X-bit labs

ATX Power Supply Units Roundup. Part V (page 12)

Category: Other

by Oleg Artamonov

[ 11/21/2006 | 03:51 PM ]

CoolerMaster iGreen Power RS-600-ASAA (600W)

“Green” means the color of the case with Topower’s Silent Green model, but here it means the ecological purity of the product. To be exact, it means high efficiency and compliance with the American Energy Star and the German Blauer Engel programs.

The actual manufacturer of the iGreen Power (and the manufacturer of other CoolerMaster power supplies we’ve tested in our labs so far) is AcBel Polytech (UL# E131875).

The internal design of the PSU is very ordinary, except for the second transformer in the bottom left corner and the two capacitors with different ratings nearby. This transformer proved to be the choke of an active PFC device wound on an E-type instead of a toroidal-type core while the capacitors are connected in parallel so the difference in their capacitances plays no role at all. It was just easier for the PSU designer to make it like that.

Otherwise, it is quite an ordinary modern power supply. It has group voltage regulation; its main PWM and active PFC controllers are implemented with one CM6800G chip.

Two columns of parameters are specified for this PSU, for continuous and peak (not longer than 1 minute) loads. The latter thing looks funny for the three +12V outputs which are “virtual” in this PSU, just like in a majority of others. There is only one +12V power rail inside the PSU with a max current of 38A, which is divided into three output lines by 19-19.5A current limiters. Of course, the declaration of a sustained current of 8A and a peak current of 19A for one such output line makes no sense. You can pass a current of 19A through it as long as you want if the combined load on all the three 12V output lines is not higher than 38A.

Judging by the declared load capacity, this is a typical ATX12V 2.2 power supply. This means low allowable currents on the +5V and +3.3V lines because modern computers just don’t need more than that.