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| Date Reviewed: 11/30/2005 |
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Strengths: Very quiet, very efficient, cool, and stable.
Weaknesses: No PCI Express connector.
Summary: After hours of research, I bought this power supply for its efficiency, noise level, and reliability. Seasonics are known to hardware gurus as great PSUs and this one is deserving of that reputation.
It's very quiet, expels warm air smoothly (not hot), and the voltages are very stable, and close to their rated amounts. Even though this is only 430W, the rails are well laid out so that there is enough power on the +12V line. There are actually TWO +12V lines, so one can supply stable power to the motherboard while the other can support the drives. That feature makes this 430W model more adequate than el-cheapo 500+ watt models.
Packaging was good and professional. The twisted cables were nice, and I don't think I'll even bother with the spiral tube casing. The black molex connectors were also nice, but I wouldn't say they are easy to remove, even with the plastic grips that are supposed to help deconnect things when pressed. They seem to be easier to disconnect after being used a few months though.
The black hexagonal grill in the back is a great touch, as well as the flush fan grill. It's really a beautiful component in my case, even without any wire sleeving. The cables are long enough to reach a long way through my huge case and I'm very pleased with it for all aspects. I don't mind the absence of PCI-E connectors, as I can always just use an adaptor. I only wish that the 500+ watt models of the S12 line were cheaper.
LianLi V1000A Plus case specific:
I installed it in my LianLi V1000A Plus case, which showed its first and only snag: the cables come out the top LEFT, rather than the top right. So, my power cables wouldn't exit the PSU compartment like they normally would, which has a top right opening. This actually worked out fine, however, as the cables had plenty of length to move from top left to the top right opening, and this actually restricted airflow in a positive way because the cables crossed over the front vents, preventing air from being expelled back into the rest of the case (towards the hard drives). The PSU exhaust baffle only redirects some of the air exhausted out the rear (since the fan is bottom mounted, and all warm air leaves the entire rear side), but that's enough as the exhaust redirection isn't a big deal.
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| Date Reviewed: 04/08/2006 |
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Strengths: Super Quiet! Very Efficient.
Weaknesses: Pricey but worth it.
Summary: This thing is silent! Great for HTPC use. My CPU and video card fans are noisier that the power supply. The new versions has the PCI-E connectors and 4 SATA connectors. Check out the reviews at silent pc review. It will also save on your electricity bill. Approximately 80% efficient.
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| Date Reviewed: 11/26/2005 |
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Strengths: 80% plus energy efficeny, 120 cm fan, so quiet that I now hear my cpu and video card.
Weaknesses: no pci-express connnector
Summary: Great product if you are looking for an super high energy efficiency and a quiet performer. One of the few active PFC power supplies that you can come by here in the USA.
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| Date Reviewed: 10/18/2005 |
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Strengths: 1. Extremely quiet, even at full load.
2. 120cm fan moves a good amount of air.
3. Cables are twisted and included clips/sheathing makes it easy to do a neat wiring job.
Weaknesses: 1. Cost a bit more than competing power supplies of the same wattage.
Summary: My old Zalman 300W power supply was meeting the end of the road and I needed a replacement that would be able to match it's silent operation.
I purchased the Seasonic S12-430 based on many reviews that said it was the best out there, in terms of it's quietness. And they were right! With it's 120cm fan the S12-430 moves plenty of air out of the honeycomb grill exhaust covering, all while staying absolutely silent.
The power supply is packaged very nicely and the box clearly specifies all of the important features of the S12-430. Included is a small manual, a great cable management kit, power cord, and a 4-pin/3-pin split fan connector which lets you run a multitude of case fans at lower voltages, for silent operation.
The S12-430 itself is built very sturdy, and the insides are clearly visible. The cabling is twisted and when paired with the included clips and sheathing, it's very easy to keep all the wiring out of the way for an open and well cooled case.
During operation the power supply puts out warm, but not hot air, even during intense gaming sessions. My previous power supply would get very hot, which shows that the S12-430 is much more efficient.
The power supply also comes with a 3-year warranty, but I'm sure I won't have any problems with it, based on what I've seen so far.
All in all, I like what Seasonic brings to the table with this power supply and I wouldn't hesitate to purchase another of their very quiet and efficient products in the future. A+++ great job Seasonic!
