Silverstone SX500-LG 500W Gold SFX-L

After receiving my RMA I have to give Silverstone credit for sending out a replacement very quickly. I believe they received my RMA last Tuesday and shipped the replacement out on Thursday.

I didn't have any noise issues with my first SX500, and hopefully the replacement will be the same.

I received my replacement SX500-LG from Silverstone last month after my original unit had problems with the power good wire.

My original didn't have the noise issue that many have complained about, but unfortunately I think my replacement does. It sounds a little bit like a mechanical hard drive, even though I have none. Given that the noise has only started since I installed the replacement PSU, and that it sounds like it's coming from the PSU, this must be the noise many have complained of.

Kudos to Silverstone for turning around my replacement so quickly, but I'm a little bummed to have received a replacement that has a separate issue.

To be honest, you could probably live with the noise. It's intermittent and not terribly annoying. However like many, I bought the SX500-LG over the model with the 80mm fan because I wanted it to be quieter. This pretty much defeats the point of buying a quiet power supply.
 
Update 1: Received the Sharkoon SilentStorm SFX ... and man silence has come finally. Even under Furmark load I need to check my computer to see that it is actually running. Very happy with it.

Good to hear. I think I may end up going that route. I don't really feel comfortable selling my SX500-LG knowing it has the noise issue, so I'll probably keep it around as a backup.
 
Hi, I thought I'd share my experience with the Silverstone SX500.

I bought this unit for my first computer build ever. I'm building in a Silverstone SG13 so I'd go with an SFX PSU for more space compared to the ATX PSU the case can support. I paid a premium on this PSU expecting top quality. Most of the marketing was on the silent 120mm fan that could even go in a completely silent mode, I was sold.

I finally got my unit and I put my computer together outside its case. Everything went well, wow I had a really quite machine and the PSU fan wasn't turning on - as advertised. But it eventually came on even just browsing the web... and wow did it ever come on. That fan was super loud. Much louder than the rest of the system even with the fan maxed. I have a non overclocked 4790k with stock cooler, a small GTX 960 and a Noctua NF-F12 as a case fan. (Should hit 270W max)

The fan from the PSU was much louder than everything else. As other board members have mentioned, mine also made a galloping/chirping sound. I could even hear it with the computer at idle in the next room while having supper. I figured I had a faulty unit so I sent an RMA request for it and eventually had the unit replaced.

Here's the clincher, the second unit is barely any better. This second one will also start to chirp at certain speeds. Especially when it just turns on but it will also do it at various loads. Not the quality I was expecting from Silverstone. It reminds me of my old 386 I'd have to give a kick every once in a while when the fan would start acting up. Anyhow, it seems like Silverstone should have went with their own slim 120mm fan and have it running all the time rather than this mess. I don't see how the silent operation is a benefit. I have a 270W max system and shouldn't be using much power at idle, yet the fan in the PSU still kicks in at idle even when outside the case.

It seems to me like the silent operation isn't to blame as the fan does exhibit the same noise at higher loads - not just at it's transient state. It seems to be a motor/bearing issue as you can see the fan jerking at one spot in its rotation. Possibly it's the low speed that causes the issue, jerking when switching pole as the fan has little inertia.

So I was wondering what to do. Return the unit, save some money and get a regular quiet ATX unit? Change the fan in the PSU? I saw some people on this forum putting a fan close by to blow air on the PSU to keep it in silent mode. I couldn't fit that in the SG 13. So I had a crazier idea ;)

What if I strap my NF-F12 to my PSU and use it as an air intake rather than exhaust?

Here's my current build over view.
IMG_5021.JPG


I strapped the fan on with rubber band just to try it out.
IMG_5023.JPG


Wow that's close - though I think I can get a bit of clearance by flipping the SFX-ATX adapter.
IMG_5025.JPG


It turned out better than expected. It seems like Intel and Silverstone Worked together because there's just enough space between the cooler and the PSU for my fan. On top of not having to hear the Silverstone fan, it seems like it's more effective at cooling my CPU.
 
