3R System iCEAGE IA450HP80 surprised us. Although being clearly a low-cost power supply, it could achieve efficiency above 80% all the time (peaking 83%), which is fantastic for a product that does not have 80 Plus certification. In fact this is the first time we’ve seen a power supply without PFC circuit achieving such performance – which was possible thanks to the use of a two-transistor forward switching circuit, and it was also the first time we’ve seen a power supply without PFC circuit using this design.

Voltage regulation was superb, with all voltages within 3% from their nominal values (including the -12 V output) – i.e., values closer to their “face value” than required, as the ATX12V specification allows voltages to be within 5% from their nominal values (10% for -12 V).

Noise and ripple were always very low, except at +3.3 V when we pulled the full 450 W from this unit – this is the only reason we are giving it our Silver Award instead of Golden.

For the user on budget living in a country where this power supply is available, this unit is a terrific option, presenting a terrific performance for its price.