[Chri5peed]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gsteinb88 Indeed, power supplies are normally the most overlooked componant in a computer system, but it is one of the most important. I am not surprised at all that it improved sound quality, as an underpowered sound card would probably perform pretty poorly. Thank god for my OCZ 520W powerstream SLI. -g

Very true, I've recently been in the market for a PC. I've only found one site where the PSU has been a selectable option when buiilding a computer...I bet the others just give everyone some cheapo generic one.

 

[gevorg]

Did anybody notice any difference when using computer only for digital out? I'm currently using an Antec Truepower330 (decent), and I wonder if Seasonic will make a audible difference in jitter.

 

[NeilPeart]

In my experience and opinion, there will be no audible differences between the 2 power supplies. One reason is that the Antec True330 is already good enough where any improvements demonstrated by the Seasonic will not be audible. Now there may be a measurable improvement in the analog output, but this will probably not manifest itself in the digital output, nor would even the analog improvements be heard (if so such improvements would be placebic, IMO). Perhaps one could measure such improvements but even then the differences would be insignificant, if at all present. However, the Seasonic does have several advantages over the Antec True330:

It uses higher-quality components (system stability, overclockabilty)
It is more efficient (less power waste)
It is much quieter, which indirectly impacts one's PC audio experience.

There are other areas where the Seasonic improves upon the Antec (which is already a nice PSU) but the most important factors have been discussed. My advice is to find the PSU that fits your system needs and generates little noise. Below is my near-future work system (silentpcreview is a great resource):

Antec Sonata II
Seasonic S12-500
Asus A8N-SLI Premium
AMD Athlon 64 X2 4400
Thermalright HR-01 (can easily protect above processor with fan running @ 7v)
2x Nexus D12SL-12 (queitest 120mm fans, even compared with Papst & Panaflo - 1 chassis, 1 CPU – both running @ 7v)
OCZ PC4800 2x512MB (2:2:2 1T CMD @ 250MHz)
Asus EN7800GT (nvidia 7800GT video card with fanless heatsink)
System HD Western Digital WD1500
Data HDs (RAID1) 2x Hitachi 7K500 (reside in server – not in this machine)
BenQ DW1640 DVD Burner
Plextor Premium CD Writer (still need because DVD Burner’s cd-writing quality not as good)
Asus CD-S520 (best digital audio extractioan drive after Plextor UltraPlex 40x)
RME Digi96/8 PAD (best digital output, IMO especially with XLR AES digital output)
EMU 1212M (my favorite analog-output card)
2x Dell 2405FPW

I have not built this yet and by the time I'm ready to do so (and receive the OK from my manager) everything will change.

 

[ehorn]

I think Toms Hardware is a reliable source for solid reviews and testing.

 

[NeilPeart]

silent computing: silentpcreview
CDRlabs/CDfreaks/CDRinfo for optical info
storagereview for hard disks
overall hardware review: Anandtech, TechReport, ArsTechnica - there are several more I visit (some are Russian and other Israeli) but I cannot remember at this time. I don't trust Tom's Hardware anymore (and I haven't in years) but they used to post great divx/xvid guides (until I discovered doom9.org).

 

[skudmunky]

Quote:

Originally Posted by saturnine I also noticed a difference when swapping power supplies. I used to have a Thermaltake 480W PurePower, and after upgrading to a PCP&C 510 Deluxe, it seemed like the sound was a bit cleaner. Didn't seem quite as drastic as a headphone cable swap, but there was a difference. Makes sense too, as the better PSUs have larger internal caps (usually) and tighter regulation.

droooool.... I can only dream of that PSU.

 

[gsteinb88]

Toms Hardware Guide has become horribly biased, and i dont trust them at all anymore. I go to other places (mostly forums) for my reviews of things. www.eocf.com has some of the best power supply testing available.
NeilPeart, that is one hell of a rig. 2x2405fpw...*drools*. Although, might you consider the new dell 30"?
Chri5peed: Why dont you just build the PC your self? Its less expensive and more customizable than having a website build it for you, and its easier than you would think.
-g

 

[Bones13]

I used to think about overclocking too as a hobby, but the first system I built with the thought of doing so about made me deaf.

As a newly awakened audiophile, I am glad that my recent efforts in computer system building include going for low noise components, as well as making the system game capable. I just dont worry about having the ABSOLUTE best fps. But then I play online rpgs mainly, and as long as the graphics are pretty and the game does not stutter, im usually ok.

For the best, unbiased info about quiet components, I read www.silentpcreviews.com . More so than even this forum, they publish their testing methods, and you can draw conclusions based on real data.

Their current favorite PSU for both quiet, and well controlled power is the Seasonic S12 series. I have the 430watt one in my main machine, and can attest to its quietness, and clean power.

 

[NeilPeart]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gsteinb88 Toms Hardware Guide has become horribly biased, and i dont trust them at all anymore. I go to other places (mostly forums) for my reviews of things. www.eocf.com has some of the best power supply testing available. NeilPeart, that is one hell of a rig. 2x2405fpw...*drools*. Although, might you consider the new dell 30"? Chri5peed: Why dont you just build the PC your self? Its less expensive and more customizable than having a website build it for you, and its easier than you would think. -g

Well, my company basically said "here's $4000 - build a system that will last 3 years." Hopefully the system will last that long, though I'll probably need to upgrade to 2GB (at least). I hate being forced to buy a system when new technoliogy is on the horizon, but sometimes one has no choice. The reason I
declared 2x 2405FPW rather than a single Dell 30" is because I'm already using dual 2405FPWs with the current system and I like the configuration (plus the pixel refresh time may be better with the 2405FPW). I dual-boot Windows 2000 Professional/Debian.

