Cooler Master Silent Pro 700w Modular PSU

 

While the weight and size of a PSU can often give us a rough idea of how the unit is likely to perform, many manufacturers are now turning to newer and more efficient methods of manufacture, resulting in smaller and often lighter power supply units. However, by looking inside the Silent Pro we should be able to identify some of the components used and get a good feel for the overall build quality of the unit.

 

 

 

The insides of the Silent Pro are fairly tidy, with only a few stray wires leading to the modular backplane that haven’t been grouped together. All components inside the unit are fairly low profile, giving the airflow produced by the 135mm fan plenty of room to  dissipate, resulting in less “hot-spots”. As previously mentioned, the heatsinks used to cool the mosfets inside the unit use a combination of aluminium and copper. This hybrid approach gives maximum cooling performance as copper is known for its excellent heat transfer properties and aluminium for its superior heat dissipation.

 

 

 

Two low-profile capacitors have been used inside the unit, which should offer cleaner voltages in comparison to the Real Power M700, which only featured a single capacitor. As we can see from the image top-left, the capacitors are rated to run at up to 85°C, but unfortunately we couldn’t find any manufacturer markings to determine their origins.

 

Also pictured above are the two transformers used within the unit. In normal PSU configurations, the larger of the two transformers is used to power the +12v rails, while the smaller is often used for +3.3v and +5.0v rails.

 

 

The 135mm fan used inside the Silent Pro is manufactured by Yong Lin Tech and has a model number of DFS132512M. As we can see from the specifications below, the fan is able to push an impressive 82CFM through the PSU with a noise output of 37dB(A). Cooler Master undoubtedly chose such a powerful fan so that it could be run at lower speeds, thus producing an even better CFM-to-dB(A) ratio.

 

 

 

 

The modular PSU has long been a subject for heated debate among PC enthusiasts. Many believe that adding extra plugs and connectors into the cabling system produces resistance, resulting in voltage drops and in some cases arcing. While others simply couldn’t be without the greater tidiness and improved airflow that a modular PSU provides.

 

 

The Silent Pro attempts to satisfy everybody by hardwiring the cables that are essential to the operation of every PC (ATX & EPS-12v) into the unit, while leaving the non-essential cables (PCI-E, Molex) as modular. Not only does this make sense in terms of functionality, but it also ensures that the motherboard receives the cleanest possible power.

 

 

Cooler Master have made a departure from the sleeved cabling used by almost all other PSU manufacturers in favour of a moulded plastic, ribbon-style cable. Not only are these slimmer than the standard sleeved cable (especially when bundled together with a cable tie), but they are also extremely flexible and look very cool.

 

Now all Cooler Master need to do is provide them in a range of different colours for the case modders among us!

 

 

 

Despite the Silent Pro being a new unit to the market, Cooler Master haven’t forgotten about those of us who don’t have the very latest cutting-edge (power-hungry) components. Support for both 20-Pin and 24-Pin ATX motherboards is included, along with an 8-Pin EPS-12v connector which can be split in half to support older 4-Pin P4-12v motherboards. Both PCI-E connectors are also native 8-Pin, but can be reduced down to the 6-Pin standard in the very same way.