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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 is a breath away from 17ms, so we're giving SilverStone a pass. The power-good signal drops before the rails go out of spec, though, according to the ATX spec, it should be at least 1ms away from the actual hold-up time.
Inrush Current
For details on our inrush current testing, please click here.
The small NTC thermistor doesn't do a very good job at limiting inrush current; our measurement is way too high for a low-capacity PSU.
Load Regulation And Efficiency Measurements
Our first set of tests reveals the stability of the voltage rails and the ST45SF'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 | Fan Noise | Temps (In/Out) | PF/AC Volts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1.911A | 1.966A | 1.956A | 0.971A | 44.777 | 80.270% | 1050 RPM | 17.5 dB(A) | 38.14°C | 0.964 |
| 12.148V | 5.076V | 3.368V | 5.144V | 55.783 | 41.06°C | 115.19V | ||||
| 2 | 4.853A | 2.959A | 2.945A | 1.166A | 89.742 | 85.431% | 1050 RPM | 17.5 dB(A) | 38.42°C | 0.981 |
| 12.133V | 5.065V | 3.359V | 5.130V | 105.046 | 41.55°C | 115.19V | ||||
| 3 | 8.153A | 3.464A | 3.459A | 1.365A | 134.904 | 86.886% | 1050 RPM | 17.5 dB(A) | 38.94°C | 0.985 |
| 12.119V | 5.058V | 3.351V | 5.117V | 155.265 | 42.09°C | 115.20V | ||||
| 4 | 11.450A | 3.963A | 3.944A | 1.565A | 179.761 | 86.936% | 1250 RPM | 19.0 dB(A) | 39.65°C | 0.988 |
| 12.103V | 5.049V | 3.344V | 5.102V | 206.775 | 43.06°C | 115.20V | ||||
| 5 | 14.418A | 4.969A | 4.946A | 1.766A | 224.784 | 86.555% | 1640 RPM | 24.5 dB(A) | 40.61°C | 0.990 |
| 12.088V | 5.036V | 3.334V | 5.088V | 259.702 | 44.17°C | 115.20V | ||||
| 6 | 17.393A | 5.973A | 5.954A | 1.970A | 269.756 | 86.010% | 2050 RPM | 29.8 dB(A) | 41.51°C | 0.991 |
| 12.072V | 5.024V | 3.323V | 5.073V | 313.633 | 45.17°C | 115.20V | ||||
| 7 | 20.374A | 6.987A | 6.968A | 2.170A | 314.751 | 85.591% | 2350 RPM | 35.0 dB(A) | 42.17°C | 0.995 |
| 12.057V | 5.013V | 3.315V | 5.059V | 367.737 | 46.56°C | 115.20V | ||||
| 8 | 23.365A | 7.999A | 7.985A | 2.375A | 359.696 | 84.762% | 2675 RPM | 37.5 dB(A) | 43.04°C | 0.995 |
| 12.040V | 5.002V | 3.305V | 5.044V | 424.360 | 47.64°C | 115.19V | ||||
| 9 | 26.797A | 8.516A | 8.523A | 2.380A | 404.724 | 83.969% | 2750 RPM | 40.5 dB(A) | 43.86°C | 0.993 |
| 12.022V | 4.990V | 3.296V | 5.035V | 481.992 | 48.58°C | 115.18V | ||||
| 10 | 29.978A | 9.046A | 9.030A | 2.995A | 449.577 | 82.823% | 2765 RPM | 41.1 dB(A) | 44.96°C | 0.991 |
| 12.004V | 4.979V | 3.288V | 5.005V | 542.814 | 49.82°C | 115.18V | ||||
| 11 | 33.771A | 9.061A | 9.050A | 3.000A | 494.522 | 81.766% | 2785 RPM | 41.5 dB(A) | 45.63°C | 0.987 |
| 11.986V | 4.972V | 3.282V | 4.996V | 604.800 | 50.69°C | 115.19V | ||||
| CL1 | 0.098A | 13.019A | 13.003A | 0.004A | 109.720 | 79.906% | 1680 RPM | 25.3 dB(A) | 42.86°C | 0.983 |
| 12.112V | 5.012V | 3.327V | 5.131V | 137.311 | 47.03°C | 115.20V | ||||
| CL2 | 37.472A | 1.004A | 1.002A | 1.002A | 463.530 | 83.791% | 2750 RPM | 40.5 dB(A) | 44.22°C | 0.991 |
| 12.011V | 5.022V | 3.316V | 5.079V | 553.198 | 48.14°C | 115.18V |
Load regulation at +12V is quite tight, given this PSU's SFX form factor. At 5V and 3.3V, it remains within 3%. That's decent.
The small fan is quiet up to 1050 RPM. And even at full speed it's not as noisy as we expected. SilverStone's fan profile gets aggressive during the sixth test. An operating temperature over 41°C forces it to work hard, keeping the PSU's internals from overheating.
Finally, we observe low efficiency levels compared to PSUs with higher efficiency certifications. But don't forget that this is a budget-oriented power supply.
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