Best PSU for Ultra Low Noise WS, AX1600i vs TX1600 Noctua?

[Easa]

Hey! I am currently doing a Lian Li V3000 Plus build with dual pump, quad radiator watercooling system, that will serve as my workstation core for years to come. Of course, I will eventually swap the "active" parts such as CPU/GPU/MBD/RAM or drives, but I would like to keep the case, cooling and PSU for as long as I can, possibly for the next 10+ years.



The system is designed to run 20+ very low RPM fans, operating completely inaudible to ultra low noise levels (hence the radiator cooling capacity). As I have already invested a lot to drop the noise as low as possible, I need a matching semi-passive PSU that will: 1) stay dead silent most of the time 2) be as quiet as possible when it will surpass the passive operation load - thus, I need a PSU with an overkill efficiency and overkill power.



I am patiently waiting for the Arrow Lake release and then I will decide if I am going with Intel or AMD, but there will be a top end CPU paired with a single RTX 5090 (600W?). No other power hungry components besides two pumps, some ARGB elements and a lot of fans, so we are talking between 800 to 1000W on the PSU OUT, thats without spikes. Possible overclocking. Therefore, I am in need of a best possible 1kW+ unit. Also, I would like to have dual 12VHPWR connections due to XOC cards having those (for example Galax HOF 4090) now, also it might become standard even on the non-XOC cards based on the recent news. My current options therefore are:



1) I might use the new in box Hydro TI Pro 1000W that I still have laying around at my workshop. However, the power is on the low side for such a build and there is only one 12VHPWR connection, so I would have to source some 2x8 to 12VHPWR adapter for the second one (if such a cable for this PSU even exists).



2) I can settle with the soon-to-be-released SeaSonic TX1600 Noctua Edition which should be fully ATX 3.1 compliant while using a top notch fan, equipped with 2x12VHPWR connections. However, I am not a fan of SeaSonic units, their fan control was always sort of erratic, the fans were louder with rattling tones, I had numerous RMAs of them in the last decade, and so on, just a bad experience in general with the Prime units. Also the shutdowns with the RTX 3090s.



3) I can go with the old, proven beast AX1600i while I still can grab it new. There is no ATX 3.0 certification, but the Flextronics platform is still king of the hill AFAIK. I would be able to pull out as many 2x8 to 12VHPWR connections as I would like, using the supplied 600W Corsair cables (please, correct me if I am wrong, but these cables do enable pushing the power limit just like native 12VHPWR connection, right?). The semi passive operation is there, the fan is quiet and of good quality. There is also the possibility of digital connection to a motherboard enabling me to monitor the total power draw in real time, which I like.



Please, any helpful opinion is appreciated. Do I really need ATX 3.0 removed link What would be my best pick? Would the age and ATX 2.4 standard of AX1600i mean any restrictions to my needs, such as overclocking the GPU? I need to have the PSU by the arrival of the RTX 5090 at the latest, sooner the better.



Thanks !

 

[dirtyferret]

1600w is a bit much, I think you can use a 1200w to 1300w unit with no issue. MSI has a new PSU coming out with two 12V-2x6 sockets
even to this day the AX1600i is still the top performing PSU out there although obviously it's been around a while. For your current needs it should meet them. The SeaSonic TX1600 Noctua Edition is more gimmick than anything else (just get a regular Seasonic Prime PX or TX). If you want something besides Seasonic, Corsair HX1500i, Super Flower Leadex V 1600, NZXT C1500.

 

[dgianstefani]

Buy a fanless PSU.

 

[ir_cow]

I would rethink the quad radiator thing. You lose all HDD bays if you put one in the bottom at all. The second might be a tough fit for tubing.

Unless you planning on doing hard line, the case sucks for watercooling.

 

[yfn_ratchet]

Buy a fanless PSU.

Seconding this, ULN usually ends up translating to 'passive' when it comes to power supplies given the investment. Ideally you could just have the rig in a separate room and run a sufficiently wide fiber connection (or more for direct video out) but that's rather esoteric and expensive even considering the savings from dropping the idea of 'quiet operation'.

