be quiet! 350w SFX Power PSU
Packaging & Appearance
Published: 22nd September 2009 | Source: be quiet! | Price: £44.99 |
Packaging & Appearance
In much the same style as be quiet's other PSU's, the SFX Power is presented in a plain black box accompanied with a grey gradient stripe down the right-hand side. The size of the box is obviously quite small and can roughly be compared to the dimensions of a Cornflakes box, albeit at almost half the height. Very little information is printed on the front of the box, with be quiet saving diagrams of the PSU's form factor, cables and rail distribution charts for the back.
Packaging is a bit on the sparse side with the unit receiving only a bubblewrap bag to protect it from rough hands of a courier. However the saving grace here is the unit is quite light and therefore doesn't inflict damage to its self under the force of its own weight. Other contents include a power cord, some cable ties, case screws and a manual. Basically everything needed to get you up and running.
Being the first Small Form Factor PSU I've seen in the flesh, it really is amazing just how small the unit is. Even the fairly standard sized OCZ PSU (pictured above right) towers over the be quiet. The use of an 80mm fan does raise a few concerns in my head about just how quiet the unit will be when running at full load, especially when it looks like be quiet! could have probably squeezed in a 92mm fan to achieve a slightly more favourable CFM-Noise ratio. Obviously we'll find out soon enough.
Unlike the shiny electroplated finish of the Dark Power Pro range, the SFX Power is presented in a plain matte black powdercoat. This is probably a good thing as I don't imagine that anyone looking to purchase a new PSU for their MicroATX PC would be remotely interested in its appearance. Never less, be quiet! have still added a small personal touch to the side of the unit by imprinting their own logo.
At the top of the unit is the obligatory specifications stickers which is mostly taken up by the rail output chart we saw back on the previous page. The front of the unit has the usual honeycomb meshed grill used on almost all modern ATX PSU's whereas the back is fairly void of anything other than a couple of barcode stickers and a small vented area above the cable outlet.
Now let's move to the next page where we check out what cables are included and the innards of the unit.
Most Recent Comments
Very nice unit that, the size of it is great, whilst performance is sitll good. Looks nice as usual too!
Shame it's noisy at full load, but for the applications it's aimed at, will it ever reach full load?
Shame it's noisy at full load, but for the applications it's aimed at, will it ever reach full load?
My initial thoughts were that they've done really well to get it so small, but it's a shame about the noise. Then exactly like Peter I wondered how likely it is for a HTPC system to hit full load.
Depends on if you use it for Bluray playback (thus a beefy CPU) or not I guess.
Depends on if you use it for Bluray playback (thus a beefy CPU) or not I guess.
Perfect timing.
Need a HTPC PSU as my relative's HTPC PSU just busted!
Gotta love OC3D.
Need a HTPC PSU as my relative's HTPC PSU just busted!
Gotta love OC3D.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by name='zak4994'
Perfect timing.
Need a HTPC PSU as my relative's HTPC PSU just busted! Gotta love OC3D. |
@Peter/VB, yeah I doubt in most systems it will come close to 350w so the high load noise won't really be too much of an issue. But on the other hand I do have a Q6600 HTPC with a HD4850 and 3x1TB HDD's, so I might give it a slightly hard time
Just wanna make sure before I order, will this fit in an HP Slimline PC?
Don't wanna thread hijack. lol
Don't wanna thread hijack. lol
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by name='zak4994'
Just wanna make sure before I order, will this fit in an HP Slimline PC?
Don't wanna thread hijack. lol |
Lol. That's a hell of a HTPC Jim!
I still find the size of the thing amazing. As so many PC parts are getting enormous (men and their size fetish eh) it's great to see some companies going in the opposite way.
I'd love to see how it looks in size against the PCP&C behemoth
I still find the size of the thing amazing. As so many PC parts are getting enormous (men and their size fetish eh) it's great to see some companies going in the opposite way.
I'd love to see how it looks in size against the PCP&C behemoth
It all really depends if ur buying all the components for a htpc, or ur using gear u have lying about to make one.
The size, or shape, of the unit here wouldn't fit into the htpc I've got at present. It's more the shape of a squashed vhs-video unit - to that extent, the options are to really go with what is supplied with the case. It works, can't remember off-hand if it's 300/350/400 (might be a CiT), but it is a p4 designed psu, with optional replacements coming in the shape of some obscure ebuyer.co.uk stockers. 4 pins to the Q35m mobo has worked to this point.
So really, even with the psu being aimed at the smaller case market, u do have to consider the cases this could limit u to.
Imo too, being as this will not be used (or meant for should I say, cos people do some strange things) in some enthusiasts oc'ing, large graphics, loads of drives, rig - it has a limited appeal to the small case people that I don't think warrants a costing of £45 necessarily.
Having said that, it performs close to the quality of a regular atx of similar wattage. Therein lies the reason u would have to submit.
More than anything tho, I like the idea that the option is out there. Too many things pop-up during custom builds, that hamper what u might want to do. Having the shorter depth is great without the loss of quality.
Great stuff.
(another thing this will be good for is replacement psus for dell/compaq etc builds that often have a small-depth psu in them. if u try a regular one in them, u find the dvd drive doesnt fit. great option)
The size, or shape, of the unit here wouldn't fit into the htpc I've got at present. It's more the shape of a squashed vhs-video unit - to that extent, the options are to really go with what is supplied with the case. It works, can't remember off-hand if it's 300/350/400 (might be a CiT), but it is a p4 designed psu, with optional replacements coming in the shape of some obscure ebuyer.co.uk stockers. 4 pins to the Q35m mobo has worked to this point.
So really, even with the psu being aimed at the smaller case market, u do have to consider the cases this could limit u to.
Imo too, being as this will not be used (or meant for should I say, cos people do some strange things) in some enthusiasts oc'ing, large graphics, loads of drives, rig - it has a limited appeal to the small case people that I don't think warrants a costing of £45 necessarily.
Having said that, it performs close to the quality of a regular atx of similar wattage. Therein lies the reason u would have to submit.
More than anything tho, I like the idea that the option is out there. Too many things pop-up during custom builds, that hamper what u might want to do. Having the shorter depth is great without the loss of quality.
Great stuff.
(another thing this will be good for is replacement psus for dell/compaq etc builds that often have a small-depth psu in them. if u try a regular one in them, u find the dvd drive doesnt fit. great option)
Wouldn't this be perfect as the second power-supply in a WC system!
Just thought of that.
Just thought of that.
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by name='VonBlade'
Wouldn't this be perfect as the second power-supply in a WC system!
Just thought of that. |
CSS Valid
http://www.overclock3d.net/gfx/artic...155848146s.jpg
be quiet! 350w SFX Power PSU