When it comes to brand recognition in the PC power supply market, PC Power and Cooling is the geek equivalent of Ferrari.  The Turbo-Cool series have been chosen for the illustrious honor of powering the MaximumPC Dream Machine on a regular basis, and their quality is known throughout the enthusiast community.   However, the top end of the PSU market is not nearly as elusive as it used to be.  New market contenders like Corsair, Ultra and Antec have all launched products intended to assault the top position.  Does PC Power and Cooling retain their elite status, or have they been overtaken?  Today, we will find out by comparing the Silencer 610 EPS12V with my current standby, the Corsair 620HX. 

Out of Box Experience:

     First off, let's take a look at what we have.   Unlike motherboards and video cards, PSU package bundles rarely have much in the way of extras, and that is just fine by me.   Here we have the power cable, the PSU, four screws and a basic manual. 

     For the PSU unit itself, the first thing we notice is the fan configuration.  Instead of a 120mm fan on the bottom that many PSUs today use, the Silencer uses a single 80mm fan directly on the exhaust.  Everybody knows that the larger fan you use, the less RPMs required to push the same CFM, and thus less noise generated.  So, how does PC Power and Cooling justify using a smaller fan on a "silent" power supply?  According to a PDF found here, PCP&C claim that the secret is in fan layout.  PCP&C goes on to state that the Silencer reduces "air turbulence" by making the supply a little bit longer, and saving some space right in front of the fan.  In another document, entitled "Power Supply Myths Exposed!", PCP&C goes on to claim that power supplies with a top mounted 120mm fan generally skimp on everything from passive cooling within the unit, to smaller capacitors and other components that essentially limit the power capabilities of the supply, in order to allow for the space for the large fan.  We will investigate these claims further as we go on.

     As we rotate the PSU around, we get a further feel for the aesthetic feel of the unit.  The entire supply is textured in a subtle black.  We can also see the "SLI Ready" sticker.

On the other side, we see a little venting, and a sneak preview of some of the coils.

Nothing terribly exciting here, just the top of the PSU. 

     On the front of PSU, we see the rest of the cooling, in the form of vents.  This should be where most of the fresh air is pulled from. 

     On most PSUs, a fan would be installed here, however, on the Silencer, all we have is the power ratings label.  Shall we crack her open?

     With the top removed. we see what PCP&C were referring to in regards to giving the fan some breathing room.   The large passive heatsinks are also aligned in such a way as to be the most conducive to airflow.   The large vents can be seen on the right, this is where the fresh air comes from. 

     Here we have a close look at the coils.  A small plastic guard ensures that the coils do not make contact with the casing.

     On this side, we can see some of the caps, as well as the wiring configuration.  While it appears the 12V (yellow) rails are split into two rails, it is actually a single unified rail.