Moderator: JC Denton
by icycalm » 04 Dec 2009 00:06
by icycalm » 26 Jan 2010 19:12
Enermax recently introduced their new Revolution85+ series of power supply units, with four models ranging in size from 850W to 1,250W (note: 1,250W model is 230V only and is not sold in the USA).
The new Galaxy EVO 1,250W PSU looks like a Revolution 1,050W inside and out but the EVO appears to have sacrificed a little efficiency and has slightly higher levels of AC ripple on the DC outputs to gain UL certification.
Before this review we had been using the Corsair HX1000 as our gold standard to which we measured all other 1000W power supplies against but the Revolution changed all of that. When it comes to performance, other than a small slip in the +12V readings to the 8-pin PCI-E connector, Enermax’s poster child eclipsed the Corsair flagship again and again. However, we have to remember that our Corsair sample has seen over 1000 hours of use while the Revolution had run less than a tenth of that before the benchmarks were run. Could this have influenced the charts? Only time will tell as we stack both PSUs up against more competition in the months to come.
It is almost a shame that we have to interject some criticism into this love ballad but even Einstein needed to use an eraser to cover up a mistake every now and then. We feel that Enermax needs to take a serious look at their half-assed cable sleeving job and do it in a way that befits a power supply that retails for nearly $300. Having the multicolored mess of partially sleeved cables in an otherwise clean build will drive even the best of us to distraction. We would also like to see the warranty increased to reflect the growing trend among several of Enermax’s competitors to offer 5-year warranties. Three years is an awfully long time when it comes to computer components but for us; the longer the warranty the better. On the other hand, you know that when cable sleeving and a 3-year warranty are the only things our picky brains can find to bitch about, the company in question did one hell of a job.
Performance (40% of the final score) - this is going to be an easy one to score, for the performance of this unit was flat out awesome. It had exceptional efficiency, excellent ripple and noise suppression, and such good overshoot transient suppression I'm almost surprised there was any spike on the 5VSB left. That said, I would have liked to see the 3.3V stay more stable than it did in the hot box, and I wasn't all that impressed by the soldering job in the guts. So, these issues will be holding it back from a perfect score here today. But I'm still giving this bad boy a 9.5.
Functionality (20% of the final score) - need SATA connectors? Here, have sixteen of them. PCI-E connectors? Here's eight, and while we're at it let's make them all 6+2 pin, just for the heck of it. Let's throw in a fan that runs a while after power-off. Oh, and an extra twelve pin connector on the modular connector panel, just in case. Can't forget a better sleeving job than the Eco 620W got. Seriously, is there anything about this unit a person could find fault with in this category? I think not. 10.
Value (30% of the final score) - Provantage has this unit listed right now at $267.04. That's a little more expensive than the competing Corsair HX1000, but frankly this unit is a better design, more efficient, and more powerful. Another 10.
Aesthetics (10% of the final score) - while not what I usually look for in my own power supply purchases, I have to admit I'm really liking the looks of this brute. Even the fan hub not matching in color to the fan border isn't bothering me all that much. 9.
Summary
With the Revolution 85+ series, Enermax comes in like a lion and goes out like a lion. Not only is the 1050W model possibly the most efficient unit of its size on the market to date, nearly everything else about it is drool worthy from the connector counts to the voltage stability to the ripple suppression to the six cool velcro cable ties they give you. There are a couple of minor nitpick worthy things going on in this unit like the so-so quality soldering, but if I were the competition, I'd be real worried right about now.
Considering the hellish, ear-drum shaking amount of noise that comes from our test system’s two HD 4870X2 cards and the dual Panaflo monster fans on the CoolIT Boreas, it is a miracle I haven’t gone deaf. As you can imagine, this setup isn’t the best for proper acoustical testing but by placing my ear next to the unit, I was able to get a pretty good approximation of the noise it produces.
Even though the fan on the Revolution 85+ spins up quite a bit when running the higher wattage tests, it never becomes loud or annoying. From what I could tell, bearing noise is kept to a bare minimum and other than a muted hum; most people won’t even know that the fan on this unit is running. It also seems like Enermax’s Air Guard around the fan’s periphery almost completely eliminates the usual “whoosh” we have come to expect from fans operating in a closed environment.
by icycalm » 29 Nov 2012 04:01
by icycalm » 30 Mar 2014 00:47
Paul Lilly wrote:LEPA Brings Big Wattage to MaxPlatinum Power Supply Series
For when 1,000W just isn't enough
LEPA isn't a name you hear that often, though if you subscribe to Maximum PC magazine and/or frequently visit our website, you may recal we equipped last year's Dream Machine with a LEPA G1600-MA power supply. That was a beastly PSU, though LEPA's new MaxPlatinum PSU line has a model that trumps it. It's the P1700-MA-EU, and as you might have surmised, it's a 1,700W model with a peak rating of 1,800W!
The P1700-MA-EU is one of three new PSUs LEPA just unveiled, the other two being the P1050-MA (1,050W) and P1375MA (1,375W). LEPA says the two 'smaller' models are 80 Plus Platinum certified, while all three deliver up to 93 percent efficiency.
As with the model we used in our Dream Machine, all three MaxPlatinum PSUs are fully modular with flat cables, which can make installation easier when you're working in tight confines (and neater when you have a giant chassis with lots of space). They also feature multiple +12V rails -- half a dozen on the 1375 and 1700 models, and four on the 1050 PSU.
Unfortunately the 1700W model is only available overseas (boo!), though the other two PSUs will be available worldwide. No word yet on price.
by icycalm » 04 Jun 2014 19:45
Paul Lilly wrote:Got Power? EVGA's SuperNOVA 1600 G2 PSU Delivers 133.3A Over +12V Rail
A power supply for juice hungry builds
If only hitman Chev Chelios had access to EVGA's latest power supply in the Crank: High Voltage series, he wouldn't need to go looking for sources of electricity to keep himself ticking. EVGA today announced its SuperNOVA 1600 G2 PSU, a monster 1600W unit with a mind boggling 133.3A available over a single all-important +12V rail. If you're looking for a beefy PSU to power a high-end rig with multiple graphics card, this looks like a candidate, at least based on the spec sheet (and EVGA's reputation).
Not only does the SuperNOVA 1600 G2 deliver plenty of electricity to your components, but it's also 80 Plus Gold certified with up to 90 percent efficiency under typical loads. In other words, this thing isn't wasting power or being sloppy with what it's pulling from your wall.
It's a fully modular PSU to help reduce clutter. Other features include 100 percent Japanese Nippon Chemi-Con solid state capacitors (no cheap knockoffs, is what this essentially means), a quiet and intelligent fan that EVGA claims offers near-silent operation, and support for 4th Generation Intel Core processors (C6/C7 Idle Mode).
Would you belive all this comes in at under a C-note? Neither would we -- it's actually $350 MSRP, though it does come backed by a 10-year warranty. The EVGA SuperNOVA 1600 G2 will be available soon.