Enermax Galaxy 1000w Quad-SLI ATX PSU
Testing
Published: 14th December 2006 | Source: Enermax | Price: |
In order for the results from all current and future PSU reviews to remain fair and comparable, Overclock3D uses a custom built Power Supply load stress tester. The tester will be placing the following loads on each of the Galaxy's rails:
| Idle | Load | |
| +3.3v Rail | 10a | 20a |
| +5.0v Rail | 10a | 20a |
| +12v1 Rail | 5a | 15a |
| +12v2 Rail | 5a | 15a |
| +12v3 Rail | 5a | 15a |
| +12v4 Rail | 5a | 15a |
| +12v5 Rail | 5a | 15a |
As some power supplies produce obscure voltage outputs when running with 0% load, the Idle testing simulation will be produced by placing each rail under a small load similar to what would be expected from a mid-range PC. Load testing results are obtained by placing the unit under the maximum load selectable on the OC3D equipment without tripping the OLP (Over Load Protection) on the power supply.
The Galaxy proved to have very stable voltage regulation on its +3.3 and +5v rails when placed under load. Little fluctuation was exhibited, with both rails remaining well within ATX specifications and a maximum droop of 0.04v.
Continuing the trend, the Galaxy shows good voltage regulation on all of the +12v rails, this time managing to keep fluctuation at or below 0.15v.
Efficiency Testing
Efficiency tests are performed by measuring the wattage consumed by the power supply at the mains against the power (in watts) consumed by the OC3D power supply stress tester. These results may not be 100% accurate, but have proven to be extremely close to results obtained from professional equipment.
Efficiency Testing
Efficiency tests are performed by measuring the wattage consumed by the power supply at the mains against the power (in watts) consumed by the OC3D power supply stress tester. These results may not be 100% accurate, but have proven to be extremely close to results obtained from professional equipment.
At idle the Galaxy was placed under a total load of 383 watts with a recording of 465 watts consumption being obtained from the mains. Therefore the efficiency of the Galaxy 1kw at idle worked out to be 82.3%.
Increasing the load on the unit produced even more favourable results, with the Galaxy managing 84.8% efficiency when being placed under a total load of 1066 watts.
Noise Testing
Possibly the hardest part of any PSU review is summarising the level of noise given out by the unit. The threshold for what is considered 'noisy' varies from person to person and therefore what I may consider a quiet unit, another person may consider extremely loud. A common way to resolve this issue is to use a dBA meter to measure the units noise level, however this doesn't take into account the pitch (type) of noise emitted and whether it is likely to irritate end users.
For this reason OC3D records all power supplies at idle and load in wav format for you to make your own informed decisions. All recordings are taken at 30cm away from the PSU and outside of a PC case. You will need to remember that noise levels will be reduced by varying amounts once the PSU has been installed inside your PC enclosure.
Idle Recording - Download
Load Recording - Download
Increasing the load on the unit produced even more favourable results, with the Galaxy managing 84.8% efficiency when being placed under a total load of 1066 watts.
Noise Testing
Possibly the hardest part of any PSU review is summarising the level of noise given out by the unit. The threshold for what is considered 'noisy' varies from person to person and therefore what I may consider a quiet unit, another person may consider extremely loud. A common way to resolve this issue is to use a dBA meter to measure the units noise level, however this doesn't take into account the pitch (type) of noise emitted and whether it is likely to irritate end users.
For this reason OC3D records all power supplies at idle and load in wav format for you to make your own informed decisions. All recordings are taken at 30cm away from the PSU and outside of a PC case. You will need to remember that noise levels will be reduced by varying amounts once the PSU has been installed inside your PC enclosure.
Idle Recording - Download
Load Recording - Download
Most Recent Comments
That thing is huge....
Looks nice but I'd still buy a PCP&C
now thats a Power Supply!!!!
no no no get out of my head I've spent far too much already :D
Great review as always guys.
no no no get out of my head I've spent far too much already :D
Great review as always guys.
will that thing fit in a normal case lol
wheres NickS? somebody told me he liked enermax :p
wheres NickS? somebody told me he liked enermax :p
It's impressive... But To big?
1000w?! humph
*walks off in a huff*
*walks off in a huff*
Its nice having a 1KW PSU, amazingly enough hardware is coming out that can actually make use of its wattage. The size is kind of a downer, takes some finagling to get it into most cases, maybe a little Dremeling... but once its in, power problems become a thing of the past.
I had an Enermax Liberty 620W PSU, and after 3 months it popped, no rhyme or reason. Thankfully nothing else in my setup got damaged, bought a PC P&C 610W for my backup pc.
You can go cheap with some hardware, especially if reviews are favorable... but for a component that can destroy all your other hardware should something go wrong, I prefer to spend a bit more for piece of mind.
Also, I've read that modular is good, but not as good (yet) as non-modular(?) PSU's. Yes, the Galaxy is only half modular, and it is nice to be able to disconnect unused cables to keep clutter down in a case, but it's still modular. The upshot is that its less expensive than a PC P&C while still being a respectable brand name.
TJS
I had an Enermax Liberty 620W PSU, and after 3 months it popped, no rhyme or reason. Thankfully nothing else in my setup got damaged, bought a PC P&C 610W for my backup pc.
You can go cheap with some hardware, especially if reviews are favorable... but for a component that can destroy all your other hardware should something go wrong, I prefer to spend a bit more for piece of mind.
Also, I've read that modular is good, but not as good (yet) as non-modular(?) PSU's. Yes, the Galaxy is only half modular, and it is nice to be able to disconnect unused cables to keep clutter down in a case, but it's still modular. The upshot is that its less expensive than a PC P&C while still being a respectable brand name.
TJS
will that thing fit in a normal case lol
wheres NickS? somebody told me he liked enermax :p
Hehe. I saw a review on that a while ago @ JonnyGURU's site.
-- XMS, did you apply 15a * 5 at one time for a total of 75a of 12v? I wanna see what it does :D
dang :eek: thats one big fat psu :p
I have one of these beasts in a Coolermaster Stacker (massive case) and had to adapt the case for it to fit.The 120mm fan on the top will now not fit and had to bend back the alli clips so psu would fit in.Think its about 3 inches longer than a regular psu.
Once in the case it has been a sweet psu,and it is half modular but i only need one of the modular leads.Theoretically you could easilly run 2 high end gaming pc's from this psu.;)
Once in the case it has been a sweet psu,and it is half modular but i only need one of the modular leads.Theoretically you could easilly run 2 high end gaming pc's from this psu.;)
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