Chieftec is known in Russia and Europe for its chassis and power supplies. The popular A-135 family has recently been updated and you can now purchase models with or without modular cable connections. The updated A-135 family also has an increased efficiency. A power supply unit has arrived in our test laboratory entry level The APS-550SB is without modular cabling, which we will analyze closely.
The updated power supplies of the A-135 family are available in two versions. The fixed wiring options range from 400 to 650 watts and can be distinguished by the addition of "SB" to the name. These PSUs can be recommended to price-sensitive consumers, but Chieftec has opted out of paint spraying, which gamers won't like very much.
The second version of the A-135 boasts not only modular cable connections, but also improved appearance... The "CB" variants are available in 550-850 watts, the dark gray finish does seem visually more appealing. Other key performance and efficiency characteristics are broadly comparable.
Chieftec A-135 PSU 550W Fixed Cables
The functions of the "new" A-135 PSUs are tailored to their price and performance class, but overall the A-135 models left a positive impression. The use of a 135mm fan is not standard. In terms of performance and efficiency, the power supplies showed an expected high level.
When it comes to pricing for the A-135 PSUs, we didn’t get an advantage over the competition - they are on a par with direct competitors such as the Corsair CX family that we recently tested - see. The Chieftec APS-550SB power supply considered in the article will cost 2.1 thousand rubles in Russia (62 euros in Europe), which corresponds to the price level of the Corsair CX500 about 2.3 thousand rubles in Russia (52 euros) and is cheaper than a better equipped CX600M for 2.9 thousand rubles (69 euros). In Europe, the A-135's direct competitors are be quiet! Pure Power L8 and Cougar PowerX.
Below are the specifications of the A-135 APS-550SB (550 W) in tabular form:
| Manufacturer and model |
Chieftec A-135 Series PSU without modular connection 550 watts |
|---|---|
| Model | APS-550SB |
| Retail price | about 2.1 thousand rubles in Russia about 62 euros in Europe |
| Products webpage | APS-550SB Official Page |
| Performance | |
| +3.3 V | 22 A |
| +5 V | 22 A |
| + 12V1 | 22 A |
| + 12V2 | 22 A |
| + 5Vsb | 2.5 A |
| -12 V | 0.3 A |
| Power 12V | 495 watts |
| Power 3.3V and 5V | 120 watts |
| general power | 550 watts |
| Interfaces | |
| ATX | 24 (20 + 4) -cont. |
| EPS / 12V / CPU | 1x 8 (4 + 4) -cont. |
| PCI Express (6P / 8 (6 + 2) P / 8P) |
0 / 2 / 0 |
| SATA | 6 |
| 4-pin Molex | 3 |
| Drive | 2 |
| Functions | |
| Efficiency | 80PLUS Bronze |
| Dimensions (LxWxH) | 155 x 150 x 86 mm |
| Fan | 135 mm |
| Modular cable connection | No |
| Manufacturer's warranty | 2 years |
| Additionally | - |
Let's start with a photo of the APS-550SB box.
We can say that the box has a "simple design".
The power supply is packaged in a box in bubble wrap, which should be sufficient to protect it during transport. The delivery set does not differ in any additional accessories.
The APS-550SB power supply comes with standard accessories.
The Chieftec shipped with a user manual, power cable, and mounting screws. The user manual is written in several languages, it seems thick, but in fact it has two pages highlighted per language.
On the next page, we'll take a close look at the Chieftec APS-550SB.
< > Test and review: Chieftec APS-550SB (A-135) - budget 80 Plus Bronze 550W PSU
80PLUS Bronze modular power supplies are good because they combine, on the one hand, a reasonable price, and on the other hand, flexible cabling configuration options, decent power and acceptable efficiency for home systems. Not surprisingly, their popularity is only growing. In the arsenal of Chieftec there is a sufficient number of different models of this class, however, the APS-850CB power supply unit considered in today's article belongs to the latest generation of "bronze".
The new A-135 family, to which the Chieftec APS-850CB PSU belongs, includes five 350-550 W units with standard cabling (first letter S in the suffix) and five 550-1000 W units with modular cabling (first letter C in the suffix). All models in the family have a standard bottom-mounted, large, 135mm fan, but eight of them are 80PLUS efficient, and only two models - the APS-750C and APS-850C - are 80PLUS Bronze certified. Accordingly, most of the features and capabilities covered in this article can be attributed to a certain extent to the 750-watt model.
To begin with, by tradition, let's turn to the characteristics of the model in question, declared on the manufacturer's website.
| Chieftec APS-850CB A-135 Family | |
| Cable system | Modular |
| Rated power | 850 Wt |
| Shutdown | Switch |
| Auto (ATX logic) | |
| Cooling system | 135mm fan |
| Form Factor | PSII |
| Input parameters | 100-240 V, 10 A, 47-63 Hz |
| Declared efficiency | More than 80% (up to 85%) |
| Compliance | ATX 12V 2.3, EPS12V, ATI CrossfireX, NVIDIA SLI |
| Output parameters | + 5V 30 A |
| + 12V1 40 A |
|
| + 12V2 40 A | |
| -12V 0.8 A | |
| + 5VSB 3 A | |
| + 3.3V 28 A | |
| Load distribution | + 3.3V and + 5V< 180 Вт, ∑+12В < 750 Вт |
| Voltage protection | UVP (undervoltage protection), OVP (overvoltage protection), SCP (short circuit protection), OPP (overload protection), OCP (overcurrent protection), OTP (overtemperature protection), AFC (automatic fan speed control) |
| PFC (Power Factor Correction) | Active, PF> 0.9 |
| Mean time between failures (mean time between failures, MTBF) | At least 100 thousand hours |
| Dimensions (edit) | 155x150x87 mm |
| Guarantee | 12 months |
⇡ Delivery set. Design
For power supplies of mass series without claims for premium packaging (and therefore extra markup), a kind of packaging standard has long been established. As a rule, it is a small box with graphic design and a brief description of the main features, sometimes with a plastic carrying handle. The Chieftec APS-850CB model is no exception to this rule, except that the packaging is initially rolled up in a film, at the same time - together with a pen: apparently, it is assumed that upon purchase, you still print the kit and take a look at it, and at the same time free up the convenience for carrying.
The delivery set of the model is typical for this class: the power supply itself, a set of modular cables, network cable, fasteners, instructions.
The design of the APS-850CB, as noted above, is also predictably conventional: a sturdy cold-rolled steel case and a 135mm fan on the bottom.
The ventilation holes of the large "honeycomb" perforation occupy the entire external plane with a switch and a power cable connector, the opposite plane without ventilation is completely reserved for the cabling.
