Performance, Performance Per Dollar, Noise, And Efficiency Ratings
Performance Rating
The following graph shows the BWG550M's total performance rating, comparing it to other units we have reviewed. To be more specific, the tested unit is shown as 100 percent, and every other unit's performance is shown relative to it.
Very good performance from the BWG550M gives Corsair's RM550x a run for its money. The same goes for EVGA's 550 G2, though that was recently displaced by the higher-performing 550 G3.
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.
The BWG550M's MSRP reasonable, allowing it to achieve a very high performance per dollar ratio.
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).
Bitfenix's BWG550M definitely honors its name by achieving a low overall noise output score.
Efficiency Rating
The following graph shows the PSU's average efficiency throughout its operating range, with an ambient temperature between 28°C and 30°C.
The BWG550M is highly efficient, as evidenced in this graph. It clearly outperforms its Gold-rated competition. Once again, CWT's GPU platform impresses us.
