Chieftec a 135 series power supply. Cooling system and temperature conditions

We started our acquaintance with power supplies from the new CHIEFTEC A-135 series. Let us remind that its lineup includes eleven devices, the power of which ranges from 400 to 1000 W. The series itself can be conditionally divided into two subgroups: blocks with a standard implementation of power cables and a modular one. Last time we looked at the model with non-detachable wires. In this review, we will get acquainted with the power supply, which belongs to the second subgroup. It got its name and has a power of 650 watts.

CHIEFTEC APS-650CB Power Supply Specification:

Manufacturer
Rated power, W
Power on the 12V channel, W
Line power + 3.3V and + 5V, W
Lines + 12V
	3.3V - 22 A, + 5V - 22 A, + 12V1, + 12V2 - 26 A, -12V - 0.3 A, + 5VSB (standby power line) - 2.5 A
PCI-E slots	2 (6 + 2-pin)
CrossFire Certified
Modular
80 PLUS certified
Power factor (PF),%
Power Factor Correction Method	Active
Input voltage, V
frequency Hz
Input current, A
Fan size, mm	135 x 135 x 25
Fan speed controller
Noise level, dB
Mean time between failures (MTBF), hours
Electromagnetic safety and compatibility (EMI / EMC)
	OVP, UVP, OPP, SCP
RoHS Compliant (Low Lead Cadmium Solder)
Dimensions (LxWxH), mm	155 x 150 x 87
Equipment	power cord, fixing screws, modular cables, instructions
Warranty
Products webpage

See all prices for Chieftec + APS-650CB

Packaging, delivery set and appearance

For all modular blocks from the new A-135 series, the same packing is developed from thick cardboard with high-quality printing and a convenient handle for transportation. It looks pretty attractive, though there is not much useful information on it. Only the emblems of the 80 PLUS Bronze certificate and ATI CrossFireX and NVIDIA SLI technologies deserve special attention. It would not be superfluous to place a logo with the inscription "Intel Haswell Ready". Indeed, it is precisely the compliance with all the requirements of Intel Haswell processors (the ability to deliver a minimum current of 0.05 A) that is one of the advantages of new products from CHIEFTEC.

The delivery set includes only the most necessary components that the user will need during the installation and connection of the device:

• modular cables;
• power cord;
• four fixing screws;
• instruction.

The set of modular cables is not shown in the photo, we will get acquainted with it in more detail a little later.

Despite the presence of modular connectors, the dimensions of the CHIEFTEC APS-650CB remained standard - 155 x 150 x 87 mm. The power supply is painted black with a glossy sheen, so it will look worthy in cases with a side window. The top panel is covered with a huge grill-type grill, the front panel is made in the form of a mesh with small stamped cells. Note that the "grill" is slightly "recessed" into the top cover, so installing the power supply on the bottom of the computer case with the grill down shouldn't cause any difficulties.

The rear panel contains connectors for connecting power cables. CHIEFTEC APS-650CB refers to the so-called "semi-modular" solutions. That is, the main cables for powering the motherboard and the processor are brought directly out of the case, and the wires for connecting other devices have already been made detachable.

In total, CHIEFTEC APS-650CB is equipped with six modular connectors: red are used to connect video cards, black - for peripherals. Note that the connectors through which additional power is supplied to the video cards are connected to different + 12V lines. This will allow to more evenly distribute the load and avoid voltage drops of + 12V in the case of using highly productive hardware, especially during overclocking.

Two cables are brought directly from the power supply - for powering the motherboard and additional power for the processor. They are quite stiff, as they are in a nylon braid, and in some places they are tightened by heat shrinkage.

The main 24-pin ATX power connector is non-separable. A 4 + 4-pin connector is provided for additional processor power.

The set of detachable cables consists of six positions: wires with red connectors are used for connecting video cards, and with black ones - for peripherals. PCIE connectors have 6 + 2-pin design, that is, the user can power one "top-end" video accelerator without using adapters. In addition, these connectors are located on separate cables, which will greatly simplify their routing.

