Introduction

We would like to thank High Power for supplying the review sample.

High Power is a pretty large PSU OEM, and although we have already tested many of their models under various brands, this is the first time we evaluate a PSU of their own branding. The Astro GD 750 W, which will be the test subject of today’s review, stands out of the crowd mostly because of the digital control it utilizes. So far, only the Corsair AXi models and the EVGA SuperNOVA 1500W use digital control for the generation of their rails, and it is very interesting to see another OEM jump into the digital era. As we predicted, digital control will be a commodity in the near future since it allows for very high efficiency, ultra-tight voltage regulation, and excellent ripple suppression. The technology is still expensive and only after the production lines mature will it be widely available to even mainstream models. We should also note that the AGD-750 uses a much simpler digital circuit than Corsair's and EVGA's digital units.

The AGD-750 is Gold certified, and its digital circuit allows for efficiency readings in real time through the corresponding meter it is equipped with, but High Power opted out of an external meter, a far more convenient solution, to avoid the use of extra cables and because USB ports on PSUs are patented by Gigabyte. We did, however, see a High Power digital platform with a wireless connection between the PSU and the device passing all data on to the system at this year’s (2013) Computex. But the AGD-750 is a mid-level unit they didn't want to increase the production cost of significantly, so it only comes with the bundled efficiency meter option without the software or a wireless interface.

The other characteristics of the AGD-750 include a semi-modular cabling design with rather many native cables, a semi-passive operation, and an interesting look that will divide opinions. We do like its looks, and its golden accents around the fan grill actually do look really nice!