FSP Dagger 600W SFX PSU Review

Teardown & Component Analysis

Before proceeding with this page, we strongly encourage you to a look at our PSUs 101 article, which provides valuable information about PSUs and their operation, allowing you to better understand the components we're about to discuss. Our main tools for disassembling PSUs are a Thermaltronics soldering and rework station and a Hakko FR-300 desoldering gun. Finally, for the identification of tiny parts we use an Andonstar HDMI digital microscope.

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Naturally, FSP's PCB is small given this unit's SFX form factor. The platform is modern, though. An LLC resonant converter and half-bridge topology are used on the primary side. On the secondary side, we find a synchronous rectification scheme for the +12V rail and a couple of DC-DC converters for generating the minor rails.

The PCB is frankly overloaded with components, so we expect that it receives mediocre airflow. That's probably why FSP decided not to implement a semi-passive fan mode. Trying to pull so much wattage from such a small board isn't easy, and we expect to find some performance compromises.

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The first part of the transient filter includes two Y caps and a single X one, which uses a bleeding resistor for quick discharge once the power is removed. FSP should use a CM02X here, or a similar IC able to increase efficiency by blocking current that passes through the cap's discharge resistor when AC voltage is connected. The second part of the transient filter resides on the main PCB and on a smaller, vertical board. It includes two CM chokes and a single DM one, two Y caps, and one X cap. Instead of an MOV, it seems that a diode is used for transient protection.

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The single bridge rectifier is a GBU1506U, which is bolted on a small heat sink.

A small NTC thermistor provides protection against large inrush currents. A bypass relay is used, allowing it to cool down quickly and, at the same time, slightly increase efficiency by isolating the thermistor after the PSU's start-up phase finishes.

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The APFC converter uses two STMicroelectronics STF24N60M2 FETs and a single CREE C3D06060 boost diode. The bulk cap is provided by Chemi-Con and it belongs to the reliable KWM series. Its capacity is too low for a 600W unit, though. The PFC board is right beside the APFC's heat sink. Unfortunately, we couldn't identify the APFC controller since it is installed on the board's hidden side.

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The primary switching FETs, two Toshiba TK16A60Ws, are configured in a half-bridge topology.

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This is the resonant board. It hosts a Champion CM6901TX.

On the secondary side, the +12V rail is rectified by three Toshiba TPHR85 04PLs. They're cooled by the PSU's enclosure. Moreover, the FETs don't look like typical ones since they have eight pins, rather than the three we're used to.

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The 5VSB circuit uses a Power Integrations TNY278PN IC. In order to increase this rail's efficiency and reduce vampire power, a SEN013DG IC disconnects the APFC circuit once the PSU is in standby mode.

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Two VRMs handle the minor rails. Each of them uses a dedicated PWM controller along with a Ti CSD86350Q5D power block.

Below the connector on the right (shown in the photo above) is the protections IC, a SITI PS223. It supports OTP along with OCP for two +12V rails. Of course, the SDA600 only sports one +12V rail.

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On the front of the modular board, a number of polymer caps filter the rails. Although polymer caps last much longer than electrolytic ones, we'd still prefer if FSP didn't use any CapXon products here.

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The main PCB's soldering quality isn't the best we've seen from FSP, but it's also not bad.

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The cooling fan, model number PLA08010B12HH, uses double ball-bearings, so it should last a long time. At full speed the fan is noisy. Fortunately, FSP's profile is fairly relaxed, so under normal conditions noise won't be a major issue.

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