Xigmatek Centauro 1000 W Review 0

Xigmatek Centauro 1000 W Review

Packaging, Contents & Exterior »

Specifications

Xigmatek Centauro 1000W Features & Specs
Max. DC Output1000W
PFCActive PFC
Efficiency80 PLUS Bronze
Operating temperature0°C - 50°C
ProtectionsOver Voltage Protection
Under Voltage Protection
Over Current Protection
Over Power Protection
Over Temperature Protection
Short Circuit Protection
Cooling140 mm Sleeve Bearing Fan (Max. 32.7dBA )
Dimensions150 mm (W) x 86 mm (H) x 160 mm (D)
Weight2.2 kg
ComplianceATX12V v2.30, EPS 2.92
Warranty2 years
Price at time of review (exc. VAT)$140

Efficiency is merely Bronze, in an effort to keep the price tag as low as possible. Unfortunately even nowadays Gold and Platinum efficiency greatly increases cost. The list of available protections includes even OTP (Over Temperature Protection) and this is a relief for us, since the unit will be protected once we crank up the heat inside the hotbox.
The 140mm fan promises to be very quiet even at worst case. This sounds too good to be true but you will find out more about this later on this review. Finally the warranty is only two years long but at least the price is quite good for a 1kW modular unit.

Xigmatek Centauro 1000W Power Specs
Rail3.3V5V12V5VSB-12V
Max. Power28A30A75A3A0.3A
180W900W15W3.6W
Total Max. Power1000W

There is a single +12V rail which can output 900W of power, so the PSU will easily power even demanding systems. The minor rails are too strong for today's standards at 180W combined and finally the 5VSB feature average capacity. A note here: almost all high efficiency PSUs feature VRMs (Voltage Regulation Modules) for the minor rails generation. VRMs in essence are smaller PSUs which in this case are fed directly from +12V and output the 5V and 3.3V rails. This means that +12V are able to handle the total power of the unit and accordingly a part of this rail's capacity is utilized for the needs of the minor rails. In the unlikely scenario that there is no power consumption from the minor rails then the +12V rail can exploit all of its power thus deliver the unit's full capacity. This is why in most PSUs with VRMs the +12V rail's max power equals the unit's total power.

Cables & Connectors, Power Distribution

Native Cables
ATX connector (500mm)20+4 pin
4+4 pin EPS12V/ATX12V (720mm)1
8 pin EPS12V (720mm)1
6+2 pin PCIe (515mm)2
Fan Connectors (540mm)2
Modular Cables
6+2 pin PCIe (510mm)4
SATA (500mm+150mm+150mm+150mm)8
4 pin Molex (450mm+150mm+150mm) / FDD(+150mm)6 / 1

The unit has enough PCIe connectors and comes with two EPS ones with all being available at the same time. For its category eight SATA connectors are on the verge and we would like it to have two to four more. However most systems will be fully covered by this amount of SATA connectors. Unfortunately the main ATX cable is short at 50cm and ten additional cm would be ideal for it. The same goes for the PCIe cables, too, which would be far better with nine cm length more. Thankfully both EPS connectors are quite long, so you won't meet any compatibility problems with them even in full tower cases. Also the distance among all connectors, in cables that feature more than one, is satisfactory.
All connectors use 18AWG gauges, the recommended wire size by ATX spec so all are fine in this area. Thicker wires (16AWG) provide lower voltage drops at higher loads but make the cables too rigid so cable management tasks become far too difficult, so many manufacturers prefer to use 18AWG even at high capacity units.
The PSU also includes two 3pin connectors (1A max. for two fans) with their output voltage being synchronous to the voltage that feeds the unit's cooling fan.

Since this PSU features a single +12V rail we do not have anything to comment about its power distribution.
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Dec 23rd, 2024 12:53 EST change timezone

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