Page 2 - Physical Look - Outside
The design of the SilverStone ET500-ARGB 500W is quite standard for a power supply unit, utilizing an all-black exterior. At 14cm deep, the ET500-ARGB 500W is appropriately sized for the performance grade and wattage it is designed for. As the SilverStone ET500-ARGB 500W is a non-modular power supply, one can expect it to take up less space than most modular power supply units. Modular power supplies are longer than non-modular units by a centimeter or two in order to accommodate its connector board at the back that contains the electrical connections for the outputs. Length is generally not an issue for larger cases, but if you have a small case, the short size will be beneficial.
From the photo above, you can see the full branding is implemented on the sides, where SilverStone's logo and the product name are seen prominently displayed. The 80 Plus Bronze badge is also shown on both sides along with the brand and product logo. To ensure you will always see the text right side up, the orientation of it is different on both sides, so whatever side facing the user after installation will always be correct. The fan grille has a slit design and guards the primary and only cooling fan installed. The 120mm fan generates airflow by drawing air from the bottom of the power supply over its internal components to keep the temperatures at a reasonable level. Exhaust heat can leave at the back of the power supply through the secondary honeycomb mesh opening. Meanwhile, four screws secure the power supply enclosure together. A warranty seal extends over one screw of the power supply, so you cannot open the ET500-ARGB 500W without voiding its 3-year warranty.
Looking at the exposed side of the power supply, we can see the power input and switch. Both the receptacle input and switch are standard, so a power cord can be reused from another device if necessary. It is important to keep in mind the thickness of the power cord you decide to use, although the recommended thickness for the SilverStone ET500-ARGB 500W is not specified, since this is not a very high wattage unit. The low resistance honeycomb mesh design is implemented to maximize airflow and minimize air resistance. Cool air is fed into the power supply from the grille at the bottom. Hot air can be discharged through the back grille after cooling down the internal components.
As with most fans, four screws are used to keep the fan attached to the PSU. The ET500-ARGB 500W has automatic full range 100V to 240V AC line voltage selection like with all active power factor correction or APFC power supplies, so the user does not have to worry about manually inputting voltage. Additionally, we have a black push button that changes the RGB lighting effects on the cooling fan. The SilverStone ET500-ARGB 500W has up to seventeen different RGB lighting effects including off, which is quite cool.
As mentioned earlier, the ET500-ARGB 500W is a non-modular power supply. Like with all non-modular power supplies, this one comes with a fixed set of cables. The seven-cable lead-out is located on the side opposite to the side with the power receptacle and switches. All of the wires are black in color. A downside with all non-modular power supplies is how messy cabling can get since you are bound to have at least a few unused cables, but they are cheaper to make, which gives more value to the end user. Overall, the build quality of the SilverStone ET500-ARGB 500W is solid. The exterior feels smooth with no sharp edges.
The voltage specification label for the SilverStone ET500-ARGB 500W is located on the top of the power supply unit. Two virtual rails are visible here. Up to 18A can be delivered on the +3.3V rail, making for a power rating of 59.4W. Meanwhile, up to 17A can be delivered on the +5V rail, which makes the rated power delivery 85W. The combined output for the +3.3V and +5V rail is 110W. This means the total power allocation combination must fall within the limits of the listed specifications. The +12V rail is rated to deliver up to 38A, making the power output 456W. This is done to maximize power delivery flexibility compared to multiple +12V rails. The combined power output for the SilverStone ET500-ARGB 500W is 500W, as the name implies. The power distribution of the SilverStone ET500-ARGB 500W is reasonable for a 500W power supply unit, although I have seen higher +3.3V and 5V rails for lower output rated units.
The SilverStone ET500-ARGB 500W is 80 Plus Bronze certified, which means that it is certified to be at least 82%, 85%, and 92% efficient at 20%, 50%, and 100% load, respectively.
Out of the box, we get seven output power cables attached to the SilverStone ET500-ARGB 500W. These flat cables are easy to bend, making them flexible enough to route around the internal areas of your PC. 18 AWG wires are found on the high current motherboard and PCIe cables, while the remaining cables are sized at 20 AWG.
The following modular cables are included out of the box:
- 1x ATX 20+4 pin, 50.0cm
- 1x EPS 8-pin and 4+4 pin, 2 connectors, 65.0cm, 15.0cm spacing thereafter
- 1x PCIe 6+2 pin, 2 connectors, 50.0cm to first connector, 15.0cm spacing thereafter
- 2x SATA, 2 connectors each, 50.0cm to first connector, 15.0cm spacing thereafter
- 1x Molex, 3 connectors, 50.0cm to first connector, 15.0cm spacing thereafter
- 1x ARGB 4-1pin, 2 connectors, 45.0cm to first connector, 10.0cm spacing thereafter
These are specified measurements from the manufacturer. All of the power cable lengths meet or exceed the general standard, which is 50.0cm. Therefore, most users should have no problems with the SilverStone ET500-ARGB 500W's reach in modern cases. A cable of note is the 4-1pin ARGB connector. This cable is designed to connect to your motherboard, giving it control of the RGB lighting cooling fan. This is a nice design choice as it gives users the flexibility to choose the lighting they may want to see on their ET500-ARGB 500W.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Minor Tests and Conclusion
