XPG CyberCore II 1000 Platinum power supply review

High-power power supplies (1000 W or more) are usually purchased for special applications, such as use in specialized test systems, for powerful computers used in rendering, computing, and overclocking systems. Sometimes such power supplies are purchased to provide power reserves for an existing system or to accommodate a future upgrade. Prices for such solutions can vary significantly, making choosing a model with the right price-quality ratio a challenge for the buyer. Today we will look at one of the gaming power supply models available on the market.

A little over a year ago, we tested one of the top models of XPG power supplies — CyberCore 1000 Platinum. Over the past time, it has become necessary to adapt current gaming models to the ATX 3.0 standard, including adding a 12VHPWR connector to power particularly powerful modern video cards. The main focus of the update was on meeting standards and adding new features. The CyberCore II 1000 Platinum PSU is also 80+ Platinum certified and uses Japanese capacitors. The Nidec roller bearing fan cooling system operates in hybrid mode, which means it turns off under certain operating conditions.

The design of the power supply stands out due to its minimalism. Despite the “game” nature of the brand, there is no backlighting here. The ventilation grille is made of wire, which adds another advantage to the design of the unit.

The length of the power supply housing is approximately 160 mm, to which you need to add 15-20 mm for ease of wiring. Therefore, when installing, it is recommended to consider an overall size of approximately 180mm. For power supplies of this power, these dimensions can be considered quite compact. Nowadays, some new models with a power of around a kilowatt fit into standard 140 mm length housings, as opposed to the larger sizes typical of previous versions.

The packaging is a cardboard box of sufficient strength with matte printing and an illustration depicting the power supply itself. The design is dominated by shades of black and red.

All necessary characteristics are given in full on the power supply housing. The declared power for the +12VDC bus is 1000 W, which corresponds to 100% of full power. This figure is certainly excellent.

Without exception, all wires are modular, that is, they can be removed, leaving only those that are necessary for a particular system.

• 1 cord: to the main ATX connector — 63 cm
• 2 cords: to the 8 pin SSI processor socket — 75 cm
• 2 cords: to the video card power connector PCIe 2.0 VGA Power Connector — 75 cm
• 2 cords: to the first PCIe 2.0 VGA Power Connector video card power connector — 75 cm, plus another 15 cm to the second same connector
• 1 cord: to the video card power connector PCIe 5.0 VGA Power Connector — 63 cm
• 2 cords: to the first SATA Power Connector — 60 cm, plus 15 cm to the second, another 15 cm to the third and another 15 cm to the fourth same connector
• 1 cord: to the first Peripheral Connector (Molex) — 60 cm, plus 15 cm to the second, another 15 cm to the third and another 15 cm to the fourth similar connector

The length of the power supply cables provides sufficient headroom for convenient use in full tower and larger cases with a top-mounted power supply. Even in cases with a height of up to 55 cm and a bottom-mounted power supply, the length of the wires is also sufficient, especially for the processor power connectors, where it reaches 75 centimeters.

It is important to note that connecting four PCIe 2.0 cords is only possible when using one processor power cord at the same time. If you need to connect two processor cords, you will have to discard one of the PCIe 2.0 cords.

However, the kit does not include an adapter from a PCIe 5.0 slot to two PCIe 2.0 slots, which could be useful and is likely feasible for the manufacturer without significant difficulties, given the cost of this model.

It should also be noted that the power supply allows you to connect only 8 devices with SATA Power connectors, which may not be enough for certain configurations. The lack of a variety of cords with SATA Power connectors included can also create difficulties when connecting devices with a non-standard arrangement.

The use of ribbon cables for peripheral connectors is a positive, although it would have been helpful to include cords with straight SATA Power connectors in the kit for easier connection of devices in hard-to-reach places. While the main wires have a standard nylon braid, which, although resistant to dust, can be difficult to clean.

The power supply has a built-in active power factor correction for efficient operation. A wide range of operating voltages from 100 to 240 volts guarantees stable operation of the power supply even when the voltage in the electrical network changes within standard values and decreases.

The design of the power supply carefully meets modern requirements. There is an active power factor corrector, a synchronous rectifier for the +12VDC channel, as well as independent pulse-DC converters for the +3.3VDC and +5VDC lines.

