Ever since the home computer market began to grow, Enermax has always been one of the top power supply manufacturers in every enthusiast’s list. The company is one of the oldest in the field and has been supplying high performance power supplies to demanding users for 20 years. A company with such a reputation always has one line of top performance products for the most demanding of users. In this review we are going to test and review the Enermax Platimax 850W power supply, a product promising unequaled performance and bearing an 80Plus Platinum certification.Manufacturer’s features and specifications· 89PLUS ready! - World’s leading modular cable PSU series with 89-94% efficiency @ 20-100% load. Compliant with 80PLUS® PLATINUM efficiency requirement.· ErP Lot 6 ready! - Help system to meet ErP Lot 6 2010 (<1W at standby mode) with high efficiency +5Vsb circuitry.· C6 & Hybrid ready! - Maximum compatibility with C6 & hybrid states of current and future CPU & GPU generations by ZERO LOAD design.· DXXI ready! - 100% 6+2P (8P) PCI-E connector to support new generation DXXI graphic cards.· Future ready! - 12P modular design for possibly upcoming new CPU and GPU 10P and/or 12P connectors.· SERVER ready! - SSI PSDG support for latest Intel® Core™ Extreme/i7/i5/i3, Xeon™ and AMD® Opteron™ and SLI® or CrossFireX™ and downward compatible with EPS12V v2.92, v2.8.· World ready! - 100-240VAC in with automatic adjustment and active PFC for global usage.· 24/7 @ 50°C ready! - Non-Stop industrial class performance at 50°C ambient.· EMC ready! - Full-scale electromagnetic filtering protects your system against radiation interferences.· CordGuard - Fixing the AC cord tightly to avoid accidental shutdowns of your PC.· HeatGuard - Keeping PSU fan running for 30-60 seconds after shut down to dissipate the remaining system heat and prolonging system lifetime.· SafeGuard - Industry-leading multiple protection circuitry of OCP, OVP, DC UVP, OPP, OTP, SCP & SIP.· SpeedGuard - Advanced fuzzy logic fan speed control for optimal cooling and minimum noise. (Patented) .· Twister fan inside! - 13.9cm Twister-bearing fan with low noise and long lifetime. (100,000 hours MTBF, Patented)· 100% 105? Japanese electrolytic capacitors - Highest components standards for maximum durability and stability.· Dynamic Hybrid Transformer Topology - Technological breakthrough topology using a staged dynamic transformer array for extremely high efficiency with the most durable and stable output at any load.
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Thread: Enermax Platimax 850W PSU Review
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11-30-2011, 10:19 AM #1
Enermax Platimax 850W PSU Review
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11-30-2011, 10:23 AM #2 Re: Enermax Platimax 850W PSU Review
Enermax supplies the Platimax series power supply inside a flat, wide cardboard box with a very serious metallic theme. The artwork mostly revolves around the logo of the series itself, with plenty of information about the product to be found at the rear side of the box.
Inside the cardboard box everything is well secured and protected in separate compartments/drawers. The power supply itself is not protected by a nylon or cloth bag but lies tightly secured between cardboard pieces.
A fair bundle awaits those who will choose to purchase a Platimax series unit, although for the class of the product it could certainly have been richer. The bundle contains a standard manual, an A/C power cable, two high quality cable straps, a metallic hinge to lock the power cable attached to the unit, a sticker with the company logo and four common 3M mounting screws.
Since this is a modular unit, you will also receive a lot of modular cables and long “banana” pouch which can be used to store the extra cables. All of the cables are sleeved, with Enermax using a black sleeve but visually enriching it with yellow and red threads spiraling around the cables.
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11-30-2011, 10:25 AM #3 Re: Enermax Platimax 850W PSU Review
For their Platimax series units, Enermax is using a chassis similar to the one implemented for their Revolution and MaxRevo series. The chassis is sprayed with a textured grey paint which is rough on the touch, except from the area around the fan which is painted with a platinum-like reflecting grey color. The 850W version of the Platimax is not longer than the majority of ATX power supplies, measuring 18.5cm long.
The sticker with the unit’s electrical specifications and approvals can be found at the top side of the chassis, which will be invisible unless if installed in a case with the PSU compartment located at its bottom.
At the sides of the unit Enermax etched the series name and logo, a King’s crown.
The rear is entirely perforated to allow for the air pushed by the cooling fan to escape towards the outside of the case. Enermax have opted for a tight honeycomb design, which slightly reduces the airflow resistance and the aerodynamic noise. A simple on/off switch and a standard 3-DIN A/C power plug can be seen at the rear. There are also the mounting spots for the “Cordguard” holder, a simple latch holding the A/C power cable secured into place.
At the front we can see the numerous connectors for the modular cables. The 850W version of the Platimax is semi-modular even though the more powerful models are fully modular designs. The Molex-SATA cable connectors are black while the CPU-GPU connectors are red. Enermax also placed a very detailed sticker indicating not only the rails distribution but the use of each and every cable. The large black connectors are for the ATX and CPU power cables. This unit offers the following number of connectors:
Native cables
24-pin ATX connector
1 x 8 pin EPS CPU connector
1 x 4+4 pin EPS/ATX CPU connector
2 x 6+2 pin 12V PCIe connectors
Modular cables
2 x 6+2 pin 12V PCIe connectors
12 x SATA connectors
8 x Molex connectors
1 x Floppy connector
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11-30-2011, 10:27 AM #4 Re: Enermax Platimax 850W PSU Review
Enermax entrusted the cooling of their 80Plus Platinum power supply on a single 140mm fan with semi transparent blades. The “twister” bearing fan has a maximum rotational speed of 2000RPM.
