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High Performance And No Noise, But At Significant Cost
Enermax PSUs have always been on the expensive side, mostly because they never entered the OEM market. This leads to smaller production volumes compared to FSP, Seasonic, Super Flower and CWT. The fewer units you sell, the harder it is to get components at better prices. This inevitably increases the production cost and, unfortunately for Enermax, led to the closing of the company's factory. The folks at Enermax still design their PSUs, but they use another OEM to build them now. Hopefully this strategy will prove to be good for the company, especially if it allows Enermax to offer the same quality products at better prices.
Enermax worked for quite some time on the Digifanless PSU, though the delay in bringing it to market was probably due to the closing of its factory. It is a completely new design that has little in common with the other digital platforms currently available. It is also the only passive digital PSU. However, its digital control is restricted to the +12V rail, which is a good start. Besides that, the provided software allows for the control of interesting functions like the OCP/OVP setting and the multi/single-rail mode configuration, along with all necessary monitoring options.
Enermax decided not to go with a complex software suite, and developed a simple and easy-to-use interface instead. The purpose of a PSU control/monitoring software is to provide the user with clear information and to allow access to some basic control functions, which won't compromise the system's or the PSU's proper operation. In this area, Enermax's software scores high, though some users might like a more elaborate interface.
In the performance area, the PSU scored well overall, though we expected an even better showing in the +12V load regulation and efficiency metrics. Our guess is that the mix of analog and digital circuits needs some fine-tuning. The other advantages of this unit include the high tolerance to operating temperatures exceeding 40 degrees C, zero noise output without any coil whine issues, as well as the fully modular cabling design. For some users, the individually-sleeved cables, which look nice, are also a pleasant feature. They do increase the product's price significantly, though.
Speaking of price, this is without a doubt the most notable drawback of the Digifanless PSU. Available for roughly $230, the Enermax Digifanless faces ruthless competition, and its price/performance ratio is severely crippled. All passive PSUs are more expensive, and the same goes for digital units. Combining those two technologies results in a more expensive product. In our opinion, only with a lower price will the Digifanless have a chance to compete with the other passive platforms. On the other hand, while competing passive platforms offer equally good performance, they still lack the digital features, such as the ZDPMS software included with the Digifanless.
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Aris Mpitziopoulos is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware, covering Power Supplies.
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