SilverStone to Release Nightjar 500W Silent PSU Later This Week

Tuesday, August 2nd 2011

SilverStone is on course for releasing the Nightjar ST50NF this Thursday. The ST50NF is a 500W, fan-less (completely silent), 80 Plus Gold compliant, non-modular power supply (PSU). The PSU does away with the 120 mm fan, and replaces it with a large aluminum heatsink that draws heat from numerous smaller heatsinks below that in turn draw heat from the various hot components. To try and offset the weight it puts on with all those heatsinks, and to make the unit airy, the outer body is made of thin perforated aluminum sheets.

The Nightjar ST50NF delivers 500W of continuous power, it is standards-compliant with ATX 12 V2.3 & EPS 12V. It features active PFC (power factor correction), and uses a single +12V rail design. All its cables are fixed to the unit. There should be enough cabling for a performance PC with a single graphics card. The PSU carries an MTBF rating of 50,000 hours. SilverStone's Nightjar ST50NF will be priced at €129.

Source: TechConnect Magazine

posted by btarunr - 9:37 AM | Related News |

User comments

by csendesmark (9:43 AM) - Reply

I like this construction :) And the price is right too :toast:

by assaulter_99 (9:45 AM) - Reply

Nice to see some companies parting from fans. Might make a good silent HTPC.

by jpierce55 (10:47 AM) - Reply

by: csendesmark
I like this construction :) And the price is right too :toast:

$210 for a 500 watt is a good price :eek:? I like the fanless psu concept, but the prices are to much. I would just buy an oversized psu that has a quiet variable speed fan and use it, it might make some noise but probably not much.

by assaulter_99 (10:51 AM) - Reply

Anyways, who knows? Knowing that prices in € are usually locked 1/1 against the $ even though it ain't the truth!

by Tannhäuser (11:00 AM) - Reply

I just wonder about the size/dimensions and compatibility issues with cases, where the PSU is bound to the bottom. Hmmm ...

by csendesmark (11:02 AM) - Reply

by: jpierce55
$210 for a 500 watt is a good price :eek:? I like the fanless psu concept, but the prices are to much. I would just buy an oversized psu that has a quiet variable speed fan and use it, it might make some noise but probably not much.

For a fanless 500W PSU is okay, I guess :)

by RejZoR (11:13 AM) - Reply

Or you can buy a regular PSU at i don't know 750W and stick a 20 EUR premium fan in it at very low RPM. Low cost, just as silent as these fanless and much more powerful. Plus heat doesn't get accumulated inside the case which is always the problem with passive solutions.

by Animalpak (11:38 AM) - Reply

The goal is 0 decibel, who cares about what convenient is fan/750w or whatsoever

by Drone (11:44 AM) - Reply

hmmm fanless ... what's next? water cooling psu :D?

by legends84 (12:00 PM) - Reply

by: Drone
hmmm fanless ... what's next? water cooling psu :D?

i thought koolance already come out with 1kw water cool psu??

by assaulter_99 (12:03 PM) - Reply

by: legends84
i thought koolance already come out with 1kw water cool psu??

Yup. 1000w PSU

by RejZoR (12:26 PM) - Reply

by: Animalpak
The goal is 0 decibel, who cares about what convenient is fan/750w or whatsoever

Well if you manage to hear my Noiseblocker fan cooled PSU then you have bat ears. Because its so silent it's 0dB when installed inside a case. So why exactly would you pay a hefty premium for a passive PSU if active cooled, more powerful can do the same job, better? But hey, i don't care, go and buy it.

by btarunr (2:12 PM) - Reply

by: Tannhäuser
I just wonder about the size/dimensions and compatibility issues with cases, where the PSU is bound to the bottom. Hmmm ...

It has standard size, and will fit in any of today's cases. the heatsink protruding out on top gives you the illusion that the PSU is taller, which is not the case. That heatsink is just taking the place of the 25 mm thick 120 mm fan.

by Drone (3:39 PM) - Reply

by: legends84
i thought koolance already come out with 1kw water cool psu??

