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  • hamunaptra - Wednesday, January 28, 2009 - link

    I have had the 500w Silencer model for a while, it rocks. Unfortunately the first one did fail on me after about 2 months of use, but the RMA process was amazing. I had my NEW PSU back to me within a week!!!! By the time I got around to checking the tracking on it, it showed it was out for delivery TO MY HOUSE!!! ROFL! I was very impressed.
    I got back a totally new 500w PSU and its still goin strong!
    I will buy nothing other than PCP&C in the future! I love the fact the internals of these are high quality and the 80mm fan design I still desire one reason being my case works best with those and 120mm fan PSU's dont get air in my smaller case =)

    This PSU must have amazing cooling ability also, because after my computer has been under load for 24hrs crunching away on all "8" cores crunching away on WCG...I put my hand on the exhaust of the PSU and its cool air! the sides of the PSU are cool also.
    My previous non PCP&C PSU's were hot and loud!!!!! with half the load ROFL!

    I recommend PCP&C PSU's to everyone! the single 12V rail is also superior and....I just hate the idea of multi 12v PSU's having to balance everything and it just seems like a cheap way to get away with a lot of watts and not great parts.
  • corsa - Friday, January 30, 2009 - link

    Oh so this is where they do the re-badging ...I'll stick to Seasonic built Corsair.
  • OCZJess - Friday, January 30, 2009 - link

    Yes it is true that Seasonic is PC Power's OEM; however, PC Power designed and engineered the Silencer series themselves in Carlsbad, CA.

    Don't forget PC Power was using Seasonic long before Corsair was even making PSUs. I guess we don't need to wonder why Corsair chose Seasonic :)
  • ebayne - Wednesday, January 28, 2009 - link

    I am a major PC P+C fan. I have used them exclusively for going on 10 years now. The most effective ad I ever saw was the one where they showed the guts of an OEM next to a turboCool.

    I'm 44 and am now teaching the next gen of PC Enthusiasts in my family. I tell them if they want my help building a system it has to have a PC P+C psu or I won't touch it. I don't understand these idjits that will spend 600 bucks on a cpu or gpu and then power it with a 10 dollar psu.
  • 9nails - Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - link

    I'm in the San Diego area, and would love to take a tour some time. But a virtual tour with more pictures of the shop would have been a nice alternative.

    I've often wondered how components are selected for power supplies. They can't all be selected out of a catalog, right? Any insight as to what goes into the build process?

    I used to be a fan of Antec power supplies, but after my last one and it's RMA unit died on me, no longer. I've installed my first PCP&C Silencer 750 last November. And soon after I built a $4K computer system for a friend with the same power supply. I've liked the build quality so much that I specifically asked for a PCP&C power supply in my next business computer! I'd even be willing to donate the cost difference to my district just to make sure that I'm up and running, unlike those dime-a-dozen power supplies that die in a year. I've learned how addressing this one area of your computer fixes all the other little issues that crop up due to poor design.
  • dunce - Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - link

    When the fan in my Silencer 750 started making a clicking sound. I called them and they told me to just bring it in (I live 10min away). They guys were very cool and it was fixed in 30min. Now that is customer service!! I will always run PC P&C Power Supplies!
  • looper - Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - link

    I have owned several of their PS units over the years. Quality and pride is what this company is all about.

    OLD SCHOOL...

    I hope to God that OCZ does not step in and change the success blueprint here.So often, after a takeover the parent Company, trying to cut costs, steps in and makes bad decisions.

    OCZ... don't screw this up....

    Brian in RI
  • OCZJess - Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - link

    Hi Brian,

    I would like to mention I am an employee of OCZ. We acquired PC Power & Cooling close to 2 years ago now and as you can see we have not imposed on what made PC Power so successful. The facility and employees have remained intact. In fact, PC Power has improved the quality and engineering of all of OCZ's PSUs.

    I see it as a symbiotic relationship; Doug and team has helped take OCZ power supplies to a new level with their years of experience and immaculate testing abilities. OCZ has helped make them a world-class brand with their global distribution channel.

    We promise not to screw it up ;)
  • Joe Schmoe - Monday, January 26, 2009 - link

    I just noticed how much that guys office looks almost exactly like mine.. except all his junk is nicer.





  • Zorlac - Monday, January 26, 2009 - link

    I agree the PC P&C most likely makes the best PSUs in the business, but I have to admit I will not buy another until they start using 120 or 140mm fans. Those 80mm blow dryers they use are stupidly loud.

