EVGA SuperNOVA 1000 G5 Power Supply Review

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Transient Response Tests, Timing Tests and Ripple Measurements

Advanced Transient Response Tests

For details about our transient response testing, please click here.

In the real world, power supplies are always working with loads that change. It's of immense importance, then, for the PSU to keep its rails within the ATX specification's defined ranges. The smaller the deviations, the more stable your PC will be with less stress applied to its components. 

We should note that the ATX spec requires capacitive loading during the transient rests, but in our methodology, we also choose to apply a worst case scenario with no additional capacitance on the rails. 

Advanced Transient Response at 20% – 200ms

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VoltageBeforeAfterChangePass/Fail
12V12.029V11.913V0.96%Pass
5V5.056V4.942V2.25%Pass
3.3V3.347V3.183V4.90%Pass
5VSB5.027V4.976V1.01%Pass

Advanced Transient Response at 20% – 20ms

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VoltageBeforeAfterChangePass/Fail
12V12.030V11.856V1.45%Pass
5V5.054V4.921V2.63%Pass
3.3V3.346V3.147V5.95%Pass
5VSB5.025V4.955V1.39%Pass

Advanced Transient Response at 20% – 1ms

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VoltageBeforeAfterChangePass/Fail
12V12.030V11.929V0.84%Pass
5V5.052V4.920V2.61%Pass
3.3V3.346V3.145V6.01%Pass
5VSB5.024V4.951V1.45%Pass

Advanced Transient Response at 50% – 200ms

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VoltageBeforeAfterChangePass/Fail
12V12.015V11.902V0.94%Pass
5V5.046V4.934V2.22%Pass
3.3V3.341V3.177V4.91%Pass
5VSB5.005V4.941V1.28%Pass

Advanced Transient Response at 50% – 20ms

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VoltageBeforeAfterChangePass/Fail
12V12.015V11.881V1.12%Pass
5V5.043V4.902V2.80%Pass
3.3V3.340V3.143V5.90%Pass
5VSB5.002V4.923V1.58%Pass

Advanced Transient Response at 50% – 1ms

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VoltageBeforeAfterChangePass/Fail
12V12.015V11.897V0.98%Pass
5V5.042V4.916V2.50%Pass
3.3V3.339V3.136V6.08%Fail
5VSB5.001V4.915V1.72%Pass

The transient response is not good enough for the standards of this category. The 1000 G3 easily takes the lead here. Finally, the 3.3V rail's performance is disappointing since its voltage drops too low in all tests.

Turn-On Transient Tests

In the next set of tests, we measure the PSU's response in simpler transient load scenarios—during its power-on phase. Ideally, we don't want to see any voltage overshoots or spikes since those put a lot of stress on the DC-DC converters of installed components.

There is a small voltage overshoot at 5VSB, while the other two waveforms are smooth enough.

Power Supply Timing Tests

There are several signals generated by the power supply, which need to be within specified, by the ATX spec, ranges. If they are not, there can be compatibility issues with other system parts, especially mainboards. From year 2020, the PSU's Power-on time (T1) has to be lower than 150ms and the PWR_OK delay (T3) from 100 to 150ms.

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T1 (Power-on time) & T3 (PWR_OK delay)
LoadT1T3
20%64ms296ms
50%50ms296ms

The Power-on time is low, but the PWR_OK delay is higher than 150ms, so the PSU is not compatible with the alternative sleep mode.

Ripple Measurements

Ripple represents the AC fluctuations (periodic) and noise (random) found in the PSU's DC rails. This phenomenon significantly decreases the capacitors' lifespan because it causes them to run hotter. A 10-degree Celsius increase can cut into a cap's useful life by 50%. Ripple also plays an important role in overall system stability, especially when overclocking is involved.

The ripple limits, according to the ATX specification, are 120mV (+12V) and 50mV (5V, 3.3V, and 5VSB).

