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Cooler Master Silent Pro M 500W Power Supply


Date
: 02/13/09 – 10:30:47 PM

Author
:

Category
: Power Supplies

Page 1 : Introduction

Manufacturer
: Cooler Master

Cooler Master has been in the business for quite a number of years now and what was once a small company dedicated to developing and distributing thermal solutions has grown up quite a bit. The Cooler Master we know today provides not only cooling solutions, but cases, drive enclosures and of course, power supplies.

In the past, we have taken a look at a number of Cooler Master products including a number of power supplies, most notably a few from Cooler Master's Real Power Pro line up, the 850W and 1000W power supplies. Although we have taken a short break since Cooler Master products since then, they have been keeping busy and we welcome them again with the brand new Silent Pro M power supply.

Here at Overclockers Online, we have taken a look at some of the most capable power supplies on the market; ones that can power the best of today's hardware with plenty of room to spare and coincidently, ones that will leave a gaping hole in your wallet. But, as much as we enjoy playing with cutting edge hardware, we do recognize that for the vast majority of users such hardware is, for the most part, irrelevant. In our review today, we will have a look at the 500W variant of the Silent Pro M series of power supplies, claiming dead silent operation, single 12V rail power supply design, modular connections and affordability.

Page 2 : Features and Specifications

Here is what Cooler Master has to say about their brand new Silent Pro M series of power supplies:

Not too many 500W power supplies can claim having so many connectors!

For the most part, everything is as it should be for a 500W unit. Note again, the Silent Pro M is a family of single rail units, for the 500W model 34A or 408W is dedicated for the 12V rail.

Page 3 : Package and Content

The Silent Pro M power supply comes packed in a fairly small box.

The package artwork is minimal, but it is all there: specifications, features, and general product information.

On the back, Cooler Master goes into a bit more detail.

That is quite a fancy package isn't it?

Inside, included with the power supply we have two rubber insulators to cut down on vibration; a great addition, the manual on a CD; more manufacturers should take notice, modular cables, and finally an AC cord. I hate to be picky, but that European plug definitely won't do. A simple mix up.

Having a look at the power supply, the body is finished in a matte black, black sleeving, a black fan and matching dark chrome colored fan grill. Not a bad color combination! Bland? Yes, but definitely good looking.

Towards the front, we have our modular connectors. Besides the ones already connected to the unit, the PCI express cables go in the six pin connectors, and everything else goes into the four pin connectors.

On the bottom, we have a large 135mm fan which serves two purposes, first cooling the power supply itself, and second acting as a system exhaust. Air is drawn from within into the power supply and then pushed through the perforated rear panel. The choice of using a larger 135mm fan instead of a 120mm or 80mm fan should definitely help cut down on some noise.

The rear of the unit is perforated with hexagonal holes for the exhaust.

For a 500W unit, we weren't exactly expecting too much for wires, still though, the 500W Silent Pro M comes with quite a generous bundle.

First, for the motherboard, we have a 20+4 pin ATX connector, and a 4+4 pin motherboard connector.

For video cards, we have two 6+2 pin PCI Express connectors. Perhaps for 8 pin vide cards a power supply of higher output would be required, at least by today's standard of video cards, but it doesn't hurt to ensure compatibility with future video cards.

Next up, serial ATA cables! The Silent Pro M has two leads of them and three connectors to each lead for a grand total of six serial ATA connectors.

Lastly, we have six standard four pin molex connectors and two floppy disk connectors, for either those unfortunate few who still are using floppy drives or motherboards which require auxiliary power.

And now, onto the best part, let's crack open this unit!

The fan included is a Young Lin 135mm fan, model number DES132512M a sleeve bearing fan. Sleeve bearing type fans are great for noise reduction, especially in comparison to their more expensive ball and dual ball bearing counterparts; however they tend to have a shorter life span. Maybe not the best choice in a power supply, but only time will tell.

Let's star with a top down shot. Inside, things are quite beefy, especially for a 500W power supply. Right in between the two large voltage regulator heatsinks, we have the large 12V transformer which is responsible for the 12V line.

Throughout, the soldering is incredibly tidy and components are well spaced to take advantage of the large 135mm fan directly overhead.

On the primary side, we have two Nippon Chemi- Con capacitors. A great choice.

And finally, on the secondary side we have an assortment of Teapo capacitors. Not in the same league as Nippon Chemi- Con, but still quite respectable and proven to be reliable.

Page 4 : Testing Setup

Quite unlike any other PC component, properly evaluating a power supply involves much, much more than running a battery of tests or sitting down in front of a shooter for a few hours armed with a pen and a pad of paper. Although, we have the utmost appreciation for a few headshots coupled with explosions, power supply reviews call for much more. The general mantra for testing power supplies tends to fall somewhere in the ranges of loading the power supply up to the top, and letting it suffer. We here at Overclockers Online are inclined to agree. Accordingly, our testing methods have evolved to allow for more sophisticated and accurate testing.

