Bang For Your Buck: Four 500 W Power Supplies Reviewed

Features
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Enthusiasts often say that you can never have too much performance. However, a 500W power supply is perfectly ample for a majority of mid-range PCs. This is one of those cases where a solid ratio of performance to price is preferable to gross excess.

FSP Everest 85 PLUS 500: Measurements

Efficiency in accordance with the 80 PLUS specification:

Efficiency under different load profiles:

Our test measurements confirm the 80 PLUS certification. At 230 V, the energy efficiency values of 86% to 88% under loads of 20, 50, and 100 percent of FSP's maximum rated power are very good. The results are a bit weaker at 115 V, as expected, but still in order. The respectable efficiency values maintain over almost the entire load distribution curve, except under very low loads where efficiency falls.

At 25 W load, only 70% power efficiency is achieved, but all in all, the results are still compelling. The FSP Everest's other tests were also good. Because the FSP Everest has four 12 V rails, power can be optimally distributed over the individual rails, preventing excessively strong amperages that are more difficult to keep stable (and safe for that matter).