A member of LEPA’s G Series, the G850
delivers an efficiency of up to 92% and is 80 PLUS Gold-certified. It also
meets the ErP’s Lot 6 2013 standard that reduces energy usage when a system is
in standby mode (assuming your motherboard supports Lot 6 2010 or 2013). The
G850 also features a thermally controlled 140mm fan that can function in silent
mode.
LEPA designs the G850 as a partially
modular power supply. The hardwired cables consist of a 24-pin main power, one
8-pin +12V EPS, and one 4+4-pin +12V ATX cables. The modular cables are flat,
which makes for convenient routing. There are two PCI-E cables (each with two
6+2-pin connectors), three SATA cables (four connectors apiece), and one Molex
(four Molex and one FDD connector). Compared to many of the power supplies in
this roundup, the G850 is small, as it measures only 7.5 inches with cable
bend. Still, LEPA managed to fit a 140mm, dual-ball bearing fan into the power
supply.
G850:
$169.99/ LEPA, www.lepatek.com
This 80 PLUS Gold power supply is built
with a single +12V rail that supports a maximum of 70A (840 watts), while the
+5V and +3.3V rails can handle 20A. In the PSU offers protections against
overpower, overvoltage, over temperature, short circuits, and brown outs. The
PSU will shut down if any of thresholds for the above categories are surpassed.
A DC-to-DC converter also helps to improve reliability.
The LEPA G850 produced high power factors
in both of our system tests. With one GeForce GTX 580 installed, we saw a
maximum wattage of 432 with a power factor of .97, a maximum voltage of 117.2,
and a maximum amperage of 3.8. A of GeForce GTX 580s in SLI pulled 636 watts at
a power factor .98. Voltage increased slightly to 117.5V and amperage jumped to
5.5A.
All in all, the G850-MAS is an impressive
power supply that’s compatible with many of today’s energy efficiency
standards. We also like the comparatively small size and modular cabling, which
will be good for builders with limited space inside their case.
Benchmark Results
Two GeForce GTX 580s
§
Maximum Wattage: 636
§
Power Factor: 0.98
§
Volts: 117.5
§
Amps: 5.5
Specifications
§
Price: $169.99
§
12V rails: 1
§
+12V max (A): 70A
§
+5V max (A): 20A
§
+3.3V max: 20A
§
Efficiency rating (as advertised): 92%
§
Fan: 140mm
§
PCI-E: 6 (6+2-pin)
§
Main 12V: 20+4-pin
§
8-pin EPS 12V: 2 (1 8-pin, 1 4+4-pin)
§
4-pin 12V: 0
§
SATA: 12
§
4-pin Molex: 4
§
Floppy: 1
§
Warranty: 3 years
High Power Astro PT 700W
The Astro PT 700W from High Power meets the
80 PLUS Platinum certification with an efficiency from 90 to 92.8% under 20 to
100% load. One of the coolest features on the PT 700W is the Eagle Eye, which
is a real-time LED power meter located on the rear side of the power supply.
There are three sets of color LED indicators: The three blue LEDs cover loads
under 30%, the four yellow LEDs displays loads between 30% and 70%, and the
three red LEDs alert you to heavy loads of 70% or higher.
Astro
PT 700W: $169.99/ High Power, www.highpower-tech.com
This 700W power supply is partially modular
and provides support for SLI or CrossFire via its four PCI-E cables. Of the
hardwired cables, you’ll find the +12V 20+4-pin, an 8-pin EPS12V cable, a
4+4-pin +12V ATX, and one of the 6+2-pin PCI-E cables. High Power provides
modular cables for the unit’s 10 SATA connectors, four Molex connectors, and
one Molex to FDD adapter. The unit’s modular cables all feature flat,
low-profile cabling that make them easier to route inside your case. Including
cable bend, the power supply is 7.4 inches long.
In terms of power distribution, the Astro
PT 700W is built with a single +12V rail that’s rated for a maximum current of
58A, which equates to 696 watts. The +5V and +3.3V rails each can handle a maximum
of 22A. One of the “cool” technologies built into the Astro PT 700W is the fan
control that features three modes of operation fanless, silent, and cooling.
The power supply works in fanless mode until it hits a 25% load. Silent mode
functions between a 25% and 80% load. Beyond that, the PSU’s cooling mode kicks
in and ramps up the fan speed to 1,000 to 1,200rpm. For precise voltage
control, High Power indicates that the Astro PT 700W features digital VRM that
should reduce fluctuations to 0.5%, which improves upon the industry standards
of between 3 to 5%.
