Testing results
Our Chroma load-testing procedures can be found at this link.
Efficiency
| Load | 10% | 25% | 50% | 75% | 100% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Efficiency | 83.7% | 91.4% | 93.0% | 90% | 89.5% |
The EDGE 650's across-the-board efficiency is very close to other 80 PLUS Gold supplies we have examined recently. These PSUs get reasonably close to the higher Platinum standard, and we wonder why Antec chooses such a powerful fan for a supply that's considered efficient.
Regulation
In terms of regulation, we're looking at just how well the supply is able to hold to the various lines. The ATX spec. has a +/- 5 per cent leeway on all but the -12V line.
| Line/Load | 3.3V | 5V | 12V |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 per cent | +0.6% | +1.4% | +1% |
| 50 per cent | 0% | +0.7% | +0.5% |
| 100 per cent | -1.3% | -0.4% | -0.6% |
Standard regulation is easy for a good supply. Very few quality models' voltage wavers much when there's load placed upon it. The days of seeing the 12V line drop to, say, 11.4V are long gone.
Regulation - cross-load
How about providing uneven loads that stress particular voltage rails? In the first attempt, we've put 50A on the 12V rails, and 1A on the 3.3V and 5V rails. This can actually be somewhat typical for a system heavy on graphics and CPU power. In the second, we've turned the tables and gone for 12A on both the 3.3V and 5V rails - highly unlikely in a real-world environment - and just 2A on the 12V - even more unlikely.
| Line/Load | 3.3V | 5V | 12V |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cross-load 12V focus | +1.4% | +0.8% | -0.9% |
| Cross-load 3.3V/5V focus | -1.8% | -1.4% | +1.5% |
The numbers are similar to one of the best 80 PLUS Gold supplies out there - the EVGA SuperNova G2.
Ripple
| Line/Load (mv - p-p max) | 3.3V | 5V | 12V |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 per cent | 10mV | 10mV | 20mV |
| 50 per cent | 15mV | 20mV | 25mV |
| 100 per cent | 25mV | 35mV | 40mV |
The ATX v2.2 spec states that the maximum permissible ripple is 120mV for the 12V line and 50mV for others.
PSUs convert AC power into DC, but doing so requires the AC waveform to be suppressed. What we're really testing here is the quality of the supply's rectifier and any smoothing capacitors in getting rid of this unwanted up-and-down ripple. Performance is well within ATX specifications but, keeping the comparison going, not as sharp as found on the similar EVGA.
Temps
| Temperatures | Intake | Exhaust |
|---|---|---|
| 10 per cent | 28°C | 36°C |
| 50 per cent | 35°C | 43°C |
| 100 per cent | 37°C | 44°C |
Fan performance
Temps are good but they mean little in isolation. Obtaining accurate noise readings is near-on impossible when the supply is connected to the Chroma test harness and dual-unit load-tester. We can test the manufacturer's quietness claims in a different way, by using an AMPROBE TMA10A anemometer placed directly over the centre of the PSU. The anemometer records the airflow being pushed/pulled from the PSU's fan. We can use a Voltcraft DT-10L RPM meter to measure the rotational speed of the fan, too.
| Load | Fan RPM | Airflow | Noise |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10 per cent | 600rpm | circa-20cfm | Very quiet |
| 50 per cent | 1,200rpm | circa-40cfm | Quiet |
| 100 per cent | 2,100rpm | circa-70cfm | Noticeable |
The Ong Hua spinner cannot be heard when a modern system is in idle mode; as a comparison, our test-rigs consume about 50W when sitting in Windows. The fan spins up gradually over 30-70 per cent load, becoming noticeable. It's very noticeable at 100 per cent capacity, where Antec seems to prioritise cooling over noise.
We feel as if the relatively high efficiency of the unit requires a fan with a tamer noise profile. There's no need for a 135mm fan to spin at full chat when only 65W of heat is being produced as a by-product of the AC-to-DC conversion.
