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Semi-Fanless ASM PSU, 620W
Discontinued
Semi-Fanless ASM PSU, 520W
Discontinued
Semi-Fanless ASM PSU, 450W
Discontinued
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Nesteq Semi-Fanless ASM PSUs

We receive many power supplies on evaluation here at Quiet PC from manufacturers who claim their products are quiet or silent. However, we are dubious when a power supply is marketed as being silent where the unit has a fan installed. Common sense dictates that fans make noise no matter how slowly they run, so for a manufacturer to claim such a product to be silent would in our view be misleading!

When we received an evaluation PSU from Nesteq, it didn’t say “silent” on the box, it said “Advanced Silent Mode”! Having become accustomed to this sort of marketing-speak, we were expecting this power supply to be as noisy as the rest of the samples we receive, but in fact we were pleasantly surprised.

Advanced Silent Mode (ASM) is a very simple feature. It allows the PC power supply to run virtually fanless, with the 120mm fan only switching on when absolutely necessary. During our evaluation we installed the PC power supply in a system which incorporated 2 x 6800 Ultra graphics card in SLI mode, just to see how long it would remain silent. We were astonished to see that the fan hardly moved at all! About every two or three minutes the fan rotated for about ten to twenty seconds before stopping again. This approach seemed to keep the power supply relatively cool to the touch in comparison to other fanless power supplies. In fact, Nesteq state that their PC power supply will be completely fanless for 99% of the time while ASM is enabled!

One of the main reasons the Nesteq ASM PC power supply can run so quietly is the fact that it has an efficiency rating above 80%, meaning that it will not generate as much heat as other PC power supplies! Not only does this allow the PSU to run cooler, it also saves money because it will not draw as much power as a lower efficiency unit.

As well as the ASM feature, it is also possible to make the 120mm fan to run continuously, either automatically or manually. From a noise point of view this setting is marginally louder (20 - 30 dBA). If low noise is the primary reason for purchase then we strongly recommend using the ASM feature. The PC power supply also comes with a massive 36 months warranty!

The PSU is supplied with all the connectors you would expect on a high quality power supply. It is possible to detach 4-pins from the 24-pin ATX motherboard connector, making it compatible with 20-pin motherboards. The 8-pin EPS12V connector can also split making two 4-pin connectors, one of which is for the ATX12V connector for the latest AMD and Intel processors. These Nesteq PSUs are also great for SLI systems because two PCI-E connectors are supplied on different rails.

Please note: Nesteq is the new name for Elan Vital. So if you are looking for an Elan Vital PSU then please consider the Nesteqs as a direct replacement.

Show specifications and reviews for:
SpecificationsASM 450WASM 520WASM 620W
Model numberNA-4501 NA-5201 NA-6201
ATX12V Version2.2 2.2 2.2
+3.3V maximum output current25 A 25 A 25 A
+5V maximum output current30 A 30 A 30 A
+12V1 maximum output current18 A 18 A 18 A
+12V2 maximum output current18 A 22 A 30 A
Combined maximum output +3.3V / +5V150 W 150 W 150 W
Fan speed controlASM or Manual ASM or Manual ASM or Manual
Acoustic noise level0 - 30 db(A) 0 - 30 db(A) 0 - 30 db(A)
Dimensions86 x 150 x 140 mm 86 x 150 x 140 mm 86 x 150 x 140 mm
+5VSB maximum standby current2.5 A 2.5 A 2.5 A
Mains input voltage90-264 VAC, 47-63 Hz 90-264 VAC, 47-63 Hz 90-264 VAC, 47-63 Hz
ATX12V (4-pin) supportYes Yes Yes
EPS12V (8-pin) supportYes Yes Yes
20-pin ATX connectorYes Yes Yes
24-pin ATX connectorYes Yes Yes
PCI-E support (6-pin)Yes (x2) Yes (x2) Yes (x2)
Mains input voltage selectionAuto Auto Auto
Remote power on / offYes Yes Yes
Number of floppy drive connectors2 2 2
Number of hard drive connectors8 8 8
SATA connectors4 4 4
Over voltage protectionYes, on all outputs Yes, on all outputs Yes, on all outputs
Short circuit protectionYes, on all outputs Yes, on all outputs Yes, on all outputs
Safety approvalsCE, CB, TUV CE, CB, TUV CE, CB, TUV
Monitor pass-through power socketNo No No
Master power on/off switchYes Yes Yes
Length of motherboard power cable55 cm (approx) 55 cm (approx) 55 cm (approx)
Warranty36 months 36 months 36 months
SpecificationsASM 450WASM 520WASM 620W
Model numberNA-4501 NA-5201 NA-6201
ATX12V Version2.2
+3.3V maximum output current25 A
+5V maximum output current30 A
+12V1 maximum output current18 A
+12V2 maximum output current18 A 22 A 30 A
Combined maximum output +3.3V / +5V150 W
Fan speed controlASM or Manual
Acoustic noise level0 - 30 db(A)
Dimensions86 x 150 x 140 mm
+5VSB maximum standby current2.5 A
Mains input voltage90-264 VAC, 47-63 Hz
ATX12V (4-pin) supportYes
EPS12V (8-pin) supportYes
20-pin ATX connectorYes
24-pin ATX connectorYes
PCI-E support (6-pin)Yes (x2)
Mains input voltage selectionAuto
Remote power on / offYes
Number of floppy drive connectors2
Number of hard drive connectors8
SATA connectors4
Over voltage protectionYes, on all outputs
Short circuit protectionYes, on all outputs
Safety approvalsCE, CB, TUV
Monitor pass-through power socketNo
Master power on/off switchYes
Length of motherboard power cable55 cm (approx)
Warranty36 months

FAQ

  • Do high wattage power supplies cost more to run?

