Stress Test: Power Supplies Under Full Load

Enermax Coolergiant EG485AX-VHB(W): Flawed Former Champ

The one to beat in days gone by: Enermax power supply with 480 watts. The efficiency is disappointing, and it's quite loud in operation.

The graphic above shows the power supply connections and their length in centimeters. Enermax has everything except SLI.

Features

Packaging of the Enermax Coolergiant with 480 watts

The manufacturer Enermax is already one of the veterans when it comes to the power supply business. In contrast to its numerous competitors who have since joined the ranks, the Enermax is not one of those companies who seek to pull in high margins for the short term. After all, the manufacturer has been fetching a high margin for some time now. At first glance, the power supply unit is stands out for its red color. The fan speed can be adjusted manually although at high load the unit takes over regulation itself in order to deaden temperature peaks in the end. Interestingly, the Enermax is equipped with a follow up control so that the components are protected after turning off the system.

View of the Enermax Coolergiant with 480 watts.

Identification plate of the Enermax power supply unit

Lovely detail: Cable management by Enermax

Good detailed work: Fan on the Enermax Coolergiant

Test Results

The Enermax Coolergiant debuts with 480 watts.

The Enermax Coolergiant on the THG test platform for the live stress test.

Here are the readings from the Enermax Coolergiant:

Input: 621 watts (213 volts, 2.91 ampere)

Output: 480 watts (24.2 ampere/3.3 volts, 20.0 ampere/5 volts and twice 11.7 ampere on 12 volts, 20 watts on -5/-12 volts, 5 volts standby)

Efficiency at maximum load: 77.2 percent (141 watts dissipation increases the air temperature by just under 8°C

Noise reading at maximum load: 61.85 dB(A) in 4.72 inch (12 cm) gaps

Storage oscilloscope: Excellent values are demonstrated here, the 12 volt CPU fluctuates by 40 mV - it's 45 mV for the 3.3 volt cable. This information can be taken from the diagram below.