Seasonic X-750 v. Corsair HX750/850 - Big noise difference?

So I'm thinking about swapping out my 750TX, it seems to be the loudest component in my build. I figure while I'm at it I might as well move to a modular PSU.

I don't know too many people who have actually worked with both PSUs, but I figure a few people here (including Kyle) have worked with both.

My system idles around 150W, and hits about 500W peak. HardOCP's review for the X750 indicates that the X750's fan does not even run at 150W loads, so that is one point in favor of the X750. But the Corsair model has nicer cabling it seems, to where you can fold things up to help keep it all nice 'n tidy.

But what about idle noise for the Corsair HX model? Is it comparable to the 750TX that I currently have? Would load noise be similar to my PSU as well? Then how does the X750 compare against that?

Well I've never used a TX so I can't give you a direct comparison, unfortunately. I can say, however, the the Corsair HX power supplies I've owned have been really, really quiet. Probably the best fan controllers out there.

Both the HX620 and HX1000 that I've had (the 1000 is what I have now) have been super quiet.

One thing I'd question though: You sure that load noise is coming form the PSU? Reason I ask is I've owned a GTX 280 and that card was many things, quiet was not one of them. When I fired things up it was by far the loudest thing there. Idle it was fine but under load none of my other stuff mattered as it drowned it all out.

Another thing to consider is that at least with Corsair PSUs, and probably other models, at loads under 50% the fan tends to spin very minimally. So, maybe instead of a 750 watt you get a 1000 watt PSU. Overkill, but keeps the fan spinning slowly. That's why I have an HX1000. I don't need it, but it keeps things nice and quiet. It'll cost you more, of course, but might be worth it. Do make sure you've got room though, the HX1000 is longer than a normal ATX PUS by a non-trivial amount.

The HX750 and HX850 are quieter than the TX750 in my personal experience.

The HX750 fan doesn't even spin up past the minimum until about 600W are drawn (in typical conditions).

Both the HX620 and HX1000 that I've had (the 1000 is what I have now) have been super quiet.

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Have to agree on you here. I can never hear the HX1000. I even turned off all my fans (including my heatsink) for a minute or so and could not hear a damn thing coming from the case.

Sycraft said:

Well I've never used a TX so I can't give you a direct comparison, unfortunately. I can say, however, the the Corsair HX power supplies I've owned have been really, really quiet. Probably the best fan controllers out there.

Both the HX620 and HX1000 that I've had (the 1000 is what I have now) have been super quiet.

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Comments like this make me thing something is wrong with my PSU's fan .

Sycraft said:

One thing I'd question though: You sure that load noise is coming form the PSU? Reason I ask is I've owned a GTX 280 and that card was many things, quiet was not one of them. When I fired things up it was by far the loudest thing there. Idle it was fine but under load none of my other stuff mattered as it drowned it all out.

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I'm pretty sure it is. All my case fans are plugged into molex connectors and running 100% all the time (at least for now that is but my Enermax fans are really quiet), so the only adjustable fans are the GPU fans, CPU heatsink fan, and the PSU fan. I set the GPU fans to run constant at x%, and during a Furmark test something else gets really loud at load. Either the CPU fan or PSU fan is going up there, and if the ASUS utility I have for my P6T Deluxe V2 has anything to say about it...it isn't the CPU fan.

This noise is at a lower pitch than my GPU fans, that is for sure. I know what those sound like at full blast .

Sycraft said:

Another thing to consider is that at least with Corsair PSUs, and probably other models, at loads under 50% the fan tends to spin very minimally. So, maybe instead of a 750 watt you get a 1000 watt PSU. Overkill, but keeps the fan spinning slowly. That's why I have an HX1000. I don't need it, but it keeps things nice and quiet. It'll cost you more, of course, but might be worth it. Do make sure you've got room though, the HX1000 is longer than a normal ATX PUS by a non-trivial amount.

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That was one reason I was primarily considering the 850W Corsair. For now I'm sticking with my Antec 300, but I do plan to get a bigger case at some point. However with my current build, the HX1000 would not be a comfortable fit even though the case can take it.

Redbeard said:

The HX750 and HX850 are quieter than the TX750 in my personal experience.

The HX750 fan doesn't even spin up past the minimum until about 600W are drawn (in typical conditions).

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That's good news. If you don't mind my asking though do you have any similar data on the TX750? Fan speed v. load, what fans are in each model (CFM and dBA ratings specifically), anything that might help me gauge how much louder (yeah right) or quieter the HX models are compared to my TX?

The more you bury me in specification and testing documents, the better.

Also what conditions were those tested in? Maybe my build just doesn't have ideal enough temperatures and a simple case upgrade would help?

Alright, turns out after finding some reviews of both the TX750 and the HX750/850 it turns out these units all use the same Yate Loon fan (D14BH-12). At full blast those fans push out 140CFM but it is also 48.5dBA. At 2800RPM. Do any of your PSUs actually run that fan at full blast? Because the way mine sounds, I have to wonder.

mmmmmdonuts said:

Have to agree on you here. I can never hear the HX1000. I even turned off all my fans (including my heatsink) for a minute or so and could not hear a damn thing coming from the case.

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Again, you guys are making me think something is wrong with my fan!

There probably is something wrong with your fan, in my experience, power supplies with 120mm or larger fans tend to stay very quiet, even under a semi-heavy load. With my Seasonic M12D 750 watt, if I shut off all the case fans, I still cannot even hear the PSU while folding on both my GPU's.

The TX750 does tend to be louder than other higher-end PSUs in that wattage range. It's a more budget-oriented unit than the HX series or the aforementioned Seasonic M12D unit, and it does not perform as well.

Hmmm...it sounds like it is a mix of whether or not the fan is bad. Considering it has been like this for a long time and hasn't been any other trouble, I'm going to wager that the fan is probably fine - and just as loud as it is designed to be.

Especially after I found out what fan it uses (up to 48dB YL).

So along with my recent order of a Lian Li case, I went ahead and got the Seasonic X750. Can't get much better than near silence at less than 150-200W, which is where I'll be most of the time. Thanks for the help guys!