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| Date Reviewed: 04/04/2007 |
- quigath
- Member Since:
Apr 2007
View Member's:
Reviews
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Strengths: not noisy, lots of connectors(on 430), small size for having a large fan
Weaknesses: not silent - is the noisiest fan in my system now but stll better than a generic PSU
Summary: This is a good product and is not too expensive, though, it is not silent. Recommmend to buy. black is always nice; the connectors(molex) seem flimsy - they can be off-center and so don't plug them too many times
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| Date Reviewed: 04/27/2006 |
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Strengths: Power is stable and runs very quiet.
Weaknesses: None.
Summary: Enough connectors to power the 3 optical drives, 4 hard disks, and video card in my system. This power supply is high quality, stable, and perfect for quiet systems. Would have gotten the 500W model but the price is a bit to high.
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| Date Reviewed: 03/30/2006 |
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Strengths: Quiet, stable
Weaknesses: No PCI express cable
Summary: First time I have dealt with Seasonic. It is all the ratings said. This quieter than the Zalman CNPS9500 cooler - amazing. I get no more than a 1.5% fluctuation in voltage Other reviewers have said it better. This is a fine unit. Lack of SLI cable is only reason to withold a star.
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| Date Reviewed: 03/19/2006 |
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Strengths: Provides 430 watts of power at less than 20dBAs, compact build, low heat.
Weaknesses: Power cords positioned awkwardly.
Summary: I have this installed on my HTPC for its silent operation. At first, it was a toss up between this or Antec's Phantom 500, but I later found that the Phantom 500 is ~1 1/2" longer than this PSU, which also made it incompatible with my case. Furthermore, I've read that the Phantom is notorious for running really hot (and therefore not recommended for passively cooled PCs).
Nevertheless, I was happily surprised at the results. I have a Zaldman 92mm case fan (which is advertised to run at 20dBAs in 'silent mode') installed on the same PC, and in a quiet room that case fan makes more noise than the SeaSonic PSU. Eitherway, out of all the components on my HTPC, this SeaSonic 12-430 is the most silent piece of hardware with moving parts.
On the downside, most PSUs have their wires exiting the PSU from the top right corner (when installed on an ATX tower). The SeaSonic strangely has its power cords coming out of the bottom left (as if it were designed upside down). Although this didn't cause any problem for me, I could imagine it may be extra hassle for someone building a PC with spacing constraints.
In conclusion, the SeaSonic 12-430 should be a definite buy for anyone looking to build a noiseless PC system.
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| Date Reviewed: 03/17/2006 |
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Strengths: Quiet, Good finish, Active PFC, High efficiency
Weaknesses: Expensive, lacks sleeving.
Summary: I previously used Seasonic Super Silencer 350W.
I was very pleased with that power supply, so I bought S12 again.
This power supply was very quiet and efficient as expected. However, unlike many other high priced power supplies, it lacks sleevings and don't have any special features.
I'd say cost is only rear problem with this power supply.
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| Date Reviewed: 02/10/2006 |
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Strengths: - very very quiet
- stable power
- good support
Weaknesses: None, unless you have an enormous system
Summary: I wanted a high quality, quiet PSU. This is it. It's quieter than the Antecs I had, not to mention the Thermaltake, etc. You can't go quieter without going fanless, and if you do that, you're likely to burn out your system. This has more than enough power for my system (a dual core Athlon, two SATA drives, and an ATI x800 AGP card, memory, etc.). Highly recommended!
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| Date Reviewed: 11/24/2005 |
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Strengths: Looks great, Highly Efficient, Very Quiet and Rock Solid Performance
Weaknesses: Doesn't contain the 6-pin peripheral power connector used by power-hungry PCIe VGA cards.
Summary: The S12-430 is a great Power Supply Unit. My goal was to build a quiet rig and the S12-430 hasn't let me down. From a distance it can't be heard over the ambience of my room. The S12-430 isn't for everyone though. If you're planning to run a high-end gaming rig which requires additional power, the S12-430 doesn't have the 6-pin peripheral power connector used by power-hungry PCIe VGA cards.
Overall, the unit provides ample power, looks great and sounds even better (near silence). The price may seem high, but it is definitely worth every penny.
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