SilverStone ST30NF 250/300W Power Supply
Price: $149.00

When I think about aluminum design for computer components, the first company that comes to mind is SilverStone. These guys have been making great looking, beautifully-crafted products for some time now, that probably why I was so excited about their NightJar series fanless PSU. This product seems like the perfect application for their alumnum skills, plus they have been known to make pretty solid power supplies.

From the get-go the ST30NF is pretty classy. It arrived properly packaged in an large cardboard box filled with packing peanuts. The PSU itself was in its own case which is pictured above, secured by fitted foam blocks so it could not shift or be damaged en route. As expected, it arrived in perfect working order and in great condition.

The box says that SilverStone uses "New aerodynamic technology to create the best thermal performance and lowest acoustic." As such, the PSU has a finned structure, like the Antec, but is much more understated and elegant. The edges are not nearly as sharp as the Phantom's and the fins are not as long. The smooth finish and thick aluminum help us understand the price of this power supply despite is being rated as the least powerful in the roundup.

The SilverStone PSU does not nearly have as much venting as Coolmax or Thermaltake. The venting is mainly restricted to the front and rear, but there is a little on some of the other panels. This PSU seems like it would let the least dust in of any of ther four we are looking at. On the back of the supply you can see a vertically aligned power connector, and On/Off switch, and two LEDs, Temperature and Power. These two indicators allow the user to monitor the PSU status. If the temperature LED is Red then than PSU housing is greater than or equal to 55 degrees C, otherwise it is green. If the power LED is Amber the PSU is on standby, Green means power is on, and Red indicates a power fault.