Posted by Lee Garbutt | Dec 16, 2014 | Cases and Cooling | 11

SilverStone has a long-standing reputation for providing a full line of high quality enclosures, power supplies, cooling components, and accessories for PC enthusiasts. Today we are going to mix it up a bit and focus our attention on smaller rather than larger. Not everyone needs or wants a 1,000W plus PC power supply. And if you have a small form factor case or are struggling to find room inside a cramped ATX enclosure, SilverStone’s new SX600-G SFX power supply may just be the solution you are looking for.

The new SX600-G SFX power supply was designed for small form factor cases but comes with an ATX adapter plate so it can be used in a standard ATX enclosure as well. In addition to its small size, the SX600-G features high efficiency (80 Plus Gold certified), all modular flat ribbon-style cables, and provides up to 600W of continuous DC output; pretty impressive for such a small package. Also new is the ability to operate in semi-fanless mode (cooling fan turns off at low power).

SX600-G SFX 600W PSU        Standard ATX 600W PSU

The last time we looked at a SilverStone SFX power supply was in 2012 when we reviewed the updated ST45SF-G, which was rated at 450W. SFX power supplies continue to occupy a niche market and address a slightly different set of needs than the standard ATX units we typically use and review at PCPerspective.

Here is what SilverStone has to say about their new SX600-G SFX PSU: “After releasing the breakthrough SFX power supply in 2012 with the ST45SF-G, SilverStone has pushed the technical envelope even further with yet another industry defining design in the SX600-G. This small form factor PSU has the exact same dimensions as its predecessor but its power density has increased from 567W per liter (in the ST45SF-G) to 756W per liter. The result is a standard sized SFX PSU with an incredible 600W of continuous power, a level that is capable of supporting any single graphics card system with ease.

Besides the power increase, the SX600-G comes standard with flexible, flat modular cables similar to those in the PP05-E short cable kit for vastly improved cable management in smaller cases. It also has added semi-fanless capability that was first introduced to SFX PSUs by the ST30SF so its quiet running fan can remain turned off during ideal low load or idle conditions for complete silence. As before, an ATX adapter bracket is included to enable users to install this PSU into any small or even larger cases that do not have SFX mounting holes. For the most ardent SFF enthusiasts, the SX600-G is truly a dream come true that combines the convenience of SFX size and all the top of the line features one can expect from high-end ATX PSUs into one product.”

SilverStone SX600-G SFX Power Supply Key Features:

•    Supports standard SFX form factor (and ATX via included adapter) •    600W Continuous DC output (up to 40°C) •    High efficiency with 80 Plus Gold certification •    100% Modular cables, flat ribbon-style •    Intelligent semi-fanless operation •    Strict ±3% voltage regulation with low AC ripple and noise •    Class leading single +12V rail with 50A (600W) •    Two PCI-E 6+2 pin connectors •    Protections: OCP, OVP, OPP, and SCP •    Universal AC input and Active PFC •    MSRP $129.99 USD

SilverStone SFX PSU inside a CM Elite 110 mini-ITX Case

Even though the CM Elite 110 mini-ITX enclosure is designed to mount a standard ATX PSU, there would not have been room inside; using the smaller SFX PSU made it possible to incorporate water-cooling in this build.

Establishing an accurate load is critical to testing and evaluating a PC power supply.  PCPerspective’s power supply test bench can place a precise DC load on the PSU under test.  Each power supply is tested under controlled, real-world conditions up to its maximum rated load (at 40ºC), using both 115 VAC and 240 VAC line voltage.  Our current suite of tests includes:

•    DC Load Regulation •    AC Ripple and Noise •    Efficiency •    Differential Temperature •    Noise

The SilverStone SX600-G power supply was evaluated on both features and performance.  A full range of equipment was used to test the power supply under controlled load conditions.  

•    (2) CSI3710A Programmable DC load (+3.3V and +5V outputs) •    (4) CSI3711A Programmable DC load (+12V) •    (3) 218W Precision resistor load bank (+12V) •    Switchable precision resistor load bank (-12V and +5VSB) •    Agilent 34401A digital multimeter (Accuracy ±0.0035% vDC) •    Extech 380803 Power Analyzer (Accuracy ±0.5% of full scale) •    DS1M12 "StingRay" digital oscilloscope (20M S/s with 12 Bit ADC) •    Powerstat Variable Autotransformer, 1.4 KVA, 0-140 VAC •    Extech Model 407738 digital sound level meter (Accuracy ±1.5 dB)

The following cables/connectors were used to connect the SX600-G to the PCPerspective power supply test equipment. •    (1) 20+4 pin ATX •    (1) 4+4 pin EPS/ATX12V •    (2) 6-pin PCI-E •    (2) SATA •    (2) Molex

I am building a mITX PC at I am building a mITX PC at the moment, and liked the size, design and layout of a lot of Silverstone’s SUGO and MILO cases, but most take SFX PSUs. The price for a SFX PSU is hard to justify. I ended up with a SG08-LITE because it takes ATX PSUs, and got a Corsair CX600M for $54, vs the $130 Silverstone SX600-G.

That is a tradeoff with That is a tradeoff with smaller builds, you get the convenience of a physically smaller computer and the advantages of that, but the build is often more involved, and the price has a premium. It sounds like you weighed those pros and cons and went with something that would fit your needs. That being said, if you didn’t need 600 watts, and most single GPU systems won’t even come close to that, the Silverstone ST55F-G 550 watt is $115, and the ST45SF 450 watt is $80. That is not a terrible price premium for a quality PSU.

Well i do own one of these Well i do own one of these and i got to say: Yes it is expensive but it uses high quality components and its the only 600W SFX PSU out there.

If other manufactures would build more SFX PSUs, Silverstone might drop prices.

The number of mini-ITX cases The number of mini-ITX cases has increased lately, so maybe more companies will start making SFX power supplies. Nexus used to make short (125 mm) ATX power supplies, but not any more. I wish Seasonic would build an SFX power supply.

The new SX500-LG power supply, a 500 W SFX-L unit, has been posted on the Silverstone site, but it has not started to ship yet. Hopefully the extra 30 mm of length that allows the use of a 120 mm fan will result in a quieter power supply that is still very small.

Nice, this might allow me to Nice, this might allow me to use the flex hard drive bays from my Caselabs M8 with my M3. Technically they fit, but with a normal size PSU, you can’t plug in the drives since they’re too close to the PSU.

I have this power supply and I have this power supply and it works well but I do have a high pitch squeeling noise coming from it when the computer isn’t powered on. its a bit annoying.

Is this the 430w or 600w Is this the 430w or 600w version? and when did you buy it?

got same problem… got same problem…

I don’t notice any noises I don’t notice any noises coming from mine. I went for this over the 600w because it had the nice cables included. Expensive power supply but not much competition. Modular was handy because it meant I could plug in to the motherboard first and also didn’t need to use the peripherals cable.

*the 600w over the 450…. *the 600w over the 450….

It’s a bit of a shame they It’s a bit of a shame they have a nice black PSU, then include a boring plain metal adapter plate for ATX in it… looks nasty in a black case.

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