The elements of semiconductor high-voltage circuits are effectively cooled by two radiators, while the input rectifier is located on a separate heat sink. The elements of the synchronous rectifier are located on a daughter board equipped with small heat dissipating elements in the form of thin plates. The synchronous rectifier board is mounted vertically, which provides improved cooling compared to the surface mount option of placing the synchronous rectifier elements on the main board.

The isolated +3.3VDC and +5VDC sources are located on a separate daughterboard and, as usual, are not equipped with additional heat sinks — which is standard practice for power supplies with active cooling.

The device uses capacitors exclusively from Japanese manufacturers: Nippon Chemi-Con and Rubycon, as well as a wide range of polymer capacitors.

The isolated +3.3VDC and +5VDC sources are located on a separate daughterboard and, as usual, are not equipped with additional heat sinks — which is standard practice for power supplies with active cooling.

The device uses capacitors exclusively from Japanese manufacturers: Nippon Chemi-Con and Rubycon, as well as a wide range of polymer capacitors.

Next, we move on to an instrumental study of the electrical characteristics of the power source using a multifunctional stand and other equipment.

The deviation of the output voltages from the nominal value is color coded as follows:

The first stage of testing is to operate the power supply at maximum power for a long time. Such a test allows you to confidently verify the functionality of the power supply.

The next step in instrumental testing is the construction of the cross-load characteristic (CLC) and its visualization on a quarter-plane. This plane is limited by the maximum power on the 3.3&5 V bus on one side (along the ordinate) and the maximum power on the 12 V bus on the other side (along the x-axis). At each point, the measured voltage value is indicated by a color marker reflecting the deviation from the nominal value.

Analysis of the cross-load characteristic (CLC) allows you to determine the acceptable load level, especially on the +12VDC channel, for the power supply being tested. In this case, deviations of the current voltage values from the nominal value on the +12VDC channel do not exceed 1% over the entire power range, which is a very good indicator. With a typical power distribution across channels, deviations from the nominal are no more than 2% for the +3.3VDC channel, 1% for the +5VDC channel and 1% for the +12VDC channel.

This power supply model is perfect for powerful modern systems due to the high load capacity of the +12VDC channel.

The following test is designed to determine the maximum power that can be supplied through the corresponding connectors with a normal voltage deviation of 3 or 5 percent from the nominal voltage.

In the case of a video card with a single power connector, the maximum power over the +12VDC channel is at least 150 W with a deviation within 3%.

In the case of a video card with two power connectors when using one power cord, the maximum power over the +12VDC channel is at least 250 W with a deviation within 3%.

In the case of a video card with two power connectors, when using two power cords, the maximum power over the +12VDC channel is at least 350 W with a deviation within 3%, which allows the use of very powerful video cards.

When loaded through three PCIe 2.0 connectors, the maximum power over the +12VDC channel is at least 600 W with a deviation within 3%.

When loaded through the processor power connector, the maximum power via the +12VDC channel is at least 230 W with a deviation within 3%. This is quite enough for typical systems that have only one connector on the motherboard for powering the processor.

When loaded through two processor power connectors, the maximum power via the +12VDC channel is about 500 W with a deviation within 3%.

In the context of a motherboard, the maximum power on the +12VDC channel is at least 150 W with a tolerance of 3%. Considering that the motherboard itself consumes approximately 10 W per channel, significant power may be required to power additional devices such as expansion cards. For example, video cards without an additional power connector usually have a power consumption of about 75 W. However, it is unlikely that anyone will use such video cards with this model of power supply.

Evaluating the efficiency of a computer power supply can be done using two main methods. The first approach is to consider the power supply as an independent converter of electrical energy with the subsequent desire to minimize losses when transferring energy from the power supply to the load. This involves measuring the current and voltage at the output of the power supply connected to all available connectors. However, this method is not always practical, since in real conditions the power supply is usually connected to a limited number of connectors, which creates an uneven playing field for different power supplies with different sets of connectors.

An alternative approach to evaluating efficiency is to use absolute values such as power dissipation, the energy consumption of a power supply over a specified period of time, assuming a constant load. This allows you to evaluate real energy losses and calculate the economic efficiency of the power supply.

At the same time, the standard coefficient of performance (COP) of the power supply, although it is a technical indicator, does not have a significant impact on the performance or temperature inside the system unit. It is more often used for marketing purposes and in combination with 80Plus certification.

To objectively assess the efficiency of a power supply, it is proposed to use absolute values, such as power dissipation, which is easily converted into kilowatt-hours. This value can be used to calculate the cost of energy consumption over a long period of time, allowing you to compare the economic benefits of different power supply models.

