Power Supply SilverStone SX800-LTI - 800W Titanium-rated SFX-L

Kizakura_Panda

Efficiency Noob
May 29, 2017
6
0
If you are going for low noise, then the Silverstone will be better, as it is semi-passive and won't run the fan at low power draw.

@Aibohphobia is at Computex right now, so he is probably busy going to meet various vendors, writing up content, etc. I haven't disassembled the SX800, so I can't give advice with hands-on experience for substantiation, but if you are just concerned the shield won't be able to wrap around the fan, as it is thicker, I'll remind you that you are modding it all in the first place, so you are free to make creative solutions (or not-so-creative, if you please, like duct tape, that just works) to remedy these issues.


I'll be honest, I am not worried about the shroud since I can figure something out like you said with modding. But it is that reflector tape "non-contact tachometer" that has me on edge since I've never knew that was a thing in PSU's. And the main reason I am trying to do this is mainly aesthetics for a theme. I noticed the Corsair fan's rpm is low ( at 1650rpm ) compared to the stock fan which is nearly 2300rpm so that is a secondary concern if this mod is even possible.

Also, since the Corsair fan is 10mm thickerI will be cutting into the shroud or may just mount the fan on the outside of the psu without the fan grill.
 

jeshikat

Jessica. Wayward SFF.n Founder
Original poster
Silver Supporter
Feb 22, 2015
4,969
4,780
The tape does not come with the unit. I add it for testing and have some measurements to do before and after disassembly so I leave the tape on.

The shield directs airflow so I'd recommend leaving it. There's pretty much no room under it anyway.

But 600W is more than enough for a 1080 Ti. I did X99 and SLI 980s off a 600W just fine.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kizakura_Panda

Kizakura_Panda

Efficiency Noob
May 29, 2017
6
0
AH alright! Awesome I saw that and I was like whhhaaaa. Thank you @Aibohphobia

So could you happen to answer if me using the Corsair fan and the cable adapter would cause any issues since the fan rpm's are quite different? Or is it a try and find out measure for me?
 
I

Ionrent

Guest
AH alright! Awesome I saw that and I was like whhhaaaa. Thank you @Aibohphobia

So could you happen to answer if me using the Corsair fan and the cable adapter would cause any issues since the fan rpm's are quite different? Or is it a try and find out measure for me?

The biggest problem you're likely to face isn't an RPM issue but a starting voltage issue. According to the review, the fan controller in the power supply kicks in at around 3.4V. By contrast, according to the Corsair page, your fan may kick in around 7V. You can test this with a basic fan controller or a bench top power supply.

Assuming a starting voltage of 7V, this means you're likely to experience the following:
- A narrow operating range with the Corsair fan
- A higher initial RPM for the Corsair fan since it's now starting when the power supply is much warmer
- Ticking sounds as the fan attempts to start up (although the sound may be masked by other system fans)
- Hysteresis in the fan behavior (constant starting and stopping instead of gradual changes in RPM)

I went through a similar process when changing the fan in the SF600 and while I ultimately found a solution, it's not ideal. My advice is to not bother unless you're willing to live with the above caveats or to find a fan with a low (<3.0V) starting voltage.
 

Kizakura_Panda

Efficiency Noob
May 29, 2017
6
0
The biggest problem you're likely to face isn't an RPM issue but a starting voltage issue. According to the review, the fan controller in the power supply kicks in at around 3.4V. By contrast, according to the Corsair page, your fan may kick in around 7V. You can test this with a basic fan controller or a bench top power supply.

Assuming a starting voltage of 7V, this means you're likely to experience the following:
- A narrow operating range with the Corsair fan
- A higher initial RPM for the Corsair fan since it's now starting when the power supply is much warmer
- Ticking sounds as the fan attempts to start up (although the sound may be masked by other system fans)
- Hysteresis in the fan behavior (constant starting and stopping instead of gradual changes in RPM)

I went through a similar process when changing the fan in the SF600 and while I ultimately found a solution, it's not ideal. My advice is to not bother unless you're willing to live with the above caveats or to find a fan with a low (<3.0V) starting voltage.