Hi, I thought I'd share my experience...

Wow that's close - though I think I can get a bit of clearance by flipping the SFX-ATX adapter.
IMG_5025.JPG


It turned out better than expected. It seems like Intel and Silverstone Worked together because there's just enough space between the cooler and the PSU for my fan. On top of not having to hear the Silverstone fan, it seems like it's more effective at cooling my CPU.

So ghetto-licsciously satisfying. Silverstone take note. That picture says it all.
Glad you finally have a quiet rig, even if you had to engineer it yourself!
 
I'm having some trouble with the fan on this PSU as well. I believe it is not the clicking noise that some have described; Rather, it sounds as if the fan was intermittently touching on something as it spins. Possibly as if it was wobbling a bit. It's not the usual fan noise, and also not really a "clicking" to my ears. I've already returned the first unit I got. But the fan on the new one is making the same noise. (At least the coil whine is gone though...)

I see that a few people have mentioned replacing the fan - any recommendations for a replacement? I see the Scythe makes a slim 120mm fan. That runs with 12v - do any of you happen to know if the stock fan is using the same voltage? Thanks!
 
Oh, thank you! Don't know how I didn't find that post before. Doesn't sound very promising though. If you got a fan with a different starting voltage, and hooked that up to one of the mainboard chassis fan headers, or even to a 12v output on the PSU via a molex adapter - any reason that shouldn't work? Other than the fan running all the time of course, but I'd rather have a quiet fan always running than the noise issue I've got now.
 
A few other people have done just that, though usually with a 25mm fan mounted to the outside.

The main thing is to make sure there is adequate airflow to cool the PSU at load.
 
Got mine a week ago, fan is amazing. but the psu in general makes som strange noice, some sqeeking @ full loag CPU/GPU. not constant, comes and goes at ramdom. noice is not loud. but its there.

Mine is mounted fan up in an open case for now.
 
That sounds like coil whine to me. Do you have any way of measuring the actual load that is put on the PSU? Are you sure it's coming from the PSU? GPUs can have this as well, and if that's the case, using VSync generally gets rid of the problem.
 
I had some high-pitch (coil?) whine on my first unit as well, especially under load. That might be the same thing you have. On the second unit I now have this isn't happening, or at least not to the extent that it's noticeable.
 
I just got this PSU and thought I'd share my experience. My PSU exhibited the same clicking noise that many of you experienced so I took the fan out and powered it using a separate PSU at various voltages, the result a completely silent fan. I ran the PSU up at load and the clicking was there even if I stopped the fan from turning, so investigating further the noise appeared to come from the PWM board trying to make its mind up whether it should start the fan; the clicking being the voltage switching.

To overcome this I changed the fan to a Sythe, same clicking, but wired it in permanently to the +5V feed within the PSU. As the fan is constantly running, the PWM doesn't need to ramp the voltage up and my clicking has gone. Silverstone need to sort this out. Hope this helps.
 
Thanks for your feedback Mach1na. The issue indeed does seem to be the semi-fanless feature, not the fan. Since there are other PSU brands with the same OEM PSU with the same fan that don't have the clicking noise. Oh well, hopefully we'll see the SX700-LPT take another whack at the implementation of the marketing buzz word "semi-fanless".
 
I'm sure this is a horribly stupid question but, has anyone tried voiding their warranty and replacing the fan? Would a slim Noctua fit?
 
I'm sure this is a horribly stupid question but, has anyone tried voiding their warranty and replacing the fan? Would a slim Noctua fit?

Not a stupid question, but the fact that you have two people talking about it 7-8 posts above yours, and one of them posting a link to a post that gives you the answer.. can maybe make you look like you haven't really read the things you should..
 
Not a stupid question, but the fact that you have two people talking about it 7-8 posts above yours, and one of them posting a link to a post that gives you the answer.. can maybe make you look like you haven't really read the things you should..

wow i can't believe i missed that. honestly i stopped reading after the rubber band post. so is the semi fanless issue a luck of the draw type thing or is every psu going to have it?
 
