By: Hai Wang
September 11, 2020
If you ask me what is the one thing I want to change the most for current computers, my answer would be to eliminate all the fans. There are lots of benefits if we can have computers only rely on passive cooling. The first and foremost one is significantly reduced noise level. Fairly speaking, cooling fans that have advanced bearing technologies are generally pretty quiet. However, there is no guarantee the quietness can last for long time. I have some fans that got louder after few years of use. Aside from being absolute quiet, another advantage of using a fanless design is the possibility to reduce the overall size. The reason tablets and phones can be thin is because they do not need to use cooling fans in most cases. Although the idea of fanless computer looks promising, the problem is making the idea into reality. For desktops, we have several options. There are some power supplies without fans in the market, and it is also possible use a CPU heatsink without any fans attached. Personally, I have not tried to build a computer that has no fans on the CPU cooler, PSU, and the computer case. As much as I would like to the try a fanless desktop, there are some concerns. For one, the air flow inside the computer case will suffer. If there is no exhaust fan in the chassis, the heat may build up inside the case, and consequently impact the cooling performance of fanless components. The good news is, the above mentioned problem is partially solved by today’s review unit –- the NZXT C650 650W power supply. There is a push button on this product for the users to activate passive mode when loads are low. It is possible to have a noiseless PSU in your computer if you buy this product, but is it a good PSU overall? Let us read on and find out.
Today’s review unit was shipped from City of Industry, California, USA to us here in Calgary, Alberta, Canada via FedEx International Economy. City of Industry is the location of company's American headquarters. You can see the parcel is generally in good shape, therefore there is no need to be nervous about the safety of whatever is inside the box. After more than a thousand miles of transportation, I could only see a small dent on the top left corner.
After pulling the review unit out of the shipping box, we can get a closer looker at the retail package. The overall design of the package is quite simple. From the front view, the only words you can see are the product name, C650, and a simple description, "ATX PSU". A photo of the power supply unit is shown in the middle of the box. By looking at the retail package in the front view, you can not get too much information about this product. To dig in more, you really need to look at the back side of the box. On the flip side of the box, there is a specifications table, which indicates how much power it can deliver at each voltage level. All of the important features of this power supply unit are located at the back of the package as well. There is also an 80 Plus Gold certification label. Generally speaking, the retail package design does its job. By just glancing at the package shortly, customers can easily find the most important information about this product, its form factor, and supported power output.
Before digging into details, let us take a look at the specifications of the NZXT C650 650W, as obtained from the manufacturer's website:
- Dimensions: L: 150mm W: 150mm H: 86mm
- Material(s): Steel, PCB and plastic
- Compliance Standard: ATX12V v2.4 / EPS12V v2.92
- PF Correction: Active@0.99
- AC Input Rating: 100-240Vac, 9-4.5A, 50-60Hz
- Fan Specs: Dimensions: W: 120mm H: 120mm D: 25mm; Speed: 0-2,200 + 220 RPM; Airflow: 73.9 CFM; Noise: 32.3 dBA
- Bearing: FDB (Fluid Dynamic Bearing)
- Hazardous Materials: RoHS & China RoHS
- Energy Efficiency: 80 Plus Gold
- 20% loading: 87%, 50% loading: 90%, 100% loading: 87% @115Vac
- Operation Temperature: 0 to 50°C
- Regulations & Certifications (EMC & Safety): CB / CE / FCC / TUV / cTUV-SUDus / China CCC / Taiwan BSMI / Australia RCM / EAC
- MTBF: 100,000 hours
- Output Connector(s): 1 x 24-pin ATX power; 2 x 4+4-pin CPU power; 4 x PCIe (6+2 pin); 8 x SATA; 6 x Peripherals
- Included Cables: 1 x 24-pin ATX power (length: 610 mm, Nylon sleeving); 2 x 4+4-pin CPU power (length: 650 mm, Nylon sleeving); 2 x PCIe (6+2 pin) (length: 675 +75 mm, Nylon sleeving); 2 x SATA (length: 500 + 100 +100 +100 mm); 2 x Peripherals (length: 500 + 100 +100 mm)
- Warranty: 10 years
- Model Number: NP-C650M-US
- UPC: 815671015945
- EAN: 5060301695775
Opening the box, you can see all the things you would expect from a power supply unit package. There is the power supply unit itself and a set of accessories. It is worth mentioning inside of the box, the power supply unit is protected by two pieces of foam brackets. Since it is a fully modular power supply unit, the cables are provided separately from the PSU. The cables are held inside of a purple bag, and unused cables can be stored here. The bag is pretty heavy, which means there are quite a few cables inside. There is a user instruction provided for your convenience. You can also find a bag of screws for you to install it in your computer case.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Minor Tests and Conclusion
