Enermax Modu 82+ II 525W (ErP Lot 6) Power Supply Review

1. Introduction2. The Enermax Modu 82+ II 525W ErP Lot 6 (Bundle)3. The Enermax Modu 82+ II 525W ErP Lot 6 (External)4. The Enermax Modu 82+ II 525W ErP Lot 6 (Internal)5. Testing Methodology and Results6. Closing Thoughts7. 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
• SkyTronic DSL 2 Digital Sound Level Meter (6-130dBa)
• Digital oscilloscope (20M S/s with 12 Bit ADC)
• Variable Autotransformer, 1.4 KVA

DC Output Load Regulation
Combined DC Load	+3.3V		+5V		+12V		+5VSB
	A	V	A	V	A	V	A	V
110W	1.02	3.37	1.03	5.12	8.02	12.20	1.00	5.10
220W	2.04	3.35	2.02	5.11	16.01	12.18	1.00	5.09
305W	3.02	3.34	3.04	5.09	22.06	12.15	1.50	5.07
410W	4.01	3.32	4.05	5.06	30.12	12.12	2.00	5.05
515W	5.02	3.32	5.06	5.04	38.14	12.07	2.50	5.02

Voltage regulation is stellar, right across the range, holding to reference levels.

Enermax Modu 82+ II 525W	Maximum Load
	592.5

We managed to load the PSU with 592 watts before it shut down gracefully. The overcircuit protection works well.

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
493W	1.0	3.34	1.0	5.08	40.0	12.03	0.2	-12.34	0.50	5.12
153W	15.0	3.26	15.0	5.04	2.0	12.28	0.2	-11.67	0.50	5.00

The Enermax Modu82+ 525W PSU delivered great results in our cross loading tests. We placed a full 40A on the +12V output and a light load on the remaining outputs. With such a great imbalance the voltages all remained well within specifications.

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 Enermax unit complied with the ATX standard.

AC Ripple (mV p-p)
DC Load	+3.3V	+5V	+12V	5VSB
110W	15	15	15	20
220W	15	15	20	20
305W	20	20	25	25
410W	20	25	35	25
515W	20	25	45	25

Ripple supression isn't class leading but it is very good and remains well within the Tolerance guidelines. Some supplies can really fall down in this area.

Efficiency (%)
110W	86.1
220W	88.5
305W	88.7
410W	87.8
515W	85.8

For an 80 Plus Bronze unit these figures are some of the best we have seen to date, peaking just under 89%.

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 SkyTronic DSL 2 Digital Sound Level Meter (6-130dBa) 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 Refridgerator
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)
110W	27.4
220W	27.9
305W	28.8
410W	31.3
515W	34.5

Below 70% load, this PSU is basically silent, and only in the upper 25% does it become audible, but never intrusive. Excellent results again and this means that it will make an ideal partner for a HTPC system build.

Temperature (c)
	Intake	Exhaust
110W	35	37
220W	36	38
305W	37	45
410W	40	47
515W	42	51

The 120mm fan does a great job of keeping the temperatures in check, with only a 9c above ambient intake threshold.

Maximum load	Efficiency
592.5W	83.4

Pushing the PSU above its rated limits generates an efficiency level of around 83.4%. This is not a viable ‘real world’ situation, but its interesting nonetheless.

To test the standby power draw today, we used an ErP supported product – the MSI Big Bang XPower MS7666 Rev. 1.1 Motherboard which complies with EuP 2013 standards. This specific board has been tested and consumes 0W in Standby mode.

ErP Lot 6 system build	Standby Power Drain
MSI & Enermax	0W

Well we can't really get much better than this, a standby power drain of nothing.

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