Image: Cooler Master
Power supplies are one of the more utilitarian parts of any PC build. Most users check to see if it’s got enough juice and the right cable connections, maybe look for a little more efficiency, and that’s about it. But Cooler Master’s newest high-end design might earn a few fans, specifically because it’s missing one. A fan, that is. It’s fanless. Doesn’t need one. See what I did there? Happy New Year, somebody get me some coffee.
The X Silent Edge Platinum series comes in 850-watt and 1100-watt varieties, according to leaked materials found by French site Hardwareand.co (via VideoCardz). In addition to the usual modular setup, an 80-Plus Platinum efficiency rating, and more output options than you can shake a stainless steel stick at, the PSUs feature PCIe 5.0 connections with what appears to be the 12VHWPR connector for the latest graphics cards. Notably it’s not labeled as the slightly tweaked 12V-2×6 variant of the plug, but those are so similar that it might be compatible with it anyway.
The leak also includes a new 1300-watt “X Silent Max Platinum” power supply, which does come with a standard fan. But based on the “silent” branding and the exploded view of what looks like a standard 120mm fan, it might be tuned to activate a lot less frequently than other high-capacity PSUs. Fanless PSU designs aren’t entirely new, but they aren’t typically seen at anything close to these wattage capacities.
Though these power supplies are yet to be confirmed by Cooler Master, they’re set to be announced at CES in Las Vegas next week. That would put them on course for release sometime in the first half of 2024, so if you’re preparing for a silent PC build, keep them in mind.
Author: Michael Crider, Staff Writer
Michael is a former graphic designer who’s been building and tweaking desktop computers for longer than he cares to admit. His interests include folk music, football, science fiction, and salsa verde, in no particular order.