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Test12V5V3.3V5VSBPass/Fail
10% Load10.1 mV5.3 mV14.8 mV10.0 mVPass
20% Load8.9 mV5.4 mV14.0 mV9.9 mVPass
30% Load10.3 mV5.7 mV15.9 mV10.8 mVPass
40% Load10.6 mV5.9 mV16.9 mV11.0 mVPass
50% Load12.4 mV6.3 mV18.5 mV11.3 mVPass
60% Load13.0 mV7.0 mV19.1 mV11.9 mVPass
70% Load14.1 mV7.7 mV21.2 mV12.7 mVPass
80% Load14.7 mV7.9 mV22.1 mV12.6 mVPass
90% Load15.3 mV8.6 mV23.1 mV13.5 mVPass
100% Load22.6 mV10.7 mV30.0 mV18.8 mVPass
110% Load72.7 mV43.7 mV159.3 mV92.0 mVFail
Crossload 110.0 mV7.3 mV18.2 mV11.6 mVPass
Crossload 218.1 mV10.1 mV29.9 mV18.1 mVPass

The ripple suppression is good with up to 100% load. Nonetheless, clearly the platform cannot handle our 110% load scenario at high operating temperatures, since the ripple at 3.3V and 5VSB exceeds the limits.

Ripple At Full Load

Ripple At 110% Load

Ripple At Cross-Load 1

Ripple At Cross-Load 2

MORE: Best Power Supplies

MORE: How We Test Power Supplies

MORE: All Power Supply Content

Aris Mpitziopoulos
Contributing Editor

Aris Mpitziopoulos is a contributing editor at Tom's Hardware, covering PSUs.

  • refillable
    Why the higher number tho, the G3 runs circles around this thing.
    Reply
  • NightHawkRMX
    I hope pricing can reflec its sub g3 performance.

    Its not bad, just not impressive.
    Reply
  • Darkbreeze
    It is a sad day indeed when EVGA's most go to series falls to this kind of offering. Hopefully, this will be much like the B3 units, and fade quickly away when they realize that their core market for the G2/G3/G5 type units aren't lemmings like those likely to buy the lower end offerings. Couple of bad reviews on the B3 models and that was about the last we heard of them. Maybe this will be the same and EVGA will do what is necessary to get this fixed. In light of the ongoing issues with relationships with Chinese partners, it would be a welcome change to see some of the more influential companies looking into creating facilities elsewhere, although I know that is an unlikely prospect give the considerations of rare earth material and other resource availability.
    Reply
  • jonnyguru
    refillable said:
    Why the higher number tho, the G3 runs circles around this thing.

    Apparently, EVGA burned the Super Flower bridge.
    Reply
  • NightHawkRMX
    Which is kind of a shame in a way.

    Some of their superflower derived psus were nice.
    Reply
  • A Very Dangerous Cat
    Darkbreeze said:
    when they realize that their core market for the G2/G3/G5 type units aren't lemmings
    Most of them are, though. Consumers are real stupid.
    Reply
  • Darkbreeze
    Obviously you didn't read what I said, when I said "their core market for the G2/G3 type units". Those are not the stupid consumers.

    The stupid consumers, are buying the W1, N1, B1, G1, BQ and BT type units. They are not buying higher end GQ, B2, P2 or T2 type units.

    The stupid consumers are the ones who can't be bothered to read legitimate, reliable reviews. They can't even be bothered to ask somebody who HAS read them, for advice or guidance.
    Reply
  • NightHawkRMX
    I like to think of them as more ignorant or uninformed rather than stupid.
    Reply
  • Darkbreeze
    Definitely, some are just ignorant and some are just uninformed. Don't tell me you haven't come across a a good many that were, well, leaning a bit further towards the end of the spectrum.
    Reply
  • Unolocogringo
    Darkbreeze said:
    Definitely, some are just ignorant and some are just uninformed. Don't tell me you haven't come across a a good many that were, well, leaning a bit further towards the end of the spectrum.
    Thank you !!!!
    I needed a laugh
    Reply