Power connectors of the Chieftec APS-850CB model are represented by the following set:
- One non-removable 20 + 4-pin motherboard power connector, 500 mm
- One non-removable 8-pin ATX12V / EPS12V power connector, 500 mm
- One non-removable 8 (4 + 4) -pin ATX12V / EPS12V power connector, 500 mm
- Two modular 8 (6 + 2) -pin PCI-E power connectors, 450 mm
- Two modular 6-pin PCI-E power connectors, 450mm
- Two modular cables with three SATA power connectors, 550mm + 150mm + 150mm
- Two modular cables with two 4-pin peripheral power connectors (Molex) and 4-pin Floppy power connector, 550 mm + 150 mm + 150 mm
All cables are made of high quality and enclosed in a shielding braid. The length of the cables of this model can hardly be called a record - for example, for the previously reviewed "bronze" modular model Chieftec NITRO II 85+ BPS-750C2, which is similar in characteristics, PCI-E cables are 550 mm long, but the new item is also more than enough for use with most standard sizes of enclosures.
Let's take off the casing and take a look at the inner kitchen.
The cooling system of the Chieftec APS-850CB model is based on the RL4Z S1352512HH fan manufactured by the well-known Chinese company Globe Fan, which is found in various modern retail and OEM versions of power supplies with a capacity of about 500-900 W.
This 135mm fan has 11 blades and relatively inexpensive sleeve bearings. With a nominal supply voltage of 12 V, a maximum current of 0.45 A and a maximum power consumption of up to 5.4 W, the fan provides a maximum rotation speed of up to 1800 rpm, air pressure up to 2.88 mm Hg. Art. and airflow up to 3.67 cubic meters per minute (129.76 CFM). The operating voltage range of the RL4Z S1352512HH model is standardized in the aisles of 6-13.8 V, the maximum noise level does not exceed 33.9 dB.
The primary conversion circuits of the APS-850CB model are made according to a single-cycle circuit, it uses a modern electrolytic capacitor with a capacity of 470 μF for a maximum operating voltage of 400 V and a maximum allowable temperature of 85 degrees Celsius. Effective DC-DC converters are used in the secondary conversion channels +5 V and +3.3 V to achieve additional stability of the output voltages.
The heat sinks of the APS-850CB model, as in most modern power supplies with efficient circuitry and high efficiency, have a rather modest size, since even at maximum load, the power loss due to heat dissipation is minimal. Also worth noting is the impeccable quality of soldering, insulation and shielding of critical circuit elements, impeccable fastening of large components and excellent wiring of the output power cables.
⇡ Testing methodology
Since our last articles on power supplies, the testing methodology used in the 3DNews laboratory has not changed. You can familiarize yourself with it in full, for example, in this article. The Efficiency Chart for the PSUs under test provides 80PLUS benchmarks as well as the minimum requirements for the base ATX12V standard version 2.2.
⇡ Test results
Fill in the load parameters test bench according to the model marking.
The test results in automatic cross-load mode showed excellent stability of the output voltages on the +12 V, +5 V and +3.3 V channels at any load combination, while the deviations in the actual operating ranges did not exceed 3%.
A run of static load modes with manual adjustment, carried out in the process of characterizing to plot the efficiency, demonstrated a fairly high stability of the output voltages, while for +12 V channels the deviations were minimal even at maximum load (no more than a percent or two), and for channels +3.3 V and 5 V in any modes, they did not go beyond the limits prescribed by the standard ± 5%.
The graph of efficiency versus load level, based on the results of step-by-step measurements, fully confirmed the compliance of the Chieftec APS-850CB power supply with the declared 80PLUS Bronze certification.
Outcomes
The Chieftec APS-850CB power supply unit, judging by the Moscow online retail data, cost an average of 3,700-3,800 rubles at the time of this writing, which for a modular 850-W model with 80PLUS Bronze certification can be safely called a very attractive offer.
It is worth paying attention not only to d cool declared characteristics, fully confirmed by testing, but also on such advantages of the Chieftec APS-850CB model as two + 12V power rails, impressive MTBF, as well as support for four PCI-E power connectors (two 8-pin and two 6-pin).
A year ago we have already considered power supplies from Chieftec, but then the new A135 series (models "APS-xxxS" and "APS-xxxC") did not get into our laboratory - and today we are correcting this omission. In addition, today we will consider the Chieftec CFT-600-14CS power supply unit - in comparison with the heroes of the previous article, one letter has been added to its name. Since at present it is the models with the “CS” suffix that dominate the sale, our readers have repeatedly asked us how the CFT-xxx-14CS differ from the CFT-xxx-14C we tested earlier.Testing methodology
A description of the testing methodology of the equipment we use, as well as a brief explanation of what these or those passport parameters or the parameters of power supplies measured by us mean in practice, can be found at the following link: “ Power supply testing methodology". If you feel that you are not well versed in the numbers and terms that the article abounds in, please read the relevant sections of this description, we hope it will clarify many questions.You can get acquainted with the full list of models that have visited our laboratory by following the link “ Tested Power Supply Catalog».
On the diagrams of cross-load characteristics of the blocks, we will mark with crosses the real maximum power consumption of the three most powerful configurations. gaming computers tested by us in the material "", which allows us to evaluate how necessary or sufficient each power supply is for fairly typical modern computers.
Chieftec A135 Series: APS-550S
The first block in today's article is a representative of the "A135" series, which includes models from 350 to 850 watts. Internally, it is divided into two partially overlapping subseries: 350 to 550 W and 500 to 850 W.The unit comes in a small cardboard box that lists its many advantages, but there is no word - on either side - of specific characteristics.
The UL certification number - E320351 - tells us that the unit was manufactured for Chieftec by Sirfa, whose products we have already seen. If this name does not tell you anything, let us clarify that Sirfa was formed two years ago on the basis of one of Sirtec's factories, whose products we have encountered dozens of times.
The unit is made in a simple gray case of almost standard size - its length is 160 mm, which made it possible to install a 140 mm fan. Notice how the case is molded around the fan: it looks like Chieftec is taking over Enermax experience whose engineers believe that reducing the gap between the case and the fan reduces the noise level of the unit by 1-2 dB.
Inside, we see a layout that is quite typical for modern blocks: the power elements are spaced across three radiators, which, due to the high efficiency and low heat dissipation of the block electronics, are made of simple smooth aluminum plates. PFC - active, voltage stabilization - group.