That sounds like coil whine to me. Do you have any way of measuring the actual load that is put on the PSU? Are you sure it's coming from the PSU? GPUs can have this as well, and if that's the case, using VSync generally gets rid of the problem.


Sorry late reply :) not coil whine, load is arround 300W. since PSU is only new component i figure thats the sourse. anyhow, its been @ full load now for 10 days sound is gone and the psu is just perfrect. maby it just needed some "run in" like amp's and speakers who knows, but i like it :D
 
I'm sure this is a horribly stupid question but, has anyone tried voiding their warranty and replacing the fan? Would a slim Noctua fit?

I've replaced the fan twice on my unit. The trouble with slim fans is finding one that's quiet. Using a full size 120mm fan is possible if your case has room next to the PSU, e.g. the M1.

I picked the Scythe fan in my signature because it supposedly has a low starting voltage. It's completely silent at all times, which is a huge improvement over stock.
 
I've replaced the fan twice on my unit. The trouble with slim fans is finding one that's quiet. Using a full size 120mm fan is possible if your case has room next to the PSU, e.g. the M1.

I picked the Scythe fan in my signature because it supposedly has a low starting voltage. It's completely silent at all times, which is a huge improvement over stock.

Are you saying mount the fan directly on the PSU?

I preordered an M1 so I was planning on having the PSU intake facing the inside of the case and having a 120mm intake on the opposite side blowing air into the PSU.
 
Are you saying mount the fan directly on the PSU?

I preordered an M1 so I was planning on having the PSU intake facing the inside of the case and having a 120mm intake on the opposite side blowing air into the PSU.

Yes, I removed the slim fan and have mounted a standard 120mm on the outside of the PSU. It's powered and controlled by the PSU.

A fan on the side intake might help the PSU run passively for longer, but it's a fairly large distance away so there won't be any static pressure.
 
I just replaced my Silverstone fan with a Rosewill Slim 120mm fan from Amazon and I can confirm it is the exact same fan except the amazon one is four pin and opaque plastic.

It has the same wobble issue that causes the noise of the stock fan. The noise is very slightly quieter but the wobble is there and you can see while the fan is centered the blades move back and forth perpendicular to fan plane.

When it wobbles the fan tips contact the fan frame making a ticking sound. I can tell because if I push it while off to simulate a wobble it will easily make contact and stop.

I also have a Scythe slim 120 and that has some kind of bad bearing that sounds like a geiger counter. So I wouldn't recommend that one either.

Possibly clipping the tips off of the fan would have but if not even it would be just as bad if not worse.
 
.....and just to add insult to injury.......

Having returned my new SX500LG only 3 days ago because the fan started hitting the frame it was so out of balance, my supplier has just come back to me to say that Silverstone has declared EOL for the product here in Australia and there are no more in stock! When I checked 5 other alternative suppliers, all their stock levels had miraculously dropped to 0 in the last 24 hours. I can only conclude that the product has caused so many problems that it has been withdrawn from our market. Not good form Silverstone! I have always been one of your biggest supporters.

Well, what do I buy now? The SX500LG was meant to replace that ST45SF-G that is currently back in my build making too much noise as always. Damn! Just when I thought I had finished building!
 
.....and just to add insult to injury.......

Having returned my new SX500LG only 3 days ago because the fan started hitting the frame it was so out of balance, my supplier has just come back to me to say that Silverstone has declared EOL for the product here in Australia and there are no more in stock! When I checked 5 other alternative suppliers, all their stock levels had miraculously dropped to 0 in the last 24 hours. I can only conclude that the product has caused so many problems that it has been withdrawn from our market. Not good form Silverstone! I have always been one of your biggest supporters.

Well, what do I buy now? The SX500LG was meant to replace that ST45SF-G that is currently back in my build making too much noise as always. Damn! Just when I thought I had finished building!

