X-bit labs

ATX Power Supply Units Roundup. Part IX (page 5)

Category: Other

by Oleg Artamonov

[ 03/28/2008 | 02:47 PM ]

Gigabyte Superb 550 GE-P450N-C2 (450W)

A major manufacturer of mainboards, Gigabyte has diversified its business recently, starting up PSU production. Well, Gigabyte is not the actual maker of Gigabyte-branded PSUs. The inexpensive Superb 550 model is made by AcBel Polytech.

The PSU is shipped in a black-and-white box with “550W” in large print and “Peak performance” in small print. These two captions should be understood together: 550W is the peak output power of the PSU, not the continuous one.

The device has a matte black case of the standard ATX size. It is not very easy to take it apart: the two halves are fastened with screws as well as with the sticker label.

The input voltage switch is a sure indicator of the lack of an active PFC device because power supplies with active Power Factor Correction support either 220V mains voltage (without the option of switching) or the entire input voltage range from 90V through 264V.

Although made by a third party, the PSU is obviously designed especially for Gigabyte. The PCB is painted Gigabyte’s traditional blue.

The components are very dense inside due to the small size of the PCB. You can see the latter doesn’t take up all of the PSU’s interior. The heatsinks have a copper-like color, but are actually made from anodized aluminum. The circuit design is quite ordinary for today: an UC3843-based PWM controller, a TNY277P-based standby regulator, no active PFC, no joint voltage regulation. To remind you again, this is a junior model in Gigabyte’s product line-up.

The PSU is equipped with a 120x120x25mm fan (Protechnic Electric MGA12012HS-O25). Despite the translucent plastic, the fan is not highlighted. About 40% of its area is covered with a piece of plastic film for a more uniform distribution of air inside the PSU.

According to the label, the PSU is intended for a continuous load of 450W, i.e. 100W lower than the number on the box. It has two “virtual” +12V lines and can yield up to 30A (360W) across them – this is 40W lower than ATX12V Power Supply Design Guide 2.2 recommends for PSUs of such wattage.

The PSU has the following cables and connectors:

• Mainboard cable with a 24-pin connector (35cm long)
• CPU cable with a 4+4-pin connector (38cm)
• Graphics card cables with a 6-pin plug (40cm)
• One cable with two Molex connectors and one floppy-drive plug (40+11+12cm)
• Two cables with one Molex and two SATA power connectors on each (40+11+11cm)

A 6-pin → 8-pin adapter for the graphics card is included into the box.

This selection of connectors is up to the PSU’s positioning. I would note the four SATA connectors on two cables again: this allows easily connecting both a DVD drive and a HDD.