Ah thanks. I didn't know that. That thing looks rather bulky.

by faramir (4:10 PM) - Reply

by: Animalpak
The goal is 0 decibel, who cares about what convenient is fan/750w or whatsoever

I use completely silent 350W PSU in one of my computers (it has external radiator fins unlike this one though). 0 dB indeed, it's the two case fans and the one on the CPU that produce crapload of noise. The enclosure is perforated like swiss cheese and I'm using onboard graphics, yet it would be impossible to get rid of (very modest amount of) heat without any fans whatsoever. Passively cooled 500W is nonsense that is right on par with 100W passively cooled GPUs and 100W passively cooled CPUs. Even with 80+ efficiency the PSU is going to produce 50-100W of heat on its own, nevermind the CPU, GPU and other components. Good luck taking care of those at 0 dB (unless you live in a refrigerator :) ).

by cheesy999 (4:30 PM) - Reply

by: faramir
I use completely silent 350W PSU in one of my computers (it has external radiator fins unlike this one though). 0 dB indeed, it's the two case fans and the one on the CPU that produce crapload of noise. The enclosure is perforated like swiss cheese and I'm using onboard graphics, yet it would be impossible to get rid of (very modest amount of) heat without any fans whatsoever. Passively cooled 500W is nonsense that is right on par with 100W passively cooled GPUs and 100W passively cooled CPUs. Even with 80+ efficiency the PSU is going to produce 50-100W of heat on its own, nevermind the CPU, GPU and other components. Good luck taking care of those at 0 dB (unless you live in a refrigerator :) ).

I think you'll find, seeing as it's 80+ Gold certified, the absolute worst case scenario is 55W of heat, so i think you'll find it will probably function passively and keep to a relatively low tempreture if the scenario is everyday use Overall, you may find it'll heat up a bit if you stress test both your CPU and GPU at the same time, but under everyday use it'll be quite good

by RejZoR (4:59 PM) - Reply

Besides, stuffing 0dB PSU's in case with any kind of casual fans is wasted money. Either you have to make a full passive case (menaing no fans on the case, CPU and graphic card) or you have to silence the other parts so much it becomes dead silent.

by [H]@RD5TUFF (6:16 PM) - Reply

Way over priced, I really don't get this fascination with passive PSU's. their pointless, any GPU fan will be louder than any PSU ever will be.

by ColdRush (8:15 PM) - Reply

Silverstone tried this a year or two ago. SILVERSTONE Nightjar ST45NF 450W ATX 12V 2.3 / EPS... :)

by SeanG (9:44 PM) - Reply

I havent heard my corsair HX650 yet and was about $30 cheaper.:)

by [H]@RD5TUFF (9:53 PM) - Reply

pointless PSU is pointless

by 1c3d0g (9:55 PM) - Reply

by: [H]@RD5TUFF
Way over priced, I really don't get this fascination with passive PSU's. their pointless, any GPU fan will be louder than any PSU ever will be.

Not everyone needs the latest ZOMG NINJA G-RAD XYZ999+ graphics card! :shadedshu Therefor, a silent card will serve just fine. For those of us who value our hearing, this thing is priceless. I LOVE silent PC's. So do many others. And I applaud Silverstone for bringing this excellent PSU to the market. :cool:

by [H]@RD5TUFF (9:57 PM) - Reply

by: 1c3d0g
Not everyone needs the latest ZOMG NINJA G-RAD XYZ999+ graphics card! :shadedshu Therefor, a silent card will serve just fine. For those of us who value our hearing, this thing is priceless. I LOVE silent PC's. So do many others. And I applaud Silverstone for bringing this excellent PSU to the market. :cool:

Even a "silent" GPU is going to be louder than your PSU unless it's passive.

by ensabrenoir (10:53 PM) - Reply

I guess it has its purpose to those who need such a thing but its kind of self defeating. And unless I'm missing something the name nightjar kind of reminds me of bed-pan.

by LAN_deRf_HA (12:14 AM) - Reply

Bronze? $200? Wtf? This thing should be platinum for that price. I'd rather have this http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/Seasonic/X-460FL/1.html

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