May I ask which supplier in Australia told you we were to EOL SX500-LG? Because that is a lie! This model is selling better than ever there so one of our distributors in Australia is out of stock already (next bulk shipment is arriving next week though). If you need to get one now, PC Case Gear still has some in stock.
 
May I ask which supplier in Australia told you we were to EOL SX500-LG? Because that is a lie! This model is selling better than ever there so one of our distributors in Australia is out of stock already (next bulk shipment is arriving next week though). If you need to get one now, PC Case Gear still has some in stock.

OK, here is the Verbatim log from MWAVE

Mwave 17/02/2016 3:34:56 PM
[Status Modified] - Updated

Hi Christopher,

Unfortunately that unit is EOL from our supplier.

Silverstone SFX 80+ Gold 450W Modular Power Supply

Silverstone SFX 600W 80 Plus Gold Modular Power Supply

May be other options? (show less)
[Status Modified] - Updated

Hi Christopher,

Unfortunately that unit is EOL from our supplier.

Silverstone SFX 80+ Gold 450W Modular Power Supply

Online Computer Store, laptops and gaming | Mwave Australia ...(show more)
You 17/02/2016 3:39:45 PM
OK, I have the Silverstone SFX 80 Gold 450W at the moment and its too loud which is why I went for the 500W option with the 120mm fan. So, does EOL mean that a new product is going to replace it?

(BTW the SFX 600 is ridiculously noisy when the fan eventually starts - we already have two of them) (show less)
OK, I have the Silverstone SFX 80 Gold 450W at the moment and its too loud which is why I went for the 500W option with the 120mm fan. So, does EOL mean that a new product is going to replace it?

(BTW the SFX 600 is ridiculously noisy whe ...(show more)
Mwave 17/02/2016 3:42:53 PM
[Status Modified] - Updated

Hi Christopher,

Sorry EOL = Discontinued using internal lingo. We don't have any notification of a replacement model at this stage. Just that our supplier does not have further stock and does not appear to be getting more.

You 17/02/2016 3:46:44 PM
I checked all your other options and none of them fit. So, am I allowed to ask for a full refund or are you going to insist on a store credit?
Mwave 17/02/2016 4:25:14 PM
[Status Modified] - Updated

Hi Christopher,

We can definitely process a full refund for you as this was DOA/Dead on Arrival. Please advise.


Does that help!

I usually buy from PCCaseGear but they didn't have any stock when I placed the original order.
 
OK, I have just ordered a replacement from PCCaseGear. This one MUST work Tony or you will hear about it. This is the last chance that I am giving Silverstone. Have you read through the Silverstone threads on this forum? A PSU should be the easiest part of any build. This has been the hardest part of my build and has taken me nearly a month to get right.

Please let me know that you understand what I am saying!
 
May I ask which supplier in Australia told you we were to EOL SX500-LG? Because that is a lie! This model is selling better than ever there so one of our distributors in Australia is out of stock already (next bulk shipment is arriving next week though). If you need to get one now, PC Case Gear still has some in stock.

One more thing. If I receive another dud Silverstone product, please don't send me this "interesting" email that I replied to with a video clip of your fabulous PSU haemorrhaging under load OR I will publish the video clip as well.


Dear Sir


After check with our engineer team, they want to know following question:

1. Model name of all hardware you connect with SX500-LG. (included your chassis)

2. Ambient temperature of the place you using this computer.


Following is their inference and reply about the issue.

1. The fan is control by the sensor which detected temperature inside SX500-LG , sent out on/off signal and control fan’s output Voltage.

2. Please refer to following that is the relation between fan voltage and inside temperature. (fan’s start voltage has range) (see image below)


If your hardware’s Watt request or ambient temperature is under low value, it will make inside temperature around started value “ 41C” which will also make sensor sent out on/off signal or adjust output voltage frequently. That’s why it make you hear the shank noise. If your hardware’s Watt request raise up and make SX500-LG’s internal temperature over the threshold value, the fan will spin up normally without that noise. For same principle, if your hardware’s Watt request drop down and make internal temperature under the threshold the fan will spin down and stop again.
 

