Our product range allows our customers to select uninterruptible power supply systems that fully meet their uninterruptible operation requirements and provide a long-term competitive advantage. Customers can also order UPS systems based on the initial needs of their business and then expand them as needed. This decision provides maximum benefits while reducing the total cost of ownership of an uninterruptible power system.
In addition to highly efficient and reliable uninterruptible power supplies, Delta Electronics offers software UPSentry and InsightPowerUPS, significantly expanding UPS management capabilities. By installing supported network cards, users can remotely monitor the operation of the uninterruptible power supply, perform initial diagnostics in case of abnormal deviations, and turn systems on or off if necessary.
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Product family |
Power |
Architecture |
Areas of use |
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Single-phase UPS |
PC and peripherals |
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1 kVA or more |
Single-phase UPS |
Server and network equipment |
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10 kVA or more |
Three-phase online UPS |
Data centers and industrial equipment |
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20 kVA or more |
Modular UPS |
Modular UPS with expandability |
Advantages of Delta Uninterruptible Power Systems:
- High AC-AC conversion efficiency
- Fully redundant design and configuration
- High input and output power factor
- Easy to expand without additional hardware
- Easy to use with low total cost of ownership
Delta Electronics is a major global manufacturer of various electronics, primarily industrial. Among other things, the company is engaged in the production of electrical converters various types and format and has rich experience in producing power supplies for computer systems. The latter include not only quite typical power supplies for system units, but also AC/DC converters for laptops.
The retail channel is not the main way Delta Electronics products are sold, since most products of this type goes to computer manufacturers and companies specializing in retail supplies of components.
We had at our disposal a Delta GPS-500AB-A power supply, which belongs to the PM series, which, in addition to the person involved in this material, includes three more power supplies with a power of 400 to 550 watts.
It is worth noting that this model, judging by modern industrial standards, has, if not retirement age, then a very advanced age, since it has been produced for more than three years. Therefore, it is worth assessing its parameters taking into account this fact.
Delta GPS-500AB-A is supplied in packaging intended for retail sale: a compact box with matte printing. The box is made of fairly thin cardboard and is equipped with a plastic carrying handle, which also acts as a lock for the box when closed.
Characteristics
All required parameters are indicated on the power supply housing in full. For +12VDC bus power, the stated value is 360 W, this value corresponds to the value of a typical 450 W power supply. Bus power ratio +12VDC and full power is 0.74, which is a low figure for modern solutions of similar power.
| Power supply name | Maximum current, A | Maximum power, W | KNS12V | |||||||
| 3.3V | 5V | 12V1 | 12V2 | 12V3 | 12V4 | 3.3&5V | 12V | General | ||
ATX12V ver. 2.3 180W | 13 | 14 | 10 | − | − | − | 80 | 120 | 175 | 0,686 |
ATX12V ver. 2.3 220W | 13 | 14 | 14 | − | − | − | 80 | 168 | 215 | 0,781 |
ATX12V ver. 2.3 270W | 19 | 15 | 17 | − | − | − | 97 | 204 | 265 | 0,77 |
ATX12V ver. 2.3 300W | 21 | 15 | 11 | 8 | − | − | 103 | 216 | 295 | 0,732 |
ATX12V ver. 2.3 350W | 21 | 15 | 11 | 14 | − | − | 103 | 264 | 345 | 0,765 |
ATX12V ver. 2.3 400W | 24 | 15 | 17 | 14 | − | − | 120 | 300 | 395 | 0,76 |
ATX12V ver. 2.3 450W | 24 | 15 | 17 | 16 | − | − | 120 | 360 | 445 | 0,81 |
| Delta GPS-500AB-A | 28 | 26 | 16 | 18 | 18 | − | 180 | 360 | 484 | 0,74 |
EPS12V ver. 2.91 550W | 24 | 24 | 16 | 16 | 14 | 8 | 140 | 492 | 550 | 0,895 |
EPS12V ver. 2.91 600W | 24 | 24 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 140 | 576 | 600 | 0,96 |
EPS12V ver. 2.91 650W | 24 | 30 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 170 | 624 | 650 | 0,96 |
EPS12V ver. 2.91 700W | 24 | 30 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 170 | 672 | 700 | 0,96 |
EPS12V ver. 2.91 750W | 24 | 30 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 170 | 720 | 750 | 0,96 |
EPS12V ver. 2.91 800W | 24 | 30 | 16 | 16 | 16 | 18 | 170 | 768 | 800 | 0,96 |
Length of wires and number of connectors
- to the main ATX connector - 45 cm
- to the 8 pin SSI processor socket - 46 cm, plus another 20 cm to the ATX12V connector (total about 66 cm)
- to the first power connector of the video card PCI-E 1.0 VGA Power Connector - 46 cm, plus 20 cm to the second same connector
- to the first SATA Power Connector - 46 cm, plus 15 cm to the second similar connector
- to the Peripheral Connector (Molex) - 46 cm, plus 15 cm to the second and another 15 cm to the third of the same connector
- to the Peripheral Connector (Molex) - 46 cm, plus 15 cm to the second and another 15 cm to the third of the same connector, plus another 15 cm to the FDD power connector
| Connector name | Number of connectors | Note | |
| Total | removable | ||
| 24 pin Main Power Connector | 1 | − | collapsible |
| 4 pin 12V Power Connector | 1 | − | |
| 8 pin SSI Processor Connector | 1 | − | non-removable |
| 6 pin PCI-E 1.0 VGA Power Connector | 2 | − | |
| 8 pin PCI-E 2.0 VGA Power Connector | − | − | |
| 4 pin Peripheral Connector | 6 | − | |
| 15 pin Serial ATA Connector | 4 | − | |
| 4 pin Floppy Drive Connector | 1 | − | |
The number of connectors and their location on wiring harnesses is not optimal for modern system unit. Taking into account the transition optical drives And hard drives for power supply from the SATA Power connector, in power supplies of similar power it is optimal to install at least two harnesses with SATA Power connectors with a total number of at least 6 pieces. In this case, we see only four connectors on two harnesses, which may not be very convenient if you have more than two hard drives and optical drive powered by SATA Power connector. At the same time, the number of Peripheral Connectors (molex) is excessive: in a modern system unit it is quite difficult to find so many consumers with such a power connector. In fact, today only some drives (for example, internal card readers), expansion cards (for example, sound cards), as well as various universal panels and fan controllers. However, despite the impressive list at first glance, in most system units the number of such devices tends to zero, so in reality 2-3 connectors on two harnesses are enough.
As for the length of the wires, primarily to the processor power connectors, the situation is as follows: to the 8-pin SSI Processor Connector - 46 cm, but to the ATX12V connector, the length of the wires is about 65 cm, which is quite enough for installation and operation in the case miditower size with bottom-mounted power supply.
Design
The power supply is equipped with an active power factor correction and has an extended supply voltage range. A 120 mm D12SH-12 fan manufactured by Yate Loon Electronics is installed under the stamped grille. This model The fan is based on a plain bearing and has a maximum rotation speed of 3000 rpm. It is worth noting that the use of fans on plain bearings is not optimal solution in such a thermally loaded unit, which is the power supply.
Basic semiconductor elements installed on two radiators, which are plates about 4 mm thick with longitudinal fins in the upper part.
