Sentey Golden Steel Power 850W Power Supply Review

paulktreg - June 9, 2011
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Testing:

Efficiency and Power Factor:

Efficiency is a measure of the ATX power supply's ability to minimize losses during the conversion of the AC mains voltage into multiple DC rails. It is a simple ratio of output power measured in watts, over input power measured in watts expressed as a percentage. It has no affect whatsoever on the power supply’s ability to power a PC, but with higher efficiency comes less heat and lower utility bills. It’s also "green" and friendlier to the environment, which is the driving force behind the 80 Plus certification program.

Power factor is a strange beast that’s difficult to fully explain without the use of complex AC theory, so let’s keep it simple. Power factor doesn’t have a unit of measurement, it’s a simple number from 0 to 1 that is concerned with the way various loads consume power, and the nearer to unity the better. It is closely linked to 80 Plus certification because low power factors imply wasted energy that the normal domestic consumer does not get charged for, but the utility companies still have to generate.

Supply at 110VAC:

Sentey Golden Steel Power 850W (GSP850-SM) Efficiency & Power Factor
Supply = 110VAC/50Hz
DC Load (W)	0	178	448	820
DC Load As A Percent Of Max (%)	N/A	21	53	96
Efficiency (%)	N/A	86	89	85
Power Factor (PF)	0.55	0.99	0.99	0.99

The Sentey Golden Steel Power 850W power supply didn’t quite hit the required 80 Plus Gold levels for efficiency following the OCC power supply testing methodology, but this is usually the case. The 80 Plus tests are done at predetermined DC loading levels on all the rails that I just can’t match exactly, but with a peak efficiency of 89%, just 1% short of the mark, it’s a pretty good result. Power factor levels aren’t a problem, but this is usually the case when active power factor correction is implemented.

Supply at 230VAC:

Sentey Golden Steel Power 850W (GSP850-SM) Efficiency & Power Factor
Supply = 230VAC/50Hz
DC Load (W)	0	178	447	820
DC Load As A Percent Of Max (%)	N/A	21	52.5	96.5
Efficiency (%)	N/A	87	90	86
Power Factor (PF)	0.33	0.93	0.97	0.98

The results for efficiency are, as usual, a little higher when supplied from a 230VAC mains supply and the power factor takes a little longer to climb towards unity, but still a perfectly acceptable set of results.

AC Ripple On DC Outputs:

I have consistently found the AC ripple levels on the DC rails to be more or less equal with an 110VAC or 230VAC mains supply. The results given below are for 230VAC only, but I will continue to check the levels at 110VAC during testing and publish them below if there are any significant differences.