The SeaSonic Focus GX-850 ATX 3.0 PSU Review: Cool, Quiet, and Robust
by E. Fylladitakis on November 29, 2023 8:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- Seasonic
- PSUs
- 80Plus Gold
- 850W
- ATX v3.0
- 12VHPWR
Hot Test Results (~45°C Ambient Temperature)
The SeaSonic Focus GX-850 has its output specified for an ambient temperature of 50°C. Generally, PC power supply units (PSUs) are categorized based on their temperature ratings, with 40°C typically associated with low-end to entry-level mainstream units, and 50°C designated for quality mid-tier to high-performance products. The 50°C rating of the SeaSonic Focus GX-850 is unsurprising considering its target market and class, and a welcome upgrade over the previous Focus Plus series, which was rated at 40°C.
The performance of PC power supply units (PSUs) tends to diminish as the ambient temperature increases, with the extent of the degradation largely influenced by the design and quality of the unit in question. In the case of the SeaSonic Focus GX-850, the energy conversion efficiency experiences a marginal drop of just 0.4%, a figure that stands out favorably, especially for a quality 80Plus Gold unit. This minor decrement is consistent across the entire load spectrum, exhibiting no notable variance even under substantial load conditions. Such outcomes imply that the thermal stress exerted on the active components is remarkably low to mild, showcasing the design robustness of the SeaSonic Focus GX-850.
In contrast to some models, the fan within the SeaSonic Focus GX-850 initiates almost immediately upon powering on when the ambient temperature is high, reflecting a proactive approach to thermal management. The fan's operation progressively escalates, reaching its zenith when the load approximates 80% of the unit's rated capacity. This approach results in audible sound pressure figures even when the PSU is lightly loaded when the ambient temperature is very high, but, on the other hand, the proactive cooling strategy ensures a reliable operational landscape for the PSU.
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meacupla - Friday, December 1, 2023 - link
I'd hate it if I bought a PSU for a media server and it didn't come with at least 8 SATA power connectors.mariush - Monday, December 4, 2023 - link
3.3v is still used by m,2 drives on your motherboard, and it's also present in pci-e slots (up to 10 watts, and in theory used in sleep/stand-by mode by video cards). 3.3v or 5v is also often used by motherboards to produce the voltage required by RAM to work using a dc-dc converter (3.3v or 5v down to 1v...1.65v). 5v is still used by USB ports, chipsets, some onboard devices.A motherboard manufacturer could produce 5v and 3.3v on the motherboard using dedicated dc-dc converter circuits like the ones for CPU and RAM, but would increase the cost of the motherboard. They would also have to include a ATX 24 pin to ATX 12V0 only adapter cable and risk people not buying the motherboard because they don't like the adapter cable or because they avoid the motherboard simply because they don't see the big 24 pin connector in the picture of the board and don't bother to read the description.
Catweazle - Monday, December 11, 2023 - link
Wait, do you really think your CPU, RAM and other chips run on 12 volts? Because they don't. All of those voltages are absolutely necessary, they are not obsolete at all.evanh - Tuesday, December 12, 2023 - link
CPU and RAM don't use any of the supplied voltages directly. They are both converted down to around 1 to 2 volts in the motherboard. The CPU has a dedicate 12 volt plug for just this - Originally introduced for the Pentium4 in year 2000.evanh - Wednesday, November 29, 2023 - link
I don't see any mention of whether the 12VHPWR plug has been updated to a 12V-2x6 plug. The implication is it's still using the old flawed plug.Ryan Smith - Thursday, November 30, 2023 - link
There aren't any PSUs currently available with 12V-2x6. That'll be a 2024 thing.evanh - Thursday, November 30, 2023 - link
Shouldn't there already be an industry wide recall of the 12VHPWR plugs? They are all ticking time bombs for wrecking graphics cards and even a fire hazard.evanh - Thursday, November 30, 2023 - link
Here's one that is stating it has been upgraded - https://www.techpowerup.com/315317/thermaltake-unv...Ryan Smith - Thursday, November 30, 2023 - link
The Thermaltake unit is not yet available for sale. They did technically say this month, but as today's the last day of the month, I don't expect they'll make it.It's going to take some time to start including the new cables. Large PSU inventories make for quite a buffer.
evanh - Thursday, November 30, 2023 - link
Given the existing 12VHPWR cables should all be on an immediate recall, I can't see inventory being any excuse at all.