Cougar SX700: Results
Efficiency meets 80 PLUS specifications:
Efficiency under different load profiles:
The 700 W PSU, adorned with the 80 PLUS Silver logo, made a very positive impression while unpacking it, but unfortunately cannot back all of that up it in the tests. It fails to live up to the certification requirements for energy efficiency both at 50% and 100% loads. Instead of the required 88% and 85%, it only manages 86% and 84%. Seen over the entire range of loads, the Cougar SX S700 is still good, and does not drop a lot in efficiency even at lower loads. It also boasts a very low temperature increase under load of just 6°C.
Things are a bit worse when it comes to the ripple and noise measurements. Although the 5 V and 12 V results are fully within the specifications, we measured a ripple of 66 mV on the 3.3 V rail. That is about 30% above the specified limit. Quite astonishing, considering that the 5 V and 12 V values are both in good shape and significantly lower at 32 mV. Most likely, the quality of the electrical components and circuits are subject to variation here.
Despite its flaws, the Cougar SX S700 is a moderately-attractive PSU providing ample power for powerful gaming systems. Because of its very long cables it is particularly suitable for large computer cases.
