A Look Inside & Component Analysis

Before reading this page, we strongly suggest a look at this article, which will help you understand the internal components of a PSU much better. Our main tool for the disassembly of the PSU is a Thermaltronics TMT-9000S soldering and rework station. It is of extreme quality and is equipped with a matching de-soldering gun. With such equipment in hand, breaking apart every PSU is like a walk in the park!


We have come across the fresh Leadex platform in many reviews, but we never get bored of describing it. The primary side uses a full bridge topology and an LLC converter for boosted efficiency, while the secondary side uses a synchronous design for the rectification of the +12V rail and two DC-DC converters, which are responsible for the minor rails. As it seems, only the 5VSB circuit is still the same as in Leadex's older Platinum platform, and it, truth be told, cannot keep up with the rest of the design since it is too weak and inefficient for unti with such a high capacity.


The transient filter starts right at the AC receptacle. The first stage only consists of a single X cap. The second part of the transient filter is on the main PCB and consists of two CM chokes, two X xaps, two pairs of Y caps, and an MOV. We also found a Transient Voltage Suppression (TVS) diode, so protection against spikes is adequate.


Two parallel bridge (Shindengen US30K80Rs) rectifiers are used to increase efficiency, since less current will pass through them.


In the APFC section, three Infineon IPP50R140CP fets are combined with two C3D06060A boost diodes—the second diode is bolted to the opposite side of the heatsink. The two parallel hold-up caps, provided by Nippon Chemi-Con (400 V, 560 µF each or 1120 µF combined, 105°C, KMQ series), are right in front of the transient filter. Their combined capacity should cover the needs of this unit, but the hold-up test will show whether they do. The NTC thermistor responsible for protection against large inrush currents is close to the APFC caps. The small white box in front of it is an electromagnetic relay that isolates it from the circuit once the start-up phase finishes.


This small sealed PCB houses the APFC controller, an NCP1653A IC.


The standby PWM controller is an ICE3B0565 IC.


The main switchers, four IPP50R140CP fets, are bolted to two small diagonal heatsinks. They don't need much cooling because the LLC resonant converter allows for loss-less switching.


The proprietary LLC resonant controller is installed on this vertical daughter-board. Its marking, AA9013, doesn't reveal much, but it is similar to the SF29601 IC Super Flower used in their previous generation of Platinum models.


The secondary side houses three small heatsinks. The middle heatsink is empty, but the other two host eight fets in total (8x IPP023N04N). Between these heatsinks are six polymer Chemi-Con caps, and several electrolytic ones by the same company can be found a little further on. All are used for ripple filtering.


The two DC-DC converters that generate the minor rails. Several metallic shields cover the fets for EMI protection.


The 5VSB rail is rectified by a PFR40V60CT SBR (Schottky Barrier Rectifier). The fan-control board is installed right next to it, and on it is an LM324ADC.


We found many Chemi-Con polymer and several electrolytic caps by the same manufacturer on the main side of the PCB.


Soldering quality is good; not top-notch, like Delta or Flextronics, but Leadex is definitely heading in the right direction.


The cooling fan is by Globe Fan, and its model number is RL4Z-B1402512EH (140 mm, 12 V, 0.6 A, 2000 RPM, 153.47 CFM, 39.5 dBA, 70.000 MTBF). It is equipped with double ball-bearings and is rated for 0.6 A at 12 V, so it is quite strong and, hence, noisy at high speed, but the fan-control circuit keeps it at much lower speeds most of the time. It will also rarely operate under normal conditions if you pick the semi-passive option.