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Sorry everybody....I promise I will relax now.

My first ever SFF build should have taken a week but it has now taken a month. I hope you all understand.
 
I just replaced my Silverstone fan with a Rosewill Slim 120mm fan from Amazon and I can confirm it is the exact same fan except the amazon one is four pin and opaque plastic.

It has the same wobble issue that causes the noise of the stock fan. The noise is very slightly quieter but the wobble is there and you can see while the fan is centered the blades move back and forth perpendicular to fan plane.

When it wobbles the fan tips contact the fan frame making a ticking sound. I can tell because if I push it while off to simulate a wobble it will easily make contact and stop.

I also have a Scythe slim 120 and that has some kind of bad bearing that sounds like a geiger counter. So I wouldn't recommend that one either.

Possibly clipping the tips off of the fan would have but if not even it would be just as bad if not worse.

I believe the "wobble" you are seeing is an optical illusion produced by the glossy/translucent finish of the fan blade.


Sorry everybody....I promise I will relax now.

My first ever SFF build should have taken a week but it has now taken a month. I hope you all understand.


Hi crhendo, thank you very much for taking the time to reply with the requested info! There was probably a misunderstanding between mWave Australia and one of our distributors there (what they refer to as supplier).

We have been following this thread from the very beginning and I have stated a few times here that SX500-LG is currently our best effort in producing the quietest SFX/SFX-L PSU possible. There are rare incidences where some units could produce very noticeable whine (as with nearly all PSU models) but from the returned SX500-LG we have analyzed thus far, nearly all passed our standard. So for those that are very sensitive to noise, the SX500-LG is definitely not as quiet as some of the quietest ATX PSUs on the market now but we are working to make our future models better.

As a side note, I have personally taken a couple of SX500-LG to try at home as well and have heard the noise described here but that's with me sitting next to them outside of the case. These noises easily get drown out when I install it in my case though (granted my PC isn't completely silent but it is quiet enough for me to comfortably use in the middle of night.)

Anyways, if you still are unhappy with the SX500-LG from PC Case Gear then it is probably not the right model for your setup/environment. However with more SFX models coming later this year from ourselves and other brands, I hope you will eventually find one that suits you. Either way, please feel free to pm me if you need additional assistance beyond our regular customer service.
 
Hi, I bought a SX500-LG and installed it in my ncase M1 this past Monday. I am very happy as it is completely silent; however, after a couple of hours gaming I noticed the side of my case (by the PSU) was fairly warm. I opened the case and noticed the PSU fan was not spinning and the back of the PSU was warm (side opposite the fan). The other sides were relatively cool. After continued gaming temp stay pretty much the same. Basically, it is warm enough to notice and be concerned, but not hot enough to shut down my PC immediately.

I have monitored the past few days and figured out the heat is not coming from the PSU but from the video card. The video card is blowing a lot of hot air into the small gap between the PSU and case side panel. The other sides of the PSU are much cooler as they see some good air flow. There is a 120mm fan mounted to the side of the case blowing air onto the PSU and I have a Noctua NH-D9L on my CPU exhausting air out the back of the case. BTW, the PSU is installed with the fan facing the inside of the case so the 120mm case fan is blowing on the PSU fan.

I know the fan on the PSU is set to turn on if the internal sensor registers 41°C or above, but I would think it would turn on at some point (I have a i7-6700k and GTX 970). The fan has not spun once since installed.

Anyone have any thoughts on this before I RMA the power supply?
 
I believe the "wobble" you are seeing is an optical illusion produced by the glossy/translucent finish of the fan blade.

We have been following this thread from the very beginning and I have stated a few times here that SX500-LG is currently our best effort in producing the quietest SFX/SFX-L PSU possible. There are rare incidences where some units could produce very noticeable whine (as with nearly all PSU models) but from the returned SX500-LG we have analyzed thus far, nearly all passed our standard. So for those that are very sensitive to noise, the SX500-LG is definitely not as quiet as some of the quietest ATX PSUs on the market now but we are working to make our future models better.

