Be Quiet! Pure Power L8 630W Power Supply Review

Be Quiet! might not immediately come to mind when considering a new power supply, however the Pure Power L8 630W is a value for money investment, especially for an enthusiast user who is in the market to build a powerful, quiet, media center.

We love the styling of Be Quiet! products, the quality finish belies the modest pricing and the orange elastic trim around the fan enhances the appearance while reducing vibration based noise emissions. The modular design helps to ensure that a new system build is kept as clean as possible.

Technically the HEC design is solid, passing all our stress tests, with only minor fluctuation on the +3.3V and +5V output under heavy load. Noise suppression while not class leading, is well within the tolerance guidelines. +12V is particularly noteworthy, peaking at 35mV under full, sustained load. Other HEC units we have tested haven't performed quite as well regarding noise suppression, so this is a good indication that their designs are improving.

The crowning jewel in the design however has to be the Silent Wings fan, which is one of the best on the market. Up to 50% load it is almost silent, spinning at very low speed, in fact it only becomes audible within the last 20% of total power output. The fan may be quiet, but it produces enough airflow to keep ambient temperatures within check.

Overall, we feel this is an excellent product and well worth consideration, especially if you are in the market for media center components. The three year warranty should also bring peace of mind, long term.

You can buy direct from Scan for £68 inc vat.

Pros:

• Modular design
• very quiet
• noise suppression is excellent.
• stable power delivery, even at full load.

Cons:

• Not rated for sustained 50c operation.
• Positioned within an extremely competitive market sector.

Kitguru says: Definitely worth a look, especially for a new media center system build.

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