EVGA SuperNOVA 550 G2 PSU Review

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Performance, Performance Per Dollar And Noise Ratings

Performance Rating

The following graph shows the total performance rating of the PSU, comparing it to other units we have tested in the past. To be more specific, the tested unit is shown as 100 percent, and every other unit's performance is shown relative to the tested unit.

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The EVGA SuperNOVA 550 G2 is one of the best performers in the midcapacity category. It only loses to the much more expensive, Platinum-efficiency Seasonic fanless PSU, which is based on a higher-level platform. From the above graph, you can also see that the performance difference between EVGA's 550 G2 and the 550 GS models is quite large, mostly because of the poor ripple suppression on the +12V rail in the GS unit.

Performance Per Dollar

The following chart may be the most interesting to many readers because it depicts the unit's performance-per-dollar score. We looked up the current price of each PSU on popular online shops and used those prices and all relative performance numbers to calculate the index. If the specific unit wasn't available in the United States, we searched for it in popular European Union shops, converting the listed price to USD (without VAT). Note that all of the numbers in the following graph are normalized by the rated power of each PSU.  

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Although you can't exactly all it affordable, since it costs $90, the EVGA 550 G2 offers very good performance, resulting in a high performance-per-dollar ratio. As you can see from the chart above, the 550 G2 unit is very close to the Seasonic G-550 V2, a good-performing but noisy PSU, which doesn't feature a fully modular cabling design like EVGA's offering.

Noise Rating

The graph below depicts the cooling fan's average noise over the PSU's entire operating range, with an ambient temperature between 28 and 30 degrees C (82 to 86 degrees F).

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In this graph, the 550 G2 clearly takes the lead, outranking EVGA's 550 GS model. If you don't need a second EPS connector, then the choice between the 550 G2 and GS models is a no-brainer.

Aris Mpitziopoulos
Contributing Editor

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

  • marraco
    Wow. Ripple behavior is fantastic.

    I would like to see another test. I had a PC with a Coolermaster PSU and 4 HD which were put to sleep mode/hibernation. Sometimes when the 4 HD were powered up the PC hanged, because the 4 HD demanded so much transient power that it threw the PSU voltages out of specs.

    I was thinking that I had a great PSU, but it was expensive garbage.
    Reply
  • Aris_Mp
    this scenario is covered by the transient response tests, which I conduct in page #7 of the review.
    Reply
  • giantbucket
    i don't get it... isn't this like trying to sell a Ferrari with only 3 cylinders to appeal to the sub-$100,000 clientele?
    Reply
  • dstarr3
    Super Flower makes some great hardware. I'm all over this for my upcoming modest gaming rig.
    Reply
  • damric
    It's all about the LEADEX.
    Reply
  • dstarr3
    i don't get it... isn't this like trying to sell a Ferrari with only 3 cylinders to appeal to the sub-$100,000 clientele?

    The problem is that all of the best-built, best-featured PSUs were being made in 850, 1000, 1200, 1600W variants. If you had just a modest system, something mid-range, you either had to get a PSU that was way overkill, or you had to settle for PSUs that weren't so well built, or as efficient, or as fully-featured. So, this is an attempt to distribute very high-quality products to more of the market. And I am 110% A-Okay with that.
    Reply
  • MasterDell
    i don't get it... isn't this like trying to sell a Ferrari with only 3 cylinders to appeal to the sub-$100,000 clientele?

    The problem is that all of the best-built, best-featured PSUs were being made in 850, 1000, 1200, 1600W variants. If you had just a modest system, something mid-range, you either had to get a PSU that was way overkill, or you had to settle for PSUs that weren't so well built, or as efficient, or as fully-featured. So, this is an attempt to distribute very high-quality products to more of the market. And I am 110% A-Okay with that.
    I agree with this to some extent because there are and were tons of PSU's made by Seasonic. Whether they were Antec units or XFX units OEM'd by Seasonic or not.. They were made by Seasonic. Now, as for fully modular, gold rated variants, those were and still are far and few between. However there are tons of Bronze semi-modular/none modular units which are great for mid-range builds.

    I actually own this unit and used it in a build with a 960. I got it right when it came out and for it's price, it offered a ton. I live in Canada and PSU's are way over-priced and the prices make no sense on them. But this unit was priced extremely well likely due to it's availability so I picked one up. No problems and I am glad EVGA is filling this market void. Good on em.
    Reply
  • Nuckles_56
    Nice to see a low wattage power supply being reviewed for a change and particularly one which performs very well
    Reply
  • turkey3_scratch
    I think I found my PSU. I don't need any 750W, but I had trouble finding a high quality 550W unit, and this is it!
    Reply
  • g-unit1111
    I have two G2s, these are far and away some of the best PSUs on the market! Good to see that EVGA is making some lower wattage models that have the same quality and consistency.
    Reply