    Nice article by the way! :)
  • erple2 - Wednesday, January 28, 2009 - link

    I thought that the 120mm fans in a PSU were better for airflow too. However, I then read http://www.pcpower.com/technology/myths/#m6">http://www.pcpower.com/technology/myths/#m6 and thought about it a bit. Granted, their justification is certainly pushing their product over competing solutions, but their methodology makes more sense to me. Proper airflow and cooling is dictated by design, not the use of a 120mm fan.

    I don't know about you, but my 750 silencer uses an 80mm fan, and I have never heard it before. My system isn't particularly heavy-duty, but it draws about 325W at what I consider full tilt:

    E6750
    Geforce 8800 GTX
    P35
    2x harddrives
    2x DVD drives
    4x2 gig RAM

    I'm not sure what you are basing your 120/140mm fan bias on (experience or just what "feels right"). Curiously, Anandtech recommends the 750 over other 120/140mm designs for heavier duty builds. There has to be SOMETHING to the 80mm fan speed "issue".
  • rgidsatech - Monday, January 26, 2009 - link

    I've have been buying supplies from PC Power & Cooling back when "286" was the hot CPU. The power supplies were expensive, but worth it. We built PC's for industrial control systems, and back then used DOS, PC-MOS, and MDOS, with the latest 286's. 512k or 640k of ram and 40MEG HD's !! Last month we got a call from a company for service, and found one of these MDOS systems (with 2meg ram) still running. The problem was actually no space on the drive, caused by so many bad sectors, but it still worked! The PC Power and cooling supply was still working, even the fan worked. I wanted to keep it as a museum piece, but they wanted it back!
  • OddJensen - Monday, January 26, 2009 - link

    PCP&C have excellent supplies, but I guess as long as you have good OEMS and tell them to do it right, any brand can be good. PCP&C have good competition from others these days. Also, I disagree with their views on modular cabling and such.
  • Beenthere - Sunday, January 25, 2009 - link

    I've used quite a few PSUs over the past 20 years. PCPCs stuff is the best performing and most reliable PSUs I've ever seen, used or tested.

    Kudos to PCPC for sticking to quality when most companies are only interested in the highest profit and volume products they can peddle to naive consumers.
  • mindless1 - Sunday, January 25, 2009 - link

    "They were building power supplies when most of today's enthusiasts weren't even born."

    I doubt most of today's enthusiasts are under 24 yo, particularly those who know much about PSU. Maybe video card enthusiasts.
  • Beno - Saturday, January 24, 2009 - link

    their PSUs are top quality. but to kill my curiosity, how come their power supplies are only 80plus certified? i mean you see other manufacturers have 80plus bronze and silver certifications which means 85+ efficiency, i felt that pc power is mediocre comparing to the other PSU companies.
  • JEDIYoda - Wednesday, January 28, 2009 - link

    There is more to a PSU than being 80+ certified!

    Just because a PSU is 80+ or more certified does not mean you have a quality PSU in anyway shape or form!

    It also does not mean in a year you won`t be sending the PSU back....

    Peace!!
  • OCZJess - Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - link

    Hi Beno,

    First I wanted to identify myself as a employee of OCZ (PC Power). I will help kill your curiosity :P

    Currently all available PC Power units were submitted to 80plus before the graduated rating system came about, when they only had a 'pass/fail' system. We haven't felt the need to resubmit the units for re-certification, but a quick google search will show you that numerous 3rd party reviews have found units, such as the Silencer 750, to go as high as 87%!

    In addition, I'd like to add that these units were designed over 3 years ago when nobody was even thinking about efficiency...except, well, PC Power & Cooling :) And they still remain leaders of the pack.
  • sonci - Saturday, January 24, 2009 - link

    Hem, when I see these old PSU, it seems that has been a downgrade to our days, I`m not speaking about efficiency, but build quality.
    Pure shiny inox, not crapy recycle carbon, I wonder what would have been the price of these beasts..
  • sonci - Saturday, January 24, 2009 - link

    Its a bit alike with audio equipment, you cant find a new ampl to match an old Marantz or Rotel..
  • Phlargo - Saturday, January 24, 2009 - link

    For me, whenever you visit a site like this, I really feel I can so much better connect with the purchases I make. To see real people doing their work and seeing the conditions they work under (I noticed almost everyone was smiling, even in the backgrounds). I am far more likely to consider a PCP&C Power Supply for my next one now and I feel like I have a neat little insight into their company.