Almost all capacitors installed in the power supply are manufactured by Samxon and Ltec. The input rectifier contains a Samxon capacitor with a capacity of 330 μF (400 V), designed for maximum operating temperature 85 degrees is quite typical for a 550 watt power supply. The output stage contains capacitors designed for a maximum operating temperature of 105 degrees.
Almost all winding elements are additionally fixed with heat shrink or linings made of synthetic material and sealant.
| Design | |
| Maximum output power | 484 W |
| Operating input voltage range | extended |
| Availability and type of cash register (PFC) | yes, active (APFC) |
| Case length | 140 mm |
| Weight (without packaging) | 2.2 kg |
| Fan size | 120 mm |
| Fan model | Yate Loon D12SH-12 |
| Fan connection | two-wire |
| Plastic cover on the fan (deflector) | No |
| Grille in front of the fan | wire |
| Number of radiators | 2 |
| Radiator base thickness | 4 mm |
| Linear dimensions of the base | 80×25 and 85×25 |
| Capacitor Manufacturer | Samxon, Ltec |
| Availability of mains switch | There is |
| The presence of a protective sleeve in the hole for wires | No |
| Backlight | No |
Power supply testing
The first stage of instrumental testing is the construction cross-load characteristic (KNH) and its representation on a half-plane, limited by the maximum power on the 3.3&5V bus on one side (along the ordinate) and the maximum power on the 12V bus on the other side - along the abscissa. At each point, the measured voltage value is indicated by a color marker depending on the deviation from the nominal value.
| Designation of the size of deviations of output voltages from the nominal | ||
| Color | Deviation range | Qualitative assessment |
| 1 percent | Great | |
|---|---|---|
| 2 percent | Very good | |
| 3 percent | Fine | |
| 4 percent | satisfactorily | |
| 5 percent | Badly | |
| more than five percent | unsatisfactory | |
Explanations of the testing methodology and the process of calculating the final ratings for power quality can be found in one of the previous articles, for example.
| Deviations of output voltage values from the nominal value | |||
| +3.3VDC | +5VDC | +12VDC | |
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| 12V Power, W - Bus power +12VDC, W | |||
With a typical power distribution across channels, deviations do not exceed three percent for the +12VDC channel and two percent for the +3.3VDC and +5VDC channels - this is quite a decent indicator.
Under atypical loads, deviations in the +12VDC voltage values fall outside the permissible five percent range. However, this happens only at the most extreme points, which are almost impossible to approach in a real system, and not on a test bench.
The next step is to determine the real system power of the power supply, that is, the power that can be used when operating a real system unit, and not just when connected to a test bench.
This parameter is determined by summing the real maximum power on the 12V bus and a power of 42 W on the 3.3&5V bus - of course, provided that the voltage values remain within normal limits.
In our case, the power calculated using this formula was 402 watts.
Marketing Correctness Coefficient (MCC)- shows the ratio of the power rating we calculated to a certain value indicated in the name (model) of the power supply and implying the maximum output power this power supply.
In this case, KMC = 402/500 = 0.804
This value can be considered unsatisfactory for a modern power supply. The low value of this coefficient demonstrates that the manufacturer is gaining insufficient power on the main +12VDC bus at the expense of the less popular 3.3&5V lines.
The next stage of testing is to measure the total power supplied to the power supply, the active power consumed by it and calculation of efficiency and power factor.
The efficiency of this model is at a satisfactory level for modern solutions.
Noise level measurement
The measurement is carried out in accordance with our methodology using a sound level meter VShV-003-M3 in a soundproofed room with a typical noise level of 20 dBA. During the measurement, all electrical appliances in the room are turned off.
The noise level of this power supply when operating at typical power can be assessed as below average; with increasing power, the noise level practically does not increase. In general, the acoustic ergonomics of this model can be assessed as good.
In standby mode, the noise level of the electronics is minimal - in fact, at a typical distance of half a meter or more, it is almost impossible to hear any sounds produced by the power supply in this operating mode (however, when you bring your ear close to the ventilation grille, some noise can still be heard).
In operating mode, the noise from the electronics is slightly higher, but it cannot be called noticeable, since it is masked by the noise of the fan. No sounds similar to a squeak were noted in this specimen.
The most interesting are two scenarios for using this model: replacing stock power supplies in cheap and mid-budget cases, or equipping a new case with a bottom-mounted power supply, especially in the case of limited financial capabilities. In principle, the GPS-500AB-A can cope with powering medium-power gaming systems based on the Radeon HD 6950 and GTX 560, but it is clearly not up to the task of top-end solutions. Still, age imposes its limitations.
Results
The bottom line is that we find pretty good ergonomics, both acoustic and installation; the latter is provided with a sufficient number of connectors and length of wires. The electrical parameters of the power supply are at an average level. In a word, for an average system the power source is quite adequate - it is characterized by a balance of a range of consumer qualities and cost.
Delta GPS-500AB-A power supply provided for testing by the manufacturer
IntroductionIn this review, I will present models from three power supply manufacturers, the names of two of which are still poorly known to most Russian buyers.
Firstly, this is AcBel Polytech. Despite the fact that AcBel is one of the five largest manufacturers of power supplies in the world, it is poorly known in Russia - until recently, these units were supplied to our market very irregularly under its own brand, and AcBel products sold under other brands (for example, CoolerMaster ), the Russian buyer is mostly familiar only from reviews in the computer press.
Meanwhile, it is difficult to call AcBel a little-known company in the world - just look at the short list of its clients, which includes a fair number of major computer manufacturers, as well as a number of companies involved in networking and telecommunications equipment:
Information from the presentation of AcBel Polytech
AcBel Polytech is a Taiwanese company, but, as is now customary, it has production capacity also in China and the Philippines.
In second place are GlacialPower power supplies, promoted by GlacialTech, widely known for its inexpensive, but quiet and high-quality cooling systems. This brand appeared on the market quite recently and for this reason is still poorly known, although, of course, the name “GlacialPower” itself evokes completely unambiguous associations. The GlacialPower range of power supplies is currently represented by three similar models, differing in permissible load power - from 350 to 550 W.
And finally, Delta Electronics, which, being the largest manufacturer of power supplies in the world, is probably known to most of our readers, even though products under its own brand are relatively modestly represented in retail sales - Delta mainly works on OEM orders major computer manufacturers, its blocks can be found in desktop computers and servers from HP, Dell, IBM, and many others.
Separately, I would like to note that the power supplies of all three of the above-mentioned manufacturers are represented not only by older models with a power of half a kilowatt, but also by low-power - by modern standards - 350 W units. Of course, both the manufacturer of the blocks and the author of the review are pleased to deal with, so to speak, the leading edge of technical progress, which has already crossed the kilowatt line - however, sometimes you have to look at things sensibly, namely, understand that the absolute majority of computers, like office ones, , and at home, all this huge power is simply not needed. But quiet, high-quality and at the same time inexpensive power supplies with more modest numbers on the label are very much needed.
At the same time, the words “inexpensive” and “high-quality” are not necessarily antonyms - although the market is flooded with cheap models of nameless and semi-nameless Chinese manufacturers with faceless names like "ATX 500W", there are also pleasant exceptions. Historically, it so happened that only the products of the FSP Group received noticeable popularity both in the press and among buyers (however, the second is partly a consequence of the first). market segment. Therefore, among other things, with this article I hope to draw the attention of readers to noteworthy alternatives among products from other manufacturers.