The unit uses Teapo capacitors with a good reputation - so you can hope for a long life. The quality of assembly and soldering is also generally satisfactory.
a motherboard power cable with a 24-pin connector, 42 cm long;
processor power cable with 8- and 4-pin connectors, 41 + 16 cm long;
a video card power cable with two 6-pin connectors, 41 + 16 cm long;
a ribbon cable with three power connectors for PATA hard drives and one for a floppy drive, 41 + 15 + 15 + 15 cm long;
two loops with three power connectors for SATA hard drives on each, 42 + 16 + 16 cm long.
The kit raises some complaints: both the short length of the wires and the absence of the second power connector for the video card - the power of the unit is quite enough for older models with two connectors. In large cases, the length of the cables may not be enough for connection hard drives, and in cases with a lower arrangement of power supply units, which are becoming more and more, it is almost guaranteed that the length of the processor power cable will not be enough.
Passport parameters
The unit is designed for a load power of up to 550 W, of which it can deliver up to 450 W on the +12 V bus - thus, its effective power (that is, such that we can get in a real computer, the main consumption of which falls on +12 V ) about 500 W, which is not bad. The +12 V bus is divided into two "virtual" lines of 25 A each.
The voltage stability of the APS-550S is very good, especially considering that this unit has no additional independent stabilization. In fact, the voltage goes beyond the permissible limits only when the load is strongly skewed towards +5 V and +3.3 V, which does not happen in real computers. Our real systems - their consumption is marked with crosses - fall into the "green zone", that is, the deviation of the unit voltages from the nominal value does not exceed 3%.
The range of output ripples at maximum load exceeds slightly the permissible limits on the +5 V bus - but since only single narrow peaks jump out beyond the 50-mV border, you can, in principle, close your eyes to this: they will not affect the stability of the computer. Everything is fine on the other two tires.
Noisiness
The unit has a Globe Fan RL4Z S1352512H fan, a quarter of the impeller of which is covered with a film - this helps to direct the flow into back power supply unit and avoid the formation of "stagnant zones" in it with a low air velocity.
Under light loads, the fan rotates at less than 700 rpm, which makes it virtually silent. At a load of more than 200 W, the rotation speed begins to grow linearly, and at 300-350 W, air noise becomes confidently distinguishable. The maximum fan speed is 1430 rpm, the unit is perfectly audible on it, but we can say that its noise level remains within reasonable limits, and the sound of the fan does not turn into a roar.
Paired with a UPS
Paired with the APC SmartUPS SC 620, the unit worked with a load of up to 362 W when powered from the mains, but when switching to batteries, the UPS turned off after 2-3 seconds at a load of 350 W and after 5-7 seconds at a load of 300 W. Therefore, UPS compatibility is poor, it is recommended to use a UPS with either significant power headroom or sinusoidal output voltage.
Efficiency and power factor
The unit demonstrates good, but not a record, efficiency - at the level of 85-86%. Of the advantages, it can be noted that the efficiency rather weakly depends on the load on the unit, it drops below 83% only at powers of the order of 60 W.
Standby power supply
The standby source, designed for a current of up to 2.5 A, coped with its task without problems: under full load, its voltage turned out to be only slightly below the nominal five volts.
Outcome
The only thing that can be seriously complained about in the case of the Chieftec APS-550S is the relatively modest length of the cables: from the block to the first connector is no more than 42 cm, which can be a problem for owners of large cases. However, if you have a small case, the APS-550S is a good choice - it is a neat, stable, quiet and at the same time relatively inexpensive (about 2100 rubles in Moscow retail) PSU.
Chieftec Super Series: CFT-600-14CS
Previously, we have already considered Chiftec power supplies with very similar names - the model code was missing only the letter "S" at the end. The only difference that can be seen from the official description is that for units of the "14CS" series, compliance with the "80 + PLUS" standard, which determines the minimum possible efficiency, is not indicated.
The unit comes in a medium-sized box, which, like other Chieftec models, only lists various advantages, but, alas, no plates with specific characteristics.
Appearance, internal structure, a set of cables and connectors
The block is made in a black case, the length is 160 mm.
Removing the cover, we easily recognize Channel Well's PSH platform, which we have already met under so many names that we can't even remember - Chieftec (yes, Turbo Series CFT-xxx-14C units were made on it), Thermaltake, Corsair , Xigmatek and many, many others.
The manufacturers' love for this platform, in principle, is understandable: it is a solid modern block with active PFC and independent voltage stabilization, demonstrates stable operation, good quality and reliability. We'll talk about the work, however, below, but we can already say about the quality - visual inspection did not reveal the slightest problems.
As with the APS series, these units are fitted with a well-established Teapo electrolytic capacitor.
Chieftec CFT-600-14CS is a block with modular cables, which is very convenient, especially when assembling computers in tight cases, where it is difficult to hide a huge bundle of unused cables. The connectors are ordinary Molex Mini-Fir Jr., differing from each other in shape and color depending on which cable is connected to them.
The designations "V1", "V2" and so on indicate which particular +12 V line is connected to which group of connectors. It is somewhat strange that two lines are allocated for the processor, while there is one for two video card cables: modern video cards consume many more processors. With some class monster GeForce GTX 295, a stupid situation may turn out: the 18 A available on two standard loops under full load simply will not be enough for it, and one of the card power connectors will have to be connected via an adapter to the power cables of the hard drives. Apparently, Chieftec considered that the owners of such video cards would prefer to buy a more powerful unit - although in fact 600 W is quite enough for a very serious gaming computer.
In general, the unit is equipped with the following cables and connectors:
a motherboard power cable with a 24-pin connector, 47 cm long;
a processor power cable with a 4-pin connector, 50 cm long;
connector for the processor power cable;
two connectors for power cables for video cards;
processor power cable with 8-pin connector, 49 cm long;
video card power cable with 6 + 2-pin connector, 49 cm long;
video card power cable with an 8-pin connector, 49 cm long;
ribbon cable with two power connectors for PATA hard drives and one for a floppy drive, length 49 + 15 + 15 cm;
cable with two power connectors for PATA hard drives, 49 + 15 cm long;
two loops with three power connectors for SATA hard drives on each, 47 + 15 + 15 cm long.
As in the case of the previous unit, you can complain about the relatively short length of the wires - since they are made removable, it would be possible to bring them up to 60 cm at the same time, so that problems definitely do not arise even in large cases. Also, the attachment of the same number of SATA and PATA cables looks somewhat anachronistic - as a result, it will be inconvenient to connect four hard drives to this unit, since one SATA cable will go to a DVD drive usually far from hard drives, and on the second there are only three connectors.
However, in general, the set of loops is adequate, it will satisfy most users.
