Aresgame AGS750 Power Supply Review: Less Efficient Than We'd Hoped

A power supply that doesn't deserve a Gold efficiency badge.

Aresgame AGS750
(Image: © Tom's Hardware)

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Primary Rails And 5VSB Load Regulation

The following charts show the main rail's voltage values recorded between a range of 40W up to the PSU's maximum specified load, along with the deviation (in percent). Tight regulation is an important consideration every time we review a power supply because it facilitates constant voltage levels despite varying loads. Tight load regulation also, among other factors, improves the system’s stability, especially under overclocked conditions and, at the same time, it applies less stress to the DC-DC converters that many system components utilize.

Load regulation is not so bad at 12V, and loose on the other rails. 

Hold-Up Time

Put simply; hold-up time is the amount of time that the system can continue to run without shutting down or rebooting during a power interruption.

Hold-up time is extremely short. 

Inrush Current

Inrush current, or switch-on surge, refers to the maximum, instantaneous input current drawn by an electrical device when it is first turned on. A large enough inrush current can cause circuit breakers and fuses to trip. It can also damage switches, relays, and bridge rectifiers. As a result, the lower the inrush current of a PSU right as it is turned on, the better.

Inrush currents are high. 

Leakage Current

In layman's terms, leakage current is the unwanted transfer of energy from one circuit to another. In power supplies, it is the current flowing from the primary side to the ground or the chassis, which in the majority of cases is connected to the ground. For measuring leakage current, we use a GW Instek GPT-9904 electrical safety tester instrument.

The leakage current test is conducted at 110% of the DUT's rated voltage input (so for a 230-240V device, we should conduct the test with 253-264V input). The maximum acceptable limit of a leakage current is 3.5 mA and it is defined by the IEC-60950-1 regulation, ensuring that the current is low and will not harm any person coming in contact with the power supply's chassis.

ARESGAME AGS750

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

Leakage current is low, which is the case in PSUs that don't have many Y caps on their transient filters or have low capacity ones. 

10-110% Load Tests

These tests reveal the PSU's load regulation and efficiency levels under high ambient temperatures. They also show how the fan speed profile behaves under increased operating temperatures.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Test12V5V3.3V5VSBDC/AC (Watts)EfficiencyFan Speed (RPM)PSU Noise (dB[A])Temps (In/Out)PF/AC Volts
10%4.333A1.966A1.937A0.998A75.01479.747%77426.634.6°C0.964
 12.327V5.087V3.408V5.01V94.065   37.88°C115.13V
20%9.674A2.959A2.915A1.202A149.97184.941%81128.834.88°C0.971
 12.309V5.07V3.396V4.991V176.56   38.73°C115.13V
30%15.371A3.461A3.412A1.408A224.98386.38%98635.035.38°C0.981
 12.291V5.057V3.385V4.973V260.459  Row 6 - Cell 8 39.78°C115.13V
40%21.094A3.965A3.911A1.615A300.07686.617%120641.135.9°C0.988
 12.272V5.045V3.375V4.953V346.439  Row 8 - Cell 8 40.85°C115.12V
50%26.461A4.973A4.907A1.825A374.72286.35%129243.436.14°C0.992
 12.253V5.027V3.363V4.932V433.958  Row 10 - Cell 8 41.61°C115.12V
60%31.868A5.99A5.911A2A449.45585.783%136443.936.24°C0.994
 12.233V5.01V3.35V4.912V523.942  Row 12 - Cell 8 42.39°C115.11V
70%37.295A7.012A6.922A2.251A524.54884.928%148347.037.52°C0.995
 12.212V4.993V3.338V4.889V617.639  Row 14 - Cell 8 44.22°C115.11V
80%42.811A8.003A7.94A2.362A599.55583.964%157148.137.65°C0.995
 12.189V4.975V3.325V4.87V714.066  Row 16 - Cell 8 45.11°C115.11V
90%48.677A8.571A8.448A2.474A674.78882.853%165549.338.89°C0.996
 12.168V4.96V3.314V4.852V814.439  Row 18 - Cell 8 47.03°C115.11V
100%54.543A9.1A8.991A2.586A749.89981.694%169549.539.46°C0.996
 12.150V4.947V3.303V4.835V917.952  Row 20 - Cell 8 48.49°C115.1V
110%60.103A10.149A10.122A2.595A824.92879.895%171950.139.73°C0.995
 12.131V4.928V3.29V4.818V1032.529  Row 22 - Cell 8 49.66°C115.11V
CL10.114A12.063A11.785A0A101.32577.523%115038.836.41°C0.97
 12.311V4.992V3.368V5.02V130.702  Row 24 - Cell 8 41.42°C115.13V
CL20.114A20.218A0A0A101.43177.401%102136.337.4°C0.97
 12.317V4.948V3.387V5.027V131.047  Row 26 - Cell 8 43.55°C115.13V
CL30.114A0A19.555A0.001A67.39470.87%93932.939°C0.963
 12.318V5.082V3.375V5.026V95.096  Row 28 - Cell 8 46.43°C115.12V
CL461.630A0.001A0.002A0.003A749.76682.556%170049.640.42°C0.996
 12.165V5.035V3.342V4.942V908.218  Row 30 - Cell 8 49.84°C115.09V

Contrary to the AGS850, the PSU managed to run the 110% load test. The results are not good, though, because of the low-efficiency numbers in all tests. The efficiency results are nowhere near the ones that the 80 Plus reported. We conduct our tests at higher temperatures, but still, such differences cannot be justified. 

