Aresgame AGS850 Power Supply Review: A Misleading 80 PLUS Gold Badge?

At $85 dollars, the AGS850 looks like a decent choice on paper. But as we found through our extensive testing, it doesn't hold up. The sample didn't die during testing, meaning that its protection features work. Still, its efficiency levels are not even close to the advertised Gold level, so definitely, this is not material for our best PSUs article. 

You will may never have heard of the OEM, Shenzhenshi Jiumeng, but you might have encountered the brand under the name Aresgame, which is the retail name. Aresgame power supplies have thousands of positive reviews on Amazon, so we approached the copmany for review samples. They politely refused, so we went ahead and bought four of their PSUs on our own.

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The Aresgame AGS850 is a semi-modular PSU, sold at a price ranging from $85 to $110. At $85, it looks like a good deal, but $110 is a lot for a relatively unknown brand. It boasts 80 Plus Gold efficiency, while in the Cybenetics scale, it is only Bronze because of the low-efficiency levels. We know for sure that we tested a normal retail sample and not a "special" one, and the AGS750, which uses the same platform, achieved similar results. 

Another strange thing with this product is the extremely long warranty period given that it uses a sleeve bearing fan. Besides capacitors, a PSU's fan is the most crucial part because if it fails, the internal temperatures will go sky-high. If the PSU doesn't have over-temperature protection, you will probably be treated with fireworks. Sleeve bearing fans have 20-30k hours lifetime at best, at 25 Centigrade, which is not enough for a ten-year warranty because 25 Centigrade is a very low temperature for the internals of a PC system. 

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Specifications

Power Specifications

Cables & Connectors

The only native cables are the ones hosting the ATX and the EPS connectors. We would like to see the EPS connectors on dedicated cables since they can deliver vast amounts of power. The number of provided connectors is sufficient, and it is nice to see 150mm distance between the peripheral ones. 

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Component Analysis

We strongly encourage you to have a look at our PSUs 101 article, which provides valuable information about PSUs and their operation, allowing you to better understand the components we're about to discuss.

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This is a blast from the past! The platform reminds us of previous generation units, with the only difference being the DC-DC converters for the generation of the minor rails, while in the past, they used mag-amps for this task. The heatsinks are long but have small fins, and there is ample space in the PCB for good airflow. Build quality is mediocre, and the parts that Jiu Meng used, especially the electrolytic caps, may have a hard time outliving the prolonged warranty.  

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The transient/EMI filter lacks an MOV, so it doesn't protect against voltage surges. It would be best if you didn't use this PSU without a surge protector. Moreover, we measured increased EMI emissions, so the EMI filter doesn't do its job effectively. 

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The pair of bridge rectifiers can handle up to 30A of current, easily supporting the PSU's max power. 

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The APFC converter uses a single FET and a pretty strong boost diode. Usually, an 850W unit should have two FETs in the APFC converter, which besides increased power, would also lower energy losses. The bulk caps are by CapXon, which has offered improved products in the last years. 

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The main FETs are by Maplesemi, a manufacturer that we don't often encounter. The last PSU that we have seen using such FETs was the Thermaltake TR2 S 600W. The primary switching FETs are installed into a double forward topology, so don't expect increased efficiency. 

It's been years since the last time we saw a CM6800 controller in a Gold efficiency PSU. This is an outdated controller, appropriate for Bronze and lower efficiency units only. 

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The platform uses two FETs and four SBRs for the generation of the 12V rail. This is not the most efficient way, and the test results will prove this. The minor rails are generated through a pair of DC-DC converters. This is the only modern touch in this design. 

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The filtering caps are from Chinese manufacturers, and we do worry about their long-term survival, as we prefer higher-end Japanese capacitors that are known to be more reliable.

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The standby PWM controller is Excelliance MOS, and the rectifier on the secondary side of the 5VSB regulator is an SB560L SBR. 

The supervisor IC is an EST XFC336. We couldn't find any information on this IC. 

There are no extra filtering caps on the small modular board. 

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Soldering quality is terrible in some spots. 

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A sleeve bearing in a power supply with a ten-year warranty.

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