Passport parameters
The unit can deliver almost all the available power via the +12 V bus, divided into four "virtual" lines of 18 A each. As we said a little above, they are not distributed over the connectors in the most optimal way - two for the processor and one for the video cards. It would be wiser either to increase the current of the lines to 22-25 A, or to allocate two lines to the video cards, so that the user is guaranteed not to get into a situation when the top-end video card installed by him is not enough 18 A, and he will have to connect its power through the adapter.
Stability of output voltages
The voltages are kept perfectly: the main bus, +12 V, fits within 1 percent deviation from the nominal, the other two buses - in 3 percent! Great result.
Output voltage ripple
At the maximum load on the unit, the output voltage ripple swing is within the permissible range.
Noisiness
The unit is equipped with a 140-mm fan manufactured by Yate Loon, slightly less than half of the impeller is covered with plastic.
The fan starts at 1000 rpm and remains at this speed up to a load of more than 300 watts. At the same time, the air noise is audible, but its level is within comfortable limits, so from the acoustics point of view, the CFT-600-14CS can be classified as an average model: not silent, but within reason. On the contrary, when the load approaches 500 W, the unit becomes very noisy.
Paired with a UPS
Paired with the APC SmartUPS SC 620, the unit worked with a load of up to 370 W when powered both from the mains and from batteries. Transfer to battery was normal and UPS was stable.
Efficiency and power factor
Despite the lack of mention of "80 + PLUS" on the label of the unit, its efficiency remained above 80% in a wide range of loads - at least when powered from a 220 V network. The maximum recorded efficiency was 86%.
Standby power supply
The standby power supply in the unit is designed for a current of up to 3.0 A, and it copes with this load perfectly.
Outcome
If we compare the CFT-600-14CS with the APS-550S, then the first, in addition to higher power, has three advantages: more stable voltages, trouble-free operation in tandem with a UPS and removable cables. Only the last two can become significant of them, since with the distribution of loads typical for modern computers, the APS-550S also does not go beyond the 3% voltage deviation.
On the other hand, the APS-550S is quieter in operation, and it costs significantly - 600-700 rubles - cheaper.
Finally, if you compare the CFT-600-14CS and CFT-600-14C, then there is virtually no difference between them from the user's point of view.
Chieftec A135 Series: APS-750C
The last of the blocks we are considering belongs to the A135 series, but it differs from the APS-550S studied above not only in power, but also in the letter index - "C" at the end of the marking. What will be the difference in practice?
The power supply comes in a medium-sized box, decorated in the style we already know.
Appearance, internal structure, a set of cables and connectors
Unlike the gray APS-550S, the APS-750C has a matte black paint finish. There are no other major differences when viewed from the front - except that the power switch has become different.
But the same cannot be said about the internal structure: obviously, we are just facing a different power supply unit than the APS-550S. The layout has changed, the radiators have become much larger, independent voltage stabilization has been added, and most importantly, a board with connectors for connecting removable loops is visible on the back wall. At the same time, the block manufacturer remained the same - Sirfa.
Four connectors for powering video cards already simply obliged the manufacturer to dissolve two +12 V lines on them in order to ensure sufficient load capacity. If you have one powerful video card (for example, one of the two-chip models), it would be wiser to connect one of its connectors to V3, and the other to V4, in order to obviously avoid a situation when the protection in the unit is triggered due to overload not in terms of total power , and by the current of one "virtual" line.
A small drawback of the unit is that the configuration of the "keys" of the connectors allows you to plug the power cable of the hard drive into the video card connector. Be more careful and follow the color of the plug-in connectors: black to black, red to red.
The unit is equipped with the following cables and connectors:
a motherboard power cable with a 24-pin connector, 51 cm long;
processor power cable with 4 + 4-pin connector, 52 cm long;
processor power cable with an 8-pin connector, 51 cm long;
four connectors for power cables of video cards;
four connectors for peripheral power cables.
The unit comes complete with:
two power cables for video cards with one 6-pin connector on each, 45 cm long;
two power cables for video cards with one 6 + 2-pin connector on each, 45 cm long;
two loops with three power connectors for PATA hard drives and one for a floppy drive on each, 45 + 16 + 16 + 16 cm long;
two loops with three power connectors for SATA hard drives on each, 45 + 16 + 16 cm long.
The set of connectors is generally normal, however, if we are to find fault, I would like to note that on a 750-watt block, we would like to see longer cables, at least for connecting a processor - 52 cm in most cases with a lower block location is not enough to reach the connector on the motherboard. Also, the manufacturer should have put one more SATA cable in the box, perhaps at the cost of a PATA cable that is not very necessary in our time.
Passport parameters
From 750 W of total power, the unit can deliver up to 650 W via the +12 V bus, divided into four virtual lines.
Stability of output voltages
Despite independent stabilization, the APS-750C performed slightly worse in this test than the CFT-600-14CS. However, under typical loads, all three main voltages were kept within 3%, and not a single one went beyond the 4% deviation under any permissible loads, so the unit fulfills the declared power from this point of view absolutely honestly.
Output voltage ripple
On the +5 V bus at full load, individual narrow peaks exceeded the permissible ripple limits, but insignificantly - so you can ignore this. The rest of the unit met the requirements of the ATX12V standard with a margin.
Noisiness
The unit is equipped with a 140 mm Globe Fan, about a quarter of the impeller area is covered with a transparent plate - this helps to direct air to the back of the unit and avoid the appearance of "dead zones".
The fan starts at a speed of less than 900 rpm, but at the same time, the unit cannot be called completely quiet - with an increase in the load, the rotation speed increases and already at 300 W it exceeds 1000 rpm. Thus, the APS-750C can be classified as a unit with average noise levels - most users will be satisfied with it, especially at low load, but large connoisseurs of silence may not like it.
Paired with a UPS
The unit was paired with an APC SmartUPS SC 620 with a load of up to 360W on mains power, but even with a 300W load, the UPS turned off 1-2 seconds after switching to batteries.
Efficiency and power factor
The unit showed a maximum efficiency of about 86%, but at low loads it quickly dropped to below 80%.
Standby power supply
The standby source copes with its task without problems: at maximum load, its output voltage does not fall below 5.0 V.
Outcome
Summing up, we can say that the Chieftec A135 Series APS-750C is a good unit, but not outstanding: it works stably and quietly, but still not silent, and besides, it is bad friends with a UPS, at least with a non-sinusoidal weekend tension. It should not be confused with the models of the same A135 series, but with the letter "S" at the end - they are built on different platforms, so their characteristics differ, albeit not very significantly (at least from the point of view of practical use). If we compare the APS-750C with the Chieftec CFT-750-14C, then neither of them has a definite advantage - the first is a little quieter, but the second works normally with a UPS. At the same time, both have one drawback - not too long wires, which may not be enough when assembling a computer in a large case.
