Noise

Both the Antec EarthWatts and Seasonic M12II power supplies have cooling fans which are temperature controlled.

At idle, when the power supplies were both subjected to a low level of load, the fans in both units spun at low speed and thus were quiet. Relative to other components in a typical system, I would notice the hard drive noises over the sound of these power supply fans.

When the test platform was running the load configuration, the fans in both units had to ramp up speeds slightly, but were still relatively quiet compared to other components (such as the hard drive).

In comparing the EarthWatts and the M12II, the latter was slightly quieter. This logically makes sense since the Seasonic unit employs a 120mm fan for cooling. A bigger fan can move more air than a smaller fan, when spinning at the same speed. As well, 80mm fans produce a higher pitch sound than 120mm fans, which product a lower pitch sound. In general, higher pitch sounds stand out more over background noise.

If noise is a concern for you, the Seasonic unit slightly edges out the Antec unit. Our test platform is open air, so for systems installed in a case, the power supply temperature would be higher. This would cause the power supply fan to have to spin faster, creating more noise.

Verdict: Antec EarthWatts 500w (EA-500)

I found that Antec's EarthWatts 500w power supply was a hidden gem. It has the appearance of a standard basic power supply, but its performance was very good. The EarthWatts doesn't have standout looks or special features, but it does was it was designed to do. At a price of publishing of $75CDN, and $100CDN inside Antec's Sonata III case, the EarthWatts is a great value. circuitREMIX awards Antec's EarthWatts 500w power supply with a 8/10 and our 'Bang for the Buck' award!

Verdict: Seasonic M12II 500w (SS-500GM)

Seasonic's M12II 500w sets a high standard for power supplies. Its target market is gamers, and the look and style of the unit would fit well in any case with a window. It has sheathed modular cables, which cause less of a mess when installed in a case. As a power supply, the M12II performed well and was very quiet. It uses high quality components: all capacitors were made in Japan and rated for temperatures of up to 105 degrees celcius. circuitREMIX awards Seasonic's M12II 500w power supply with a 9/10 and our 'Editor's Choice' award!