20-80W Load Tests

In the following tests, we measure the PSU's efficiency at loads significantly lower than 10% of its maximum capacity (the lowest load the 80 PLUS standard measures). This is important for representing when a PC is idle with power-saving features turned on.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Test12V5V3.3V5VSBDC/AC (Watts)EfficiencyFan Speed (RPM)PSU Noise (dB[A])Temps (In/Out)PF/AC Volts
20W1.204A0.49A0.483A0.198A20.00862.916%75525.730.44°C0.879
Row 2 - Cell 0 12.343V5.103V3.418V5.048V31.801Row 2 - Cell 6 Row 2 - Cell 7 Row 2 - Cell 8 31.64°C115.13V
40W2.650A0.686A0.676A0.298A40.00972.674%75925.831.12°C0.933
Row 4 - Cell 0 12.337V5.1V3.415V5.041V55.053Row 4 - Cell 6 Row 4 - Cell 7 Row 4 - Cell 8 32.99°C115.13V
60W4.098A0.883A0.87A0.397A60.00978.325%76326.032.15°C0.951
Row 6 - Cell 0 12.332V5.097V3.413V5.035V76.615Row 6 - Cell 6 Row 6 - Cell 7 Row 6 - Cell 8 34.45°C115.13V
80W5.544A1.08A1.065A0.497A79.97281.33%76626.133.05°C0.969
Row 8 - Cell 0 12.327V5.094V3.41V5.028V98.33Row 8 - Cell 6 Row 8 - Cell 7 Row 8 - Cell 8 35.87°C115.13V

Efficiency is low at light loads, and the fans spins at quite high speeds given the operating conditions. 

2% or 10W Load Test

From July 2020, the ATX spec requires 70% and higher efficiency with 115V input. The applied load is only 10W for PSUs with 500W and lower capacities, while for stronger units, we dial 2% of their max-rated capacity.

Swipe to scroll horizontally
12V5V3.3V5VSBDC/AC (Watts)EfficiencyFan Speed (RPM)PSU Noise (dB[A])Temps (In/Out)PF/AC Volts
1.090A0.21A0.21A0.043A15.45458.314%75925.829.53°C0.863
Row 2 - Cell 0 12.343V5.107V3.42V5.054V26.501Row 2 - Cell 6 Row 2 - Cell 7 33.19°C115.14V

As expected, efficiency with 2% load is bottom-low. 

Efficiency & Power Factor

Next, we plotted a chart showing the PSU's efficiency at low loads and loads from 10 to 110% of its maximum rated capacity. The higher a PSU’s efficiency, the less energy goes wasted, leading to a reduced carbon footprint and lower electricity bills. The same goes for Power Factor.

Efficiency is low, even compared to Bronze units. This is definitely not a Gold unit. 

5VSB Efficiency

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Test #5VSBDC/AC (Watts)EfficiencyPF/AC Volts
10.1A0.512W72.352%0.066
5.123V0.708W115.12V
20.25A1.28W75.888%0.147
5.119V1.687W115.12V
30.55A2.813W77.558%0.264
5.113V3.627W115.12V
41A5.103W77.688%0.363
5.102V6.569W115.12V
51.5A7.637W77.465%0.42
5.091V9.858W115.11V
63A15.138W75.942%0.492
5.045V19.934W115.12V

The 5VSB rail is not efficient, at all. 

Power Consumption In Idle And Standby

Swipe to scroll horizontally
Mode12V5V3.3V5VSBWattsPF/AC Volts
Idle12.352V5.113V3.423V5.058V9.2010.582
Row 2 - Cell 0 Row 2 - Cell 1 Row 2 - Cell 2 Row 2 - Cell 3 Row 2 - Cell 4 Row 2 - Cell 5 115.14V
StandbyRow 3 - Cell 1 Row 3 - Cell 2 Row 3 - Cell 3 Row 3 - Cell 4 0.240.024
Row 4 - Cell 0 Row 4 - Cell 1 Row 4 - Cell 2 Row 4 - Cell 3 Row 4 - Cell 4 Row 4 - Cell 5 115.14V

Vampire power is sky-high!

Fan RPM, Delta Temperature, And Output Noise

All results are obtained between an ambient temperature of 37 to 47 degrees Celsius (98.6 to 116.6 degrees Fahrenheit).

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

The fan speed profile is aggressive at high temperatures, to handle the increased thermal loads. 

The following results were obtained at 30 to 32 degrees Celsius (86 to 89.6 degrees Fahrenheit) ambient temperature.       

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)

With up to around 180W loads the PSU's noise is not so high, but you may need ear-plugs once the load exceeds 390W. 

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Aris Mpitziopoulos
Contributing Editor

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

  • Aeacus
    Correction:

    OEM of AGS750 is not Aresgame.
    Aresgame is just a brand, like Corsair or EVGA.

    OEM of AGS750 is: Shenzhenshi Jiumeng Electronics Technology Co.,ltd.
    My proof, trademark registration application: https://uspto.report/TM/88619100
    Reply
  • yrly59e
    It’s list price or cost may be $80 but I bought this unit at half that price on sale before word was out the efficiency wasn’t up to snuff. My guess is heavy discounting was built into design cuts.
    Reply