Other materials on this topic
Enhance power supplies
Big ship - big voyage: 14 blocks from 1000 W
Power consumption of computers: how many watts do you need?
We started our acquaintance with power supplies from new series CHIEFTEC A-135. Recall that her the lineup includes eleven devices, the power of which ranges from 400 to 1000 watts. The series itself can be conditionally divided into two subgroups: blocks with a standard implementation of power cables and a modular one. Last time we looked at the model with non-detachable wires. In this review, we will get acquainted with the power supply, which belongs to the second subgroup. It got its name and has a power of 650 watts.
CHIEFTEC APS-650CB Power Supply Specification:
|
Manufacturer |
|
|
Rated power, W |
|
|
Power on the 12V channel, W |
|
|
Line power + 3.3V and + 5V, W |
|
|
Lines + 12V |
|
|
3.3V - 22 A, |
|
|
PCI-E slots |
2 (6 + 2-pin) |
|
CrossFire Certified |
|
|
Modular |
|
|
80 PLUS certified |
|
|
Power factor (PF),% |
|
|
Power Factor Correction Method |
Active |
|
Input voltage, V |
|
|
frequency Hz |
|
|
Input current, A |
|
|
Fan size, mm |
135 x 135 x 25 |
|
Fan speed controller |
|
|
Noise level, dB |
|
|
Mean time between failures (MTBF), hours |
|
|
Electromagnetic safety and compatibility (EMI / EMC) |
|
|
OVP, UVP, OPP, SCP |
|
|
RoHS Compliant (Low Lead Cadmium Solder) |
|
|
Dimensions (LxWxH), mm |
155 x 150 x 87 |
|
Equipment |
power cord, fixing screws, modular cables, instructions |
|
Guarantee |
|
|
Products webpage |
Packaging, delivery set and appearance
For all modular blocks from the new A-135 series, the same packaging has been developed from thick cardboard with high-quality printing and a convenient handle for transportation. She looks pretty attractive, really. useful information on it a little. Only the emblems of the 80 PLUS Bronze certificate and ATI CrossFireX and NVIDIA SLI technologies deserve special attention. It would not be superfluous to place a logo with the words “ Intel Haswell Ready ". After all, it is precisely the compliance with all the requirements of Intel Haswell processors (the ability to deliver a minimum current of 0.05 A) that is one of the advantages of new products from CHIEFTEC.
The delivery set includes only the most necessary components that the user will need during the installation and connection of the device:
- modular cables;
- power cord;
- four fixing screws;
- instruction.
The set of modular cables is not shown in the photo, we will get acquainted with it in more detail a little later.
Despite the presence of modular connectors, the dimensions of the CHIEFTEC APS-650CB remained standard - 155 x 150 x 87 mm. The power supply is painted black with a glossy sheen, so it will look decent in cases with a side window. The top panel is covered with a huge grill-type grill, the front panel is made in the form of a mesh with small stamped cells. Note that the "grill" is slightly "recessed" into the top cover, so installing the power supply on the bottom computer case grate down should not cause any difficulty.
The rear panel contains connectors for connecting power cables. CHIEFTEC APS-650CB refers to the so-called "semi-modular" solutions. That is, the main cables for powering the motherboard and the processor are brought directly out of the case, and the wires for connecting other devices have already been made detachable.
In total, CHIEFTEC APS-650CB is equipped with six modular connectors: red are used to connect video cards, black - for peripherals. Note that the connectors through which additional power is supplied to the video cards are connected to different + 12V lines. This will allow to more evenly distribute the load and avoid voltage drops of + 12V in the case of using a highly productive hardware package, especially during overclocking.
Two cables are brought directly from the power supply - for powering the motherboard and additional power for the processor. They are quite stiff, as they are in nylon braid, and in some places they are tightened by heat shrinkage.
The main 24-pin ATX power connector is non-separable. A 4 + 4-pin connector is provided for additional power to the processor.
The set of detachable cables consists of six positions: wires with red connectors are used for connecting video cards, and with black ones - for peripherals. PCIE connectors have 6 + 2-pin design, that is, the user can power one "top-end" video accelerator without using adapters. In addition, these connectors are located on separate cables, which will greatly simplify their routing.
All available types of connectors, as well as the length of the wires, are shown in the table:
|
Connector types |
Quantity |
Length of wires to connector (s), cm |
|
Cables routed directly from the power supply |
||
|
24-pin ATX power connector |
||
|
4 + 4 pin ATX12V power connector |
||
|
Modular (detachable) cables |
||
|
6 + 2 pin PCIE connector |
||
|
three SATA connectors |
||
|
two PATA connectors and one FDD connector |
||
On the back wall, the manufacturer has placed a label with technical characteristics. + 12V channel power is 585 W; + 3.3V and + 5V lines have a maximum total power of 120 W and are capable of withstanding a load of 22 A each. The + 12V channel is divided into two lines, each of which is designed for a load of 26 A.
In terms of energy efficiency, the CHIEFTEC APS-650CB power supply meets the 80 PLUS Bronze standard, as indicated by the image on the label. Recall that power supplies are standardized as 80 PLUS Bronze if their efficiency for 230V at 20%, 50% and 100% loads does not drop below 81%, 85% and 81%, respectively.
It is also worth noting a wide range of input voltages - from 115 to 230V, which makes it possible to abandon the use of external voltage stabilizers in an unstable power grid.
Internal organization
The process of disassembling the power supply is quite simple, you just need to unscrew the four fixing screws on the top cover. However, in this case, you risk losing the warranty on the device itself. This is also reminded by a sticker glued to one of the screws.
A 135 mm GLOBE FAN RL4Z S1352512H fan is used to cool the internal components of the power supply. The letter "S" in the designation indicates that a sleeve bearing is used here.
A more complete fan specification is given in the table below:
|
Fan |
GLOBE FAN RL4Z S1352512H |
|
Bearing type |
slip |
|
Supply voltage, V |
|
|
Power, W |
|
|
Maximum rotation speed, rpm |
|
|
Airflow CFM |
|
|
Noise level, dB |
|
|
Dimensions, mm |
135 x 135 x 25 |
A small transparent plastic plate is attached to the fan to optimize airflow inside the PSU.
The CHIEFTEC APS-650CB uses the same platform that we saw in another representative of the new A-135 series - the CHIEFTEC APS-550SB block. However, there are some differences. First of all, they touched the passive part of the cooling system. The radiators on which the power elements are attached have become noticeably larger, therefore, the effective heat dissipation area has increased. In addition, another board has appeared with modular connectors located on it. But you can determine the differences in the element base only by looking in detail at each node separately.
