be quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 850W PSU Review

1. Introduction2. be quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 850W (Bundle & Cables)3. be quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 850W (External)4. be quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 850W (Internal)5. Super High Res Gallery6. Testing Methodology7. Closing Thoughts8. View All Pages

Additional technical assistance: Peter McFarland and Jeremy Price.

Correctly testing power supplies is a complex procedure and KitGuru have configured a test bench which can deliver up to a 2,000 watt DC load. Due to public requests we have changed our temperature settings recently – previously we rated with ambient temperatures at 25C, we have increased ambient temperatures by 10c (to 35c) in our environment to greater reflect warmer internal chassis conditions.

We use combinations of the following hardware:
• SunMoon SM-268
• CSI3710A Programmable DC load (+3.3V and +5V outputs)
• CSI3711A Programmable DC load (+12V1, +12V2, +12V3, and +12V4)
• Extech Power Analyzer
• Extech MultiMaster MM570 digital multimeter
• Extech digital sound level meter
• Digital oscilloscope (20M S/s with 12 Bit ADC)
• Variable Autotransformer, 1.4 KVA

We test in a single +12V configuration.

DC Output Load Regulation
Combined DC Load	+3.3V		+5V		+12V		+5VSB		-12V
	A	V	A	V	A	V	A	V	A	V
100W	1.57	3.35	1.76	5.06	6.66	12.11	0.50	5.04	0.20	-12.04
225W	3.75	3.35	3.86	5.06	15.59	12.09	1.00	5.04	0.20	-12.04
450W	7.54	3.34	8.35	5.05	30.78	12.07	1.50	5.04	0.30	-12.04
675W	11.33	3.34	12.35	5.05	47.46	12.06	2.00	5.03	0.50	-12.05
850W	1.52	3.35	1.17	5.06	63.53	12.05	0.50	5.04	0.20	-12.05

Load regulation is superb with all rails exhibiting very minor fluctuation under load.

be quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 850W	Maximum Load
	945W

We managed to get the power supply to deliver 945W before it would shut down, delivering around 85W more than rated specifications.

Next we want to try Cross Loading. This basically means loads which are not balanced. If a PC for instance needs 500W on the +12V outputs but something like 30W via the combined 3.3V and +5V outputs then the voltage regulation can fluctuate badly.

Cross Load Testing	+3.3V		+5V		+12V		-12V		+5VSB
	A	V	A	V	A	V	A	V	A	V
760W	1.0	3.35	1.0	5.06	60.0	12.05	0.2	-12.05	0.50	5.02
165W	15.0	3.33	18.0	5.05	2.0	12.11	0.2	-12.05	0.50	5.01

The power supply exhibited no problems when dealing with our intensive Cross Loading test. It was tasked with 60A on the +12V rail and it held at 12.05V. The other rails delivered good results also.

We then used an oscilloscope to measure AC ripple and noise present on the DC outputs. We set the oscilloscope time base to check for AC ripple at both high and low ends of the spectrum.

ATX12V V2.2 specification for DC output ripple and noise is defined in the ATX 12V power supply design guide.

ATX12V Ver 2.2 Noise/Ripple Tolerance
Output	Ripple (mV p-p)
+3.3V	50
+5V	50
+12V1	120
+12V2	120
-12V	120
+5VSB	50

Obviously when measuring AC noise and ripple on the DC outputs the cleaner (less recorded) means we have a better end result. We measured this AC signal amplitude to see how closely the unit complied with the ATX standard.

AC Ripple (mV p-p)
DC Load	+3.3V	+5V	+12V	5VSB
100W	10	10	10	10
225W	10	15	15	10
450W	10	15	15	10
675W	10	15	15	15
850W	10	20	20	15

Noise suppression results are excellent, peaking at 10-20mV on both +3.3V and +5V rails. The +12V rail peaked at 20mV under full load – well within the rated parameters.

Efficiency (%)
100W	89.42
225W	91.78
450W	94.21
675W	93.61
850W	91.56

Efficiency is extremely impressive, peaking at 94.21 percent at 50 percent load. This drops to around 91.5 percent at full load.

We take the issue of noise very seriously at KitGuru and this is why we have built a special home brew system as a reference point when we test noise levels of various components. Why do this? Well this means we can eliminate secondary noise pollution in the test room and concentrate on components we are testing. It also brings us slightly closer to industry standards, such as DIN 45635.

Today to test the power supply we have taken it into our acoustics room environment and have set our Digital Sound Level Noise Decibel Meter Style 2 one meter away from the unit. We have no other fans running so we can effectively measure just the noise from the unit itself.

As this can be a little confusing for people, here are various dBa ratings in with real world situations to help describe the various levels.

KitGuru noise guide
10dBA – Normal Breathing/Rustling Leaves
20-25dBA – Whisper
30dBA – High Quality Computer fan
40dBA – A Bubbling Brook, or a Refrigerator
50dBA – Normal Conversation
60dBA – Laughter
70dBA – Vacuum Cleaner or Hairdryer
80dBA – City Traffic or a Garbage Disposal
90dBA – Motorcycle or Lawnmower
100dBA – MP3 Player at maximum output
110dBA – Orchestra
120dBA – Front row rock concert/Jet Engine
130dBA – Threshold of Pain
140dBA – Military Jet takeoff/Gunshot (close range)
160dBA – Instant Perforation of eardrum

Noise (dBA)
100W	<28.0
225W	<28.0
450W	29.1
675W	31.6
850W	33.1

The fan spins slowly at general load demand, with noise levels rating below 30dBa. Under higher loads, the fan spins up, but it never becomes intrusive. This is a testament to not only the quality of the fan, but the high Platinum efficiency of the unit.

At full load, the power supply is audible, but the fan noise is minor – likely to be drown out by even a single case fan.

Temperature (c)
	Intake	Exhaust
100W	37	38
225W	38	40
450W	42	46
675W	45	50
850W	47	54

The large fan helps to ensure that rising load demands are met with increased air flow.

Maximum load	Efficiency
945 watts	91.14

At 945 watts, the efficiency level measures 91.14%. Not a practical situation to be running 24/7, but worth noting.

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