Compared to previous articles, our testing methodology has undergone some changes. Firstly, the oscilloscope used was changed, from ETC M221 to Velleman PCSU-1000, and therefore the oscillograms now look a little different - however, this did not affect the accuracy of the measurements. Secondly, simultaneously with measuring the rotation speed of the fan, we now measure the temperature of the air it blows out of the block - and on the corresponding graphs another curve has appeared, displaying the difference in air temperatures at the inlet and outlet of the block (namely the difference, and not just the temperature of the air at the outlet - to abstract from temperature fluctuations in the room). These readings are needed not so much for comparing blocks with each other (obviously, comparing blocks with different sizes and the location of the fans to measure the temperature of the exhaust air at one point is somewhat incorrect) but to assess the effectiveness of adjusting the fan speed.
AcBel E2 Power 390 (350 W), Power 440 (400 W) and Power 490 (450 W)
Power supplies of the E2 Power series belong to inexpensive models entry level. There are a total of four units in this series with powers from 300 to 450 W (the model name indicates the so-called peak power - the load that the unit is capable of delivering for one minute, while at rated power it can operate indefinitely), Three models were sent to our laboratory for testing, starting with the 350-watt model. There are no fundamental differences in their parameters and circuitry, so I will describe them together.
All units of the E2 Power series are made in simple gray cases. On the company's website, only the older 450-watt model has a wire fan grille (in the younger ones it is stamped and forms a single unit with the body), but in reality, all three units that came to us had wire grilles. In fact, this difference is insignificant - it is believed that the wire grille has less resistance to air flow, and therefore creates less aerodynamic noise, but in practice the difference is very small, and the noise level of the unit is largely determined by the efficiency of speed control and the quality of the fans used.
E2 Power 390 unit
The blocks have a somewhat unusual type of body - its U-shaped cover slides back.
E2 Power 490 unit (E2 Power 440 looks exactly the same)
The younger model and the two older ones differ only in the passive PFC (its choke is clearly visible in the photo of the Power 440, while it is absent in the Power 390) and the ratings of some elements, but in general the circuitry is identical: the duty stabilizer is assembled on a specialized TNY267P PWM controller, and the main one is on UC3843B.
E2 Power 390 block from solder side
Separately, I would like to note the very careful, almost perfect soldering of the blocks in combination with the active use of surface-mount components - a phenomenon by which you can immediately distinguish the products of large manufacturers from the creations of various half-nameless Chinese companies. In the latter, soldering of at least oversized parts and output wires is done manually and, as a rule, not very carefully, and the use of modern SMD components is generally very rare.
E2 Power 390 unit
Despite the fact that the low-end unit formally has two +12 V lines, there is no practical sense in this - the total load current on them should not exceed 18 A, which makes it possible to meet all the requirements of safety standards, having only one line (I remind readers that The separation of the lines arose due to the need to limit the current of each of them to a level of no more than 20 A to limit the short circuit power, if this suddenly happens, at a safe level). The division is due, on the one hand, to marketing requirements (the buyer is already accustomed to the fact that there should be at least two lines, although there is actually no practical benefit for him in this), on the other hand, to the unification of circuitry with more powerful blocks of the same series.
E2 Power 440 unit
E2 Power 490 unit
Indeed, as the total power of the units increases, the permissible load on the +12 V bus also increases - up to 21 A in the Power 440 model and up to 22.5 A in the Power 490.
On the one hand, it is worth scolding AcBel for the incomplete compliance of the E2 Power series models with the recommendations of the ATX12V 2.0 standard - according to the latter, a typical 300-watt unit should have a +12 V bus load capacity of up to 22 A, 350-W - up to 25 A, and 400 - W – up to 29 A; obviously all three E2 models fall short of these numbers. In modern computers that load mainly the 12-volt bus, it is its load capacity that essentially determines the total effective power of the power supply, that is, the power that can be obtained from it in real conditions, taking into account the typical distribution of loads across different buses of the unit , and not on a laboratory bench. So, if we take a computer with a maximum power consumption of 350 W, it turns out that it needs only 30-40 W on the +5 V and +3.3 V buses, and the remaining 310-320 W are taken from the +12 V bus; in other words, none of the E2 Power series units are suitable for powering it, although in terms of the total rated power, it would seem that all three models meet the requirements.
On the other hand, a computer that consumes more than two hundred watts from the power supply is a very serious system with a dual-core processor and a powerful video card. Owners of such computers usually obviously prefer more expensive (and not so much due to the total power, but due to the external design, number of connectors, etc.) power supplies, but the E2 Power series is clearly designed for typical home-office systems with not too much powerful processors and video cards and consuming only 100...200 W from the power supply. As an example, the author of this article can cite his own home computer, which, with an Athlon 64 3800+ processor and a video card based on the RadeOn X800XL chip, runs without the slightest problem on a 250-watt power supply manufactured by Enhance with a permissible +12 V bus current of only 16 A.
It should be noted that many block manufacturers, having caught the general trend towards increasing power, began to increase the power of their blocks without increasing the load capacity of the +12 V bus - for example, 300-, 350- and 430-, which we considered in one of the previous articles InWin watt blocks of the J and AJ series have the same maximum permissible load at +12 V: no more than 18 A. At the same time, with AcBel blocks, as the total rated power increases, the permissible load of the 12-V bus also increases, that is, it increases effective power of blocks.
In addition to the presence of PFC, the younger model has a reduced number of connectors. The E2 Power 390 features:
a cable with three power connectors for PATA hard drives and one for a disk drive, 42+15+15+15 cm long;
cable with two power connectors for PATA hard drives and two for SATA hard drives, length 41+15+15+15 cm.
At the same time, the E2 Power 440 and E2 Power 490 models have:
power cable motherboard with 20+4-pin connector, length 41 cm;
CPU power cable with 4-pin connector, 41 cm long;
video card power cable with a 6-pin connector, 51 cm long;
cable with three power connectors for PATA hard drives, length 50+15+15 cm;
a cable with two power connectors for PATA hard drives and one for a disk drive, 50+15+15 cm long;
cable with two power connectors for SATA hard drives, length 51+14 cm.
E2 Power 390 unit
The voltage stability of the younger model is not bad, although with one drawback - the +5 V voltage varies quite a lot, and, although it does not go beyond the permissible limits, with a heavy load on the +12 V bus it will be overestimated by about 0.2 V. Towards stability voltages +12 V and +3.3 V, no complaints.
E2 Power 440 unit
The 400-watt unit fares somewhat better - the +5 V voltage at the bottom of the graph is still too high, but overall its stability is better than that of the 350-watt model. The voltages +12 V and +3.3 V do not cause any complaints here either.
E2 Power 490 unit
The older model is completely good: in fact, its voltage stability is the same as that of the E2 Power 440, but the graph for +5 V voltage has moved down, resulting in +5 in the most interesting from a practical point of view area with small loads V and large +12 V, it deviates from the ideal by less than 3%. However, this is most likely not a consequence of any differences in circuit design or workmanship, but simply a random scatter of ratings between different copies of blocks.
