Ripple Measurements
To learn how we measure ripple, please click here.
The following table includes the ripple levels we measured on the STP-0600F-G's rails. The limits, according to the ATX specification, are 120 mV (+12V) and 50 mV (5V, 3.3V and 5VSB).
| Test | 12V | 5V | 3.3V | 5VSB | Pass/Fail |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10% Load | 30.3 mV | 14.2 mV | 13.0 mV | 12.1 mV | Pass |
| 20% Load | 27.2 mV | 15.5 mV | 13.0 mV | 13.6 mV | Pass |
| 30% Load | 29.5 mV | 16.6 mV | 13.8 mV | 15.1 mV | Pass |
| 40% Load | 31.8 mV | 18.2 mV | 13.5 mV | 18.3 mV | Pass |
| 50% Load | 36.1 mV | 19.7 mV | 13.5 mV | 21.2 mV | Pass |
| 60% Load | 39.6 mV | 22.1 mV | 13.6 mV | 23.3 mV | Pass |
| 70% Load | 45.6 mV | 23.5 mV | 15.2 mV | 26.3 mV | Pass |
| 80% Load | 53.3 mV | 24.4 mV | 15.9 mV | 29.9 mV | Pass |
| 90% Load | 61.3 mV | 27.4 mV | 19.2 mV | 32.7 mV | Pass |
| 100% Load | 70.6 mV | 32.7 mV | 24.7 mV | 35.9 mV | Pass |
| 110% Load | 511.0 mV | 157.6 mV | 126.0 mV | 106.0 mV | Fail |
| Cross-Load 1 | 33.0 mV | 17.7 mV | 15.3 mV | 20.5 mV | Pass |
| Cross-Load 2 | 68.6 mV | 30.2 mV | 22.6 mV | 31.5 mV | Pass |
Ripple suppression is decent on the minor rails, though we'd like to see lower ripple (around 50 mV) at +12V under full load.
Most troubling is that, with only 110 percent load, ripple suppression goes south (even though Thermaltake claims that the peak power level of this PSU reaches 120 percent of its maximum-rated capacity). We measure over 500 mV at +12V, and way above the limit on the other rails. In addition, the STP-0600F-G generates a high-pitched noise during the overload test, a clear sign that it's working beyond its limits.
Ripple Oscilloscope Screenshots
The following oscilloscope screenshots illustrate the AC ripple and noise registered on the main rails (+12V, 5V, 3.3V and 5VSB). The bigger the fluctuations on the screen, the bigger the ripple/noise. We usually set 0.01 V/Div (each vertical division/box equals 0.01 V) as the standard for all measurements, however for the 110 percent load ripple measurements we were forced to use a higher scale.