 

[MikoLayer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bones13 I used to think about overclocking too as a hobby, but the first system I built with the thought of doing so about made me deaf. As a newly awakened audiophile, I am glad that my recent efforts in computer system building include going for low noise components, as well as making the system game capable. I just dont worry about having the ABSOLUTE best fps. But then I play online rpgs mainly, and as long as the graphics are pretty and the game does not stutter, im usually ok. For the best, unbiased info about quiet components, I read www.silentpcreviews.com . More so than even this forum, they publish their testing methods, and you can draw conclusions based on real data. Their current favorite PSU for both quiet, and well controlled power is the Seasonic S12 series. I have the 430watt one in my main machine, and can attest to its quietness, and clean power.

Bones13, I am sold on that S12 lineup. Just gotta pick which one to go with. While I think the 330watt one might be sufficient for my setup
(palermo@2.5, 3 PATA 7200rpm HDDs, 9800pro, 1GB RAM, 1212M and an ODD), I do overclock and might be seeing some future upgrade. Well, quite unlikely but dont wanna limit myself to power constraints when I am shelling out this much for a PSU. What do you think is the "best deal" with a reasonable amount of power output?

 

[MikoLayer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeilPeart Well, my company basically said "here's $4000 - build a system that will last 3 years." Hopefully the system will last that long, though I'll probably need to upgrade to 2GB (at least). I hate being forced to buy a system when new technoliogy is on the horizon, but sometimes one has no choice. The reason I declared 2x 2405FPW rather than a single Dell 30" is because I'm already using dual 2405FPWs with the current system and I like the configuration (plus the pixel refresh time may be better with the 2405FPW). I dual-boot Windows 2000 Professional/Debian.

why not go with opterons when they overclock so well these days? although I dont play demanding FPS games and dont need much more in the CPU department, but near FX level performance from sub 300 (dual core) or 170ish (single core) CPU sounds mighty tempting

 

[NeilPeart]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MikoLayer why not go with opterons when they overclock so well these days? although I dont play demanding FPS games and dont need much more in the CPU department, but near FX level performance from sub 300 (dual core) or 170ish (single core) CPU sounds mighty tempting

I refuse to overclock a work machine, especially one I have not personally financed and don't truly "own."

Also (I know you asked Bones but allow me to provide input), unless you seek SLI the SI12-430 will almost certainly be sufficent for your current system . However, since the SI12-500 is not much more, it may allow for more growth and more security (power problems are some of the most frustrating to detect and resolve). The S12-430 is slightly quieter than the 500/600 according to silentpcreview, but the difference is almost insignificant.

 

[MikoLayer]

Quote:

Originally Posted by NeilPeart I refuse to overclock a work machine, especially one I have not personally financed and don't truly "own." Also (I know you asked Bones but allow me to provide input), unless you seek SLI the SI12-430 will almost certainly be sufficent for your current system . However, since the SI12-500 is not much more, it may allow for more growth and more security (power problems are some of the most frustrating to detect and resolve). The S12-430 is slightly quieter than the 500/600 according to silentpcreview, but the difference is almost insignificant.

well in that case, it all makes sense. once you overclock, you bear the responsibility of mainitaining it and giving it proper care. I just thought you would be getting something more of a personal belonging with that much exotic hardware thrown in there.

a part of me tells me to overlook mere $30 difference and go for something more future proof, but another part also says $30 isnt exactly a petty amount for a college student

besides, although I have previously said I dont wanna let the PSU bottleneck me in the future, I dont plan on upgrading for at least another year or so. I may add another harddrive at most, but not anything fundamental like the CPU/mobo; 2.5gz palermo should be plenty powerful for a light, casual gamer.

I appreciate your input, and I guess my choice has been narrowed down to the 430 and the 500 models. Someone in the newegg review mentioned replacing the fan with a 37cfm 22dba Yate Loon, but I am not entirely sure if that would hinder the PSU performance and/or provide sufficient cooling for the PSU.

 

[Bones13]

I used to think about overclocking too as a hobby, but the first system I built with the thought of doing so about made me deaf.

As a newly awakened audiophile, I am glad that my recent efforts in computer system building include going for low noise components, as well as making the system game capable. I just dont worry about having the ABSOLUTE best fps. But then I play online rpgs mainly, and as long as the graphics are pretty and the game does not stutter, im usually ok.

For the best, unbiased info about quiet components, I read www.silentpcreviews.com . More so than even this forum, they publish their testing methods, and you can draw conclusions based on real data.

Their current favorite PSU for both quiet, and well controlled power is the Seasonic S12 series. I have the 430watt one in my main machine, and can attest to its quietness, and clean power.

 

[Tachikoma]

Quote:

Originally Posted by gevorg Did anybody notice any difference when using computer only for digital out? I'm currently using an Antec Truepower330 (decent), and I wonder if Seasonic will make a audible difference in jitter.

I'm curious too. Anyone?

Another question: Are the seasonic PSUs _the_ best at providing well-controlled power?