Load Testing
For those of you that are curious as to some of the reasoning and equipment behind our PSU testing program here at TheFPSReview, we have put together an introduction for you. This program is based on what the author developed at [H]ardOCP and utilizes the equipment bequeathed to the author by Kyle Bennett. The testing we are conducting today is exactly as described in that document and start with our 120v, 100v, Torture, and 80 Plus Tests.
120v and 100v Load Testing Results
Test #1 is equal to approximately 25% of the rated capacity of the FSP DAGGER PRO 550W at 45c. This makes Test #1 equal to 148W by loading the 12v rail to 10a, the 5v rail to 2a, the 3.3v rail to 1a, the +5vsb to 2a, and the -12v to 0.3a. The results of Test #1 show the main positive DC output rails starting at or above nominal. The efficiency for this unit is starting off in good shape at a value of 85.57% at 120v AC input and 85.08% at 100v AC input. We see the exhaust temperature is 47C at 120v AC input and 49C at 100V AC input.
Test #2 is equal to approximately 50% of the rated capacity of the FSP DAGGER PRO 550W at 45c. This makes Test #2 equal to 277W by loading the 12v rail to 20a, the 5v rail to 3a, the 3.3v rail to 2a, the +5vsb to 2a, and the -12v to 0.3a. Test #2 sees the DC output voltages end mixed relative to what we saw with Test #1. The largest changes are up to a 0.02v decrease on the 12v rail (or a 0.01v increase), a 0.01v decrease on the 5v rail, and no change on the 3.3v rail. The efficiency has moved up to 88.14% at 120v AC input and 87.31% at 100v AC input. We see an exhaust temperature of 53C at 120v AC input and 55C at 100V AC input.
Test #3 is equal to approximately 75% of the rated capacity of FSP DAGGER PRO 550W at 45c. This makes Test #3 equal to 406W by loading the 12v rail to 30a, the 5v rail to 4a, the 3.3v rail to 3a, the +5vsb to 2a, and the -12v to 0.3a. Test #3 sees another round of mixed changes. The 5v rail has stayed even with Test #2 while the 3.3v rail has dropped by 0.01v. The 12v rail has dropped by up to 0.02v or risen by 0.01v depending on the connector that you look at. The efficiency in Test #3 moves down to 87.84% at 120v AC input and 86.35% at 100v AC input. We see an exhaust temperature of 57C at 120v AC input and 60C at 100V AC input.
Test #4 is equal to approximately 100% of the rated capacity of the FSP DAGGER PRO 550W at 45c. This makes Test #4 equal to 548W by loading the 12v rail to 40a, the 5v rail to 7a, the 3.3v rail to 5a, the +5vsb to 2a, and the -12v to 0.3a. In the final regular test, we see the 12v rail move down by up to 0.03v. The 5v rail sees a 0.01v drop while the 3.3v rail is the same as it was in Test #3. The efficiency has dropped as we see it come in at 86.36% at 120v AC input and 85.16% at 100v AC input. We see an exhaust temperature of 61C at 120v AC input and 68C at 100V AC input.
Torture Test
The Torture Test is equal to approximately 80% of the rated capacity of the FSP DAGGER PRO 550W at 45C. This makes the Torture Test equal to 445W by loading the 12v rails to 31a, the 5v rail to 8a, the 3.3v rail to 5a, the +5vsb to 2a, and the -12v to 0.3a. At the end of the Torture Test, the DAGGER PRO 550W is still doing well. The DC output voltages are generally in line with what we have been seeing in the 120v load tests. The efficiency is very good as we see a value of 87.00% and the exhaust temperature is a toasty 73C!
Load Testing Summary
Today, the FSP DAGGER PRO 550W did an excellent job in our initial load testing. When we look at the voltage regulation, we see that the DAGGER PRO 550W had peak changes of 0.06v on the 12v rail, 0.02v on the 5v rail, and 0.01v on the 3.3v rail. These absolute values for the main DC outputs are EASILY in specification but the +5vsb rail does end right down at the ATX12v specification minimum during Test #4. Overall, these values are better than the only other 550W units we have seen to date (the Bitfenix Formula Gold 550W and Solid Gear Neutron 550W) and those units had the advantage of being the larger ATX12/EPS formfactor instead of the SFX formfactor.
Things do look a little worse, though, when we look at the efficiency as that ranged from 85.57% to 88.14% efficient at 120v AC input and 85.08% to 87.31% efficient at 100v AC input. That said, this unit is advertised as being an 80 Plus Gold unit. However, our tests don’t show that and it was not listed at the time of testing. Lastly, the exhaust temperature peaked at 61C at 120v AC input, 68C at 100v AC input, and 73C during the Torture Test! Let’s move on to the Transient Load Tests.