All available types of connectors, as well as the length of the wires, are shown in the table:

Connector types	amount	Length of wires to connector (s), cm
Cables routed directly from the power supply
24-pin ATX power connector
4 + 4 pin ATX12V power connector
Modular (detachable) cables
6 + 2 pin PCIE connector
three SATA connectors
two PATA connectors and one FDD connector

On the back wall, the manufacturer has placed a label with technical characteristics. + 12V channel power is 585 W; + 3.3V and + 5V lines have a maximum total power of 120 W and are capable of withstanding a load of 22 A each. The + 12V channel is divided into two lines, each of which is designed for a load of 26 A.

In terms of energy efficiency, the CHIEFTEC APS-650CB power supply meets the 80 PLUS Bronze standard, as indicated by the image on the label. Recall that power supplies are standardized as 80 PLUS Bronze if their efficiency for 230V at 20%, 50% and 100% loads does not drop below 81%, 85% and 81%, respectively.

It is also worth noting the wide range of input voltages - from 115 to 230V, which makes it possible to abandon the use of external power supply voltage regulators in an unstable power grid.

Internal organization

The process of disassembling the power supply is quite simple, you just need to unscrew the four fixing screws on the top cover. True, in this case, you risk losing the warranty on the device itself. A sticker on one of the screws also reminds of this.

To cool the internal components of the power supply, a 135 mm GLOBE FAN RL4Z S1352512H fan is used. The letter "S" in the designation indicates that a sleeve bearing is used here.

A more complete fan specification is shown in the table below:

Fan	GLOBE FAN RL4Z S1352512H
Bearing type	slip
Supply voltage, V
Power, W
Maximum rotation speed, rpm
Airflow CFM
Noise level, dB
Dimensions, mm	135 x 135 x 25

A small transparent plastic plate is attached to the fan to optimize airflow inside the PSU.

The CHIEFTEC APS-650CB uses the same platform that we saw in another representative of the new A-135 series - the CHIEFTEC APS-550SB block. However, there are some differences. First of all, they touched the passive part of the cooling system. The radiators on which the power elements are attached have become noticeably larger, therefore, the effective heat dissipation area has increased. In addition, another board has appeared with modular connectors located on it. But you can determine the differences in the element base only by looking in detail at each node separately.

A filter is installed at the input to smooth out high-frequency noise emitted into the network by the power supply. This is a standard node for high-quality power supplies, so we are more interested in the set of elements used. There are no special remarks, the dimensions of the chokes are a little confusing, but otherwise the whole order. I also liked the care with which the manufacturer approached the isolation of the filter components.

Nearby is a high voltage rectifier bridge and an active power factor correction (APFC) module. A rather large aluminum radiator is used to cool the APFC keys. The APFC PWM controller is soldered on the back of the PCB.

The power section of the APFC consists of two field-effect transistors (AP20S60I) and a Schottky diode (it was not possible to consider its value).

The input capacitor is the same as in the CHIEFTEC APS-550SB unit. Moreover, not only the name of the manufacturer coincides (the Taiwanese company Kuan Kun Electronic Enterprise, better known under the Su "scon brand), but also the cell rating (330 μF x 400 V, operating temperature up to 85 ° C).

The main converter is built according to the usual half-bridge scheme with two switches, which are cooled by a separate aluminum radiator. The power transformer is quite large to match the power supply capacity.

Since the platform for both units (CHIEFTEC APS-650CB and CHIEFTEC APS-550SB) is the same, the device of the low-voltage part has not changed either. The main voltages are also formed using diode assemblies. For this topology, the 80 PLUS Bronze efficiency is pretty good. In total, we counted six diodes in the low-voltage part, however, it was not possible to determine how many of them are allocated to each of the lines.

The voltage stabilization system is organized according to the group principle, as indicated by a large coil with + 5V and + 12V channel windings. A separate smaller choke is provided for the + 3.3V line. To filter the output voltages, quite a lot of capacitors from the high-temperature series (up to 105 ° C) are used. The manufacturer is the same Kuan Kun Electronic Enterprise (Su "scon). The quality of its products can be assessed as average.