Just grab a Seasonic PRIME TX-700 Fanless and call it a day. I can assure you whatever you're doing will not need more, and if it does, double up.

 

[Sarajiel]

I would like to have dual 12VHPWR connections due to XOC cards having those

Not sure why you are asking here? If you can get some of those cards, which aren't available via retail, you probably have enough industry contacts that will happily sponsor a PSU for that build.

Otherwise, it sounds like you want a be quiet! Dark Power Pro 13 1600W. Although the 12VPWR connectors only allow 1000W combined.

Ideally you could just have the rig in a separate room and run a sufficiently wide fiber connection (or more for direct video out) but that's rather esoteric and expensive

Expensive, yes. Esoteric, no. From my experience, a lot of high-end post-production facilities equip their color grading suites in that fashion. Price wise expect something like €1000 per seat, depending on distance which usually goes up to 300m/1000 feet. Usually those industrial extenders are sold by B2B manufacturers, but with a little effort, you can get them as consumer as well, at least over here in Europe.

 

[oxrufiioxo]

My TX prime 1000 is inaudible over my fans running at 600rpm drawing around 600w, going 1600w to achieve the same thing seems crazy unless the rest of the system is passively cooled.

We don't even know what 5090 or 9800X3D, 9950X3D/ultra 9/7 or whatever you end up going with is gonna use power wise so it's better to wait and see.

 

[Easa]

Thanks everyone for their replies, Ill to address everything:

1. I have zero use for 3.5" HDD bays, I already have Optane 905 from my previous build ready as a system drive, the rest will be handled by M.2 drives and some 2.5" SSDs. The V3000 certainly does not suck for watercooling, it was made for that purpose. For the project that I am doing, it is almost perfect. Just to clarify - I have buit my fair share of watercooled computers from SFF to SSI-CEB, I know what to expect. If you are interested, I can definitely post pictures once the project is done, though it will take some time.
   
   
2. I would like to avoid going fanless / passive. I would prefer the PSU to just spent is time in semi-passive mode, with the option of cooling itself if the need arises. But okay, adding the Cooler Master X Silent Edge 1100W here, because that is probably the only fanless unit that would handle my needs. Otherwise I have just found X Silent MAX Platinum 1300W, that thing looks good and very silent. There will be enough airflow in the PSU area so maybe even the passive thing would be a good solution. And there is also monitoring. However, both of those unit are, at this moment, not even commercially available though, at least not in Europe. Wrote a ticket to CM about the availability, lets see.
   
   
3. External radiators, moving the rig out of the room etc., not an option for me, but thanks for the suggestion.
   
   
   

4. My TX prime 1000 is inaudible over my fans running at 600rpm drawing around 600w, going 1600w to achieve the same thing seems crazy unless the rest of the system is passively cooled.
   
   We don't even know what 5090 or 9800X3D, 9950X3D/ultra 9/7 or whatever you end up going with is gonna use power wise so it's better to wait and see.

   
   Well we do know that it is certainly going to be around 450-600W, and I am sure that it is not going to be any lower than the current RTX 4090 power requirements. As for the CPU, it does not matter. We do know the PL levels of Arrow Lake, and the consumption of 9950X, ballpark numbers are there. I absolutely agree with you that 1600W is an overkill for such configuration, but its the only PSU class that will give me around 800W of passive operation with the option to cool itself if needed. The rest of the system will be inaudible.
   
   
   

5. Not sure why you are asking here? If you can get some of those cards, which aren't available via retail, you probably have enough industry contacts that will happily sponsor a PSU for that build.

   
   I am not affiliated with any brand, not any more, and I pay for my stuff. Anyways, the Kingpin cards were never hard to get, and the Galax HOF are not either if you know where to search or ask for. I just want my system to be ready if a card like this comes by.
   
   
   
   
6. If somebody could please elaborate on the AX1600i in 2024, that would be nice. I still cant see a thing that I would miss with going with the non-ATX 3.0 PSU and the respective +12VHPWR cables, but I dont want to regret my purchase. This also applies to the single 12VHPWR units like the mentioned CoolerMasters. If I equip such a PSU with a second 2x8 / 3x8 to +12VHPWR straight cable (not Nvidia splitter, something like a dedicated cable adapter from PSU manufacturer) will the second connection work just as the native 12VHPWR without imposing any wattage / power limit barriers on the card?