The output voltage ripple turned out to be small for all three blocks - less than 20 mV on the +5 V bus (with an acceptable level of up to 50 mV) and less than 40 mV on the +12 V bus (with an acceptable level of 120 mV).
The 350-watt unit uses an Adda AD0812US-A70GL fan - this is a plain bearing model with a maximum speed of 3700 rpm, which is quite a lot for a fan with a standard size of 80x80x25 mm.
E2 Power 390 unit
The fan starts at 1600 rpm and its speed increases linearly as the load increases, reaching a ceiling around 3300 rpm at a load of 250 W (the ceiling is slightly less than the nominal nameplate speed of the fan, since the voltage supplied to it is less than 12 V - part falls on the speed control circuit, even when it is completely “open”). At the same time, it is clearly visible that in the region of linear increase in speed, the unit maintains its temperature constant, but when the fan reaches maximum speed, the temperature begins to rise.
Thus, the E2 Power 390 can be considered quiet only at very minimal loads, less than 100 W - with a more serious load, its fan accelerates to high speeds.
In older models there are Adda AD0812HS-A70GL fans - also on a plain bearing, but, oddly enough, with a slightly lower rated speed.
E2 Power 490 unit
And, what is much more important, the speed controller behaves completely differently (it works the same in both 400-W and 450-W units, so I present the graph only for the older model): up to a load power of 250...300 W speed the fan does not change at all, being at about 1500 rpm; the temperature of the block, of course, increases with increasing load. At higher power, the fan begins to quickly increase its speed, and so quickly that the temperature of the air leaving the unit even drops - this means that the fan controller is guided by the load power on the unit, and not by the temperature of its components.
As a result, unlike the 350-watt model, the E2 Power 440 and E2 Power 490 operate very quietly in the load range up to 250...300 W, increasing the fan speed only at powers close to maximum. At the same time, although the fan controller could increase the speed and not so aggressively (it would be quite enough to stabilize the temperature of the unit, we saw that from a certain point it even begins to decrease), in practice, in most cases, the noise of the units will suit the vast majority of users.
E2 Power 390 unit
The junior unit, which does not have PFC, shows a quite typical picture - the power factor is on average 0.64. In the meantime, the efficiency (and here I will once again remind our readers that there is no direct connection between the efficiency and the power factor) reaches 79% at maximum, and at full power drops to 71% - a result that meets the requirements of the standards, but no more Togo.
E2 Power 490 unit
The two older models, due to the use of passive PFC, have a higher power factor - up to 0.77 at maximum. At the same time, their efficiency is slightly higher: at one point it was even able to slightly exceed 80%, although at maximum load it dropped to 75% - again the result is acceptable, but not outstanding.
Thus, AcBel E2 Power series units are a very good and inexpensive option for low- and mid-level computers. They are made of very high quality, provide all the stated parameters without any problems and have all the necessary connectors, including connectors for powering video cards in the two older models. At the same time, older models are most interesting for the buyer not so much due to their greater power, but due to their quieter operation - the fan controllers in them begin to increase speed only when the load on the unit is sufficiently large.
AcBel Power Gold 500 W and 550 W
The more expensive AcBel series of power supplies was represented by four models - two 500-watt ATX-500CA-AB8FM units and two 550-watt ATX-550CA-AB8FM. The difference was that in each of the pairs one unit was in the OEM version, and the second was in the boxed version.As further research has shown, from a technical point of view, the boxed and OEM versions differ from each other, essentially only in the type of fans and design of the cables, so I will consider them together, dwelling on the differences where necessary.
OEM versions of the units are made in cases painted black, but boxed ones are supplied in nickel-plated cases of a dark color. However, the more noticeable difference in design between the boxed and OEM versions is that the latter have regular black power buttons and black fans, while the former have both illuminated during operation:
However, the internal structure of all four units is exactly the same - with the exception, of course, that the ratings of the installed components differ slightly between the 500- and 550-watt models.
Those of our readers who were interested in CoolerMaster power supplies undoubtedly saw a familiar picture - as I already noted in the preface, AcBel is a supplier of CoolerMaster, and it supplies this particular series of units.
The blocks are built on the basis of the ML4800CP microcircuit, which combines both the main stabilizer and the active PFC controller - the choke of the latter can be clearly seen in the photographs, although at first it is confusing that it is made on an W-shaped core, and not on the usual toroidal one. Between the inductor and the small vertical board with the controller there are two high-voltage capacitors - usually in blocks with an active PFC and a single-ended main controller there is one capacitor, but here, apparently for dimensional reasons, two are used, connected in parallel.
As is the case with the E2 Power series, the workmanship is very good, there is simply nothing to complain about.
The boxed and OEM versions of the units have exactly the same characteristics and even the same labels, so here I will show only two photos - for the 500- and 550-watt unit.
Both options have three +12 V lines, although in general their load capacity is not so great that three lines are really needed - up to 27 A on the corresponding bus for the lower units and up to 30 A for the older ones. This is slightly less than required by the ATX12V 2.2 standard - although units with a power above 450 W are not described in it, it is already recommended for 450 W permissible current the 12-V bus load is 30 A, which means we would like to expect even higher currents from units with a power of 500 and 550 W.
In the previous section of the article, I already talked about the effective power of the power supply - that is, the power that can be obtained from it in a typical modern computer, taking into account the distribution of the load across the various buses of the unit. If we assume that the +5 V and +3.3 V buses are loaded by a maximum of 50 W in total, then the effective power of the ATX-500CA-AB8FM model is equal to 374 W, and the ATX-550CA-AB8FM model is 410 W, that is, noticeably less than their rated capacity.
This does not mean at all that the blocks do not correspond to the declared rated power - as our testing has shown, there are no problems with this - it only means that in a real modern computer, the increase in energy consumption will be limited not by the full power of the blocks, but by the permissible load of their 12-volt tires.
All four blocks have the same set of cables and connectors (the only difference is that in the OEM versions only the motherboard power cable is hidden in braided tubes; all other cables are secured with ordinary nylon ties):
motherboard power cable with 20+4-pin connector, 53 cm long;
CPU power cable with 8-pin connector, 55 cm long;
CPU power cable with 4-pin connector, 54 cm long;
two video card power cables with 6-pin connectors, 54 cm long;
Here I would like to note not so much the presence of a large number of different connectors, but rather the absence of differences between the boxed and OEM versions of the units - as opposed, for example, to the products of the FSP Group, whose power supplies can vary very significantly both in the length of the wires and in the set connectors depending on the type of delivery.
All blocks showed almost identical cross-load characteristics, so I will present only one graph, for the most powerful model (moreover, due to an accidental error before its removal, the permissible load on the +12 V bus was set to 400 W when the permissible load for the block was 360 W - nevertheless, and with such an overload no problems arose, although, of course, this is an abnormal mode).
The unit has very good stability of output voltages for its class (and these models do not have additional separate stabilization) - in the range of loads that interests us most, voltages +12 V and +3.3 V are close to ideal, and voltage +5 V is overestimated by approximately 3% (with permissible deviation up to 5%). The younger, 500-watt units have the same type of KNH graph, only on the right it is limited to 324 W - the maximum allowable load for them on a 12-volt bus.
