Performance, Performance Per Dollar, Noise And Efficiency Ratings
Performance Rating
The following graph shows the total performance rating of the PSU, comparing it to other units we have tested. To be more specific, the L9-CM-600W is shown as 100 percent, and every other unit's performance is shown relative to it.
Performance is way better than the previous generation, and we can easily say it's good for the standards of this category.
Performance Per Dollar
The following chart may be the most interesting to many of you because it depicts the unit's performance-per-dollar score. We looked up the current price of each PSU on popular online shops and used those prices and all relative performance numbers to calculate the index. If the specific unit wasn't available in the United States, we searched for it in popular European Union shops, converting the listed price to USD (without VAT). Note that all of the numbers in the following graph are normalized by the rated power of each PSU.
With an MSRP of $74.90 the L9-CM-600W achieves a high performance per dollar ratio. Compared to the EVGA and Xigmatek offerings that lead in this chart, be quiet!'s PSU offers notably better performance.
Noise Rating
The graph below depicts the cooling fan's average noise over the PSU's operating range, with an ambient temperature between 28 °C and 30 °C (82 °F to 86 °F).
The L9-CM-600 beats every other offering in this category easily, and it does so without utilizing a semi-passive mode.
Efficiency Rating
The following graph shows the average efficiency of the PSU throughout its entire operating range, with an ambient temperature between 28 °C and 30 °C.
Compared to Gold- and Platinum-rated units, the L9-CM-600 naturally doesn't stand a chance. However, given its Silver rating, it registers high efficiency overall. Unfortunately, we don't have any other Silver-rated units in our 115V database to compare.
But my largest complaint would have to be voltage regulation (line regulation) under different load scenarios on page 6.
If only the PSU itself was outstanding as well:ouch:
For less than $10 more you can usually find excellent Seasonic and SuperFlower Leadex Gold units, which makes it really hard to say this PSU is anything more than "meh"
Not all group regulated designs are exactly the same way. We see in Seasonic's S12ii series a group regulated design that actually crossloads very well. This seems to be one of the worst on the ladder.
@Aris: Why is Inactive PWR_OK to DC_LOSS better at a higher value? Once the PWR_OK signal is dropped, wouldn't you want the unit to shut down as quickly as possible, not prolong it?
"The power-good signal lasts longer, so when it drops, the voltage level of the +12V rail is already below 11V."
When the pwr_ok to DC_loss is higher (*meaning that it has a positive , not negative value) that means that the motherboard will already have been shut-down. (*from what i've understand, at least)
Normally when AC is removed, the PWR_OK signal should be de-asserted at least 1ms before voltages go out of spec in order not to stress the VRMs of the mainboard and of other components (e.g. VGA, HDD, SSD, etc.).
The only way to address this issue is to have a circuit on the mainboard checking the input voltages and give the shut down order when these go out of spec. In other words to completely bypass the power_ok signal coming from the PSU. But this will cost money and after all a PSU oughts to follow ATX spec's guidelines.