XFX 1000W Pro Series 80 Plus Platinum
by Martin Kaffei on March 1, 2012 1:38 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- Seasonic
- PSUs
- XFX
- 80 Plus Platinum
XFX 1000W Pro Series 80 Plus Platinum
We've recently tested the first 80 Plus Platinum PSUs to hit our labs, courtesy of Seasonic and Enermax. Both were good if expensive PSUs, and next up on the test bench is a Platinum series that's sold by a brand without their own PSU factory: XFX. They sent us their newest product, the Pro Series 80 Plus Platinum Black Edition, which sets its sights on the high-end of the market. XFX has created an interesting casing with some unusual elements, but we need to find out how good this model acutally is.
While efficiency is all the marketing rage in the world of PSUs, we should keep in mind that many manufacturers are trying to reach 80 Plus Platinum levels using some "tricks". As we noted in our Seasonic article, there are various routes to higher efficiency, like removing resistors that may fill other roles. Shunt resistors for example transform some of the power into power loss when current flows through it, since there is a voltage drop. That's actually their job as they measure and prevent overcurrent in an indirect way. So let's see how XFX reached the requirements for 80 Plus Platinum (90%/92%/89% efficiency at 20%/50%/100% load), as well as look at how the XFX model fares in an increasingly crowded market.
XFX has historically tried to cater to gamers, and the external design of the XFX Pro (as well as their other PSU lines) tends to go with an angular and "futuristic" vibe. While the exterior may or may not appeal to your gamer sense, ultimately it's what's inside that matters, and in this case we can see that Seasonic provides the electronics (as you can see from the picture below). We recently awarded Seasonic our Gold Editors' Choice Award for the high quality PSU they provided and this trend seems ready to continue. In any case, XFX made a good choice with the manufacturer. This design offers low ripple and noise results on all output voltages, high-quality capacitors from Japan, and several technologies to increase efficiency. Even so, XFX changed some details such as the fan for cooling.
The question then is whether XFX's design is as good as or even better than the original Seasonic that we tested, and if the alterations made to the core design change the product as a whole. In addition, we would like to take the opportunity to let you know that we will be reviewing some lower wattage Platinum PSUs soon; this will definitely be the last 1000W PSU for the first have of this half-year. Our next reviews will test some 400W-500W power supplies from other brands that use more common designs. Today however we will continue with our high-end testing with the 1000W model from XFX. Besides, it's always interesting to see what features can be implemented when the keeping prices down isn't the primary concern.
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dqniel - Thursday, March 1, 2012 - link
And yes, you should edit the efficiency testing charts to say the voltage at which it was tested (115v, 230v).ZekkPacus - Thursday, March 1, 2012 - link
They used to test with both, which I would personally like to see come back. They also used to use a proper dbA measurement for noise and not the 'subjective' measurement they now use. A bit of a shame.sonci - Thursday, March 1, 2012 - link
so, whats next, a Seasonic PSU with the Corsair name on it?I wonder how fanboys will swear how good is their psu,
they even have the same market USA, Europe, don`t know if they sell in Asia though...
Sabresiberian - Thursday, March 1, 2012 - link
What's your point?There have always been far more PSU brands than manufacturers. Seasonic, at one time, didn't put their name on anything, they made PSUs for other companies to retail, and it was only through being mentioned in articles by sites like Anandtech and Tomshardware that end users came to know the name.
Any company that chooses Seasonic as a manufacturer deserves credit for making a great choice, since overall there is none better or more consistent (I rank Enermax up there as well, though being very picky about the electronic results puts Seasonic slightly ahead, overall). And, there is nothing wrong with having someone manufacture something you tweak the specs of to make your own design variation, or even just add a little "bling" as is pretty much the case here.
Just as an example, one reason I won't buy another Silverstone PSU is that you need a chart to figure out who made their particular product, and they more often choose by the manufacturing cost than by the quality of the work. Antec, on the other hand, chooses manufacturer quality over cost, generally speaking. You are more likely to find an Antec made by Seasonic than a Silverstone made by Seasonic. In fact, as far as I've read Silverstone has never used Seasonic. (Regardless of who's name is on it or who made it though, I firmly believe in buying a unit that you've read a proper review of.)
;)
aranyagag - Thursday, March 1, 2012 - link
yes please do mention the voltage, at which you test.IKeelU - Thursday, March 1, 2012 - link
But I don't understand why anyone would care even the slightest about how their PSU looks. I read the review and watched the video (which was almost entirely focused on the exterior design), but...I still don't get it.ZekkPacus - Thursday, March 1, 2012 - link
Some people like to have a showy case with windows. If that's the case, an 'agressive' looking power supply such as this might appeal to them. Same reasoning behind Corsair's GS series.Beenthere - Thursday, March 1, 2012 - link
Some folks get all excited about the exterior look of the PSU. It's strange for sure. Some reviewers actually rate the BOX that the PSU comes in. Does it have pictures of a sexy girl and a carrying HANDLE? If not they deduct points from the score... Some people are really gullible. ;)dj christian - Thursday, March 1, 2012 - link
It's not relevant to the article but how can i keep track on my posts and the comment replies in the articles and such with my account? Must i get a forum account?Thanks!
iamkyle - Thursday, March 1, 2012 - link
It would be nice to see these reviews compared to other PSU's JUST LIKE EVERY OTHER REVIEW ON ANANDTECH