As the power requirements of powerful gaming components become increasingly higher, so does the wattage of the PSUs built to supply them. But with more power comes more heat, more fans, and more fan noise, and Cooler Master seems to want to buck the trend with its X Silent series of PSUs.

Both the Cooler Master X Silent Edge Platinum 850W and 1100W models use passive cooling with heat pipes built into the aluminum chassis, which Cooler Master calls an "innovative modular heat dissipation structure" (via Tom s Hardware), which Cooler Master calls "an innovative modular heat-dissipating structure" (via Tom's Hardware).

This completely eliminates the need for fans, so this PSU runs completely silent and should fit perfectly in environments where fan noise is a concern, such as home theater setups and indoor Zen gardens.

Okay, maybe just the first one.

However, as you can see from the photos, the X Silent Edge PSU also utilizes some pretty serious vents, so it looks like you'll need some case clearance for airflow in order to get the full cooling capacity.

Noisy PSUs can be very intrusive, especially when efforts are being made to quiet the rest of the system, so a completely silent yet powerful solution makes a lot of sense for those who want to combine high-end hardware with a Zen-like atmosphere

In addition, the system is also very powerful.

Even more powerful, the X Silent Max Platinum 1300W PSU uses Cooler Master's truly quiet Mobius fan to ensure cooling and silence. This fan uses a zero-RPM mode while maintaining an ambient noise output of less than 20db, so as long as you don't push the system, it will cool passively until the moment you need extra air.

All PSUs in the X Silent series have 80 Plus Platinum efficiency certification and a 15-year warranty, which should give some peace of mind about the longevity of passively cooled, high-wattage PSU designs. Pricing and availability have not yet been determined.

Ultra-quiet components may not be at the top of your assembly priorities, but as anyone who has made the mistake of purchasing overly noisy components knows, high levels of background noise get old fast. A quiet or near-quiet PSU may be the final piece of the puzzle for a blissfully quiet PC experience.

It's all here: ahhh.

_____________________________________ PC Gamer's CES 2024 coverage is courtesy of Asus Republic of Gamers.