We were able to test the Astro PT 700W in
both single-GPU and SLI test setups. With one ZOTAC GeForce GTX 580, we saw a
maximum wattage of 405W, a power factor of .947, maximum voltage of 117.8V, and
maximum amperage was 3.65A. Power factor jumped to .977 when testing with two
ZOTAC GeForce GTX 580s and maximum wattage increased to 618W. We also saw jumps
in voltage (118.1V) and amperage (5.44A). The Astro PT 700W is a good choice
for budget builders who value energy efficiency and want support for up to two
graphics cards.
The Astro PT 700W is a good choice for
budget builders who value energy efficiency and want support for up to two
graphics cards.
Benchmark Results
Two GeForce GTX 580s
§
Maximum Wattage: 618
§
Power Factor: 0.977
§
Volts: 118.1
§
Amps: 5.44
Specifications
§
Price: $169.99
§
12V rails: 1
§
+12V max (A): 58A
§
+5V max (A): 22A
§
+3.3V max: 22A
§
Efficiency rating (as advertised): 92%
§
Fan: 135mm
§
PCI-E: 4 (6+2-pin)
§
Main 12V: 20+4-pin
§
8-pin EPS 12V: 2 (1 8-pin, 1 4+4-pin)
§
4-pin 12V: 0
§
SATA: 10
§
4-pin Molex: 4
§
Floppy: 1
§
Warranty: 2 years
In Win Desert Fox Commander III 800w
Looking to create a military theme to your
case? The Desert Fox lineup of power supplies from IN WIN offers a desert
camouflage color, as well as a military stencil, which gives the power supply a
unique look. The Desert Fox Commander III 800W also provides you with partially
modular cable design to let you minimize cable visibility and improve airflow.
Desert
Fox Commander Iii 800w: $139/ In Win, www.inwin-style.com
For hardwired cables, you’ll find the
20+4-pin main power, 4+4-pin +12V ATX, and two PCI-E 6+2-pin cables. For
modular options, you’ll find a second set of PCI-E 6+2-pin connectors, nine
SATA connectors (split between three cables), three Molex connectors (one
cable), and one FDD (included on the cable with Molex connectors). All of the
cables feature thick mesh sleeves that would be extremely difficult to pierce,
so you know that the wiring is protected. Including cable bend, the Desert Fox
Commander III 800W is a mere 7.3 inches long, which is around an inch smaller
than many of the other power supplies in this roundup.
IN WIN builds this power supply with four
+12V rails that can each handle up to 25A. The total maximum wattage of the
four 25A rails is 790 watts. The +5.5V and +3.3V rails can each provide up to
24A and a total of 120 watts. The Desert Fox Commander III 800W reaches a peak
efficiency of 90%, and it meets the 80 PLUS Gold certification. For increased
efficiency and reliability, IN WIN indicates that it builds the power supply
with 3 ounces of copper in the PCB. To reduce noise level, the unit is built
with a 135mm, double ball bearing, PWM fan.
The Desert Fox Commander III 800W sent to
us posted a maximum wattage of 410W and a power factor .961 when benchmarked
with one ZOTAC GeForce GTX 580. It also delivered a maximum voltage of 117.2V
and a maximum amperage of 3.64A. With two GPUs, we saw an increase in both wattage
(up to 627 watts) and power factor (up to .970). Maximum voltage rose slightly
to 117.4V, and amperage jumped to 5.52A.
We like the overall look, modular design,
and comparatively compact size of the Desert Fox Commander III 800W. Support
for SLI and CrossFire also gives it the capability to handle many power user
builds. In Win backs this model with a five-year warranty.
Benchmark Results
Two GeForce GTX 580s
§
Maximum Wattage: 627
§
Power Factor: 0.97
§
Volts: 117.4
§
Amps: 5.52
Specifications
§
Price: $139
§
12V rails: 4
§
+12V max (A): 25A each
§
+5V max (A): 24A
§
+3.3V max: 24A
§
Efficiency rating (as advertised): 90%
§
Fan: 135mm
§
PCI-E: 4 (6+2-pin)
§
Main 12V: 20+4-pin
§
8-pin EPS 12V: 1 (4+4-pin)
§
4-pin 12V: 0
§
SATA: 9
§
4-pin Molex: 3
§
Floppy: 1
§
Warranty: 5 years
