Whilst the FC5 and FC5 OPT are similar, the addition of the optical drive and its location in the case means there is some interference with the ZF240, specifically the ATX power cables as they exit towards the drive bay. Whilst it is possible to overcome this interference with some careful cable routing and adjustments to the position of the PSU, it is not a straightforward installation and should only be undertaken if you are comfortable with DIY. It may also require a short or angled SATA connector for the optical drive, for example – External Link To reiterate, that there is no such issue with the standard FC5 and installation of the ZF240 does not have the issue detailed above.

The main reason for the 8PIN compared with the 4PIN AUX CPU Power connector is to supply more current to the CPU. For most motherboards, the terminals actually connect to the same power lines, the connections are just doubled to overcome the connectors power limit. On the majority of motherboards, it won’t make a difference and the system will still boot and function normally with only the 4PIN connected. The 8PIN would only be required for overclocking stability or high TDP CPUs (above 75W). As our power supplies have been designed for lower power systems, they would not exceed the maximum power that a single 4PIN connector could supply, which is why we don’t currently produce a power supply with an 8PIN connector. If the motherboard does fail to boot, it is possible to use a splitter (4PIN to 8PIN) or a Molex to 4PIN in order to provide the 8PIN power for the motherboard.

Being fanless means there are no moving parts so no noise is generated. Coil whine is a more complex issue as its an interaction between different components, but from our own testing and customer feedback, this has not been reported.

Whist the ZF240 was specifically designed to be used with our range of fanless cases, it can be used as an ATX power supply for any PC and with any case but will require consideration for how to mount the PSU and ensure there is some airflow for cooling.

If you can’t find the information you need, please send us a message using the ‘Get in Touch’ link at the top right of the page, choose the appropriate department and we will respond with the relevant information.