A filter is installed at the input to smooth out high-frequency noise radiated into the network by the power supply. This is a standard node for high-quality power supplies, so we are more interested in the set of elements used. There are no special remarks, the sizes of the chokes are a little confusing, but otherwise the order is complete. I also liked how carefully the manufacturer approached the isolation of the filter components.
Nearby is a high voltage rectifier bridge and an active power factor correction (APFC) module. A fairly large aluminum radiator is used to cool the APFC keys. The APFC PWM controller is soldered on the back of the PCB.
The power section of the APFC consists of two field-effect transistors (AP20S60I) and a Schottky diode (it was not possible to consider its value).
The input capacitor is the same as in the CHIEFTEC APS-550SB unit. Moreover, not only the name of the manufacturer coincides (the Taiwanese company Kuan Kun Electronic Enterprise, better known under the Su "scon brand), but also the nominal value of the element (330 μF x 400 V, operating temperature up to 85 ° C).
The main converter is built according to the usual half-bridge scheme with two switches, which are cooled by a separate aluminum radiator. The power transformer is quite large to match the power of the power supply.
Since the platform for both units (CHIEFTEC APS-650CB and CHIEFTEC APS-550SB) is the same, the device of the low-voltage part has not changed either. The main voltages are also formed using diode assemblies. For this topology, the 80 PLUS Bronze efficiency is pretty good. In total, we counted six diodes in the low-voltage part, however, it was not possible to determine how many of them are allocated to each of the lines.
The voltage stabilization system is organized according to the group principle, as indicated by a large coil with + 5V and + 12V channel windings. A separate smaller choke is provided for the + 3.3V line. To filter the output voltages, quite a lot of capacitors from the high-temperature series (up to 105 ° C) are used. The manufacturer is the same Kuan Kun Electronic Enterprise (Su "scon). The quality of its products can be assessed as average.
The board with modular connectors is pretty small. We did not find any additional smoothing elements here.
The Infinno ST9S313A-DAG supervisor, familiar to us from the CHIEFTEC APS-550SB block, is also responsible for controlling the output voltages (UVP / OVP) on all three channels (+ 3.3V, + 5V, + 12V).
The quality of the soldering is pretty good, no drips or critical flaws were noticed.
Testing
Cross load characteristics
According to the ATX12V standard, the allowable voltage tolerance range for all power lines is ± 5% of the line rating.
During cross-load tests, the following supply voltage deviations were recorded on the main power lines:
- + 3.3V line: from -5% to + 3%;
- + 5V line: from -4% to + 4%;
- + 12V line: from -3% to + 2%
In general, the stabilization system has shown itself well in this test... On all lines, the voltage deviation range does not go beyond the permissible norms.
Noise and ripple across the entire voltage range
The ATX12V standard has the following allowable peak-to-peak ripple limits:
- lines + 3.3V and + 5V: 50 mV;
- + 12V line: 120 mV.
According to the diagrams above, on the + 3.3V and + 5V power lines, the ripple level did not exceed 50 mV, and on the + 12V line - 75 mV. We draw your attention to the excellent condition of the + 12V line, where the noise was significantly lower than the permissible 120 mV.
Duty power line + 5VSB
The status of the standby power line of the CHIEFTEC APS-650CB model is quite good. Depending on the load, the voltage across it varies from 5.16 V to 5.00 V.
Table showing the change in PFC depending on the load of the power supply:
Load * - load as a percentage of the rated power of the power supply.
The power factor correction module of the CHIEFTEC APS-650CB power supply does its job very well. As can be seen from the table, already when the load reached 280 W, the PFC coefficient crossed the 0.9 mark, while the maximum value (0.98) was recorded at loads over 450 W.
The test of real efficiency under different loads confirmed the compliance of the CHIEFTEC APS-650CB power supply with the 80 PLUS Bronze standard for a voltage of 230 V. As you can see from the graph, at loads of 20%, 50% and 100% of the rated power, the efficiency of the power supply exceeds 81%, 85 % and 81%, respectively.
Cooling system and temperature regime
You can indirectly estimate the noise level of the device by the fan speed at different load values. The time interval after which the rotation speed was measured and the subsequent increase in power was about twenty minutes. The measurement results are marked with dots on the graph. In this case, the ambient temperature for the power supply was approximately 27 ° C. It should be noted that the air inside the computer case can be much hotter, in particular, the temperature of 40 ° C is quite acceptable. At the same time, the load itself created by the computer system is variable in nature, which facilitates the temperature regime of the power supply.
Up to 150 W, the CHIEFTEC APS-650CB power supply is very quiet. Above a load of 150 W, the noise level rises slightly, but remains quite comfortable.
But, poor cooling of the components became the payback for the low noise. Above is the power supply temperature map at 550 W load (85% of rated power) after 20 minutes of operation. During the experiment, strong heating was noticeable power transformer and a group voltage stabilization choke + 5V and + 12V. But it was not even the maximum load yet. The manufacturer clearly miscalculated when choosing a fan. Installing a more powerful "turntable" could improve the situation. After all, overheating of components is not the price to pay for low level noise.
OverLOAD
Despite the poor cooling system, we decided to test the CHIEFTEC APS-650CB for overload. It turned out that the power supply can work stably even at a load of 680 W, which is equal to an increase of + 4.6% to the rated power. At a load of 690 W, the supply voltages at the output took on values that did not fit into the permissible limits. Therefore, it was pointless to continue the experiment further.
Practical tests on real configuration
To build a real computer system a powerful 6-core Intel Core i7-3930K processor was used, overclocked to a frequency of 4.3 GHz with a voltage rise to 1.36 V. ZOTAC GeForce GTX 480 AMP !, which can rightfully be considered the most "power hungry" among video cards.
|
Motherboard |
ASUS P9X79 PRO (Socket LGA 2011, Intel X79 Express) |
|
CPU |
Intel Core i7-3930K (LGA2011, 3.2GHz, L3 12MB) @ 4.3GHz, 1.36V |
|
Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120M |
|
|
RAM |
4 x DDR3-1333 4096 MB Transcend PC3-10600 |
|
Video cards |
ZOTAC GeForce GTX 480 AMP! |
|
HDD |
Western Digital Caviar Blue 1 TB (WD10EALX) |
|
Spire SwordFin SP9007B with two 120mm fans |
|
|
Wattmeter |
Seasonic PowerAngel |
|
Multimeter |
The measurements were carried out in two modes: simple and maximum load, which was created using the Linpack and FurMark 1.10.4 utilities. During testing, the total power consumption of the system was measured using a Seasonic PowerAngel, the voltage on the power lines is + 12V; + 5V; + 3.3V was measured with a MASTECH MY64 multimeter.