That is a plethora of information, thank you Ceski! That seems like quite a bit of a hurdle to use the Corsair fan on this PSU. So reading and rereading your post I take it that if I do this mod. The fan won't be getting any power thus no led lighting til the psu calls for it to turn on. Making this mod pretty much pointless since I would like for the fan to be running when the PC is running. I am going for a aesthetic theme mainly. And I figure the ticking sounds would easily be muffled since I have 6 Corsair ML Pro fans that will be blowing air right through it once my mod for the psu relocation takes place. ( https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=2a5d79c8756544f4906772a00c3d8c76&oe=59B9955B ) But even then, constant starting and stopping nulls this entire mod since it'd shut the led off.

that fan looks like it can be replaced by a noctua

I love Noctua fans really do. But I am doing this for a theme and green is needed for the PSU.


On another note I just found out that Thermal Take has taken their Riing fans and threw them into some of their PSUs. ( https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=17-153-309 ) and Johnny Guru has given a pretty good review as well ( http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story6&reid=499 ) but alas it is a ATX psu which is going to eat up so much SPACE if I do this case mod. I may bite the bullet and get the Thermal Take just for the aesthetic theme I am aimming for.
 
I

Ionrent

Guest
That is a plethora of information, thank you Ceski! That seems like quite a bit of a hurdle to use the Corsair fan on this PSU. So reading and rereading your post I take it that if I do this mod. The fan won't be getting any power thus no led lighting til the psu calls for it to turn on. Making this mod pretty much pointless since I would like for the fan to be running when the PC is running. I am going for a aesthetic theme mainly. And I figure the ticking sounds would easily be muffled since I have 6 Corsair ML Pro fans that will be blowing air right through it once my mod for the psu relocation takes place. ( https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=2a5d79c8756544f4906772a00c3d8c76&oe=59B9955B ) But even then, constant starting and stopping nulls this entire mod since it'd shut the led off.



I love Noctua fans really do. But I am doing this for a theme and green is needed for the PSU.


On another note I just found out that Thermal Take has taken their Riing fans and threw them into some of their PSUs. ( https://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=17-153-309 ) and Johnny Guru has given a pretty good review as well ( http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story6&reid=499 ) but alas it is a ATX psu which is going to eat up so much SPACE if I do this case mod. I may bite the bullet and get the Thermal Take just for the aesthetic theme I am aimming for.
I'm more into silent computing than lighting but an RGB power supply may be the way to go for a clean look. If you still go the fan mod route, you could always just hook the fan directly to a motherboard header and run it at a fixed speed. I doubt you'll hear it over 6(!) ML Pro fans. Good luck!
 

Kizakura_Panda

Efficiency Noob
May 29, 2017
6
0
I'm more into silent computing than lighting but an RGB power supply may be the way to go for a clean look. If you still go the fan mod route, you could always just hook the fan directly to a motherboard header and run it at a fixed speed. I doubt you'll hear it over 6(!) ML Pro fans. Good luck!


While the rig isn't the quietest out there it is honestly really queit to me. I can't hear it at all while I do simple stuff and even light gaming. Even when my system starts to warm up near 52c it's still whisper quiet. That'd be a good idea to hook the fan up to a mobo header, issue is I only have one and I have a fan hub connected to that. And while I could put the SP120 on the hub, it is a three pin compared to the 6 ML's 4 pin. Wouldn't that cause an issue? Also wouldn't not having a fan connected to the PSU cause issues with the PSU itself?
 
I

Ionrent

Guest
While the rig isn't the quietest out there it is honestly really queit to me. I can't hear it at all while I do simple stuff and even light gaming. Even when my system starts to warm up near 52c it's still whisper quiet. That'd be a good idea to hook the fan up to a mobo header, issue is I only have one and I have a fan hub connected to that. And while I could put the SP120 on the hub, it is a three pin compared to the 6 ML's 4 pin. Wouldn't that cause an issue? Also wouldn't not having a fan connected to the PSU cause issues with the PSU itself?
I've done fan mods for both the SX800-LTI and SF600 where the fan was connected to the motherboard and nothing to the fan header in the PSU. There weren't any issues like tripping a "no fan" fault.

I can't speak to the fan hub, it depends on if it auto senses 4-pin vs. 3-pin and switches between PWM and DC control automatically.

