Passively cooled computer components are kind of a holy grail item. It’s difficult to design them in such a way that they’ll operate well without failure. Especially when considering variables like climate and system application. In other words, a passively cooled computer component might operate perfectly well in the Pacific Northwest of the US, but find it a challenge to operate within tolerances in Southeast Asia. One such product that needs to be done right are power supplies. Fortunately, electrical innovation has resulted in better designs giving manufacturers like Rosewill the opportunity to provide a great product that works.
Today, we have their completely fan-less, passively cooled, and very attractive Silentnight 500 watt power supply. And, to top it off, it’s even 80PLUS Platinum efficient! Could this be the PSU you’ve been waiting for to complete your silent PC build? Let’s find out!
Features and Specifications
It may sound too good to be true but the Silentnight 500 is truly 80Plus Platinum Certified (at least 89%) thanks to proper validation. It’s a single rail 12 volt design which should provide plenty of power to needy components. The specification info is helpful to anyone needing particular cables or dimensions if you’re going to put it in a more compact enclosure. Have a quick look below.
You’ll find 20 Amps available on both the +3.3V and +5V rails. A single 41.5 Amp +12V rail powers the main heart of the system. It’ll completely support a pair of video cards or single higher end card. This means your NVIDIA GTX 680 has enough power to work. Or, perhaps you have two GTX 760s in your new system. It also helps that both PCIE connectors are 6+2 pin, allowing for the use of any reasonable GPU combination.
Keep in mind that many Gold and Platinum power supplies often have extra power inside beyond their rating. We’ll find out whether this one does as well in our benchmarks and testing.
The Rosewill Silentnight 500 Platinum PSU can be purchased for as low as $159.99 US and even comes with a hefty 7 year parts and labor warranty. You can even find it for as low as $139.99 US at the “Egg”.
What Comes with the Silentnight?
The contents are pretty much basic as usual. Besides the PSU, consumers will find a manual, AC power cable, cable zip ties (but we really want velcro straps), extra PSU power cables, a carrying bag for the extra unused wires and standard black screws as well as thumb screws for a full tool-less installation.
Although cable ties are nice to have, we feel that they can be a little too permanent. Some Velcro straps are dirt cheap and can spruce up a PSU bundle, providing for easy upgrades down the road without having to cut everything off to install a new component.
Examining the Silentnight 500 Platinum
The most obvious stand out feature of the chassis design of the Silentnight is that it’s fanless. While there is plenty of venting, there isn’t any fan inside. Instead, the top where the fan usually is found is covered with a massive black anodized aluminum heat sink that has a couple extra holes for better venting. It makes contact with the internal MOSFETs and other components that get the hottest. The higher quality components probably don’t generate heat but it’s still a nice assuring measure. As you can imagine, the heat sink does add some extra weight to the unit when compared with other power supplies in its wattage range.
Consumers will find one 20+4pin main power cable, one 12V 4+4pin (EPS) cable, and two PCIE 6+2pin cables. Modular cables include one SATA cable with four SATA connectors, one cable with 2 SATA plus 2 Molex connectors, one cable with 3 Molex plus one floppy connector and two more PCIE 6+2pin cables. The main power cables are sleeved while the rest of the cables use a lower profile non sleeved design.
Let’s find out what’s on the inside next…