Introduction

We would like to thank Be Quiet! for supplying the review sample.

Be Quiet! is a German brand, part of Listan, that specializes in products that operate with minimal noise output. Till recently their products were mostly known inside Germany but they decided to expand to a wider market. Unfortunately at the time of the review they did not have a presence in the U.S. Their PSU products, from high-end to low-end, spans over the Dark Power Pro, Straight Power and Pure Power series. They have also several SFX, TFX and notebook PSUs.

In this review we test the Straight Power E8 400W. This unit features an ultra silent, low RPM fan that utilizes the SilentWing technology so the manufacturer claims that the max noise output is only 14.7 dBA at full load operation! The unit uses a non-modular cabling scheme and although its price is on the low side it features DC-DC converters for the minor rails generation, something that gives a boost to efficiency. The E8 may be only 80 Plus Bronze certified but its characteristics speak for up to 89% efficiency, a very high ratio.