The dilemma here is: how to test a power supply without a computer system, but emulate a computer system? It is important to not forget that as much as we try to part from throwing a power supply into a computer system and watching how it performs, ultimately, what we are distancing ourselves from is precisely what we are trying to replicate. Simply, the ideal testing platform would be indistinguishable from a computer system, but graced with the accuracies of an adjustable load. However, since we do not have access to state of the art testing equipment, or the funds to purchase such equipment, we have built a custom load tester. While it does not offer adjustments in the thousandths of a decimal place, it does offer enough flexibility to test current day power supplies and beyond.

Using thick high quality 16AWG wires throughout and equally high quality connectors and switches, we have sought to minimize resistance in the lines while maintaining flexibility. All it takes is a flip of a switch to turn a desired resistor on or off.

A proper electronic load is a start, but we are going to be a bit more ambitious. A keystone piece of our testing mythology is the heat box. A system drawing 800W from a power supply produces quite a bit of heat, and to be testing such a power supply in an ambient environment is not only inconsistent with in-system applications but unrealistic and misleading. Our hotbox consists of nothing more than a case graciously donated to us from Silverstone. Recycling heat produced from the load tester using a series of controlled fans and a duct, we can control operational temperatures and push a power supply to its limits, or over.

Using the heat and load, we will run a battery of five tests: three cold and two hot tests. The three cold tests consist of 50% load, 80% load and finally full load. Naturally, we will escalate the strain on the unit by adding heat in the hot tests. The final two tests are 80% load and full load at approximately 50°C or more.

While the purpose and effects of 'burn in' are debated, doing so causes no harm. Prior to any testing, all units are run for a maximum period of one week without load. At best, this will stabilize the unit; at worst it takes a few hours off the unit's total life span.

In our tests, we will do our best to adhere to ATX specifications including cross loading and criteria for testing. The presentations of our results are designed for ease of interpretation and conciseness.

So, without any further delay, let us get started!

Page 5 : Testing

The aim of the cold test is to reflect ideal operational conditions where heat from the computer system is independent from the power supply. Still though, the term cold test would be misleading as things do get quite hot!

Starting with our first three set of tests, the Cooler Master Silent Pro M held fairly well, all well within specification. The 12V rail did jump a bit more than I like to see, but by anyone's standard, the unit was holding stable.

Next, let's turn on the heat.

With the heat added for Test 4 and Test 5, the lines dropped a few more hundredths of a point, but barely anything to write home about. Through all tests, the unit was fairly silent. Probably among one of the quietest units that has passed through our labs, but that is no surprise as this unit is meant to be quiet!

With the heat pumping through the unit, the power supply still remained solid with excellent line reguluation. Comparing full load out of the heatbox and inside the heatbox it is apparent how little heat effects the Silent Pro M.

Before we head over to the conclusion, we are going to have a quick look at installation. While the Silent Pro M is a typical sized ATX power supply, the modular connectors do add a bit of length to the unit. The connectors used are fairly typical difference in length is marginal, however still note worthy. In our Silverstone small form factor case, the unit fit with plenty of room to spare. Rest assured, unless an unusually sized device is placed in the drive bay in front of the power supply, size should not be an issue.

Page 6 : Conclusion

Cooler Master's Silent Pro M is quite a different product, I would not go as far as to say it is unique, but it does target quite a different audience than the majority of the power supplies we have taken a look at. The Silent Pro M is definitely not the power supply for multiple graphic card systems, but for the typical high end system, or even small form factor media setups, the Silent Pro M is a great choice.

Line regulation on the Silent Pro M is superb, operation is quiet, it is modular, and it looks great, and comes with dampening pads. As a whole package, Cooler Master has done well. Even the components inside are of excellent quality! My only concern, albeit for the most part trivial is the usage of a sleeve bearing fan. Unlike CPU coolers or case fans, power supply fans are usually not replaceable by your typical user due to dangers involved with the electrical components, or at the very continuity of warranty. Given the nature of sleeve bearing fans and their relatively short life span, use in power supplies is perhaps not the best choice. Still though, the fan serves as advertised, it is down right quiet and does a great job cooling the unit. But, with Cooler Master's 5 year warranty, I hardly doubt the fan is enough of an issue to undermine the unit.

Advantages

• Great performance

• Looks good
• Sleeved
• Lots of cables
• Quiet, quiet, quiet

Disadvantages

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  Overclockers Online would like to thank Cooler Master for providing a review sample of the Silent Pro M for review and Silverstone Technologies for providing the chassis for use in our load tester.