The ripple range of the output voltages at full load also turned out to be within normal limits - about 50 mV on the +5 V bus (mainly due to very short surges at the moments of switching the transistors of the main stabilizer) and about 60 mV on the +12 V bus. There are no significant differences in this regard there was no parameter between different block instances.
Fan of the OEM version of the ATX-550CA-AB8FM unit
But the fans in different models The Power Gold series, as it turned out, differ not only in the color of the blades and the presence of a blue backlight during operation: the box units are equipped with fans on ball bearings - Protechnic Electric MGA12012MB-A25 in a 500-W unit and a slightly more powerful MGA12012HB-O25 in a 550-W unit. At the same time, the OEM versions also have fans manufactured by Protechnic Electric, but already models MGA12012MS-A25 in a 500-W unit and MGA12012HS-O25 in a 550-W unit, both on plain bearings.
Fan of the boxed version of the ATX-550CA-AB8FM unit
The fan speed is regulated according to the same law as in the E2 Power models: up to a power of 200...250 W it is constant, and then begins to grow quickly.
Speed regulation is focused primarily on the load power, and not on the temperature of the power supply - and it can be called overly pessimistic: at a power above 250 W, the fan accelerates so that the temperature of the unit begins to drop. On the one hand, in a real computer, the air heated by the processor and video card coming from the system unit to the power supply will raise its temperature. On the other hand, it would still be more reasonable to focus on its temperature when cooling the unit - then under no circumstances would the fan speed be excessively high.
If we talk about noise, then with load powers of up to 250 W, the units belong to the middle class - they are audible, but one cannot say that this noise is annoying, but as the load increases, the regulator becomes excessively pessimistic - at speeds above 1800 rpm 120 mm The fan can be considered quite loud. The 500-watt unit models are a little quieter due to the use of a less powerful fan, but overall the difference cannot be called significant.
The efficiency and power factor graphs for all units in this series again coincided with good accuracy, so below I will present only one of them, for the 550-W model.
The efficiency of the units cannot be called a record, but it is quite good even by modern standards - about 83% at a load of 150 W, decreasing to 78% at maximum power.
The Power Gold series blocks do not capture the stars from the sky, but at the same time they do not have any significant drawbacks. It can only be noted that it is excessively high speed fans, especially when operating with a load of more than 250 W - for successful cooling of the unit, lower speeds would be enough, which, in turn, would have a positive effect on their noise.
However, if this does not bother you, or if you are ready to replace the fan yourself with a quieter one (especially since Protechnic Electric models have not proven themselves to be the best among lovers of silence), then AcBel Power Gold units will be a good choice even for very powerful home computer.
AcBel LCD Power Supply (550 W)
Despite such a sonorous name, in fact this model, bearing the number ATX-550CA-AB8FB, differs from the ATX-550CA-AB8FM discussed above primarily in its packaging: it comes with a socket with an LCD screen installed in a 5.25" bay , showing the main parameters of the power supply: temperature, fan speed, load on the unit (both in watts and as a percentage of the maximum permissible), as well as load currents of the individual output buses of the unit. unique feature AcBel panels - among the products of other manufacturers, I have not yet come across panels (both external and built into the unit itself) that could show not only the total power, but also the load distribution.
At the same time, externally the unit is no different from the models discussed above (in the boxed version) - a matte black case, a transparent fan with blue backlight and a power button with amber backlight.
There are also no serious internal differences - the unit is made on the same platform as other models of the ATX-550CA series: stabilizer and active PFC on the ML4800CP chip, group stabilization of output voltages...
The controller board to which the external panel is connected is almost invisible - it is located in the rear of the unit, under the wiring harnesses.
The socket itself is very compact, only a few centimeters deep. It contains an LCD screen, a pair of buttons and the AcBel logo, illuminated by three flashing LEDs - red, green and blue. The latter is the main, and perhaps the only, drawback of the panel - the LEDs are very bright, and it is impossible to turn them off without interfering with the internal structure of the panel.
There are five connectors on the back of the panel, of which the user only needs three - two for connecting to the power supply and one for connecting to USB. The latter is not necessary for the panel to work, but it allows you, if desired, to run a program on your computer that displays the same parameters as the panel itself shows.
In addition to simply displaying the current parameters of the power supply, the panel allows you to:
set maximum permissible temperature and the minimum permissible fan speed - when the unit goes beyond these limits, the panel sounds a sound signal;
switch fan from mode automatic adjustment to maximum speed mode;
Switch temperature units between Celsius and Fahrenheit.
All this can be done either from the included program (with a USB connection) or by a combination of button presses on the panel itself.
The two remaining interface connectors, according to the user manual, are used when programming the panel at the factory and are not needed by the end user.
Inside, the panel consists of two boards (one at the bottom of the case, the second on the front wall, an LCD screen is soldered into it) with several microcircuits.
The power supply has a special cable for connecting the panel, which is divided at the end into two connectors - the first, wide, is intended for data transfer, the second, similar to the drive power connector, for powering the panel.
In general, the unit is equipped with the following connectors and cables:
motherboard power cable with 20+4-pin connector, 55 cm long;
processor power cable with 4+4-pin connector, 55 cm long;
video card power cable with two 6-pin connectors, 55 cm long;
cable with four power connectors for PATA hard drives, length 53+15+15+15 cm;
cable with three power connectors for PATA hard drives and one power connector for a disk drive, length 53+15+15+15 cm;
cable with four power connectors for SATA hard drives, length 54+15+15+15 cm.
All cables are hidden in braided tubes, but the way this is done for the video card power cable raises some complaints:
As you can see, in fact this is not one cable with two connectors, but two separate cables connected together with a tie. The free “tails” are only about 4 cm long, which makes it difficult to connect connectors in an SLI or CrossFire system - you have to move the tie down along the cable, thereby freeing the connectors to a sufficient length so that each of them can reach their video card.
Another difference between the ATX-550CA-AB8FB and the model with the AB8FM index discussed above is the stated parameters: with the same total power of 550 W, the permissible total load on the +12 V bus has increased from 30 A to 35 A, which is welcome.
The cross-load characteristics of the unit look very similar to those of the models discussed above - in the lower part of the graph, which is of greatest importance to us (due to the fact that modern computers simply do not create large loads on the +5 V and +3.3 V buses ) except that the +5 V voltage is slightly too high, but its deviation is very far from the permissible limit.
The block is equipped with a Protechnic Electric MGT12012HB-O25 fan – the index “MGT” instead of the “MGA” we encountered earlier means that the fan has a tachometer output.
At the same time, the graph of the dependence of its speed on the load on the unit is pleasantly pleasing - with a load of up to 200 W, the speed fluctuates around 800 rpm, which makes the unit much quieter than previous models. In fact, when working with a light load, the noise of its fan is completely masked by other noises of the system unit. However, with higher power, the fan speed again increases faster than necessary (which is clearly visible from the temperature falling with increasing power), and as a result, the ATX-550CA-AB8FB turns out to be quite noisy under heavy loads.
Although I expected that the differences "LCD Power Supply"from simpler AcBel blocks are only the presence of an external panel that shows the state of the block in real time, in fact, the parameters of this model have also changed for the better - the permissible load on the +12 V bus has increased, and the block itself has become quieter in operation, despite using the same fans.
