EVGA 750 GQ Power Supply Review
EVGA cooperates closely with Super Flower, and it shows if you take a quick look at the company's high-end PSUs. However, EVGA is also working with other manufacturers, including FSP. Relying on just one manufacturer can be risky, especially if the company is as busy as Super Flower. On top of that, EVGA wanted to build a budget-oriented, mid-range platform that would allow it to pounce on the corresponding chunk of the market.
None of EVGA's mainstream PSUs are made by Super Flower, and in the mid-range segment, only its B2 line-up comes from the prolific OEM. For its entry-level models, EVGA uses HEC platforms exclusively, while the B1, G1 and now the GQ lines come from FSP.
The GQ series consists of four models with capacities ranging from 650W to 1kW. All of the PSUs are 80 Plus Gold-certified, use only Japanese capacitors and employ semi-modular cabling where only the ATX connector, which you need no matter what, is fixed. These units also feature a high-quality Fluid Dynamic Bearing (FDB) fan and, thanks to a semi-passive mode, promise silent operation under light and medium loads.
In order to lower production costs, the GQ platform uses an Active Clamp Reset Forward (ACRF) topology that offers good efficiency without requiring the extra (and expensive) components needed in a full- or half-bridge design, such as LLC resonant converters. Although we've seen well-built ACRF topologies demonstrate impressive overall results, their load regulation and ripple suppression performance isn't as high as top-notch full/half bridge topologies. That's why ACRF is mostly used in budget-oriented PSUs and not in high-end units. Regardless, FSP has lots of experience building ACRF-based PSUs, and we are curious to see how the 750W GQ model fares against its competition in this category.
Specifications
Besides 80 Plus Gold efficiency, EVGA's 750 GQ features semi-modular cabling and has a 50 °C temperature rating for full power delivery. On top of that, it is Haswell-ready thanks to the DC-DC converters it uses to generate the minor rails. All of the important protection features are included, according to EVGA's specs. Cooling is handled by a FDB fan that isn't particularly quiet at high rotational speeds; EVGA probably should have used a slower-spinning model. Thankfully, a semi-passive mode saves the day under light and moderate loads. The PSU's dimensions are compact, measuring a little over 16cm deep. And the provided warranty is shorter than EVGA's G2 line-up at just five years.
Power Specifications
| Rail | 3.3V | 5V | 12V | 5VSB | -12V | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max. Power | Amps | 24 | 24 | 62.4 | 3 | 0.5 |
| Watts | 120 | 748.8 | 15 | 6 | ||
| Total Max. Power (W) | 750 |
A single +12V rail can deliver the unit's full power on its own. The minor rails are quite strong as well with 120W max combined power.
The 5VSB rail is adequate for a 750W PSU, while the -12V rail is of no real importance. We wonder why PSU manufacturers still spend money implementing its circuit.
Cables And Connectors
| Modular Cables | ||
|---|---|---|
| Description | Cable Count | Connector Count (Total) |
| ATX connector 20+4 pin (610mm) | 1 | 1 |
| 4+4 pin EPS12V (650mm) | 2 | 2 |
| 6+2 pin PCIe (650mm) | 2 | 2 |
| 6+2 pin PCIe (650mm+100mm) | 2 | 4 |
| SATA (550mm+100mm+100mm) | 3 | 9 |
| Four-pin Molex (550mm+100mm+100mm) | 1 | 3 |
| FDD Adapter (+100mm) | 1 | 2 |
The 750 GQ has lots of cables and connectors, including a pair of EPS and six PCIe connectors. Although this is a mid-range PSU, its cable configuration easily meets the standards of high-end models in the same wattage range. You also get nine SATA connectors, which covers any combination of SSDs and hard drives we've seen. Only the number of four-pin Molex connectors looks low; we think there should be at least five of them. Lastly, the connectors mostly use 18-gauge wiring, which is what the ATX spec recommends.
Cable length is satisfactory overall. Our only complaint is the short distance between four-pin connectors. Usually, the devices powered by them are relatively far apart, so 10cm between each one will probably cause problems. Strangely, EVGA equips the 750 GQ with two FDD connectors instead of just one, and both are on the same lead. The company could have stuck with a single FDD connector and been fine.
Power Distribution
Since this PSU features a single +12V rail, we do not have anything to say about its power distribution.
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