ones (like me), is a very tempting option.

Apr 12, 2007, 01:29 PM	#5
procupine14 Why is it Beeping!?!?! Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: USA, Missouri Posts: 1,400 Rep Power: 58 System Specs	then there are people like me who just dont care about silent computing unless the thing is making an obvious dying fan noise i don't mind not that silent computing wouldnt be nice but the noise keeps me company and i i get tired of it i turn up the volume =)