Enermax Noisetaker 485W PSU

Good quality workmanship, but little of note otherwise - the Enermax Noisetaker is also very quiet.

The graphic above shows the power supply connections and their length in centimeters. Exemplary: the "big" Enermax offers all the connections.

Features

The Enermax Noisetaker EG701AX-VE(W) is the second device from this manufacturer in the stress test and has 600 watts of total power. In contrast to the Coolergiant from the same company, this power supply unit has a traditional design with two fans: One transports the heat from the CPU cooler away and the second fan provides cooling for the power supply components.

Already known from the other Enermax model: Cable routing with EMI ferrite core. Positive side effect: The cables are well protected and can't be damaged by the power supply casing.

The power supply can work with voltage from 110 to 230 volts - manual switch-over is not necessary.

The casing could do with a design update so that the switch recesses from older models disappear. Another traditional feature of Enermax is the integrated ventilation control: Enermax was one of the first manufacturers to establish manual fan control in the market. With it, the speed of the fan can be set by hand - electronics monitor the temperature. If a user has set the speed too low, nothing can be damaged.

Enermax embosses its logo on the casing itself.

The power supply is equipped with a fan servo control that cools the components of the power supply and the computer after being switched off until the temperature is below 104°F. (40°C). This feature also has a negative effect: If the computer is switched off, then the noise of the fan can still be heard. In this case, the power switch of the power supply can switch off the fan without further ado.

Identification plate of the Enermax power supply with all the necessary information.

Test Results - Quiet Operating Noise, Top Values Under Maximum Load

24 hours of continuous stress passed by the Enermax without a trace. All measurements and also the specification of a combined load coincided with the specification. Consequently, the Enermax Noisetaker EG701AX-VE(W)emerges from the test once again with good values - during the last comparative test there were similarly good results. Here, the competition should learn from the example, above all from the voltage values of the individual lines. Here, the 12 volt bar should be mentioned, which was determined to be exactly 12 volts and consequently right in the middle of the tolerance range. The very high efficiency of 80.2 percent and the quiet operating noise were noticeable.

After 24 hours under high load, the power supply unit from Enermax seems to be as fresh as when it started: The measurement results are within the specification and the power ratings coincide with those of the manufacturer. Also as a result of past tests, the Enermax Noisetaker EG701AX-VE(W) is known for its outstanding performance.

Lacking any decorations like LEDs, intricately-shaped fan grids, etc., the Noisetaker EG495AX-VE still looks pretty enough, mainly due to the coloring of the case. The photograph can’t convey it in full, but the PSU is not merely violet. Tiny spangles were added into the paint and they shimmer in light very beautifully.

The design of the PSU is standard otherwise. Well, Enermax is not counted among experimenting firms and prefers to focus on the electrical parameters of a PSU rather than on its outward appearance. Take note, however, of the fan speed control knob near the On/Off switch and the filter on the PSU’s output:

It is an ordinary ferrite ring inside a plastic casing. This filter doesn’t play any crucial part in minimizing the voltage ripple on the PSU’s output, yet it does suppress some high-frequency noise. You may have seen this solution already. For example, a ferrite ring is also put on the output cables of the FSP FSP460-60PFN unit. The graphics card cable of some power supplies from OCZ wears such a ring with a couple of capacitors, too.

The internal design is standard, following the classic circuit schematic with group voltage regulation and active power factor correction. There is nothing here I could find any fault with. Everything is neat and tidy.

This model has the typical characteristics of an ATX12V 2.0 power supply (this industry standard doesn’t describe models with an output power of over 400W, so you have to extrapolate). The +12V rail is “virtually” divided in two as is done in the absolute majority of new PC power supplies. In other words, there is only one power rail inside the power supply and its load current is up to 32A, but there are two separate current limiters, 18A each, set up on the PSU’s output. I already wrote in my reviews about the reasons why the sum of the max currents on the 12V1 and 12V2 rails is bigger than the total current on the +12V rail: this power rail is split in two only to comply with the EN-60950 safety regulation which states that the maximum output power on user-accessible contacts must not exceed 240VA (that is, the current must not be higher than 20A at 12V voltage; the protection is set at 18A for a small safety margin). Of course, it is logical to set the current limit higher for each of the 12V rails, i.e. at 18A, to provide more flexibility in load distribution across the PSU’s outputs.

This power supply offers you the following cables and connectors:

• Mainboard cable with a 24-pin connector (with a detachable 4-pin part), 58cm long
• ATX12V cable with a 4-pin connector, 57cm long
• Graphics card cable with a 6-pin connector, 57cm long
• Two cables with two Molex connectors and one mini-plug for the floppy drive (45cm from the PSU to the first connector and 13cm more to each next connector)
• One cable with three Molex connectors (63cm from the PSU to the first connector and 13cm more to each next connector)
• Two cables with two SATA power connectors on each, 48cm from the PSU to the first plug and 15cm more to the next connector
• 80mm fan’s tachometer cable which allows controlling the fan speed through the mainboard’s monitoring tools