    No - the rated wattage of a power supply refers to the maximum amount of power it can deliver at full load, not how much power it uses. More powerful PSUs will consume around the same amount of power as lower powered power supplies in any given PC system, so your electricity bill will not be higher when using a more powerful power supply!

    The best way to reduce your electricity bill when using your PC is to use a more efficient power supply or make your PC consume less power by removing components which are not needed, such as extra drives and expansion cards, or by choosing a cooler-running processor or graphics card.

  • My brand new power supply doesn’t work! Am I doing something wrong?

    It’s possible that the power supply may be faulty, but here are some simple things to check. Firstly, a power supply will not work if you simply plug it in and flick the switch. The power supply will only turn on if you connect it to a working motherboard and associated items (processor, memory, video card, etc). It is actually the motherboard which tells the power supply when to switch on.

    Secondly (if applicable), check the voltage is set correctly to 115/230 volts depending on what country you are in. Thirdly, if possible it would be good to try the power supply in another PC to see if it works, or try another power supply in your PC to see if that works. You can then tell whether it is the power supply which is faulty or the actual PC itself. If all else fails, please contact us for further support, and/or return details.

  • Why should I buy a whole new PSU when I could just replace the noisy fan in my existing one?

    Virtually all the noise generated by a PC power supply originates from the cooling fan inside it, so simply replacing the fan with a quiet fan may seem an obvious way to go. However, if you are thinking about attempting this operation, please bear the following points in mind:

    • Your existing power supply will be designed to run with a specific amount of airflow in order to adequately cool the components inside and reducing the airflow may lead to overheating and damage to the power supply and/or PC.
    • All PC power supplies contain very high voltages and even with the power disconnected, the voltages stored in the capacitors can be easily enough to kill. It is not recommended to take the cover off any PC power supply for this reason unless you are absolutely confident of your own ability. Because of the grave dangers involved, all PC power supplies by law carry a warning label forbidding removal of the power supply case.
    • There will be no standard PC fan connector inside the power supply to use to connect a replacement fan, and it would probably have to be soldered directly into the PCB inside the power supply, or have a specialist power connector attached. This can be a tricky operation to say the least.

    Please consider the above points very carefully before proceeding with an operation to replace the fan in your existing power supply!

  • What is PFC (Power Factor Correction)?

    If you are interested in being “green” and saving the planet, you might like to read a short explanation of how our power supplies can save energy using Active PFC (Power Factor Correction), not to be confused with Power Conversion Efficiency which is also very good in most of our PSUs. “Power Factor” is a measure of how efficiently electrical power is consumed. Ideally, Power Factor would be 1 (or 100%) and known as unity.

    Unfortunately in the real world, Power Factor is reduced by highly inductive loads down to values of 0.7 (70%) or less. This induction is caused by equipment such as small electric motors, fans, fluorescent lighting ballasts and transformers such as those in PSUs. This is bad news for the electricity generating companies who can impose a surcharge on heavy users if they have a consistently low Power Factor, as more electricity has to be produced to make up the shortfall.

    Power Factor Correction (PFC) is used in some equipment to minimise the inductive component of the electrical current. This helps to reduce the losses in the electrical supply to that equipment. Power Factor Correction capacitors are normally used to reduce induction in an electrical load, which minimises wasted energy and hence improves the efficiency of a company and reduces electricity costs.

    It is not usually practical to reach unity, i.e. Power Factor 1, and it seems that most electricity supply companies accept consumers having a Power Factor as low as 0.94 (94%) without imposing a surcharge. Unfortunately most of the cheap (and not so cheerful) PSUs tend to have a Passive PF as low as 0.75 or 75% which in a large office can lead to a PF surcharge.

    However, the good news is that most of Quiet PC’s PSUs implement a system known as Active PFC which involves some clever electronics. This means that their power factor (PF) can be as high as 0.94 or 94% (at full load), while harmful harmonic frequencies are reduced to well below legal requirements. So by using our products, you can be happy in the knowledge that you are doing your bit to save the planet!

  • How do I know what size of wattage power supply I need?

    The best answer we can give to this question is to go ahead and take an intelligent “guesstimate”! There are no hard and fast rules about what size of power supply any given PC needs as a minimum. Our advice would be that if you are replacing an existing power supply, then consider a new one at least of the same wattage as the old one. In addition, if you wish to build in a “safety margin” to allow for reliable running and possible future upgrades, consider adding 100-200 watts to the rating of your existing unit.

    If you are building a new PC, most customers now buy a power supply rated in the region of 500-800 watts depending primarily on the performance level of their graphics card(s) and number of drives to be installed. But in any event if you are unsure about which power supply would be best for your PC then please do contact us by phone or email and we will be happy to give you a specific recommendation based on your budget.

  • My new PSU came with a 24-pin connector but my motherboard needs 20 pins! Do I need an adaptor cable?

    We receive many customer enquiries about this. In fact, most of the 24-pin compatible power supplies we sell come with special motherboard connectors which can be converted to 20-pins with no additional conversion cables. All you need to do is look carefully at the connector and you will see that the end four pins can be slid off, turning the connector into a 20-pin compatible one (see below) - easy when you know how!

    Image showing how to change a power supply’s 24-pin motherboard connector into a 20-pin connector by unclipping the end four-pin block
    Image showing how to change a power supply’s 24-pin motherboard connector into a 20-pin connector by unclipping the end four-pin block
  • What do the PSU safety protection abbreviations mean?

    There are many possible safety protections a PSU can have. Below is a list of what each abbreviation means. Please note, not all PSUs have all safety protections.

    More information on certification marks can be found here.

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