Corsair CX500M (V2) Semi Modular Power Supply
Ryan Martin / 11 years ago
When testing in a power supply laboratory it is difficult to take fan noise readings as the noise from the Chroma corrupts everything. The next best thing in our circumstances was reading off the fan speed with a tachometer to get an idea for the noise. In the Enermax Europe PSU lab we had to do exactly that and we recorded the fan speed at each load scenario. The ambient temperature during testing held constant at 26 degrees, with 1 degree of variation. Each power supply had a consistent time period of 5 minutes to stabilise between each load scenario.
In my experience the following general relationships apply between noise levels and fan speeds, though it can vary greatly between the type of fan used.
- Below 800 RPM – Inaudible/Silent
- 800 to 1000 RPM – Barely audible
- 1000 – 1200 RPM – Audible but still quiet
- 1200 – 1400 RPM – Moderately noisy
- 1400 – 1800 RPM – Noisy
- 1800 RPM or higher – Intolerable
While the Corsair CX500M certainly wasn’t the quietest power supply we tested it was quiet for 0-60% loads, a bit noisy at 80% load and quite noisy at 100% load. Overall though the supplied Yateloon fan is a lot quieter than some other OEM fans used in power supplies (such as ADDA ones).
