In-Win IW-P430J2-0

We have got two samples of this PSU model in our labs. One was selling in a box separate of a system case and another was extracted from an In-Win IW-J551TA case. There are only superficial differences between the two: the boxed PSU doesn’t have an input voltage switch and can only work in a 220VAC power grid whereas the PSU preinstalled in the system case is equipped with such a switch.

This model has been long in In-Win’s product range and has become hopelessly obsolete by now. It complies with the ATX12V 1.3 standard that was ratified in April 2003 as transitional from ATX12V 1.2 to 2.0. This transition is long over, and most of the major manufacturers do not offer PSUs compliant with the ATX specification earlier than 2.0 even for inexpensive microATX system cases now. But here we are dealing with a power supply that sells either separately or in a full-size ATX system case!

The internal design of the PSU is familiar to me by my earlier tests of In-Win products. It is a typical enough product with a circuit design that is steadily passing away: a half-bridge push-pull converter with a controller on an SG6105 chip (it may be remarked as In-Win IW1688 in some PSUs). The standby source is assembled out of discrete components. Active PFC is not provided for, but passive PFC can be installed.

The PSU has thick aluminum heatsinks with horizontal ribs. That’s not the best thing possible for the fan that is blowing at them from above rather than sideways. The PSU has got the following cables and connectors:

• Mainboard cable with a 24-pin connector (40cm long)
• CPU cable with a 4-pin connector (45cm long)
• Cable with two Molex connectors and one floppy mini-plug (25cm from the PSU case to the first plug, 15cm more to the second Molex plug and yet more 25cm to the floppy plug)
• Cable with three Molex connectors (50cm+15cm+15cm)
• Cable with two Molex connectors (40cm+15cm)
• Cable with two SATA power connectors (41cm+15cm)

As I wrote above, the PSU is declared to comply with the ATX12V 1.3 standard. This means that it doesn’t have to provide a load current of over 18A on the +12V power rail. In other words, the maximum output power of this power supply is going to be not much higher than 216W in a modern computer where it is the +12V rail that bears most of the total load.

There is a certain oddity about this label. There’s a bold caption, “430W Output”, but the table lists quite different numbers, with a total of only 350W. So, what wattage does the IW-P430J2-0 really have? 350W or 430W?