SilverStone NightJar NJ520 Power Supply Review
by E. Fylladitakis on July 8, 2014 6:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- Seasonic
- PSUs
- Fanless
- SilverStone
Conclusion
Even though fanless computer PSUs are not a new concept, SilverStone's (or to be exact, Seasonic's) latest design is a refreshing approach. By greatly improving the energy conversion efficiency, there is no longer any need for bulky and expensive cooling solutions or even for exotic designs. The Nightjar NJ520 is very similar to any typical ATX-compliant PSU, with the exception of the "missing" cooling fan. Certain components and the heatsinks are oversized for a 520 Watt model, plus there are more ventilation openings, but that's where the major differences with a typical PSU end. It is very likely that the same exact platform will be found retrofitted with an active cooling system and minor other tweaks, selling as a 700-850 Watt unit, as the design can easily handle such output with the addition of active cooling.
When it comes to performance however, the Nightjar NJ520 is astounding. Seasonic's designs have always been well above average, but the electrical performance Nightjar NJ520 is nothing short of fantastic. This may be due to the oversized circuitry and components, which are usually found in units of higher output, allowing the Nightjar NJ520 to combine exceptional energy conversion efficiency and power output quality. The result is very high efficiency, which is not easily affected by temperature, and very low voltage ripple, from a power supply that generates zero noise as well.
Aside from its excellent performance, quality is another very strong characteristic of the Nightjar NJ520. Silverstone's choice of components has been excellent, as we failed to find even a single average-quality part inside the Nightjar NJ520. All of the capacitors, electrolytic and polymer alike come from highly reputable Japanese manufacturers, and the quality of the assembly and the soldering job are excellent as well, making the Nightjar NJ520 a truly well-made product. Warranty information regarding the Nightjar NJ520 is a bit hazy, as the length of the warranty is not specified on the box or even in the manufacturer's website; however, Silverstone covers the vast majority of their products with a three year limited warranty, and we believe that it includes the NJ520 even though the model is not specifically listed at the time of this review.
The high quality and oversized design however also are the source of this unit's major weakness. Since the Nightjar NJ520 is significantly oversized and essentially comprised of parts normally meant for more powerful units, it also is equally overpriced for a 520 Watt power supply. With a retail price of $139.99 including shipping (after rebate), the price tag of the fanless Nightjar NJ520 is almost equal to that of 750 Watt 80 Plus Platinum PSUs (which of course include a fan for active cooling). Overall, the Nightjar NJ520 is a very high quality fanless modular PSU with excellent electrical performance; whether the fanless design is worthy of such a premium price however heavily depends on the budget and priorities of the user. If your priority is noiseless operation combined with great overall performance and quality and you are willing to pay the rather steep price to get what you want, the Nightjar NJ520 will not be a disappointment.
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hybrid2d4x4 - Thursday, July 10, 2014 - link
Agree. I got a Seasonic 400 Platinum Fanless model to run an upper-midrange gaming rig/HTPC, and it never gets more stressed than 60% of its rated power (measured at the wall, not internally). Short of some picoPSU units with minimal power regulation, there isn't anything out there that's a good match for a 'typical' integrated video system and there should be!Cygni - Tuesday, July 8, 2014 - link
The more fanless/silent part reviews, the better. Maybe I'm just old now, but I refuse to have a big leaf blower of a computer in every room anymore, even for my gaming computer. It's 2014!Really interested in this part. Think it will go well with my new low heat gaming build. More silent/quiet reviews please!
Spoogie - Tuesday, July 8, 2014 - link
Not really sure I'd buy this over the Kingwin. I have the 1k version of the Kingwin and it's truly silent with no elec noise at all and a 5 year warranty.http://www.silentpcreview.com/Kingwin_Lazer_Platin...
johnny_boy - Tuesday, July 8, 2014 - link
Why don't they build "dual PSUs" that combines a low wattage psu (max 10W) with a higher wattage psu such that it switches to the low one when the computer is in standby and switches back to the higher wattage one when powered up. A standard desktop PSU must be massively ineffecient when powering a computer on standby.DanNeely - Tuesday, July 8, 2014 - link
I think VStandby is on a separate circuit; JonhyGuru does test it. Looking a pair of recent reviews, one that was slammed as the worst they'd seen in a long time was only ~70% efficient; but that's still only a few watts of wastage even at max load. And while I've never measured it, I'd expect standby power to be at the low end of the draw range except when you hit the power button and trigger the first part of the resume sequence or if you have and are using USB charging from an otherwise offline system.E.Fyll - Wednesday, July 9, 2014 - link
Because that would either increase the cost of the unit dramatically or result to a less efficient configuration. Besides, the difference between the least efficient and the most efficient PSU at standby is just a few cents per annum from an economic point of view. Improving the efficiency of the PSU at such low a load has zero actual purpose, therefore the companies are sticking to meeting the base guidelines rather than wasting resources and increasing the cost of their products to do that.lucyfek - Tuesday, July 8, 2014 - link
Does the fanless PSU really matter (besides for the pricetag)?Once you realize that decent PSU with 120mm slow fan is barely audible (definitely quieter than average CPU or GPU). Besides that you'll need to evacuate the heat out of the case somehow.
I did have 2 fanless PSU back in the day. Was my PC really quiet because of that - nope.
mapesdhs - Wednesday, July 9, 2014 - link
See my earlier post for a longer suitable reply, but basically, supposedly quiet PSUs
are usually not at all quiet, hybrid PSUs are poor quality, and heat rises. The PSU
I bought had a big label & notice inside making it very clear how it should be used
to ensure proper natural convective airflow.
Ian.
viharm - Wednesday, September 4, 2019 - link
Completely agree with @mapesdhs. I am following a similar path to my custom home NAS build.viharm - Wednesday, September 4, 2019 - link
It matters very much when you start taking other noisy parts out of the system. I am going fanless, so the PSU fan becomes the loudest part :-)