As a result of measuring the supply voltage on the output power lines, the following values were obtained:
|
CHIEFTEC APS-550SB |
Seasonic M12II-650 Bronze |
|||||
|
Value, V |
Deviation,% |
Value, V |
Deviation,% |
Value, V |
Deviation,% |
|
|
Input power consumption, W |
||||||
The voltage stabilization system did a good job with the powerful gaming configuration. All stresses, regardless of the nature of the load, remained within the permissible limits. A slight voltage drop was observed only on the + 12V line, but a deviation of -0.8% can hardly be called significant.
The input power level of the CHIEFTEC APS-650CB is different modes operation ("Idle", "Burn") is comparable to that of other power supplies complying with the 80 PLUS Bronze standard.
Power consumption when the computer is idle and off
|
Power supplies |
Power consumption in mode, W |
|
|
CHIEFTEC APS-550SB |
||
|
Seasonic M12II-650 Bronze |
||
The same can be said about the power consumption of the CHIEFTEC APS-650CB power supply when the computer is off and in sleep mode. According to this parameter, it can also be put on a par with other "bronze" devices.
conclusions
Based on the results of testing, we can safely say that it has every chance of becoming a "people's" power supply. At a relatively low cost, it has a good condition of the output power lines under different types loads, as well as high efficiency (81 - 85%). I also liked the internal structure of this model. Unlike budget blocks, all the necessary nodes are present here, and the element base is far from the worst quality. CHIEFTEC APS-650CB has a rated power of 650 W and two 6 + 2-pin PCIE connectors, which will allow it to operate in a fairly powerful systems Oh. We have seen the latter in practice during testing. In addition, almost all cables are made to be detachable, which greatly simplifies their installation.
But, this model has one serious drawback, which for some users may negate all its advantages. We are talking about the cooling system, rather even about its active part - the fan. Yes, it works very quietly, but at the same time it is not efficient enough. Under high continuous loads, we observed overheating of some components. So, when buying CHIEFTEC APS-650CB, you should also pay great attention to the ventilation of the case.
In general, CHIEFTEC APS-650CB can be called a good choice in its price segment. However, it is not the best implementation of the cooling system that prevents him from getting the status of the "best".
Advantages:
- relatively high efficiency (compliance with 80 PLUS Bronze standard);
- partial modular organization of cables;
- the presence of two 6 + 2-pin connectors for additional power supply of video cards;
- good voltage condition on power lines + 12V, + 5V, + 3.3V under heavy load; Thermalright , Transcend , Western digital and ZOTAC for the equipment provided for the test bench.
Article read 47933 times
| Subscribe to our channels | |||||
In June 2013, Chieftec introduced the updated A-135 series, which includes 11 PSU models ranging from 400W to 1000W. The series includes models both with disconnectable wires (so-called modular power supply units) and with fixed ones (standard power supply units). The latter have a power range from 400 to 650 W in 50 W steps, and modular PSUs are represented by 550, 650, 750, 850 and 1000 W models.
We will take a look at the Chieftec APS-750CB power supply, which is a 750W modular power supply.
The packaging is a cardinally black box with a carrying handle. The PSU enclosure is also painted black, which is typical of the latest Chieftec modular wiring solutions.
Specifications
All the necessary parameters are indicated on the case of the power supply in full; for the bus power + 12VDC, the declared value is 750 W. The ratio of the power on the + 12VDC bus to the total power is 1 - this, of course, is an excellent indicator.
Length of wires and number of connectors
| Fixed |
| to the main ATX connector - 50 cm |
| to processor socket 8 pin SSI - 58 cm |
| Modular |
| to the power connector of the video card PCI-E 2.0 VGA Power Connector - 47 cm |
| to the power connector of the video card PCI-E 2.0 VGA Power Connector - 47 cm |
| to the power connector of the video card PCI-E 2.0 VGA Power Connector - 47 cm |
| to the first SATA Power Connector - 45 cm, plus 15 cm to the second and another 15 cm to the third of the same connector |
| to the first SATA Power Connector - 45 cm, plus 15 cm to the second and another 15 cm to the third of the same connector |
| to the first Peripheral Connector (molex) - 45 cm, plus 15 cm to the second and another 15 cm to the third of the same connector, plus 15 cm to the FDD power connector |
| Connector name | Number of connectors | Note |
| 24 pin Main Power Connector | 1 | collapsible |
| 4 pin 12V Power Connector | No | |
| 8 pin SSI Processor Connector | 2 | one collapsible |
| 6 pin PCI-E 1.0 VGA Power Connector | No | |
| 8 pin PCI-E 2.0 VGA Power Connector | 4 | collapsible |
| 4 pin Peripheral Connector | 3 | ergonomic |
| 15 pin Serial ATA Connector | 9 | on 3 bundles |
| 4 pin Floppy Drive Connector | 1 |
This power supply uses a so-called modular system connecting wires with connectors for power supply of components inside system unit... This design allows you to remove unused wiring harnesses, freeing up more space and giving a cleaner look to the insides of the system unit.
The number of connectors and their location on the wiring harnesses, while not ideal, nevertheless deserves a good rating. Nine SATA Power connectors on three harnesses, as well as the ability to disconnect extra wires for powering video cards, make this model quite convenient. Unless it would be nice to make one of the harnesses with the processor power connector disconnectable.
Regarding the length of the wires to the connectors - it is quite standard for this price category... The length of the wires to the processor power connector is slightly increased relative to the standard 50 centimeters and is about 58 centimeters. This length will be sufficient for almost any top-mounted PSU case, it will also be sufficient for almost all miditower cases with a bottom-mounted PSU, but for full tower and larger cases with a bottom-mounted PSU, the length of the wires to the processor power connector may not be sufficient.
Cooling system
The power supply has a 135 mm fan (RL4Z S1352512HH), which, according to the manufacturer, has a maximum rotation speed of 1800 rpm. The fan is based on a sleeve bearing. The fan is manufactured by Globe Fan.
It should be borne in mind that the use of a fan based on a sliding bearing of a boundary type is not optimal in the power supply due to the low resource of such bearings when operating in high temperature and dusty conditions. But in relatively inexpensive products, fans of this type are widely used because they have a lower cost compared to ball bearing fans.
The main semiconductor elements are mounted on two medium-sized radiators with a base thickness of 4.5 mm.
Independent power converters for + 3.3VDC and + 5VDC channels are located on daughter boards and do not have additional heat dissipators.
