EVGA 850 B3 PSU Review

Reviews
By Aris Mpitziopoulos
published

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Load Regulation, Hold-Up Time & Inrush Current

To learn more about our PSU tests and methodology, please check out How We Test Power Supply Units. 

Aerocool ACP-850FP7
EVGA 850 B3
Thermaltake SPR-0850F-R

Primary Rails And 5VSB Load Regulation

Load Regulation testing is detailed here.

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Hold-Up Time

Our hold-up time tests are described in detail here.

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The hold-up time we observed is longer than 20ms, and the 850 B3's power-good signal is accurate.

Inrush Current

For details on our inrush current testing, please click here.

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The inrush current is normal for this unit's capacity.

Load Regulation And Efficiency Measurements

The first set of tests reveals the stability of the voltage rails and the 850 B3's efficiency. The applied load equals (approximately) 10 to 110 percent of the PSU's maximum load in increments of 10 percentage points.

We conducted two additional tests. During the first, we stressed the two minor rails (5V and 3.3V) with a high load, while the load at +12V was only 0.1A. This test reveals whether a PSU is compatible with Intel's C6/C7 sleep states or not. In the second test, we determined the maximum load the +12V rail could handle with minimal load on the minor rails. 

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Test #12V5V3.3V5VSBDC/AC (Watts)EfficiencyFan Speed (RPM)Fan Noise (dB[A])Temps (In/Out)PF/AC Volts
15.210A1.985A1.991A0.980A84.78580.878%0<6.043.15°C0.954
12.128V5.047V3.310V5.092V104.83138.55°C115.18V
211.444A2.971A2.992A1.181A169.62085.014%0<6.045.29°C0.982
12.125V5.041V3.305V5.076V199.52140.50°C115.18V
318.052A3.478A3.510A1.380A254.85386.712%121827.341.24°C0.989
12.119V5.036V3.300V5.060V293.90646.13°C115.19V
424.648A3.977A4.001A1.584A339.72787.533%127629.041.29°C0.992
12.112V5.032V3.296V5.045V388.11346.48°C115.20V
530.912A4.974A5.009A1.785A424.62487.466%133830.741.63°C0.994
12.104V5.026V3.292V5.029V485.47346.95°C115.22V
637.193A5.977A6.022A1.994A509.60786.950%146234.342.72°C0.995
12.094V5.021V3.287V5.010V586.08948.26°C115.19V
743.502A6.981A7.038A2.199A594.56086.345%160036.143.47°C0.996
12.079V5.017V3.282V4.992V688.58349.30°C115.20V
849.797A7.987A8.058A2.410A679.49485.549%174340.044.14°C0.996
12.071V5.010V3.275V4.975V794.27350.18°C115.18V
956.545A8.488A8.583A2.414A764.49384.596%188542.244.62°C0.996
12.060V5.007V3.271V4.965V903.70250.88°C115.18V
1063.031A9.005A9.088A3.036A849.36583.782%188542.245.71°C0.997
12.052V5.002V3.267V4.935V1013.78552.33°C115.18V
1170.143A9.016A9.099A3.042A934.30882.482%201443.146.20°C0.997
12.041V4.997V3.262V4.925V1132.74253.15°C115.18V
CL10.098A14.023A14.004A0.004A117.80377.549%143232.644.59°C0.974
12.123V5.027V3.292V5.107V151.90850.67°C115.20V
CL270.778A1.004A1.003A1.002A865.94283.783%200343.047.16°C0.996
12.046V5.011V3.278V5.022V1033.55053.82°C115.18V

Load regulation is pretty tight on every rail, particularly considering this PSU's price point. Better still, the 850 B3 delivers more than its full power at 46°C.

The registered efficiency levels are low though, especially under full load. And the fan speed profile is quite aggressive once the operating temperature and load increase. Of course, this is a low-efficiency PSU, so high fan speeds are expected; they help keep the internal temperature manageable. As a result, EVGA's 850 B3 easily satisfies the 80 PLUS Bronze requirements, even under high operating temperatures.


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Aris Mpitziopoulos
Contributing Editor

Aris Mpitziopoulos is a Contributing Editor at Tom's Hardware US, covering PSUs.

See more Power Supplies Reviews
12 Comments Comment from the forums
  • orionfotl
    There's a typo in the Final Analysis: "Although we're glad the 850 B3 didn't blow up like the 450W model, this is our second (so fat) B3-series power supply to die on the bench."
    So fat.

    Shame on the PSU.
    Reply
  • Aris_Mp
    (so far) Thanks!
    Reply
  • Realist9
    Part of what I got from this review and the associated charts is that my next psu will likely be a Corsair unit.
    Reply
  • dstarr3
    It seems like the general wisdom is still "Don't buy a PSU unless it has a 7- to 10-year warranty." The best products from the best OEMs always come with those warranties lately.
    Reply
  • Aris_Mp
    If you ask me the warranty isn't an indication from the moments it is 5 years long. On the other hand when a company avoids sending some specific PSUs for review, then the whole thing looks suspicious.
    Reply
  • dstarr3
    20217010 said:
    If you ask me the warranty isn't an indication from the moments it is 5 years long. On the other hand when a company avoids sending some specific PSUs for review, then the whole thing looks suspicious.

    I don't necessary mean that longer warranty = better product. I just mean that there are some OEMs that are better than the rest, and their best PSUs are the best on the market, and all those best PSUs happen to have 7- to 10-year warranties on them. So if you see that warranty on a PSU right now, you can reasonably assume that it is one of the best models from one of the best OEMs.
    Reply
  • Olle P
    I don't totally agree with the "Pros" and "Cons":
    * Six 8-pin PCIe-connectors are supposed to be capable of delivering up to 900W. This PSU can't handle that.
    * The efficiency is as advertised. That's neither a "Con" nor a "Pro". (In fact I'm impressed with the efficiency at 20W load. Expected worse.)
    * Sleeve bearing is what makes the fan relatively quiet, so it's not a "Con" per se. Had it been a ball bearing fan you'd written "High noise level" as a "Con" instead.
    Reply
  • Aris_Mp
    Efficiency is a con in general. It is low

    If the fan had DBB and an optimal fan profile then it wouldn't be a con. A sleeve bearing fan in a 100 buck PSU doesn't look good and those type of bearings are suited for horizontal installation so they should normally be avoided in PSUs.
    Reply
  • obsidian86
    Seasonic focus 850 currently for $10 more than this settles it
    Reply
  • al3xand3r
    Hi Aris, congratulations for the wonderful review and all of your work.
    I've seen all of your reviews, but one thing I do not understand compared to other review sites and that's related to the advanced transient tests. For example, the be quiet! Pure Power 10 600W PSU, in Advanced Transient Test at +12V, 20% - 20ms has a voltage drop of 0.211V. At 50% load 20 ms is a voltage drop of 0.222 volts. Instead, at ardOCP, the same PSU records a 0.520 volt voltage drop at 20% load - 10 ms and 0.540 volts at 50% load – 10ms. And that's a huge difference. And I do not think this difference is because of the reduced time from 20ms to 10ms because at 1ms wich is tougher the drops it's not as high. What is wrong with ardOCP methodology?
    Is it possible that a quality PSU like this to have a voltage drop in load so high (0.52 Volts)? And that's just an example. At all the PSU’s I've seen on both sites are differences like this. Same as when you were doing only 50ms or 200ms. Is there any explanation for these figures that do not coincide?
    Thank you
    Reply