The board with modular connectors is pretty small. We did not find any additional smoothing elements here.

The Infinno ST9S313A-DAG supervisor, familiar to us from the CHIEFTEC APS-550SB block, is also responsible for controlling the output voltages (UVP / OVP) on all three channels (+ 3.3V, + 5V, + 12V).

The quality of the soldering is pretty good, no drips or critical flaws were noticed.

Testing

Cross load characteristics

According to the ATX12V standard, the allowable voltage tolerance range for all power lines is ± 5% of the line rating.

During cross-load tests on the main supply lines, the following supply voltage deviations were recorded:

• + 3.3V line: from -5% to + 3%;
• + 5V line: from -4% to + 4%;
• + 12V line: from -3% to + 2%

Overall, the stabilization system performed well in this test. On all lines, the voltage deviation range does not exceed the permissible limits.

Noise and ripple across the entire voltage range

The ATX12V standard specifies the following peak-to-peak ripple limits:

• lines + 3.3V and + 5V: 50 mV;
• + 12V line: 120 mV.

According to the diagrams above, on the + 3.3V and + 5V power lines, the ripple level did not exceed 50 mV, and on the + 12V line - 75 mV. We draw your attention to the excellent condition of the + 12V line, where the noise was significantly lower than the permissible 120 mV.

Duty power line + 5VSB

The status of the CHIEFTEC APS-650CB standby power line is quite good. Depending on the load, the voltage across it varies from 5.16 V to 5.00 V.

Table showing the change in PFC depending on the load of the power supply:

Load * - load as a percentage of the rated power of the power supply.

The power factor correction module of the CHIEFTEC APS-650CB power supply does its job very well. As can be seen from the table, already when the load reached 280 W, the PFC coefficient exceeded the 0.9 mark, while the maximum value (0.98) was recorded at loads over 450 W.

The test of real efficiency under different loads confirmed the compliance of the CHIEFTEC APS-650CB power supply with the 80 PLUS Bronze standard for a voltage of 230 V. As you can see from the graph, at loads of 20%, 50% and 100% of the rated power, the efficiency of the power supply exceeds 81%, 85 % and 81% respectively.

Cooling system and temperature conditions

You can indirectly estimate the noise level of the device by the fan speed at different load values. The time interval after which the rotation speed was measured and the subsequent increase in power was about twenty minutes. The measurement results are marked with dots on the graph. The ambient temperature for the power supply was approximately 27 ° C. It should be noted that the air inside the computer case can be much hotter, in particular, the temperature of 40 ° C is quite acceptable. At the same time, the load itself created by the computer system is variable, which facilitates the temperature regime of the power supply.

Up to 150 W, the CHIEFTEC APS-650CB power supply is very quiet. Above a load of 150 W, the noise level rises slightly, but remains quite comfortable.

But, poor cooling of the components became the payback for the low noise. Above is the power supply temperature map at 550 W load (85% of rated power) after 20 minutes of operation. During the experiment, a strong heating of the power transformer and the group stabilization choke of voltages + 5V and + 12V was noticeable. But it was not even the maximum load yet. The manufacturer clearly miscalculated when choosing a fan. Installing a more powerful "turntable" could improve the situation. Still, overheating components is not the price to pay for low noise levels.

OverLOAD

Despite the poor cooling system, we decided to test the CHIEFTEC APS-650CB for overload. It turned out that the power supply can work stably even at a load of 680 W, which is equal to an increase of + 4.6% to the nominal power. At a load of 690 W, the supply voltages at the output took on values \u200b\u200bthat did not fit into the permissible limits. Therefore, it was pointless to continue the experiment further.

Practical tests on real configuration

To build a real computer system, a powerful 6-core Intel Core i7-3930K processor was used, overclocked to 4.3 GHz with a voltage rise to 1.36 V. As a video accelerator, we used ZOTAC GeForce GTX 480 AMP !, which rightfully can be considered the most "gluttonous" among video cards.