It turns out the SP120 LED has a decently low starting voltage so you may be okay with your original idea of plugging it into the PSU fan header:
http://thermalbench.com/2015/05/05/corsair-sp120-led-120mm-fan/3/
 

jeshikat

Jessica. Wayward SFF.n Founder
Original poster
Silver Supporter
Feb 22, 2015
4,969
4,780
It's unlikely you'd notice anything at first unless the airflow was insufficient enough to cause OTP to trip under load.

The main long term problem is longevity since the PSU is designed with a certain amount of airflow in mind. But whether that cause it to fail significantly early than would be expected otherwise is hard to say.
 

ccosborne3

Minimal Tinkerer
Sep 21, 2017
4
1
Hi all, I'm having some trouble with the Silverstone 800. I'm planning on running SLI on an MATX motherboard and I seem to be one connector short. The MSI motherboard has an additional 6 pin power requirement in addition to the usual 24 pin & 8 pin sockets.


The (1 x 8 / 4-Pin EPS / ATX 12V connector(400mm) ) doesn't seem powerful enough to power the 8 pin & 6 pin connectors the motherboard requires. I previously used it to power an 8 pin on a test build motherboard and it worked fine. I'm thinking I may have to switch out motherboards to the EVGA X299 micro (the only other X299 MATX available) because it only has one 8 pin connector.

Does anybody know of a different workaround other than replacing the motherboard? I originally wanted the EVGA but the MSI came out first so I snagged it, it wouldn't be the end of the world to switch. I like EVGA better anyways.

Thanks in advance for any help provided.




Build
CPU
Intel - Core i9-7920X 2.9GHz 12-Core Processor

$1079.99
CPU Cooler
EVGA - CLC 280 113.5 CFM Liquid CPU Cooler

$115.80
Motherboard X299M GAMING PRO CARBON AC $299.99
Memory
G.Skill - Trident Z 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-4133 Memory

$215.75

G.Skill - Trident Z 16GB (2 x 8GB) DDR4-4133 Memory

$215.75
Storage
Samsung - 960 PRO 512GB M.2-2280 Solid State Drive

$289.00
Video Card
Zotac - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB Mini Video Card
(2-Way SLI)
$729.99

Zotac - GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB Mini Video Card
(2-Way SLI)
$729.99
Case
Lian-Li - PC-TU100B Mini ITX Tower Case

$79.99
Power Supply
Silverstone - SFX 800W 80+ Titanium Certified Fully-Modular SFX Power Supply

$179.99
Operating System
Microsoft - Windows 10 Pro OEM 64-bit
 

Phuncz

Lord of the Boards
SFFn Staff
May 9, 2015
5,827
4,902
Don't use the motherboard's 6-pin PCIe connector, it should work just fine with the GPU's having enough power though their own power connectors. If you are unsure, ask MSI directly. Optionally you could also use a PCIe to EPS adapter on the second EPS 8-pin.
 
Last edited:

ccosborne3

Minimal Tinkerer
Sep 21, 2017
4
1
Don't use the motherboard's 6-pin PCIe connector, it should work just fine with the GPU's having enough power though their own power connectors. If you are unsure, ask MSI directly. Optionally you could also use a PCIe to EPS adapter on the second EPS 8-pin.

Hey Thanks! I knew there would be a way. I'll try skipping the 6 pin first to see if it will work. I had no intention of overclocking them anyways so hopefully there's no need for extra power.
 

Goose1981

Chassis Packer
Sep 24, 2017
19
13
My one of these arrived today from NewEgg. Very nice looking bit of kit, and much smaller than the old one i was using! Worked for about an hour and then my computer did a hard shutdown and just a 'click' when i tried to restart. Put my old PSU back on... everything worked fine. Did the paperclip test on the SX800, and just a click with no start. I think that means it's broken...?

Have shot Silverstone an email for the next step, hopefully they have a quick turnaround but at least i hadn't off-loaded my old PSU before it blew!
 

Phuncz

Lord of the Boards
SFFn Staff
May 9, 2015
5,827
4,902
It's so frustrating to see how the people who write a comment don't seem to get why someone would want their PSU to not be big for no reason.
 
  • Like
Reactions: MarcParis