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Bottom Line
The Dagger Pro made me wonder about FSP's tactics. If you have an excellent SFX platform in your portfolio, as FSP currently does in the one it sells to EVGA in the 650 GM model, why bother to create another one from scratch which isn't as good? The only advantage that the Dagger Pro 650W has compared to the EVGA 650 GM is the number of EPS connectors (two instead of one). Nonetheless, what matters the most is the performance. and in this area the Dagger is notably behind.
The Dagger's platform has good build quality, and it uses good parts including Infineon FETs, Rubycon and Chemi-Con caps, along with a DBB fan. The problem is that the design seems to hold back performance and in some areas (like 5VSB efficiency) the Dagger Pro reminds me of outdated platforms. It's frustrating to see such an inefficient 5VSB rail in a modern platform. Even the previous-generation Dagger scored higher at 5VSB. The reason behind the low 5VSB efficiency under light loads is increased vampire power, while in the other loads the mediocre design is to blame.
The SFX category used to be a niche market. But lately, more and more brands have entered the market with good offerings. Corsair raised the bar high in the SFX category with its SF line, and so did SilverStone with the amazing Nightjar NJ450-SXL. Only one problem remains though, and this is the compatibility with high-end mainboards requiring more than a single EPS connector. Besides the Dagger Pro 650W, the only other SFX unit with a couple of EPS connectors is the notably more expensive Corsair SF750. That PSU offers much higher performance , besides increased capacity. So the final choice in your SFX quest will likely come down to whether you need those two EPS connectors or not.
If you want your SFX power supply to support a power-hungry mainboard, then your choices are either the SF750 at $180 (£131 in the UK) or the more affordable, but also less capable, FSP Dagger Pro 650W. If the number of EPS connectors is not a problem, you should look at the EVGA 650 GM or the Corsair SF600, both of which offer higher performance at about the same price.
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Disclaimer: Aris Mpitziopoulos is Tom's Hardware's PSU reviewer. He is also the Chief Testing Engineer of Cybenetics, and developed the Cybenetics certification methodologies apart from his role on Tom's Hardware. Neither Tom's Hardware nor its parent company, Future PLC, are financially involved with Cybenetics. Aris does not perform the actual certifications for Cybenetics.
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