Motherboard	ASUS P9X79 PRO (Socket LGA 2011, Intel X79 Express)
CPU	Intel Core i7-3930K (LGA2011, 3.2GHz, L3 12MB) @ 4.3GHz, 1.36V
	Thermalright TRUE Spirit 120M
RAM	4 x DDR3-1333 4096 MB Transcend PC3-10600
Video cards	ZOTAC GeForce GTX 480 AMP!
HDD	Western Digital Caviar Blue 1TB (WD10EALX)
	Spire SwordFin SP9007B with two 120mm fans
Wattmeter	Seasonic PowerAngel
Multimeter

The measurements were carried out in two modes: simple and maximum load, which was created using the Linpack and FurMark 1.10.4 utilities. During testing, the total power consumption of the system was measured using a Seasonic PowerAngel, the voltage on the power lines is + 12V; + 5V; + 3.3V was measured with a MASTECH MY64 multimeter.

As a result of measuring the supply voltage on the output power lines, the following values \u200b\u200bwere obtained:

			CHIEFTEC APS-550SB		Seasonic M12II-650 Bronze
	Value, V	Deviation,%	Value, V	Deviation,%	Value, V	Deviation,%
	Input power consumption, W

The voltage stabilization system did a good job with the powerful gaming configuration. All stresses, regardless of the nature of the load, remained within the permissible limits. A slight voltage drop was observed only on the + 12V line, but a deviation of -0.8% can hardly be called significant.

The input power consumption of the CHIEFTEC APS-650CB in different operating modes ("Idle", "Burn") is comparable to that of other power supplies that meet the 80 PLUS Bronze standard.

Power consumption when the computer is idle and off

Power supplies	Power consumption in mode, W
CHIEFTEC APS-550SB
Seasonic M12II-650 Bronze

The same can be said about the power consumption of the CHIEFTEC APS-650CB power supply when the computer is off and in sleep mode. By this parameter, it can also be put on a par with other "bronze" devices.

conclusions

Based on the results of testing, we can safely say that it has every chance of becoming a "people's" power supply. At a relatively low cost, it is distinguished by a good condition of the output power lines under various types of loads, as well as high efficiency (81 - 85%). I also liked the internal structure of this model. Unlike budget blocks, all the necessary nodes are present here, and the element base is far from the worst quality. CHIEFTEC APS-650CB has a nominal power of 650W and two 6 + 2-pin PCIE connectors, which will allow it to be used in fairly powerful systems. We have seen the latter in practice during testing. In addition, almost all cables are made detachable, which greatly simplifies their installation.

But, this model has one serious drawback, which for some users can negate all its advantages. We are talking about the cooling system, rather even about its active part - the fan. Yes, it works very quietly, but at the same time it is not efficient enough. Under high continuous loads, we observed overheating of some components. So, when buying CHIEFTEC APS-650CB, you should also pay great attention to the ventilation of the case.

In general, CHIEFTEC APS-650CB can be called a good choice in its price segment. But, not the best implementation of the cooling system prevents him from getting the status of the "best".

Advantages:

• relatively high efficiency (compliance with the 80 PLUS Bronze standard);
• partial modular cable management;
• the presence of two 6 + 2-pin connectors for additional power supply of video cards;
• good voltage condition on the power lines + 12V, + 5V, + 3.3V under heavy load;
Thermalright , Transcend , Western digital and ZOTAC for the equipment provided for the test stand.

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Chieftec power supplies are one of the most popular in the domestic market, and this is not surprising, since the brand has been present on it for about 20 years. During this time, the decisions of the German brand have found both an army of fans and opponents. The former like the blocks for their optimal price / quality ratio, while others are not satisfied with their consumer properties, first of all, because of the higher noise level than that of some competitors or more expensive products. But with a limited budget, Chieftec solutions are becoming one of the main purchase candidates, especially when building powerful systems, where the difference between the cost of blocks from different manufacturers can reach 50-150 dollars and more.

In this review, we take a look at the 1000W Chieftec A-135 series device featuring a 135mm fan and modular peripheral cabling. Also, representatives of this line meet the requirements of the 80 Plus Bronze certificate.

Chieftec A-135 1000W (APS-1000CB)

The unit comes in a black box with a picture of the device and the model name; there is no more useful information on it.