Enermax designs and manufactures their products themselves; therefore there is no hidden OEM behind the Platimax. This time Enermax improved their 80Plus Gold platform used in their older Modu87+ and Pro87+ series, squeezing out even higher efficiency by minimal layout changes and better components.
The filtering stage begins with a small PCB attached to the rear of the A/C receptacle and continues onto the main PCB as well. The total number of components is four Y-type capacitors, two X-type capacitors, three filtering coils and a MOV.
Both of the primary capacitors are industrial grade, made by Rubycon and are rated at 390μF/400V and up to 105°C each. The secondary side capacitors are all made by Nippon Chemi-Con, making this power supply an all-Japanese affair.
On the secondary side of the unit Enermax used a lot of small daughterboards, two for the DC to DC circuits and a few smaller ones to help install the capacitors vertically, most likely in order to save space.
The heatsinks of the 850W Platimax unit are not very large but of adequate size, especially considering this product boasts 80Plus Platinum efficiency which should make the heatsinks more than sufficient for the thermal needs of the unit.
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11-30-2011, 10:30 AM #5 Re: Enermax Platimax 850W PSU Review
In order to provide you with the most professional and accurate reviews, we are using the following equipment to test the performance of power supplies:
Modified SECC steel case with thermal generation and control components installed
Custom USB controlled DC load, 2.2KW maximum power drain
3KVA VARIAC
Lutron DW-6091 Power Analyzer
USB Instruments Stingray Oscilloscope
SL-5868P digital sound level meter
CompuLAB interface
MyPClab thermal interface
Labjack U3-HV interface
Custom calibration box
Custom software
More information about our testing equipment and methodology can be found in this article.
The Enermax Platimax 850W power supply unit successfully completed all of our tests without any operational and/or performance problems. While this will certainly sound strange, we were slightly disappointed by the excellent electrical performance of the power supply; given the class and price tag of the Platimax unit, we expected to receive the very best possible electrical performance achievable today. The Platimax 850W unit does perform exceptionally well but neither the regulation nor the ripple suppression is the best we have ever seen. The ripple reached slightly over 40mV under maximum load while the regulation is very good but could have been tighter.
As anyone could expect from an 80Plus Platinum certified power supply, the efficiency of the Enermax Platimax 850W unit is ridiculously high by today’s standards. Even when powered from a 110V A/C source, the power supply maintains an efficiency higher than 90% across the entire load range. The electrical efficiency of the Platimax may even reach up to almost 95% under nominal load if the unit is powered from a 230V A/C source.
The outrageously high electrical efficiency appears to be having a very positive impact on the unit’s thermal performance as well. With a temperature delta of only 5 Celsius degrees under nominal load and 13 degrees Celsius under maximum load, the Platimax barely even gets warm during operation.
The Platimax 850W unit does behave a little strangely when it comes to acoustics. It appears as if the power supply is programmed to stay absolutely silent up to 70% load, after which the noise levels rise dramatically. Even when fully loaded though the Platimax is one of the most quiet power supplies we have ever tested in our labs.
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11-30-2011, 10:31 AM #6 Re: Enermax Platimax 850W PSU Review
Quality (30% of the total score)
The overall quality of the Enermax Platimax 850W unit is excellent but improvements can be made. The chassis of the power supply is immaculate, without even the slightest imperfection physically or aesthetically. On the inside, Enermax chose some of the highest and most reliable quality components. While the assembly quality is well above average, unfortunately it is easy to notice that several soldering joints were made by hand. The soldering job is by no means bad but it is not in par with the class of the product and could use some improvement.
Quality Score 9.0/10
Performance (40% of the total score)
The performance of the Enermax Platimax 850W unit is by all means excellent. The power supply offers great electrical performance, ludicrously high electrical efficiency and exceptional thermal and acoustics performance. As a matter of fact, this power supply runs so cool and quiet that HTPC users will find it unbelievable. For the price this power supply retails at however several enthusiasts would expect it to deliver top of the class performance on every aspect and that unfortunately is not the case; the electrical performance of the power supply, as good as it may be, is not the best we have ever seen and both the voltage regulation and line ripple could be improved further.
Performance Score 9.0/10
Value (20% of the total score)
When it comes to value, everything becomes very complicated. The Enermax Platimax certainly offers unequalled electrical efficiency and great overall performance but on the other hand the retail price tag of this power supply is considerably higher than that of any power supply with a similar power output, meaning that the Platimax 850W unit is the by far the most expensive 850W power supply currently available. With a retail price tag of 240$ USD for the 850W version at the time of this review, even the MaxRevo series from Enermax themselves are going to be a tough competitor for the Platimax series which will be probably sought after only by those who care about having the most efficient power supply available and nothing else.
Value Score 7.0/10
Aesthetics (10% of the total score)
People who are looking for something special concerning the appearance of their power supply and the tidiness of their PC will certainly love the Enermax Platimax unit. Its unique paint job and the modular design are going to make it a favorite among modders. The only thing one could suggest that the colored cable sleeves do more harm than good this time, lowering the very classy and serious appearance of the Platimax and that simple black or silver sleeve cables would look a lot more elegant.
Aesthetics Score 9.5/10
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