Result Summary

Overall performance across the full range of operation looks very strong. The Prime TX-1600 ATX 3.0 had no problems delivering its full load and beyond, even at an increased ambient temperature. The efficiency levels are high even at 20 % of the rated power. Amazingly, at just 5 % load, efficiency is still very high. The Power Factor, as expected, is also very high.

In the hybrid fan mode, the PSU is completely silent up until we hit its halfway point (the ambient noise floor is 26.8 dBA). But when the fan does start spinning, it ramps up gradually and even at the full load and overload tests (at elevated ambient temperature), remains extremely quiet.



Efficiency is very high, peaking at over 95 % in 230 V mains. According to CLEAResult (the organization behind the 80 Plus certification), the expected peak efficiency for Titanium rated power supplies is 96% at 50% load with 230 V. When tested at 115 V, the requirement is just 94 %. We dug up the qualification report, and it confirms that the PSU was tested at 115 V, where it met all the efficiency requirements. Our testing is done at 230 V however, and while we typically anticipate the units to meet the efficiency levels they are certified for, this is not always guaranteed, especially because the test condition are slightly different. For example, CLEAResult aims to maintain an ambient room temperature of 23 °C, which is significantly less than our target of 40+ °C. Just these higher temperatures alone could account for reduced efficiency of the components and as a result the efficiency numbers that we're seeing.

Taking these considerations into account, an efficiency just above 95% in our testing is still very impressive.

Voltage Regulation

The voltage regulation on the +12V rail looks superb, never even hitting 1% deviation. The voltage for the 5 V and especially 3.3 V rails, however, look underwhelming in comparison. While all are well within ATX specifications, compared to the +12V rail the deviation could definitely be better.

Ripple

Ideally you want the DC voltage delivered by your power supply to be a completely flat line when looking through an oscilloscope. However, due to the switching nature of ATX power supplies and the less than ideal real world behavior of all the components involved, we get very small fluctuations in output voltage, known as ripple and noise. The ATX spec allows a ripple of up to 120 mV for the +12 V rail and 50 mV for the minor rails.


As expected, the PSU has no issues staying within the ATX specification. However, as with the voltage regulation, the +3.3 V rail performance could be better.

No unusual patterns were observed during the testing. Below you can find the image of the ripple at 110% of the PSU load.

Short Circuit Protection

Short circuit protection is one of the most fundamental and important protections for a power supply. If a short circuit is detected on any rails, the PSU should turn off and prevent damage to itself and other components.


SCP worked as expected with the unit.