The results obtained look like this:

This model has relatively high efficiency in all tested modes; it is a quite typical representative of power supplies with the 80Plus Platinum certificate level.

In terms of overall efficiency at low and medium power, this model ranks among the top ten on our list at the time of testing.

In this case, we also provide measurements of traditional efficiency . The results were recorded at a constant load on the +3.3VDC (5 W) and +5VDC (15 W) channels and variable power on the +12VDC channel.

We measured the parameters of the power supply at 9 different points. The result is a maximum efficiency factor (COP) of 93.9% with an output power of 850 W. The maximum power dissipation was 71 W with an output power of 1000 W, which is a relatively small value for a power supply with this power.

The thermal load of the capacitors when operating at power up to the maximum is at a satisfactory level, the highest heating corresponds to operation in the mode with the fan stopped.

We analyzed the operation of the power supply in the hybrid mode of the cooling system. The results showed that the fan in the power supply is activated when the temperature sensor reaches a certain temperature (approximately 67 degrees) or when the power output reaches about 600 watts. The fan turns off only when the temperature at the temperature sensor drops to a certain level (approximately 50 degrees). Thus, when operating at a power of less than 300 watts, the power supply is capable of operating for a long time with the fan turned off. At the same time, no sharp increase in the noise level was detected when the fan started.

It should also be noted that when operating with the fan turned off, the temperature of the internal components of the power supply is highly dependent on the ambient air temperature. If it rises to 40-45 °C, this may cause the fan to turn on earlier.

When measuring the noise level of power supplies, the following methodology was used. The power supply was placed on a flat surface with the fan up, and the measuring microphone of the Oktava 110A-Eco sound level meter was installed at a distance of 0.35 meters above it. The load on the power supply was carried out using a special stand with a silent operating mode. During the noise level measurement process, the power supply was operated at constant power for 20 minutes, after which the noise level was measured.

The selected distance to the measurement object corresponds to typical conditions for placing a system unit with a power supply installed on a table. This measurement method allows you to evaluate the noise level of the power supply when the noise source is close to the user. By increasing the distance to the noise source and adding additional barriers with good sound reflectivity, the noise level at the control point will also decrease, which will improve the overall acoustic ergonomics.

When operating at 50 W, there was a high level of electronic noise that affected the overall noise level of the power supply, even though the fan was not running in this mode. This noise is somewhat different from usual, rather being mid-frequency. Despite this, when installing the power supply into the system unit, its visibility should be minimal.

Electronic noise measurements were taken at a distance of 0.35 m from the ventilation grille:

When running at 400W, the power supply's noise level remains at a low level suitable for residential use during the day — approximately 24 dBA from a distance of 0.35 meters.

When operating at 500 W, the noise level also remains at a level suitable for residential use during the day.

When operating at 750W, the noise level becomes elevated for residential use during the day.

When running at 850W, the noise level exceeds 40dBA, making it high for residential use during the day.

When operating at maximum power (1000 W), the noise level is 48.2 dBA, which could theoretically be tolerable for use in an office environment. However, please note that at maximum load the noise may be higher.

Thus, from an acoustic point of view, this model provides a comfortable noise level with an output power of up to 400 W, which is an excellent result.

XPG CyberCore II 1000 Platinum delivers outstanding consumer performance, especially when used in home systems with commodity components. The acoustic ergonomics of a power supply up to 400 W inclusive are rated as very good. Notable advantages are the high load capacity of the +12VDC channel, high-quality power supply to individual components, a large number of connectors and high efficiency. During testing, no significant deficiencies were identified.

Among the positive aspects is the use of Japanese capacitors and a fan with a rolling bearing. The power supply cables are long enough for modern cases, and the convenience of completely removable cables is also noted.

Hybrid mode works without noticeable problems, although some users might appreciate having a button on the case to turn it off.

XPG CyberCore II 1000 Platinum is a high-quality and fairly expensive product, ideal for use in home systems of varying power, including systems with two high-performance video cards.

The technical and operational characteristics of the XPG CyberCore II 1000 Platinum are at a high level due to the outstanding load capacity of the +12VDC channel, high efficiency, the use of a high-quality Nidec fan with a rolling bearing, and the use of capacitors from Japanese manufacturers. A long service life of this model is predicted even under high loads and active use. The power supply also allows long-term operation with the fan stopped at a power of up to 300 W.