Test Setup

All measurements were performed using two Chroma 6314A mainframes equipped with the following electronic loads: six 63123A [350 W each], one 63102A [100 W x2], and one 63101A [200 W]. The aforementioned equipment is able to deliver 2500 W of load, and all loads are controlled by a custom-made software. We also used a Picoscope 3424 oscilloscope, a Picotech TC-08 thermocouple data logger, a Fluke 175 multimeter, and a Yokogawa WT210 power meter. We also included a wooden box, which, along with some heating elements, was used as a hot box. We had at our disposal four more oscilloscopes (Rigol 1052E and VS5042, Stingray DS1M12, a second Picoscope 3424), and a CEM DT-8852 sound level meter. You will find more details about our equipment and the review methodology we follow inthis article. Finally, we conduct all of our tests at 40-45°C ambient in order to simulate with higher accuracy the environment seen inside a typical system, with 40-45°C being derived from a standard ambient assumption of 23°C and 17-22°C being added for the typical temperature rise within a system.

Primary Rails Voltage Regulation

The following charts show the voltage values of the main rails over a range from 60 W to the maximum specified load and the deviation (in percent) for the same load range.

5VSB Regulation

The following chart shows how the 5VSB rail deals with the load we throw at it.

Hold-up Time

The hold-up time is a very important characteristic of a PSU and represents the amount of time, usually measured in milliseconds, that a PSU can maintain output regulations as defined by the ATX spec without input power. In other words, it is the amount of time the system can continue to run without shutting down or rebooting during a power interruption. The ATX spec sets the minimum hold-up time with the maximum continuous output load to 16 ms. In the following screenshot, the blue line is the mains signal and the yellow line is the "Power Good" signal. The latter is de-asserted to a low state when any of the +12V, 5V, or 3.3V output voltages fall below the undervoltage threshold, or after the mains power has been removed for a sufficiently long time to guarantee that the PSU cannot operate anymore.



The PSU registered a long hold-up time, showing that its bulk caps have the right capacity to support it when a power sag or voltage dip occurs.

Inrush Current

Inrush current or switch-on surge refers to the maximum, instantaneous input current drawn by an electrical device when first turned on. Because of the charging current of the APFC capacitor(s), PSUs produce large inrush current right as they are turned on. Large inrush current can cause the tripping of circuit breakers and fuses and may also damage switches, relays, and bridge rectifiers; as a result, the lower the inrush current of a PSU right as it is turned on, the better.



The inrush current is high because of the bulk caps' increased capacity, but it is thankfully still below 50 A.

Voltage Regulation and Efficiency Measurements

The first set of tests reveals the stability of the voltage rails and the efficiency of the Leadex-1000. The applied load is equal to (approximately) 20%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 80%, 100%, and 110% of the maximum load the PSU can handle. We also conduct two additional tests. In the first test, we stress the two minor rails (5V and 3.3V) with a high load while the load at +12V is only 0.10 A. This test reveals whether the PSU is Haswell ready or not. In the second test, we dial the maximum load that the +12V rail can handle while the load on the minor rails is minimal.

Because of a very relaxed fan profile, the PSU's fan only started to rotate halfway through the 40% test and was almost inaudible at up to the 60% load test. Super Flower's Leadex Platinum operates quietly under even extreme conditions, which most users will appreciate. We would, since the fan profile is very relaxed, pick its normal fan mode over the semi-passive one if we had this unit installed in our system. In the latter, the fan spins up rather late, allowing for high internal temperatures that affect the lifetime of its electrolytic caps the most. The fan operates at incredibly low speeds most of the time, and I would leave it on all the time to cool this PSU's internals down. That said, Super Flower surely knows the tolerances of the components they use best and wouldn't tune the semi-fanless operation as they have if they weren't sure of it; and nor would they offer a five year warranty.

The unit's performance is absolutely fantastic, with extra-tight voltage regulation on all rails and very high efficiency throughout the entire load range, and the unit can, on top of that, easily deliver 100 W more than its maximum-rated capacity. What else could we possibly ask for? Possibly for a closer to 94% peak efficiency, but that would be greedy.