We conducted several tests with this power supply, as described in the article Hardware Secrets Power Supply Test Methodology.
First we tested this power supply with five different load patterns, trying to pull around 20%, 40%, 60%, 80%, and 100% of its labeled maximum capacity (actual percentage used listed under “% Max Load”), watching how the reviewed unit behaved under each load. In the table below we list the load patterns we used and the results for each load.
If you add all the power listed for each test, you may find a different value than what is posted under “Total” below. Since each output can vary slightly (e.g., the +5 V output working at 5.10 V), the actual total amount of power being delivered is slightly different than the calculated value. On the “Total” row we are using the real amount of power being delivered, as measured by our load tester.
The +12VA and +12VB inputs listed below are the two +12 V independent inputs from our load tester. During this test both were connected to the single +12 V rail provided by this power supply (the +12VB input was connected to the EPS12V connector from the power supply, while the +12VA input was connected to the other cables).
Note: We are now using the names +12VA and +12VB for the two inputs from our load tester because some people were thinking that the “+12V1” and “+12V2” names present on our table referred to the power supply rails, which is not the case.
Input | Test 1 | Test 2 | Test 3 | Test 4 | Test 5 |
+12VA | 5 A (60 W) | 10 A (120 W) | 15 A (180 W) | 20 A (240 W) | 24.5 A (294 W) |
+12VB | 5 A (60 W) | 10 A (120 W) | 15 A (180 W) | 20 A (240 W) | 24.5 A (294 W) |
+5V | 1 A (5 W) | 2 A (10 W) | 4 A (20 W) | 6 A (30 W) | 8 A (40 W) |
+3.3 V | 1 A (3.3 W) | 2 A (6.6 W) | 4 A (13.2 W) | 6 A (19.8 W) | 8 A (26.4 W) |
+5VSB | 1 A (5 W) | 1 A (5 W) | 1.5 A (7.5 W) | 2 A (10 W) | 2.5 A (12.5 W) |
-12 V | 0.5 A (6 W) | 0.5 A (6 W) | 0.5 A (6 W) | 0.5 A (6 W) | 0.5 A (6 W) |
Total | 141.5 W | 271.5 W | 411.3 W | 550.2 W | 660.0 W |
% Max Load | 21.8% | 41.8% | 63.3% | 84.6% | 101.5% |
Room Temp. | 45.9º C | 45.3º C | 46.0º C | 47.6º C | 48.5º C |
PSU Temp. | 50.5º C | 50.5º C | 50.9º C | 52.3º C | 54.3º C |
Voltage Regulation | Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass |
Ripple and Noise | Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass |
AC Power | 166.6 W | 314.3 W | 479.5 W | 654.0 W | 810.0 W |
Efficiency | 84.9% | 86.4% | 85.8% | 84.1% | 81.5% |
AC Voltage | 117.2 V | 115.4 V | 113.7 V | 112.4 V | 110.2 V |
Power Factor | 0.978 | 0.989 | 0.992 | 0.994 | 0.994 |
Final Result | Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass | Pass |
XFX 650 W XXX Edition can really deliver its labeled wattage at high temperatures.
Efficiency was high when we pulled up to 80% from its labeled wattage (i.e., up to 520 W), being between 84.1% and 86.4%. At full load (650 W) efficiency dropped to 81.5%, still above the 80% mark.
Voltages were always inside the allowed range. The manufacturer promises a tight 3% regulation, which proved to be true. This is terrific: the voltages provided by this power supply are closer to their nominal values than required (ATX specification allows a 5% tolerance – 10% for the -12 V).
Noise and ripple levels were another highlight from this product, being always low. Below you can see these levels with the power supply delivering 660 W (test five). The maximum allowed is 120 mV for the +12 V output and 50 mV for the +5 V and +3.3 V outputs. All numbers are peak-to-peak figures.
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Figure 17: +12VA input from load tester at 660.0 W (37.4 mV).
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Figure 18: +12VB input from load tester at 660.0 W (47.4 mV).
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Figure 19: +5V rail with power supply delivering 660.0 W (21.6 mV).
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Figure 20: +3.3 V rail with power supply delivering 660.0 W (26.2 mV).
Now let’s see if we could pull more than 650 W from this unit.