Anyways, if you still are unhappy with the SX500-LG from PC Case Gear then it is probably not the right model for your setup/environment. However with more SFX models coming later this year from ourselves and other brands, I hope you will eventually find one that suits you. Either way, please feel free to pm me if you need additional assistance beyond our regular customer service.


Dear Tony,

I think the trouble is that you spend so much time addressing known issues with your PSU's that your support staff take longer than they should to address legitimate new issues. I was MORE THAN HAPPY with my SX500-LG until it started making this very annoying tick tick sound. Unfortunately it took me a week to convince your support staff that this was a solid fault and not one of your existing issues. I eventually had to send this clip to your support staff and then send a follow up before they finally admitted that perhaps there was a problem. It was only then that I finally received this from your staff and had to start my battle with MWAVE.

Dear Sir

After check with your video, the noise is not normal sound that PSU have. Because we didn’t have branch office in Australia, please contact to original retailer directly and ask them change another for you.

Best Regards,

Albert Chang,
SilverStone Technology Co., Ltd.
 
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Hi,

I'm a recent owner of a SX500-LG myself (Europe Amazon.de), and I've been experiencing similar noise issue. The rattling/ticking noise at intermediary loads (when the fan isn't completely off, but isn't running full speed either) i can live with, but intermittently, i get some heavy coil whine like on this recording. (gets worse around 0:20)

Is that normal behavior ? If not should I go through RMA in order to get a default-free unit or should I just ship it back to amazon (it's still within the 30 day free return window) ?

If it is, do you guys recommend a silent alternative ? (I'm quite noise sensitive, I have an almost completely passive build). By the way, any news on the sx7000-LPT ?
 
Thought I'd give an update. Been using my PC all week and still have not seen the fan on the PSU move once. Decided to RMA. Definitely sucks as I don't have another PSU...computer is idle until I get the replacement. Here is hoping the replacement doesn't have any issues!
 
My SX500-LG also makes a noise similar to Anshur's, but mine only makes a buzzing noise until I manually start the PSU fan by blowing on it (I blow on it at 0:30):

Vocaroo | Voice message

The sound is noticeable from basically anywhere in my apartment, so it's really annoying.
 
Last edited:
Hi crhendo, thank you very much for taking the time to reply with the requested info! There was probably a misunderstanding between mWave Australia and one of our distributors there (what they refer to as supplier).

Anyways, if you still are unhappy with the SX500-LG from PC Case Gear then it is probably not the right model for your setup/environment. However with more SFX models coming later this year from ourselves and other brands, I hope you will eventually find one that suits you. Either way, please feel free to pm me if you need additional assistance beyond our regular customer service.


A quick update to say that my new SX500-LG arrived from PCCaseGear and has been running non-stop for the past three days. I am very pleased to say that it is as quiet as the proverbial mouse and exhibits none of the noises that have been documented throughout this thread. While I would be the first to admit it is highly likely that the vast majority of SX500-LG owners are very happy with their PSU, it does appear that an abnormally high number (perhaps 2-5%?) are having problems and, like me, end up on threads like these trying to sort things out. Until this "abnormally high number" is fixed, I would like to suggest that perhaps Silverstone should accept some responsibility for the problem by giving their Customers the benefit of the doubt rather than have them jump through hoops like I have had to do over the past month.
 
How did you come to figure 2-5% are having issues? How many do they sell each month? How many are getting RMAs for fan/coil noise? Where could you find this information?
 
Hi, I bought a SX500-LG and installed it in my ncase M1 this past Monday. I am very happy as it is completely silent; however, after a couple of hours gaming I noticed the side of my case (by the PSU) was fairly warm. I opened the case and noticed the PSU fan was not spinning and the back of the PSU was warm (side opposite the fan). The other sides were relatively cool. After continued gaming temp stay pretty much the same. Basically, it is warm enough to notice and be concerned, but not hot enough to shut down my PC immediately.

