EVGA Introduces New G3 Power Supply Units

We consider EVGA's G2 PSU line as one of the most successful thanks to its high performance and reliability. They also have reasonable price tags. However, the long-lived line has been around for quite a while, and EVGA decided that it was time to replace it with its G3 units. EVGA based the G3 units on Super Flower's fresh Leadex II platform. Aside from the platform change, the key difference between the previous G2 models and the new G3 models can be broken down to a new chassis with much smaller dimensions and the double-ball bearing fan (140mm diameter), which has been replaced with a smaller (130mm) HDB fan. The series also features a new fan grille.

The design of the old chassis, and especially the punched fan grille, didn't look as appealing as they once did, so the refreshed external design is a welcome feature. At the internals, the new Leadex II platform promises better performance with improved efficiency levels (which are still compatible with the 80 PLUS Gold certification) and even lower ripple. Given the already very low ripple of the previous G2 units, we are very curious to examine the G3's ripple performance.

EVGA kept the fully modular design intact, of course, but the modular cables still feature capacitors to improve ripple suppression. We would like to see cap-free cables, like the ones that Seasonic uses in its high-end Prime PSUs. Finally, the semi-passive mode is now a standard feature for all G3 units, even the lower capacity models.

Currently, the G3 line consists of five members with capacities that range from 550W to 1 kW. The G2 line had two members with more than 1kW capacity, so we expect EVGA to also add higher capacity models to the G3 line in the near future. The warranty of the G3 models is the same ten years for the 750W, 850W and 1kW units, and an identical seven years for the 550W and 650W units.

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LineSuperNOVA G3 (OEM: Super Flower)
Models550 G3, 650 G3, 750 G3, 850 G3, 1000 G3
Max. DC Output550W, 650W, 750W, 850W , 1kW
PFCActive PFC
Efficiency80 PLUS Gold
ModularYes (fully)
Compatibility With C6/C7 Power StatesYes
Operating temperature (for continuous full load output)0°C ~ 50°C
ProtectionsOver Voltage Protection Under Voltage Protection Over Current Protection Short Circuit Protection Over Power Protection Over Temperature Protection
Cooling130mm Hydraulic Dynamic Bearing
Semi-passive operationYes (Selectable)
Number of PCIe550 G3, 650 G3: 3x 6+2 pin 750 G3, 850 G3: 6x 6+2 pin 1000 G3: 8x 6+2 pin
Number of EPS550 G3: 1x 8pin (4+4) 650 G3, 750 G3, 850 G3, 1000 G3: 2x 8pin (4+4)
Dimensions150 mm (W) x 87 mm (H) x 150 mm (D)
ComplianceATX12V v2.4, EPS 2.92
Warranty550 G3, 650 G3: 7 years 750 G3, 850 G3, 1000 G3: 10 years

The new G3 units have a much more compact footprint and are only 150mm in length. In addition, the HDB fan is a little smaller than the 140mm DBB fan that the previous G2 units used. The reduced size makes it compatible with the new smaller chassis.

There are quite a few PCIe connectors available on all of the G3 units. As you can see in the table above, only the smaller model (550 G3) comes with a single EPS connector, while all the rest feature a pair of them. Moreover, all protection features are available, including the highly important OTP (Over Temperature Protection). We should note that the newer G2 units also featured OTP, although EVGA didn’t mention it in the specifications. Finally, as we have already stated, the 80 PLUS Gold certification remains, along with the 50°C temperature rating for continuous full load delivery. However, the prices of the new G3 models are a little higher compared to the corresponding G2 units.

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EVGA 550 G3
Rail3.3V5V12V5VSB-12V
Max. Power22A22A45.8A3A0.5A
110W549.6W15W6W
Total Max. Power550W @ 50°C
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EVGA 650 G3
Rail3.3V5V12V5VSB-12V
Max. Power22A22A54.1A3A0.5A
110W649.2W15W6W
Total Max. Power650W @ 50°C
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EVGA 750 G3
Rail3.3V5V12V5VSB-12V
Max. Power24A24A62.4A3A0.5A
120W748.8W15W6W
Total Max. Power750W @ 50°C
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EVGA 850 G3
Rail3.3V5V12V5VSB-12V
Max. Power24A24A70.8A3A0.5A
120W849.6W15W6W
Total Max. Power850W @ 50°C
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EVGA 1000 G3
Rail3.3V5V12V5VSB-12V
Max. Power24A24A83.3A3A0.5A
120W999.6W15W6W
Total Max. Power1000W @ 50°C
Aris Mpitziopoulos
Contributing Editor

Aris Mpitziopoulos is a contributing editor at Tom's Hardware, covering PSUs.

  • TechyInAZ
    Sweet!!!! Thank you EVGA!

    I'm impressed with how small those PSUs are. That will be great for those high end overclockers who need power in a small form factor.
    Reply
  • TJ Hooker
    EVGA kept the fully modular design intact, of course, but the modular cables still feature capacitors to improve ripple suppression. We would like to see cap-free cables, like the ones that Seasonic uses in its high-end Prime PSUs.
    I'm curious, why are cable capacitors considered a bad thing?
    Reply
  • Aris_Mp
    because you cannot change cables easily or mod them and on top of that they make the cables bulkier and more difficult to route. Personally I hate caps on cables. I prefer them to be on the main PCB instead.
    Reply
  • TJ Hooker
    Which end of the cable are the caps at? Because if they're at the peripheral end (rather than the PSU end), I don't think caps on the PCB would do quite the same thing, i.e. decouple a given peripheral from the rest of the components drawing power from that rail.
    Reply
  • turkey3_scratch
    The cable capacitors are always at the ends of the cable, and the downside is they make them bulky (really, that's it). But you can still get custom cables without the capacitors, that just means higher ripple, and in the case of the G3 power supply that may mean 20mv of ripple versus 10mv of ripple - nothing to break a sweat over. As can be seen, jonnyguru has a review of the 1000W G3 http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=494 and has jaw-dropping performance especially for a 1000W PSU in such compact dimensions.

    The only real reason the G3 uses these cable capacitors seems to be the sparking competition in the PSU world to make just the best PSU. That means the lowest possible ripple. The 1000 G3 has incredibly low ripple but Seasonic's Prime Titanium does not use inline cable capacitors and is very close in terms of ripple.
    Reply