Silverstone ST45NF Nightjar
by Christoph Katzer on August 25, 2008 1:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
Packaging and Appearance
The Nightjar comes in a very sleek package and lies inside thick plastic foam. A change for Silverstone with this power supply and its package is that they're silver and not the usual black. We also find the standard manual, power cord, straps, and screws delivered with the package.
As stated, the power supply is silver, and it's perforated on all sides for better venting. The top is composed of a thick aluminum block with fins on the top. In between the fins are small openings to get air inside of the housing for additional cooling. Some electronic parts such as the coil from the primary stage have heat-conducting tape attached to transfer the produced heat to the housing, which then acts as a giant cooler for the inner parts. The power supply casing has an unusual amount of screws, which seems to be necessary to establish contact from all sides to provide the maximum cooling possible without a fan. The front has two LEDs; the first indicates the power supply is switched on since you don't hear it, and the second one shows the user if the temperature inside of the PSU is within operating limits.
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TravisChen - Saturday, August 30, 2008 - link
Can you show us how to get test the output ripple & noise the right way (with the caps mentioned in spec)? I think it's an important part in PSU reviews.Christoph Katzer - Monday, August 25, 2008 - link
Actually that was just to take the screenshots... I still have pretty high spikes now and then even with the caps according to specs.tayhimself - Monday, August 25, 2008 - link
How does this address the point raised? And why are you taking pointless screenshots then?LTG - Monday, August 25, 2008 - link
Yes Tayhimself is right, Christoph you kind of avoided or skimped on a proper response to the questions raised.Authors replying in the comments is a major strength of AT - Please respect that.
So what was wrong, just your screen shots, or some of the testing reported originally as well?
Thank you.
Christoph Katzer - Tuesday, August 26, 2008 - link
I am still working on it to get the spikes sorted. With replying to that post I already meant to say that he was right and that his reply was much more helpful than most others that don't take the time to complete a full sentence... Once I sorted the spike-problem it will be all better.aarvark - Monday, August 25, 2008 - link
Really "of limited use"? A core duo with mid-range graphic card barely tops 150W these days. A basic setup, maybe with integrated graphics would be around 120W. 400W is more than plenty for 99%+ of the market. Remember, us geeks are the exception, not the rule.I'd say the one thing it wasn't suitable for were HTPCs whereby you'd be better off with a picopsu or the like as they are more efficient at very low loads and only $50. Better still by having an external brick most of the heat is outside the case.
Saying that I'm not a fan (no pun intended) of these because they are many, cheaper supplies that have a lazy 12 or 14cm thermally controlled fan which are for all real purposes silent anyway with the huge advantage of giving just a little case airflow through the case.
JarredWalton - Monday, August 25, 2008 - link
I think that last point is why we say "limited use". Basically, you need to want 200-300W of power (gotta leave some wiggle room, right?), and you need to want absolute silence, and you also need to be willing to pay $170+ for it. I'd take a 600W PSU with a large fan over this for under $100 as well. Pico PSUs are an option for small systems that don't require a lot of power, but there are many definitions of HTPC. Personally, I prefer larger systems with more storage options.Freddo - Monday, August 25, 2008 - link
Looks like something I would buy for my next computer :-)Clauzii - Monday, August 25, 2008 - link
The same here :)With specs and quality like that, it's almost impossible to go wrong with this. Also, the cablelengths COULD make it possible to let it rest outside the PC case itself (for DIYs anyway).
And thank You Anandtech, for testing a sub-500 Watt supply :)
pattycake0147 - Tuesday, August 26, 2008 - link
I agree not everybody wants kilowatt a psu a low wattage one like is an excellent change of pace and exactly what I am looking for.