    Thanks!
  • Phlargo - Saturday, January 24, 2009 - link

    Okay.. I'm going to make fun of myself here - I just read through what I wrote. It's terrible. The idea is that which I intended to convey, but I fear an 8 year old could have said it better. Sorry.. just wanted to make sure I didn't get away with anything ;-)
  • m3rdpwr - Saturday, January 24, 2009 - link

    I've been using PCP&C since the mid 80's.

    We use to buy the proprietary Compaq Power Supplies all the time from them as they Compaq versions always blew up in the PC's and luggables.

    I still have a 400 watt Turbo Cool that's older than hell that I still use today...

    -Mario
  • Conscript - Saturday, January 24, 2009 - link

    From the pics, it appears your PC Power&Cooling PSU was likely assembled by an largely overweight mom?
  • StraightPipe - Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - link

    I've got to admit that this explains alot.

    Background: I've always used PCP+C PSU's in the past, great units, great company.

    Horror Story: On a recent build I bought an OCZ Elite Extreme 800W for a gaming rig/media server. 2 months later the PSU died, RMA took 3 weeks.

    After waiting I finally got a replacement and it too died, after 5 days. This time i did not want to wait an additional 3 weeks, so I paid for an advanced replacement. They charged my CC and gave me an RMA#, but nothing came. Week after week, they said, it's on the way, then eventually they told me it was out of stock. Why was my card charged for advanced replacement if the PSU is out of stock?

    6 weeks later i got the second replacement. I'm testing it now to see if it is as bad as the first two.

    so far: 8 weeks of uptime, 9 weeks of downtime. 2 bad PSU's...

    OCZ is not the same quality as PCP+C
  • StraightPipe - Tuesday, January 27, 2009 - link

    I think the term is "Grossly overweight"
  • MihiAir - Saturday, January 24, 2009 - link

    Is the PC Power & Cooling S61EPS 610W any good, I heard good things about the 750w. I wonder is this power supply any good. I read some sites say its good and some sites say its normal.
  • Christoph Katzer - Saturday, January 24, 2009 - link

    The 610 is much quieter than the 500 watts if you care about noise.
  • MihiAir - Sunday, January 25, 2009 - link

    Thx for the info~
  • archcommus - Saturday, January 24, 2009 - link

    I have that PSU and love it. System is P35-DS3L, Q6600, 4GB DDR2, 8800 GTS 512MB. Very quiet and feels solid.
  • Totally - Saturday, January 24, 2009 - link

    and it felt like a total guilt trip, I have a Silencer 750 Quad, 2yrs old going on 3, and it's even seen quite a few of it's comrades come and go. My only complaint is that they built the things too damn good, not that I'm alluding to anything.
  • Mr Roboto - Saturday, January 24, 2009 - link

    I'm surprised to see no comments yet. Anyways I always go for a blend of performance, quality and price. PCP&C fits that perfectly. In fact I'm currently using a Silencer 750 that I don't even notice is there. To me that's what it's all about. I don't need to hear it or see it and If I do it's because something is wrong.
  • Totally - Saturday, January 24, 2009 - link

    post anything AMD/Intel related and they'll queue up faster than the homeless at a soup kitchen.
  • JarredWalton - Saturday, January 24, 2009 - link

    I picked up the Silencer 750 Quad last year from Newegg when it was on sale for $100... haven't regretted that decision *at all*! In fact, the same PSU is still available for $90 after MIR at Newegg (although I'd prefer the $100 without MIR personally).
  • Theguynextdoor - Saturday, April 3, 2010 - link

    About 4 1/2 years ago I was in the market for a quality PSU for an affordable price After a month of research I *really* wanted a PC P+C. Then OCZ entered the PSU market with their first three PSu's The original Powerstream 420, 520 and 600. I read the reviews everyone said they were fantastic and eventually found out they were made by PC Power. Found a 420w on sale for $3.

    This PSU has outlasted every part I have ever thrown at it. I was skeptical at first with it being two 80mm fans. I now understand it doens't matter. It is quiet (even more so then my 1200rpm 120mm scythe's, only my 800rpm's are quieter).

    This is my favorite part of my computer. Because it's the only one I never have to seem to replace. I haven't even peeled off the sticker that allows access to the three screws that ups the power to individual rails.

    I know not all of OCZ's PSU's are of this quality anymore (they probably have it outsourced from other companies now). But their PC P+C built ones are definitly quality. Couldn't be happier.

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