SilverStone FX500 is a gold rated Flex ATX PSU, good for mid to high end PC builds. If you need something to power a low to mid spec PC, we recommend the FX350.
SPECS
| MODEL | SilverStone FX500 |
| FORM FACTOR | Flex ATX (Standard) |
| CERTIFICATION | 80 Plus Gold |
| DIMENSIONS | 81.5 x 40.5 x 150mm (W x D x L) |
| RATING | Rated for 500W continues power output at 40°C |
| OPERATING TEMPERATURE | 0°C ~ 40°C |
| SAFETY | Overpower Protection Overvoltage Protection Short Circuit Protection Over Temperature Protection |
| FAN SPECIFICATIONS | 40x15mm, 40x15mm, Jamicon KF0415B1HR-R: 12V, 8.84 CFM, 7300 RPM, 32.9dB(A) |
| CONNECTORS | 1x 20+4 PIN (350mm) 1x 4+4 PIN EPS / ATX 12V (450mm) 2x 6+2 PIN PCIe (350mm) 4x SATA (350mm / 150mm / 150mm / 150mm) 3x 4 PIN Molex (350mm / 150mm / 150mm) 1x 4 PIN Floppy Adapter (150mm) |
TEST SYSTEM
| MOTHERBOARD | GIGABYTE B550I AORUS PRO AX (Amazon Link) |
| CPU | Ryzen 5 5600X (Amazon Link) |
| CPU COOLER | Noctua NH-L12S (Amazon Link) |
| GPU | GIGABYTE RTX 3060 Ti Gaming OC (Amazon Link) |
| PSU | SilverStone FX500 (Amazon Link) |
| RAM | Corsair VENGEANCE LPX 16GB (2x8GB) 3600MHz C18 (Amazon Link) |
| STORAGE | 256GB M.2 NVME (Amazon Link) 1TB M.2 NVME (Amazon Link) |
PRICE & AVAILABILITY
Flex ATX PSUs can be costly in most global regions and not the easiest to obtain, thankfully the SilverStone’s FX500 is reasonably priced at £109 and easily obtainable within the UK, Europe and US, most of the time. In comparison to other Flex ATX power supplies.
DESIGN / FEATURES
The FX500 has an all black design (including cables). This is a feature not present on similar Flex ATX power supplies from FSP and Enhance (outside the United States).
The FX500 has included power switch, which is not present on other Flex ATX units, other than SilverStone’s own FX350-G. The cables are easy to manage and maneuver and we encountered no difficulty fitting everything inside the 4L K39 ITX case.
WATTAGE & POWER DRAW
SilverStone FX500 is gold rated unit, allowing it can operate at its max rating of 500 watts for longer due to its higher efficiency than an equivalent bronze rated unit.
FAN NOISE
While the system is idle, the PSU fan noise is less noticeable; comparable to the rest of the system, although not at all quiet. When under load, this PSU will be the loudest component in your system. This is a byproduct of its small form factor, and fan design.
NOCTUA FAN SWAP
If your considering swapping out SilverStone’s included fan for something quieter like Noctua, there are some things you need to know.
SilverStone’s included fan is non-standard at 15mm thickness. 99% of 3rd party fans, including Noctua’s are either 10 / 20mm thickness. This rules out using Noctua’s quiet 40x20mm fan with the FX500 unit. Noctua’s 40x20mm is also not rated to move enough air vs the stock fan and may cause overheating.
If your considering using 10mm thick fan, you’ll be at high risk of the PSU overheating as Noctua’s 40x10mm fan cannot move enough air to keep the SilverStone FX500 cool under heavier loads.
DELTA FAN SWAP
There is one compatible fan which is 40x15mm thick, which exceeds airflow specifications of the stock fan while also being quieter. The Delta AFB0412HB, 12V, 9.6 CFM, 7000 RPM, 28.5dB(A).
Any modifications to the SilverStone FX500 PSU will void the warranty and may produce suboptimal performance.
SOURCE(S)
silverstonetek.com