Test Setup

The ambient temperature during testing was 25 °C +- 1 degree, and I used the following equipment:

• Two Array 3711A electronic loads
• Chroma 61604 AC source
• GW-Instek GPM-8213
• Fluke 289 multimeter
• Picoscope 3424
• CHY 502 thermometer

+12 V Load Regulation - 230 V / 115 V

The following charts show the voltage values of the +12V rail, recorded over a range from 0 W to the maximum specified load, and the deviation (in percent) for the same load range. Tight load regulation is essential for every power supply because it allows for constant voltage levels despite changes in load.

Ripple Measurements

Ripple represents the AC fluctuations (periodic) and noise (random) found in the DC rails of PSUs. Ripple significantly decreases the life span of capacitors because it increases their temperature; a 10 °C increase can cut into a capacitor's life span by up to 50 percent. Ripple also plays a vital role in overall system stability, especially when it is overclocked. According to the ATX specification, the ripple limits are 120 mV at +12V, so I will use this as a reference for my tests.

Ripple at 350 W Load - 230 V

Ripple at 350 W Load - 100 V