Test Setup

All measurements are performed utilizing a custom designed and built load tester, called Faganas, which is able to stress PSUs up to 1800 Watts. We also use a DS1M12 (Stingray) oscilloscope, a CHY 502 thermometer, a Fluke 175 multimeter and an Instek GPM-8212 power meter. Furthermore, in our setup we have included a wooden box, which along with a heating element is used as a Hot Box. Finally, we have at our disposal three electronic loads (Array 3711A, 300W), a Rigol 1052E oscilloscope and a CEM DT-8852 sound level meter. In the near future we plan to acquire six additional loads to complete our new test set up, which with the help of our custom built software will have the same capabilities with the, ultra expensive, Chroma ATEs.

Voltage Regulation Charts

The following charts show the voltage values of the main rails, recorded over a range from 60 W to the maximum specified load, and the deviation (in percent), when compared with the voltage values at 60 W load.

Efficiency Chart

In this chart you will find the efficiency of HCG-620 at low loads and at loads equal to 20-100% of the PSU’s maximum rated load.

Voltage Regulation and Efficiency Measurements

The first set of tests reveals the stability of voltage rails and the efficiency of HCG-620. The applied load equals to (approximately) 20%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 80% and 100%, of the maximum load that the PSU can handle. In addition, we conduct two more tests. In the first we stress the two minor rails (5V & 3.3V) with the maximum load that our tester can apply to these rails, while the load at +12V is only 2A and in the second test we dial the maximum load that +12V can handle while load at minor rails is minimum.


First of all the PSU managed to deliver its full power with ambients that exceeded 50°C. Also, with 40% load, efficiency reaches 87%, so Antec's claims (for up to 88% efficiency) are proved to be partialyl true. Voltage regulation at +12V is below 3% and for the minor rails stays below the 5% limit. The results at crossload tests clearly show, once more, the weaknesses of group regulation designs. However only at CL1 test we saw one of the rails going out of ATX spec. What didn't please me was the +12V rail voltage readings at CL1 and CL2 tests. Pretty high on the first and low at the second. Especially at CL2 I would like to see +12V way closer to the nominal voltage.

Efficiency at Low Loads

In the next tests, we measure the efficiency of HCG-620 at loads much lower than 20% of its maximum rated load (the lowest load that the 80 Plus Standard measures). The loads that we dial are (approximately) 40, 65 and 90W. This is important for scenarios in which a typical office PC is in idle with power saving turned on.



Efficiency at low loads is decent (don't forget we are talking about an 80PLUS Bronze PSU and not a Gold-Platinum one). The sweet spot is from 90W and above where efficiency reaches 84%.

Power Consumption in Idle & Standby

In the table below you will find the power consumption and the voltage values of all rails (except -12V), when the PSU is in idle mode (On but without any load at its rails) and the power consumption when the PSU is in standby (without any load at 5VSB).


In standby, energy consumption (also called vampire power) is pretty low and easily meets the 2010/13 EuP (European Guideline on Energy using Products) requirements.