 

[oxrufiioxo]

With a 1600w watt psu you'd have so much headroom transients wouldn't be an issue. The only thing you're losing is a native 12VHPWR connector on the powersupply something I don't think corsair implements even on their newer atx 3.0/pcie 5.0 power supplies anyways. My TX1000 isn't 3.0/5.0 compatible and neither are my TX850 or RMx 850 and all work fine with the 4090 with 600+ loads.

It was really only ampere on the crap Samsung node that I've had issues with on some power supplies but that was becuase transients on them were insane.

You have a very specific use case so I doubt anyone could advise on what's the best option my TX1000 is already inaudible with a 600w load so a 1600w should be better even my TX850 can't be heard over my t30s at 600rpm as it is. If passive is your goal I think your 1600w plan is good it really comes down to you just trying the hardware and seeing if it works for you there is no substitute for actually using the hardware locally.

My guess is the power supplies you are talking about already meet the atx 3.0 spec anyways so it's just the native socket support you'd be missing. I know I have 0 intentions of upgrading just for that my seasonic titanium units are working just fine for now.

I think what case fans you use and what rpm you use them at will dictate noise more than your choice of powersupply personally though.

That being said I'd probably get the TX1600 noctua out of your choices.

 

[dirtyferret]

If somebody could please elaborate on the AX1600i in 2024, that would be nice. I still cant see a thing that I would miss with going with the non-ATX 3.0 PSU

besides the 12VHPWR connector in the ATX 3.0 there is more tolerance for high power spikes (up to 200%) and voltage drops on the 12v rail. Now, you won't be pulling any kind of power that will make a 1600w sweat and the AX1600i is excellent on 12v voltage regulation.

 

[John Naylor]

Hey! I am currently doing a Lian Li V3000 Plus build with dual pump, quad radiator watercooling system, that will serve as my workstation core for years to come. Of course, I will eventually swap the "active" parts such as CPU/GPU/MBD/RAM or drives, but I would like to keep the case, cooling and PSU for as long as I can, possibly for the next 10+ years.

The system is designed to run 20+ very low RPM fans, operating completely inaudible to ultra low noise levels (hence the radiator cooling capacity). As I have already invested a lot to drop the noise as low as possible, I need a matching semi-passive PSU that will: 1) stay dead silent most of the time 2) be as quiet as possible when it will surpass the passive operation load - thus, I need a PSU with an overkill efficiency and overkill power.

I did something similar 13 years ago 14 rad fans / 6 case fans. The system build thread is still on the forums here. Swiftech Dualie Pump .... sitting here typing this the fans are not spinning. The system has 6 temp sensors displayed on the front panel. Used a Seasonic X-1250... Overclocked GFXcards in SLI and max OC on CPU... would seem 900 watt pulls in gaming and speaks of 1080 in benchmarks. I have had the opposite experience with brands, Corsairs is probably the one I replaced most when my son and I were building for others.


But that was back then .... haven't kept pace with every component like we did in the ole days. My son still builds the occasional box .... has two systems with multiple 1440p screens .... for builds he does for others, it seem many of his friends are more concerned about PSU colors and LEDs than OC stability.

I called to see what he uses and he likes

Seasonic PRIME Series Platinum, Titanium 550, 650, 750, 850, 1000, 1300 Watts
Antec HCP Platinum Platinum 750, 850, 1000, 1300 Watts
Corsair AXi Series Platinum and Titanium 1200, 1500, 1600 Wattse

Here's some data from the build referenced above .

