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. The AC source is a Chroma 6530, and it is capable of delivering up to 3 kW of power. We also used a Keysight DSOX3024A oscilloscope, a Rigol DS2072A oscilloscope kindly sponsored by Batronix, a Picoscope 3424 oscilloscope, a Picoscope 4444 differential oscilloscope, a Picotech TC-08 thermocouple data logger, two Fluke multimeters (models 289 and 175), a Keithley 2015 THD 6.5 digit bench DMM, and a lab-grade N4L PPA1530 3-phase power analyzer along with a Yokogawa WT210 power meter. We also included a wooden box, which, along with some heating elements, was used as a hot box. We even had at our disposal three more oscilloscopes (Rigol VS5042, Stingray DS1M12, and a second Picoscope 3424), and a Class 1 Bruel & Kjaer 2250-L G4 Sound Analyzer, equipped with a Type 4955a microphone that features a 6.5-110 dBA-weighted dynamic range on papers (it can actually go as low as 5 dB[A]). You will find more details about our equipment and the review methodology we follow in this article. We also conduct all of our tests at 40-45 °C ambient to simulate the environment seen inside a typical system more accurately, 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.

To control the Chroma 6530 source, we use a GPIB-USB controller, which avoids its very picky Serial port. This controller was kindly provided by Prologix.



To protect our incredibly expensive Chroma AC source, we use an FSP Champ online UPS with a capacity of 3000VA/2700W.

Primary Rails Load Regulation

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) 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

Hold-up time is a very important PSU characteristic and represents the amount of time, usually measured in milliseconds, a PSU can maintain output regulations as defined by the ATX specification 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 specification sets the minimum hold-up time to 17 ms with the maximum continuous output load.

According to the ATX specification, the PWR_OK is a "power good" signal. This signal should be asserted as high, at 5V, by the power supply to indicate that the +12V, 5V, and 3.3V outputs are within the regulation thresholds and that sufficient mains energy is stored by the APFC converter to guarantee the continuous power operation within specifications for at least 17 ms. Conversely, PWR_OK should be de-asserted to a low state, 0V, when any of the +12V, 5V, or 3.3V output voltages fall below its under voltage threshold, or when mains power has been removed for a sufficiently long time, such that the power supply's operation cannot be guaranteed. The AC loss to PWR_OK minimum hold-up time is set at 16 ms, which is less than the hold-up time described in the paragraph above, but the ATX specification also states that the PWR_OK inactive to DC loss delay should be more than 1 ms. This means that the AC loss to PWR_OK hold-up time should always be lower than the PSU's overall hold-up time, which ensures that the power supply will never continue to send a power good signal while any of the +12V, 5V, and 3.3V rails are out of spec.

In the following screenshots, the blue line is the mains signal and the green line is the "Power Good" signal, and the yellow line represents the +12V rail.






This unit's hold-up time is a little below 17 ms, and the power ok signal is accurate, but notably lower than 16 ms, the minimum time allowed by the ATX specification. Obviously, a larger bulk cap is needed to achieve the minimum required hold-up and power ok hold-up times.

Inrush Current

Inrush current, also referred to as switch-on surge, refers to the maximum instantaneous input current drawn by an electrical device when it is 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.



Inrush current is on the high side compared to other PSUs with a similar capacity.

Load Regulation and Efficiency Measurements

The first set of tests revealed the stability of the voltage rails and the ACP-650FP7's efficiency. The applied load was equal to (approximately) 10%-110% of the maximum load the PSU can handle, in 10% steps.

We conducted two additional tests. In the first test, we stressed the two minor rails (5V and 3.3V) with a high load while the load at +12V was only 0.10 A. This test reveals whether the PSU is Haswell ready or not. In the second test, we dialed the maximum load the +12V rail could handle while the load on the minor rails is minimal.

Load regulation is very tight on all the rails, which comes as no surprise because the PSU doesn't use modular cables. Such cables have a clear advantage over even modular cables of high quality when it comes to load regulation because of the lower voltage drops on them, which also provides an efficiency boost. Speaking of efficiency, the corresponding readings are high. With 115 V input, though, you should expect efficiency to drop by roughly 1-2 %. Nonetheless, even with those drops in mind, the PSU looks to clear the 80 PLUS Gold requirements easily despite the increase in operating temperatures.

The PSU's fan spins very slowly until the 50% load test and remains below 1000 RPM until the 70% load test. Noise output exceeds 30 dB(A) with 80% load and is close to 45 dB(A) in our worst-case scenario. This fan's profile is thankfully very relaxed, which makes this PSU whisper quiet under normal conditions.

Another thing we noticed during these tests is that the PF factor isn't all that high. We usually get readings over 0.990, especially at higher loads; however, not so here. As it seems, CWT needs to take a look at the APFC converter; it needs to be re-tuned.