Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Cross-Load Tests & Infrared Images
Our cross-load tests are described in detail here.
To generate the following charts, we set our loaders to auto mode through our custom-made software before trying more than 25,000 possible load combinations with the +12V, 5V, and 3.3V rails. The load regulation deviations in each of the charts below were calculated by taking the nominal values of the rails (12V, 5V, and 3.3V) as point zero. The ambient temperature was between at 30°C (86°F) to 32°C (89.6°F).
Load Regulation Charts
Efficiency Chart
The highest efficiency region is between 210W and 510W at +12V, with load on the minor rails staying low. After all, modern PCs don't draw much power from the 5V and 3.3V rails.
Ripple Charts
Infrared Images
We applied half-load for 10 minutes with the PSU's top cover and fan removed before taking photos with our modified FLIR E4 camera that delivers 320x240 IR resolution (76,800 pixels).
Temperatures inside the PSU are elevated, since only the bridge rectifiers and APFC converter use heat sinks. The rest of the components, including all FETs, are mostly cooled by bus bars and the boards onto which they are installed.
We also notice high temperatures from the solid and polymer caps surrounding the +12V board. What worries us most are the heated-up electrolytic caps, since those are the ones prone to failure under tough conditions.
MORE: Best Power Supplies
MORE: How We Test Power Supplies
MORE: All Power Supply Content
