EVGA 850 B3 PSU Review

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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. 

Primary Rails And 5VSB Load Regulation

Load Regulation testing is detailed here.

Hold-Up Time

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

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.

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, covering PSUs.