AcBel R8 Power (607 W)
The R8 Power series of power supplies (there are three models in total with powers of 430, 525 and 607 W, of which the last one was included in our laboratory) is latest models AcBel, meeting the “80+PLUS” standard and, accordingly, having an efficiency of at least 80% at any load from 20% to maximum. The manufacturer himself claims an efficiency of 85% for the R8 Power 607W.
Externally, the only difference between the R8 and the units discussed above is the small white button (yes, this is a button, and not a variable resistor knob, as it seems at first glance) next to the power switch. Its task is to turn off the fan backlight if the user suddenly gets tired of it (or simply bothers it from the start).
At the same time, upon a superficial inspection, it is not possible to find any noticeable differences from previous models inside the unit - it still uses the same basic platform with the ML4800CP controller.
Apparently, compliance with the "80+PLUS" requirements is achieved through a more careful selection of the element base, and not through any serious changes in circuit design. However, if you look closely, you will notice that the arrangement of components on a separate small board with a controller has changed slightly, but it is difficult to say, without going into the depths of the circuit design, how much this has affected the characteristics of the unit, if at all.
With a total power of 607 W, the maximum load on the 12-volt bus (which is divided into three lines - as usual, “virtually”, that is, by artificially limiting the load currents) is 40 A. However, the permissible total load on the +5 V buses and +3.3 V decreased to 141 W - but for modern computers it doesn't matter, in any case they don't consume even half of the available power from these buses.
The unit is equipped with the following cables and connectors:
motherboard power cable with 20+4-pin connector, 51 cm long;
processor power cable with 4+4-pin connector, length 51 cm;
video card power cable with two 6-pin connectors, 60 cm long;
cable with four power connectors for PATA hard drives, length 50+15+15+15 cm;
cable with three power connectors for PATA hard drives and one power connector for a disk drive, length 50+15+15+15 cm;
cable with four power connectors for SATA hard drives, length 51+15+15+15 cm.
The cross-load characteristics of the R8 Power are similar to the other AcBel units discussed above - voltage stability is very good, in the area that interests us most (the bottom of the graph) all three monitored voltages are almost ideal.
The ripple range at the output of the unit at maximum load is about 30 mV on the +5 V bus (permissible level is up to 50 mV) and about 100 mV on the +12 V bus (permissible level is up to 120 mV), thus, for this parameter R8 Power fully complies with the requirements of the standard.
The unit uses a Protechnic Electric MGT12012HB-O25 fan. Despite the fact that it is equipped with a tachometer, the output of the latter is not brought out, so it is impossible to control the speed of the unit’s fan using the motherboard. Of course, it is also impossible to connect the socket from the ATX-550CA-AB8FB model to this unit.
Although the fan speed is 900 rpm at minimum load (100 rpm more than the ATX-550CA-AB8FB), thereafter it does not increase as quickly as previous models, and as a result the R8 Power turns out to be the quietest AcBel unit we've tested.
However, if you compare it with such recognized leaders in quiet operation as Zalman or Seasonic, you have to admit that AcBel engineers still have some work to do. The fan speed still increases faster than necessary, as a result of which, with increasing power, the temperature of the unit begins to fall, but its noise, on the contrary, increases, and quite strongly - already at a load of 400 W the fan is clearly audible, and at a load of 500 W and above it gets really noisy. For comparison, the Zalman ZM600-HP unit at a maximum load of 580 W has a fan speed of only 1600 rpm - 1000 rpm less than the R8 Power at the same power.
On the other hand, a large air flow and low temperature of the unit’s components undoubtedly increase the reliability of its operation and extend its lifespan, but here the question concerns personal preferences - what is more important for each specific buyer: quiet operation now or a long life of the unit in the future.
As efficiency measurements have shown, the unit really meets the “80+PLUS” requirements - at a load of 120 W (20% of the maximum), its efficiency certainly exceeds 80%, and does not fall below this line with further increase in power. At the top point, with a load of about 250 W, the graph reaches the figure promised by the manufacturer of 85%.
So, the R8 Power 607W unit differs from other series of AcBel power supplies not only in its high efficiency - which, in general, is not very important for most buyers, since the difference in energy consumption of units with different efficiency is not so great that it would not pay the bills for electricity could be saved a significant amount - but also by quieter operation, as well as a noticeably increased permissible load of the +12 V bus, which essentially determines the maximum effective power of the unit when operating in a real computer.
At the same time, the unit is made of high quality, has all the necessary connectors and is very quiet in operation with a load of less than 200 W. Among its shortcomings, one can only note excessive noise at high load power.
Delta Electronics GPS-350EB-100A (350 W)
This 350-watt power supply from Delta Electronics is a direct competitor to the AcBel E2 Power units discussed above - this is an inexpensive power supply that does not stand out for its record power or any functional or design features.
In order to remove the U-shaped block cover, it must be moved back. The electronics are made very carefully, I had no complaints. In terms of its design, this is a fairly ordinary power supply with a passive PFC (its inductor can be seen in the picture at the top right) and group voltage stabilization.
The label is very illegible - small font, a mixture of Latin and hieroglyphs - so that even the name of the block is not immediately visible.
According to the stated parameters, the GPS-350EB-100A is a regular 350-watt ATX12V 2.0 unit that fully complies with the recommendations of the standard (for example, the permissible total load on the +12 V bus is 25 A - compare with 18 A for the 350-W AcBel E2 unit Power).
CPU power cable with 4-pin connector, 45 cm long;
cable with three power connectors for PATA hard drives, length 45+15+15 cm;
two cables with two power connectors for PATA hard drives and one power connector for a disk drive on each, 45+15+15 cm long;
cable with two power connectors for SATA hard drives, 45+15 cm long.
The unit does not have connectors for powering video cards - on the one hand, manufacturers consider this normal for its power (in the same way, the 350-W AcBel discussed above and the younger FSP models do not have these connectors), but it should still be noted that its The capabilities are more than enough to power a gaming computer with a fairly serious processor and video card, and therefore such a connector would not be superfluous.
The cross-load characteristics of the block look good, with none of the voltages exceeding the permissible 5% deviation at any point in the graph. The only downside that can be noted is that the +12 V voltage drops by 3...4% under heavy load on the corresponding bus.
The ripple range at the output of the unit at maximum load is also within normal limits - about 20 mV on the +5 V and +3.3 V buses (with a permissible maximum of 50 mV) and about 65 mV on the +12 V bus (with a permissible maximum of 120 mV ).
The unit uses a 120mm Yate Loon D12SH-12 fan. The products of this company have established themselves as inexpensive, but at the same time quite high quality.
The graph of the dependence of fan speed on the load on the unit is very similar to AcBel products - a constant level up to a power of about 250 W and further rapid growth. However, in this case, the increase in speed is not so great that the temperature of the block begins to fall.
As a result, in the load range typical for the GPS-350EB-100A (it is unlikely that many will install it in a truly powerful computers) the unit operates very quietly, almost silently.
The efficiency of the unit at maximum reached 82%, but at heavy load it dropped to 77% - not a record figure, but overall quite good. The power factor, despite the use of only passive PFC, ranged from 0.76...0.82 - although usually for blocks with passive correction it is lower by five percent.
Thus, Delta Electronics GPS-350EB-100A is a very good power supply, perfect for mid-range computers and demonstrated good parameters in all our tests. In addition, it also features very quiet operation at loads up to 250 W.
