Introduction

We would like to thank Seasonic for supplying the review sample.



Seasonic's R&D engineers really do have a hard job since it is up to them to improve already incredibly well-performing platforms, and thus far, they have done so with great success. Although many believe analog circuits to be at the end of their line, with digital circuits now at the forefront, platforms such as Seasonic's fresh XP3 prove that analog components are still more than viable, and their reliability over the long haul is a given. While digital control for PSUs hasn't mature yet, it does look incredibly promising. Its biggest disadvantage is its increased production cost, which significantly affects the final price of such products.

Seasonic's current top offerings in the Platinum category are the SS-1200XP3 and SS-1050XP3. We reviewed the first of the above a while ago, and now, the time has come to evaluate the smaller of the two; that is, if you can call a PSU with more than 1 kW output small. With the exception of capacity, all other specifications are the same, including the fully modular cabling design, optional semi-passive operation, and seven year warranty. Even the enclosure is the same, which makes both units identical in size. One can only distinguish between the two by taking a look at the specifications sticker with the model number and power specification. The larger Platinum unit also has two additional PCIe connectors, but eight are enough for a 1050 W unit. Given our experience with the SS-1200XP3, our expectations for the SS-1050XP3 are very high because it is based on the same platform with some minor component changes.