EVGA SuperNOVA 650 P2 Power Supply Review
EVGA has an extensive PSU portfolio that consists of 11 distinct families including T2, P2, G2, B2, PS, GS, G1, GQ, B1, N1 and W1. The T2, P2, G2 and B2 lines are manufactured by Super Flower; the PS and GS by Seasonic; the G1, GQ by FSP; and the lower-end B1, W1 and N1 by HEC.
As you can see, EVGA works with multiple OEMs, which allows the company to remain flexible and effectively address market demands. For example, Super Flower and Seasonic are pretty expensive manufacturers, so they aren't great choices when it comes to mainstream products. On the other hand, HEC's mainstream platforms offer decent performance for their cost. And for its mid-range PSUs, EVGA chose to go with FSP.
The P2 line is currently second in EVGA's portfolio behind the flagship T2. It consists of six PSUs with capacities ranging from 650W to 1600W, covering the middle- and high-capacity segments. All P2 models meet the 80 Plus Platinum efficiency requirements, feature fully modular cabling and offer semi-passive operation, which you can disable if you want the PSU's fan to operate nonstop. All P2s are based on Super Flower's Leadex Platinum platform, considered by many to be one of the best currently available; at this time it ranks second among Super Flower's offerings behind the Titanium Leadex. In this review, we're taking a detailed look at the SuperNOVA P2 with 650W capacity, the smallest PSU in the P2 line.
Specifications
The PSU is Haswell-ready since it uses DC-DC converters for generating the minor rails. On top of that, it can deliver its full power continuously at up to 50 degrees Celsius ambient, as the ATX specification recommends.
When it comes to protection features, over-current protection is replaced by over-power protection, given the single +12V rail. A bigger concern is that over-temperature protection is missing as well; this is one of the most basic protection features, especially in PSUs that feature semi-passive operation. Super Flower should definitely add OTP to its future Leadex platforms.
A double ball-bearing fan is used for cooling. In light of its specifications and the semi-passive mode, we're preemptively assuming it'll operate quietly.
Finally, the PSU's dimensions are normal for its capacity, however, its price is on the high side. Then again, you do get a high-end PSU supported by the longest warranty available.
Power Specifications
| Rail | 3.3V | 5V | 12V | 5VSB | -12V | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Max. Power | Amps | 20 | 20 | 54.1 | 2.5 | 0.5 |
| Watts | 100 | 649.2 | 12.5 | 6 | ||
| Total Max. Power (W) | 650 |
The single +12V rail can deliver up to 54A of current, easily meeting the needs of two high-end Nvidia graphics cards or a couple of AMD Radeon R9 Nanos. The minor rails have enough capacity for most of today's systems, while the 5VSB rail has the typical amperage for a contemporary PSU.
Cables And Connectors
| Modular Cables | ||
|---|---|---|
| Description | Cable Count | Connector Count (Total) |
| ATX connector 20+4 pin (600mm) | 1 | 1 |
| 8-pin (700mm) / 4+4 pin EPS12V (+150mm) | 1 | 1/ 1 |
| 6+2 pin PCIe (700mm) / 6 pin PCIe (+150mm) | 2 | 2 / 2 |
| SATA (500mm+100mm+100mm) | 3 | 9 |
| 4-pin Molex (500mm+100mm+100mm) | 2 | 6 |
| FDD Adapter (+100mm) | 1 | 1 |
The P2 650 is equipped with two EPS and four PCIe connectors (half of which are 6+2-pin connectors, with the other half limited to six pins). Ideally, all PCIe connectors should be 6+2-pin type, but it seems that either EVGA or Super Flower wanted to play it safe in case someone tried to drive a couple of high-end Radeons and an aggressively overclocked CPU with this supply. For that combination, you need at least 850W, given that a stock R9 290 4GB consumes up to 320W in a worst-case scenario.
The PSU includes an appropriate number of SATA and four-pin Molex connectors, along with a floppy adapter. Cable length is sufficient, and the distance between the SATA connectors is ideal (hard drives are usually installed fairly close to each other). Conversely, the distance between four-pin Molex connectors should be at least 13cm, since peripheral devices like case fans fed through these connectors are typically farther apart from each other. Finally, the 24-pin ATX connector (along with the EPS and PCIe cables) use thicker 16-gauge wires for lower voltage drops under high loads. All other cables have standard 18-gauge wiring.
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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