Why you can trust Tom's Hardware Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
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 measure is over 17ms and the power-good signal is accurate.
Inrush Current
For details on our inrush current testing, please click here.
Measured inrush current is at normal levels.
Load Regulation And Efficiency Measurements
The first set of tests reveals the stability of the voltage rails and the 650 G3’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.
| Test # | 12V | 5V | 3.3V | 5VSB | DC/AC (Watts) | Efficiency | Fan Speed | PSU Noise | Temps (In/Out) | PF/AC Volts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 3.532A | 1.995A | 1.989A | 0.991A | 64.804 | 85.234% | 1355 RPM | 33.5 dB(A) | 38.04°C | 0.944 |
| 12.233V | 5.018V | 3.312V | 5.045V | 76.031 | 43.21°C | 115.10V | ||||
| 2 | 8.090A | 2.980A | 2.984A | 1.191A | 129.781 | 89.126% | 1368 RPM | 33.9 dB(A) | 38.23°C | 0.965 |
| 12.230V | 5.019V | 3.312V | 5.038V | 145.616 | 43.68°C | 115.10V | ||||
| 3 | 12.990A | 3.487A | 3.498A | 1.391A | 194.928 | 90.474% | 1392 RPM | 34.4 dB(A) | 38.57°C | 0.980 |
| 12.228V | 5.020V | 3.312V | 5.030V | 215.451 | 44.27°C | 115.10V | ||||
| 4 | 17.882A | 3.984A | 3.982A | 1.591A | 259.801 | 90.904% | 1406 RPM | 34.4 dB(A) | 38.89°C | 0.986 |
| 12.226V | 5.019V | 3.312V | 5.023V | 285.796 | 44.74°C | 115.10V | ||||
| 5 | 22.440A | 4.976A | 4.979A | 1.791A | 324.747 | 90.839% | 1443 RPM | 36.8 dB(A) | 39.55°C | 0.990 |
| 12.223V | 5.021V | 3.313V | 5.015V | 357.496 | 45.77°C | 115.10V | ||||
| 6 | 27.006A | 5.973A | 5.975A | 1.996A | 389.784 | 90.540% | 1496 RPM | 37.8 dB(A) | 40.85°C | 0.992 |
| 12.219V | 5.023V | 3.314V | 5.007V | 430.512 | 47.43°C | 115.10V | ||||
| 7 | 31.567A | 6.969A | 6.968A | 2.199A | 454.702 | 89.917% | 1527 RPM | 37.0 dB(A) | 41.60°C | 0.994 |
| 12.215V | 5.025V | 3.315V | 4.999V | 505.693 | 48.72°C | 115.10V | ||||
| 8 | 36.135A | 7.955A | 7.959A | 2.401A | 519.649 | 89.211% | 1585 RPM | 38.1 dB(A) | 42.76°C | 0.995 |
| 12.212V | 5.027V | 3.316V | 4.992V | 582.497 | 50.36°C | 115.10V | ||||
| 9 | 41.133A | 8.461A | 8.472A | 2.403A | 584.753 | 88.580% | 1641 RPM | 39.0 dB(A) | 43.91°C | 0.995 |
| 12.208V | 5.026V | 3.315V | 4.990V | 660.141 | 51.85°C | 115.09V | ||||
| 10 | 45.885A | 8.956A | 8.957A | 3.015A | 649.631 | 87.793% | 1716 RPM | 39.8 dB(A) | 45.34°C | 0.995 |
| 12.203V | 5.026V | 3.315V | 4.972V | 739.954 | 53.87°C | 115.09V | ||||
| 11 | 51.221A | 8.960A | 8.963A | 3.016A | 714.552 | 87.002% | 1728 RPM | 39.9 dB(A) | 46.49°C | 0.996 |
| 12.199V | 5.025V | 3.313V | 4.970V | 821.309 | 55.68°C | 115.09V | ||||
| CL1 | 0.098A | 13.018A | 13.003A | 0.005A | 110.615 | 83.854% | 1605 RPM | 38.4 dB(A) | 42.72°C | 0.960 |
| 12.220V | 5.061V | 3.346V | 5.067V | 131.914 | 47.95°C | 115.10V | ||||
| CL2 | 54.120A | 1.002A | 1.003A | 1.002A | 674.042 | 88.307% | 1496 RPM | 37.8 dB(A) | 43.25°C | 0.995 |
| 12.208V | 4.995V | 3.291V | 5.028V | 763.296 | 49.65°C | 115.09V |
Load regulation is extra tight on all rails, showing this platform's capabilities. Still, several of Seasonic's Prime and Focus platforms achieve even better performance in this section.
The 650 G3 doesn't have a problem operating under very high ambient temperatures. However, its small-diameter fan will make its presence known. At increased temperatures, the fan profile goes wild. This can be a problem for some folks. The compact enclosure and small PCB need good airflow in order to last through EVGA's seven-year warranty.
When it comes to efficiency, the SuperNOVA 650 G3 scores well. It easily satisfies the 80 PLUS Gold requirements, even under our highly stressful testing conditions. Of course, this is an inherently efficient platform that was dropped to Gold levels in order cut its production costs and give enthusiasts a less expensive option.
MORE: Best Power Supplies
MORE: How We Test Power Supplies
MORE: All Power Supply Content
AMD's Krackan Point APUs land in early 2025 for budget notebooks — Krackan Point-powered Copilot+ laptops may start at $799
Intel Core Ultra 200 Arrow Lake desktop CPU launch reportedly delayed to October 24
Next-gen Chinese GPU touts RTX 2080-level performance — Loongson claims 9A2000 is up to 10x faster than the 9A1000
