There are myriad quiet PSU out there, but Fractal Design’s new Ion+ Platinum is the first I’ve seen that can be configured to run in a semi-passive “Zero RPM” mode. Which frankly sounds like the perfect approach to selecting a PSU for a HTPC, or any PC, that will be used in a noise sensitive environment. Introducing the Ion+ Platinum […]
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Fractal Design is best known for their outstanding PC chassis, but they also sell power supply units (PSU). I’ve haven’t had the pleasure of playing with one of theirs, but if it even comes close to the experience I’ve had with their enclosures it will definitely be on my shortlist the next time I need a modular PSU. Key Features […]
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Selecting an efficient power supply unit (PSU) can have a significant affect on system power consumption. I’ve never taken the time to compare bronze and platinum rated PSU, so it was nice to see a quick comparison between the two. To be fair, it wasn’t controlled enough to make any broad conclusions (a larger sample size would be required for […]
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Few things can take the shine off a new HTPC faster than a noisy fan, and few components are more likely to be the source of that noisy fan than the power supply. There are many ways to hide the sound of a CPU cooler and eliminate case fans, but for most folks, there is little remedy for a PSU […]
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Full size HTPC builders can rejoice, because at SilverStone; big is still in fashion. They recently updated their lineup of Full-ATX chassis with the GD07 and GD08. Both offer space for multiple 3.5″ hard drives and full length GPUs. Other highlights include: They will update USB 3.0 products to the latest Renesas chip later this year Offer a four SATA […]
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When you use a picoPSU in a case with space for a full ATX power supply unit (PSU) two questions can’t help but come up: how to plug the giant gap in the back, and where to mount the external plug. In the past I’ve just cut the back off a broken standard PSU and drilled a hole. While certainly […]
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