Performance (40% of the final score) - I'm faced with a conundrum here. Can I score a fanless unit targeted at the HTPC crowd in the same way I score for the performance nuts? Yes indeed I think I can, for this unit would have just about anyone frothing at the mouth if it had a fan on it. Voltage regulation was nothing short of excellent, with the unit staying within 1% at all times. Efficiency was excellent too, staying above 80% most of the time and flirting with 87% a couple of times. The only thing that rains on the parade is the ripple suppression, but even that's more like that one little cloud that comes up and spits on you for a couple minutes than an all out thunderstorm. Let me be honest here - I'm seriously thinking about handing out a ten. But, all told, I think I'm going to pull half a point for the loose heatsink screws. Enough is enough - time for these manufacturers to realize I'm going to be taking these apart when I get them. 9.5.
Functionality (20% of the final score) - this is where I start to pull a few more points. While this unit has the cabling to get the job done and even goes so far as to throw in two user manuals, the sleeving job is almost an embarrassment. Let's finish the sleeving here, shall we? 8.
Value (30% of the final score) - AVADirect.com is currently offering these for $171.36. At first glance, this seems really excessive for something that only clocks in as a 400W unit at 120V. But, considering the build quality is almost high enough to throw the unit off a skyscraper and still have it work, I don't think I can complain too much here. Still, you can get an excellent quality fanned 800W for this price, so I'd like to see a few bucks taken off that price yet. 7.
Aesthetics (10% of the final score) - as many of you know, I love matte black. But I also love units that look like you could use them for bank vaults, too. The ST45NF looks like it means business, with only the half assed sleeving to really complain about. 9.
Performance
9.5
Functionality
8
Value
7
Aesthetics
9
Total Score
8.5
Summary
The Silverstone Nightjar ST45NF does everything it sets out to do and then some. Not only did it manage to impress me at its full rated 120V load level, it went on to scoff at the hot box when I asked it to do the 240V spec afterwards. This unit is fanless, built like a fortress, and performs like the server grade unit it is. This could very well be the fanless unit to beat.
The Good:
exceptionally stable
keeps cool quite well with only a mild amount of airflow from other case fans