In the high-voltage part, a Su'scon capacitor with a capacity of 390 μF (400 V) is installed; in the output stage, mainly Su'scon capacitors of various ratings are also installed.
Power supply testing
The first stage of testing is operating the power supply at maximum power long time. Such a test with confidence allows you to make sure that the power supply is working.
In this case, no problems arose, the voltage values have small deviations from the nominal.
The next step in instrumental testing is construction of cross-load characteristics (KNH) and its representation on a quarter-plane, limited by the maximum power on the 3.3 & 5 V bus on one side (along the ordinate) and the maximum power on the 12 V 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.
| Size designation deviations of output voltages from the nominal | ||
| Colour | Deviation range | Qualitative assessment |
| more than five percent | unsatisfactory | |
|---|---|---|
| + 5 percent | poorly | |
| +4 percent | satisfactorily | |
| +3 percent | OK | |
| +2 percent | very good | |
| 1 percent or less | Great | |
| −2 percent | very good | |
| −3 percent | OK | |
| −4 percent | satisfactorily | |
| −5 percent | poorly | |
| more than five percent | unsatisfactory | |
It is worth explaining that if there are deviations within three percent, the parameters of the power supply unit can be considered as being at a good level.
This model has no deviations of more than five percent in the entire tested power range - the measured voltage values managed to keep within three percent deviations, which is a good indicator.
With a typical power distribution across the channels, the output of the PSU is at a very good level.
During the next stage of testing, we measure the parameters of the AC mains to which the studied power supply is connected, when the latter is operating at constant power. Based on the data obtained, parameters are calculated that determine the economy and efficiency of the power supply.
| No load operation | ||
| Mode | I, A | P, W |
| PWR_Off | 0,049 | 0,2 |
| STB | 0,098 | 0,3 |
| Zload | 0,127 | 10,5 |
At a power of 50 W, the PSU dissipates about 22 W, and at a maximum power it dissipates about 138 W. It dissipates 100 W at a power of about 600 W; at the same power, the last surge in the increase in the increase in the dissipated power is noted. Thus, from the point of view of economy, this model has an optimal range, limited from above by a value of 600 watts. Economy is not the strong point of this model.
According to our measurements, the efficiency of this PSU reaches over 85% in the power range from 200 to 700 watts, the maximum recorded value was about 87.7% at 300 watts. At the same time, the efficiency at a power of 50 W was about 69%, at a power of 42 W - about 65%. This is an average indicator for modern power supplies of similar power and equivalent cost, you should not expect any records from such solutions.
Measurement of noise level
In preparation of this material we continued to use a new method for measuring the noise level of power supplies, which is still experimental. The power supply unit is located on a flat surface with a fan upwards, above it, at a distance of 0.35 meters, there is a measuring microphone of the Oktava 110A-Eco sound level meter, which is used to measure the noise level. The power supply is loaded using a special stand with a silent operating mode. During the noise level measurement, the power supply is operated at constant power for 20 minutes, after which the noise level is measured.
Such a distance to the object of measurement is the most approximate for a desktop placement of a system unit with an installed power supply unit. This method allows you to assess the noise level of the power supply in harsh conditions from the point of view short distance from the source of the noise to the user. With an increase in the distance to the noise source and the appearance of additional obstacles with good sound-reflecting ability, the noise level at the control point will also decrease, which will lead to an improvement in acoustic ergonomics in general.
The noise level of this model when operating in the power range from 50 to 350 W approaches the average value when the power supply unit is located in the near field; with a more significant removal of the power supply unit and placing it under a table in a case with a bottom-mounted power supply unit, such noise can be interpreted as being below average. In the daytime, in a residential building, a source with a similar noise level will not be too noticeable, especially at a distance of a meter or more, and even more so it will be hardly noticeable in an office space, since the background noise in offices is usually higher than in residential buildings. At night, a source with such a noise level will be clearly visible, it will be difficult to sleep nearby. This noise level can be considered comfortable when working at a computer.
At a load of 500 W, the noise of the power supply overcomes the ergonomic level of 40 dBA under the condition of desktop placement, that is, when the power supply is located in the near field in relation to the user.
The noise level when operating at maximum power can be described as high. Being in the near field from such a noise source is already uncomfortable for a long time, even in an office environment. With a more significant distance, such a source will still draw attention to itself, but it will become less annoying.
For lovers of silence, a model with similar characteristics will not work, at the same time, the power consumption of computers of the overwhelming majority of users does not exceed 350 W, and with such a power, the power supply will not stand out much against the background of computer components with stock cooling systems.
We also evaluate the noise level of the power supply electronics, as in some cases it is a source of annoying sounds. This assessment is carried out by determining the difference between the noise level in our laboratory with the power supply turned on and off. If the obtained value is within 5 dBA, then there are no deviations in the acoustic properties of the power supply unit. With a difference of more than 10 dBA, as a rule, there are certain defects that can be heard at a distance of about half a meter.
At this stage of measurements, the microphone of the sound level meter is located at a distance of about 40 mm from the upper plane of the power supply unit, since at large distances it is very difficult to measure the noise of the electronics. The measurement is carried out in two modes: standby mode (STB or Stand by) and when the power supply unit is operating on the load, but with a forcedly stopped fan.
In this case, the noise level of the electronics is minimal, the main contribution to the overall noise level of the power supply is made by the operating fan.
Evaluation of consumer qualities
Consumer qualities of this product are at an average level. Of the significant shortcomings, we note not the most successful acoustic ergonomics: even in idle mode, the noise level cannot be called low, but under typical loads the noise is still within ergonomic limits, but under high load the noise level becomes very significant. The electrical characteristics of the model are at a quite decent level, especially for a budget solution. The rest of the parameters are at an average or so level.
Based on the aggregate consumer qualities demonstrated by the tested power supply, we can conclude that this model will be able to demonstrate its merits most successfully in productive systems with a powerful video subsystem, provided that the computer does not require improved acoustic ergonomics.
This model is a good option for those who want to save money when buying a power supply unit for very powerful systems. The power supply can be attributed to the lower segment of the mid-budget range - this is not yet an economy one, but it is already close to it.
Outcomes
About a year ago, we reviewed the Chieftec CTG-750C PSU from the updated A-80 series, which, in theory, has a lower positioning than the A-135 series, the representative of which is the APS-750CB. It is all the more interesting to discover the advantage of the CTG-750C in some parameters: in particular, it has better acoustic ergonomics, the wires are longer, but there are fewer connectors and electrical characteristics a little worse. It costs less, and the power of the + 12VDC bus is 102 watts less, but for the majority, 600 watts over this channel are very redundant.
Chieftec APS-750CB power supply provided for testing by the manufacturer
