When testing in a power supply laboratory it is difficult to take fan noise readings as the noise from the Chroma corrupts everything. The next best thing in our circumstances was reading off the fan speed with a tachometer to get an idea for the noise. In the Enermax Europe PSU lab we had to do exactly that and we recorded the fan speed at each load scenario. The ambient temperature during testing held constant at 26 degrees, with 1 degree of variation. Each power supply had a consistent time period of 5 minutes to stabilise between each load scenario.
In my experience the following general relationships apply between noise levels and fan speeds, though it can vary greatly between the type of fan used.
- Below 800 RPM – Inaudible/Silent
- 800 to 1000 RPM – Barely audible
- 1000 – 1200 RPM – Audible but still quiet
- 1200 – 1400 RPM – Moderately noisy
- 1400 – 1800 RPM – Noisy
- 1800 RPM or higher – Intolerable
The XFX Pro 750W Black Edition power supply was virtually silent the entire time running at less than 900RPM even at 100% load. This is certainly a great achievement and is testament to the efficiency of the unit as it shows very little power is wasted as excess heat.
It looks like one of the very PSUs released by XFS.
And, hey it’s great to see proper PSU testing methods are being used while reviewing. 🙂
@Ryan: Another good review from you man!!
The test results and Editors Choice award are not surprising in the least considering it’s Seasonic unit but what amazes me is the price XFX sells it for. If you’re in the market for a PSU of this class the only thing you should be asking yourself is do you want surface or air shipping.
Nice work Ryan. It reminds me of the days I used to test & repair (yes, repair) PSU’s of all types. If I did it these days I’d demand danger pay.
I noticed you mentioned it missed 80plus Platinum by 2%, but you need to use the 115V Internal values, which means it did pass Platinum. Look on the 80plus site to clarify. This is a 115V internal power supply and not 230V.
i wonder if there is a way you can still find sun moon load tester used for cheap