I have monitored the past few days and figured out the heat is not coming from the PSU but from the video card. The video card is blowing a lot of hot air into the small gap between the PSU and case side panel. The other sides of the PSU are much cooler as they see some good air flow. There is a 120mm fan mounted to the side of the case blowing air onto the PSU and I have a Noctua NH-D9L on my CPU exhausting air out the back of the case. BTW, the PSU is installed with the fan facing the inside of the case so the 120mm case fan is blowing on the PSU fan.

I know the fan on the PSU is set to turn on if the internal sensor registers 41°C or above, but I would think it would turn on at some point (I have a i7-6700k and GTX 970). The fan has not spun once since installed.

Anyone have any thoughts on this before I RMA the power supply?

Thought I'd give an update. Been using my PC all week and still have not seen the fan on the PSU move once. Decided to RMA. Definitely sucks as I don't have another PSU...computer is idle until I get the replacement. Here is hoping the replacement doesn't have any issues!

If you have very good airflow blowing into the PSU, there is a good chance its own fan doesn't need to turn on as SX500-LG is 100% temperature based. Did you try stopping the 120mm case fan to see if the PSU fan would turn on then?


Hi,

I'm a recent owner of a SX500-LG myself (Europe Amazon.de), and I've been experiencing similar noise issue. The rattling/ticking noise at intermediary loads (when the fan isn't completely off, but isn't running full speed either) i can live with, but intermittently, i get some heavy coil whine like on this recording. (gets worse around 0:20)

Is that normal behavior ? If not should I go through RMA in order to get a default-free unit or should I just ship it back to amazon (it's still within the 30 day free return window) ?

If it is, do you guys recommend a silent alternative ? (I'm quite noise sensitive, I have an almost completely passive build). By the way, any news on the sx7000-LPT ?

My SX500-LG also makes a noise similar to Anshur's, but mine only makes a buzzing noise until I manually start the PSU fan by blowing on it (I blow on it at 0:30):

Vocaroo | Voice message

The sound is noticeable from basically anywhere in my apartment, so it's really annoying.

These are the noises produced when the voltage is raised by fan controller near PSU fan's starting threshold. As discussed previously, this is unavoidable with a temperature based fan controller as used in the SX500-LG. However, every PSU may exhibit this noise slightly differently depending on the environment it is used in and also due to product variances.


A quick update to say that my new SX500-LG arrived from PCCaseGear and has been running non-stop for the past three days. I am very pleased to say that it is as quiet as the proverbial mouse and exhibits none of the noises that have been documented throughout this thread. While I would be the first to admit it is highly likely that the vast majority of SX500-LG owners are very happy with their PSU, it does appear that an abnormally high number (perhaps 2-5%?) are having problems and, like me, end up on threads like these trying to sort things out. Until this "abnormally high number" is fixed, I would like to suggest that perhaps Silverstone should accept some responsibility for the problem by giving their Customers the benefit of the doubt rather than have them jump through hoops like I have had to do over the past month.

Thanks for sharing your experience and being patient with us throughout the process. We will continue to improve and speed up the communications. In your circumstance, the misunderstanding from our distributor was due to their personnel change.

How did you come to figure 2-5% are having issues? How many do they sell each month? How many are getting RMAs for fan/coil noise? Where could you find this information?

Obviously I can't reveal exact sales and return numbers, but the RMA percentage aren't anywhere near that high. We are normally very concerned when anything approaches 1% and the SX500-LG was never there. This thread on Hardforum, however has now become the place to go for customers worldwide to share their SX500-LG troubles so it does contain what appears to be higher percentage of complaints.

With that said, we are still monitoring the situation and trying to build a case to possibly release an alternate version of SX500-LG without semi-fanless function. I got our PSU product manager to side with me last year and brought up the idea of removing semi-fanless function with executives but was unsuccessful because we simply had so few returns/complaints to make the case. Semi-fanless in many regions is considered a positive asset so we will probably go at it again this year but instead of trying to change SX500-LG, we'll push to release another version. So for current SX500-LG owners here, what would you like to see changed or updated besides semi-fanless?
 
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