Minutes​	Max Core​	Coolant​	Pump rpm​	Ambient​	Auto Control​
0​	26​	23.8​	1513​	22.0​	​
1​	65​	25.1​	2257​	22.0​	​
2​	68​	26.0​	2299​	22.2​	​
3​	69​	26.6​	2265​	21.9​	​
4​	69​	28.0​	2331​	21.9​	​
5​	69​	28.4​	2445​	21.9​	​
6​	70​	28.5​	2432​	21.8​	​
7​	70​	28.8​	2509​	21.7​	​
8​	71​	29.0​	2327​	21.7​	​
9​	71​	29.9​	2402​	21.6​	​
10​	71​	30.1​	2611​	21.6​	​
11​	72​	30.6​	2678​	21.7​	​
12​	72​	30.7​	2631​	21.5​	​
13​	71​	30.9​	2490​	21.5​	​
14​	71​	31.2​	2616​	21.5​	​
15​	71​	31.2​	2678​	21.5​	​
​	​	​	​	​	​
Minutes​	Max Core​	Coolant​	Pump rpm​	Ambient​	4000 rpm pump​
0​	28​	24.6​	3958​	21.4​	​
1​	63​	26.5​	3935​	21.4​	​
2​	67​	27.3​	3958​	21.4​	​
3​	68​	28.0​	3958​	21.3​	​
4​	69​	28.4​	4005​	21.3​	​
5​	70​	29.0​	3958​	21.3​	​
6​	71​	29.6​	3947​	21.3​	​
7​	71​	29.7​	3970​	21.3​	​
8​	70​	29.9​	3924​	21.3​	​
9​	71​	30.5​	3994​	21.3​	​
10​	73​	30.5​	3947​	21.3​	​
11​	72​	30.5​	3982​	21.3​	​
12​	71​	30.5​	3947​	21.3​	​
13​	70​	30.7​	4005​	21.3​	​
14​	72​	31.2​	3958​	21.3​	​
15​	71​	31.0​	3958​	21.3​	​
​	​	​	​	​	​
Minutes​	Max Core​	Coolant​	Pump rpm​	Ambient​	Fans @ 1175​
1​	26​	23.2​	1521​	21.4​	​
2​	63​	24.3​	2039​	21.4​	​
3​	64​	24.8​	2315​	21.4​	​
4​	65​	25.5​	2188​	21.4​	​
5​	67​	26.3​	2173​	21.4​	​
6​	66​	26.3​	2472​	21.4​	​
7​	66​	26.3​	2432​	21.4​	​
8​	66​	26.4​	2450​	21.4​	​
9​	66​	26.7​	2504​	21.4​	​
10​	68​	26.9​	2415​	21.4​	​
11​	66​	26.8​	2468​	21.4​	​
12​	67​	26.7​	2477​	21.4​	​
13​	68​	26.7​	2509​	21.3​	​
14​	69​	27.3​	2495​	21.3​	​
15​	67​	27.1​	2454​	21.3​	​

The 2 GFX cards never got hot enough to bother. Placed the 560 rad after the GFXcards and the CPU after the 280. That was just one set of fans pushing air INTO the case..... when switched to pulling air out temps were hotter. I ran them again after installing dual fans in push / pull but other than Furmark was not at big change. I wound up taking them out after about 2 years and using them in another box.

I used the Swiftech Dual Extreme Duty Small Form Factor 12 VDC Industrial PWM Pump - Black (MCP35X2-BK) w/the
Swiftech MCP35x2 Dual Pump Heatsink (MCP35X2-HS) and Noiseblocker NB-BlackSilentPro PC-P 80mm x 15mm Ultra Silent PWM Fan - 2500 RPM

Been running it since Novermber 2013 24/7

The 140x 140 fans "spin up at about 325 run up to about 550 rpm and remain totally inaudible while gaming.... tho I haven't had time toplay games in years.

 

[Easa]

Hey guys!

After long research I have decided that I should give the passive way a chance. Ordered the new CoolerMaster X Silent Edge 1100W from their EU Webshop. The build quality seems to be top notch, the warranty is there, ATX 3.1, cables are nicely sleeved, there is USB monitoring, and of course it will be dead silent, with airflow provided by nearby radiator fans. CoolerMaster even has an optional 16pin cable so I will be able to feed a dual-connector GPU if the need arises. This thing should comply with all of my needs, at least on paper.

Will report back after I test it out, should be here in a week or so. Thanks everyone again for their inputs!

 

[harm9963]

NZXT C1500 was my choice , 12v 115 is what sold me , for US .