Delta Electronics GPS-400AB-C (350 W)
Despite the fact that, at first glance, this unit is very similar to the previous model, in fact it is not a more powerful version of the GPS-350EB-100A, but a model from a completely different line of Delta power supplies. However, if you look more closely, the external similarity disappears - the blocks are assembled in cases different types: For GPS-350EB the cover slides back, and for GPS-400AB it slides up.
The block is quite ordinary in its circuit design; it is a model with passive power factor correction (the PFC choke, mounted on the top cover, fell out of the frame - only two thick black wires leading to it are visible) and group voltage stabilization.
The label again is not very legible, but you can still see the main thing - in fact, the long-term load power should not exceed 350 W, and the number “400” indicated in the model name is nothing more than peak power, at which the unit can only operate for a short time ( exactly how long is not said, but usually it is one minute). I would like to express some confusion about the fact that peak power is included in the name of the unit, while other Delta Electronics models include long-term power in it.
Moreover, the permissible total load on the +12 V bus has also been reduced - although it would seem that the permissible loads of individual lines (+12V1 and +12V2) have increased compared to the GPS-350EB-100A, in fact this is not the case: separation of one bus it is virtual on two lines, and therefore you can enter any numbers there that do not exceed the required 18 A (the protection threshold that distinguishes two “independent” lines). In total, the +12 V bus of the unit can only be loaded with a current of up to 19 A - versus 25 A for the GPS-350EB-100A.
The unit is equipped with the following cables and connectors:
motherboard power cable with 20+4-pin connector, 34 cm long;
CPU power cable with 4-pin connector, 36 cm long;
cable with two power connectors for PATA hard drives, 36+15 cm long;
cable with two power connectors for PATA hard drives and one power connector for a disk drive, length 36+15+15 cm;
cable with two power connectors for SATA hard drives, length 36+15 cm.
Alas, both the number of connectors and the length of all cables have also decreased.
In general, the cross-load characteristics of the unit look good, but if you compare it with the previous model, you can notice a deterioration in the stability of the +12 V voltage - in the upper and lower parts of the graph, its deviation from the nominal value exceeds 4%, as indicated by the red color.
The ripple range has also increased slightly - on the +5 V and +3.3 V buses it is now 30...40 mV. However, this is less than the maximum permissible value.
The unit also has a Yate Loon D12SH-12 fan, which allows us to hope for the same quiet operation as in the case of the GPS-350EB-100A...
Alas, hopes were not justified: even at minimum load, the fan speed almost reaches 1200 rpm, and with a power of more than 150 it begins to increase quickly - and so quickly that at some stage the temperature of the unit does not increase with increasing load, but, on the contrary, drops. Thus, the GPS-400AB-C can be described as an average noisy unit, but no better than that.
The efficiency also turned out to be slightly worse than its predecessor - at maximum power it dropped to 73%.
Thus, the GPS-400AB-C is fundamentally different from the GPS-350EB-100A discussed above - it is a noticeably cheaper model that does not have any advantages, but exhibits a number of disadvantages: shortened wires, lower efficiency, a noisier fan... C Considering that the retail prices for the two indicated models are approximately equal, there is absolutely no point in buying the GPS-400AB-C.
Delta Electronics GPS-550AB-A (550 W)
Taking this unit out of the box, I experienced ambivalent feelings - on the one hand, outwardly it was not similar to the previous model, on the other, the similarity of the name (more precisely, the absence of a numerical index in it) made me wonder if we were again dealing with a cheaper version?..
The block has a U-shaped housing cover that slides back. The internal layout is noticeably different from the previous two models, not only in the density of the elements, but also in the circuit design - this unit is equipped with active power factor correction, the corresponding inductor can be seen in the photo on the right, behind the large black bank of a high-voltage capacitor.
This time the 550W power is continuous rather than peak. The permissible load on the +12 V bus (artificially divided into three lines) is 30 A - the same as the AcBel Power Gold series units, but less than that recommended by the standard ATX12V 2.2. In general, however, there are no serious comments on the declared parameters of the block.
The unit is equipped with the following cables and connectors:
motherboard power cable with 20+4-pin connector, 43 cm long;
processor power cable with 8- and 4-pin connectors, length 45+19 cm;
video card power cable with two 6-pin connectors, length 45+20 cm;
cable with three power connectors for PATA hard drives, length 45+14+14 cm;
cable with three power connectors for PATA hard drives and one power connector for a disk drive, length 45+14+14+14 cm;
two cables with two power connectors for SATA hard drives on each, 45+15 cm long.
Well, it is worth noting not only the acceptable length of the cables, but also the appearance of two power connectors for video cards at once, as well as a second cable with SATA power connectors - in light of the entry into the market of DVD drives with SATA interface it may be useful (not all cases will be able to extend one cable with SATA connectors to both a hard drive and a DVD drive, and using adapters is not very convenient).
Alas, the cross-load characteristics look acceptable, but nothing more - the +12 V voltage fluctuates quite strongly, and under significant load it will drop by 3...4%. However, the voltages go beyond the permissible limits only with very extreme load imbalances towards one of the tires.
At a power above 400 W, one of the chokes in the block begins to “ring” - however, such problems occur with many manufacturers, and depend on the specific instance of the block.
Output voltage ripples at maximum load are within normal limits.
The unit again uses a Yate Loon D12SH-12 fan, and in general, the dependence of the speed on the load on the unit is reminiscent of the AcBel Power Gold series models:
The fan starts at a speed of about 1100 rpm, which creates quite noticeable, although not too much loud noise– for many users its level will be quite acceptable. At a load above 250 W, the fan begins to quickly pick up speed, so that the temperature of the unit even drops slightly; but at 450 W of power it reaches maximum speed (about 2200 rpm), after which the temperature rises again. Thus, the GPS-550AB-A can be classified as a medium-noise unit.
The average efficiency of the unit was about 80% - at low load powers it is slightly higher, but at maximum it drops to 78%. The power factor, despite the presence of active PFC, barely exceeded 0.9 - while usually it is at least 0.95 for such units.
In general, the GPS-550AB-A did not leave the impression of being cheap, like its predecessor, the GPS-400AB-C - it is a fairly good and powerful mid-range unit (unfortunately, nothing more). The disadvantages include the not very high voltage stability of +12 V and a fan that could be quieter.
GlacialPower GP-PS350AP (350W), GP-PS450AP (400W) and GP-PS550BP (550W)
Apparently, its own brand of power supplies will soon become a mandatory accessory of any manufacturer of computer components - following Zalman, OCZ, Corsair, Mushkin and others, GlacialTech, a well-known manufacturer of coolers and fans, has begun selling power supplies. On this moment The range is represented by three models of units supplied under the "GlacialPower" brand - 350, 450 and 550 W. All of them visited our laboratory.
The units are made in ordinary gray cases and are cooled by 80 mm fans. All three models have the same design and circuitry, so I will consider them together.
The layout of the blocks is very dense, primarily due to large radiators and a passive PFC choke. The latter is suspended on a special transverse bar exactly opposite the fan - a somewhat controversial solution: on the one hand, it allows you to save a little on the dimensions of the inductor by improving its cooling by a nearby fan, on the other hand, the inductor interferes with the air flow and thereby worsens the cooling of the unit as a whole and increases its noise.
All three models, according to their declared parameters, fully comply with the requirements and recommendations of the ATX12V 2.2 standard. The power indicated in the names of the models is long-term, not peak, the permissible total load of the +12 V bus is 25 A for the low-end model, 29 A for the middle and 33 A for the high-end. Of course, the division of this bus into two lines is virtual; in fact, there is only one 12-volt bus inside the block.
The younger model is equipped with the following cables and connectors:
video card power cable with 6-pin connector, 40 cm long;
cable with two power connectors for PATA hard drives, 38+15 cm long;
cable with one power connector for SATA hard drive, 38 cm long.
On the one hand, I cannot help but note the presence of a video card power connector - it is completely appropriate on a 350-watt unit. Even if products of such power are now considered basic, budget models, but they can easily “pull” gaming computer even with a fairly powerful video card (as our measurements show, even such a serious system as the older Core 2 Duo plus GeForce 8800GTX consumes less than 300 W from the power supply under 3DMark"06).
On the other hand, I would also like to see at least two SATA connectors on the block: it is clear that you can always use an adapter if necessary, but this will not add any convenience or reliability.
Both older models are equipped exactly the same:
motherboard power cable with 20+4-pin connector, 50 cm long;
CPU power cable with 4-pin connector, 50 cm long;
two video card power cables with 6-pin connectors, 40 cm long;
cable with three power connectors for PATA hard drives, length 38+15+15 cm;
cable with two power connectors for PATA hard drives and one power connector for a disk drive, length 38+15+15 cm;
cable with two power connectors for SATA hard drives, 38+15 cm long.
In addition to the appearance of a second video card power connector, the unit also acquired another SATA connector. Of course, I would like there to be four of the latter, and on two different loops, but two is already not bad.
The voltage stability of the younger model is generally quite good, but the +5 V voltage in the lower part of the graph that interests us most is overestimated by 4%. But the voltages +3.3 V and +12 V in the same area are close to ideal.
The 400-watt model, on the contrary, was distinguished by a greatly underestimated voltage in the same region of +12 V with a stable +5 V - the first drops down to 11.5 V under load, which is theoretically within acceptable limits, but in practice it may still be too low for stable operation of powerful video cards.
Alas, on the older model, with a power of 550 W, the +12 V voltage also dipped, although not so much - but in the lower right corner of the graph it reached the red color, meaning a deviation between 4% and 5% from the nominal value (that is, the voltage is from 11.40 to 11.52 V).
All three blocks showed a similar level of ripple at maximum load: about 30 mV on the +5 V bus, 50 mV on the +12 V bus and again 30 mV on the +3.3 V bus, that is, completely within normal limits.
The units are equipped with GaleMotor GMA08025B12U fans with a rated speed of 4500 rpm, but they promise effective speed control depending on the load on the unit, and at a load of less than 20% for the two younger models and less than 30% for the older model, the fan should not rotate at all:
Alas, even at a load power of about 45 W, the minimum in our test, the GP-PS350AP fan was already operating at a speed of about 1350 rpm, although this load is only 13% of the unit’s power. However, this speed for an 80mm fan is very low, and you won’t hear it.
Up to a load power of 200 W, the speed remained almost constant, but then it began to increase rapidly and reached a maximum of 2400 rpm. Thus, the unit can be considered very quiet at loads up to 200 W and moderately noisy at higher power.
Both older models were more in line with the manufacturer's promises - at light loads, their fans were really stationary, starting to spin at about 1500 rpm with a load of about 120 W.
With a further increase in power, the fan speed increased rapidly, reaching almost 4500 rpm at full load, and thereby making the unit very noisy. Apparently, this is where the poor placement of the PFC choke, blocking the fan, had its effect. As an example, we can cite the AcBel E2 Power 490 power supply discussed above, which is similar in parameters and circuit design, but more spacious inside. Its fan at a load of 440 W reached a speed of 3250 rpm, and the temperature increase was 11 degrees. At the same 440 W, the fan of the GP-PS550BP unit accelerated to 3700 rpm, and the temperature increase was 13 degrees - both numbers are clearly not in favor of GlacialPower.
As a result, older models of GlacialPower units operate quietly only with a load of no more than 250 W. At a load approaching the maximum, they cannot even be classified as average in terms of noise.
The younger model showed a maximum efficiency of about 80%, but as the load increased it dropped to 75% - a figure that is quite acceptable by current standards, but not impressive. However, other inexpensive blocks presented in this article showed similar results.
The older unit, alas, turned out to be the worst of all, falling to an efficiency of only 70% at full power, that is, to the minimum permissible (according to the ATX12V 2.2 standard) value. This standard recommends an efficiency of at least 77% at full load.
Thus, although in general GlacialPower power supplies turned out to be quite good, the company still has some work to do - the +12 V voltage sags noticeably under load, the units can be called quiet only when operating at low power (on the one hand, this drawback is not too critical , because when you play F.E.A.R. or S.T.A.L.K.E.R., the noise of the power supply worries you the least - but on the other hand, GlacialTech has gained a reputation in the cooler market for its fairly quiet products, and it should not produce noisy power supplies), the efficiency of the older model is barely satisfactory requirements of the standard. In addition, I would like to see older models with active PFC - after all, passive PFC is the lot of budget-level units, but nothing more: among the AcBel and Delta Electronics models discussed above, all units with powers of 500 W or more have active PFC.
For these reasons, among GlacialPower products, the junior model GP-PS350AP deserves the most attention, as a high-quality and quiet power supply for a typical home (including gaming ones with not too much power - especially since, unlike its competitors, this unit has a native video card power connector) or office computer.
Conclusion
Generally speaking, I initially did not expect any surprises from this testing - two of the three companies presented are among the largest power supply manufacturers in the world (and both are engaged in not only computer blocks, and the entire spectrum of electronics, from household appliances to mainframe power supplies and distributed power systems), and the latter, GlacialTech, has a very good reputation in the field of cooling systems, which allows us to hope that it will not introduce frankly bad products to the market under its own brand.In principle, this is what happened - all the presented power supplies (and this is almost a dozen different models with powers from 350 to 600 W) passed our tests, which necessarily included 45-minute operation at maximum power.
However, I would like to highlight both the leaders and the underdogs.
I was pleasantly surprised by the excellent workmanship of AcBel products - all the units presented, and these are nine models of different series and capacities, are made extremely carefully and fully comply with the stated parameters. All of them are quite competitive and interesting in their weight categories.
Of the Delta products, the 350-watt GPS-350EB-100A made a very pleasant impression on me; overall, the 550-watt GPS-550AB-A was not bad, but the GPS-400AB-A, on the contrary, was disappointing. The existence of this unit would make sense if the retail price for it were noticeably lower than the price of the GPS-350EB-100A - however, in practice, alas, they cost almost the same, but the parameters of the GPS-350EB-100A are better in all respects.
And finally, the GlacialPower blocks left a generally pleasant impression, but, however, the developer still has some work to do - firstly, these models are not without some drawbacks, and secondly, I would like to see blocks with active PFC and with quieter fans.
AcBel power supplies were kindly provided by "ASBIS".
GlacialPower power supplies were kindly provided by the company "Bureaucrat".
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