The APS-1000CB comes with an instruction manual, a set of mounting screws, a set of connectable cables and a network cable. Unfortunately, there is no bag for storing accessories, which are usually equipped with expensive solutions.

The main part of the loops is not detachable. This is a motherboard power cable (52 cm), two separate cables for the processor (8 pins 57 cm long and (4 + 4) -pins 52 cm long), and a pair of separate cables for a video card (6 + 2, 52 cm each ). The rest of the set is as follows:

• four with 8-pin (6 + 2) connectors for powering PCI-E video cards (55 cm);
• three with three power connectors for SATA devices (45 + 15 + 15cm);
• one with three power connectors for IDE devices and one FDD (45 + 15 + 15 + 15 cm).

As you can see, this amount is enough to power a powerful modern system with a top processor and a couple of high-performance video cards. All cables are enclosed in a nylon braid, which will allow them to be neatly positioned inside the PC case. Interestingly, the cables for graphic accelerators are separate and you can easily power six different cards with one connector with them. For example, a couple of video adapters, sound and some other device.

The design of the power supply is standard for a modern device designed for the demanding user: a black case and a wire grill to protect the fan, as well as a toggle switch that de-energizes the system. The depth of the hull is determined by the propeller used and the modular design and is 160 mm.

The inner wall contains all the necessary connectors for connecting detachable cables. For video cards, both eight-pin and six-pin are provided - each such pair (8 + 6) refers to one + 12V line, therefore, to avoid load skew, it will be necessary to connect the cables in pairs.

According to the characteristics of Chieftec A-135 1000W, it meets modern requirements, it can easily give almost all its rated power at + 12V, but not everyone will like the presence of two virtual channels on this line. Although, even downloading them will have to try - after all, 42 A is not so little. The division of lines by load is as follows: + 12V1 is used for the motherboard, video card, plus one more video card and part of the peripherals already on detachable cables; + 12V2 is provided for the processor and the third video card with the rest of the peripherals.

The total power of the low-voltage lines is 140 W. For standby mode, 3 A is provided, and for -12V line - 0.5 A.

The unit is equipped with active power factor correction and is capable of operating in a wide range of mains voltage. It also has protection against undervoltage and overvoltage, short circuit, overload of output lines, overheating and has automatic fan speed control.

APS-1000CB is built according to the classical scheme with a synchronous rectifier and a DC-DC converter in the secondary circuit and is most likely based on the Sirfa platform.

Inside, the unit is assembled neatly, the number of parts used is large, but the installation is not very tight.

Savings on components are not noticed, the inlet filter is completely assembled.

The control of the device is assigned to the CM6806 + X controller, located on a separate board, which also houses the CM03AX chip, which reduces the block consumption in standby mode. The DC-DC converter is built on the popular APW7159 microcircuit, and the PS224 is responsible for monitoring.

Cooling of the load-bearing elements is assigned to thick aluminum plates with ribs in the form of petals at the ends. Each node is cooled by its own radiator, so you don't have to worry about the temperature conditions of the components.

The fan speed control sensor is located on the output circuit heatsink.

The input circuit uses a very high quality 680 uF 400 V capacitor from Rubycon, while the output circuit uses a mediocre Teapo.

The board for connecting detachable cables has purely transit functions and there are no filtering capacities on it.

The quality of the PCB soldering is good, there are traces of flux, but everything is not so critical. "Snot" is not observed.

The cooling of the block components is carried out by means of an eleven-blade 135-mm fan Globe Fan RL4Z S1352512HH on a sleeve bearing and with a two-pin connection.

During the idle time of the test system, it rotated at a speed of 820 rpm and during a serious load with one video adapter its speed did not exceed 950 rpm, but the installation of two gluttonous video cards forced the fan to spin up to 1720 rpm. The noise, of course, was at the appropriate level.

Testing technique

It is difficult to carry out full testing without an appropriate stand, therefore, the power supply was tested using a conventional system assembled from the following components:

• processor: Intel Core i7-6900K (3, [email protected], 0 GHz);
• motherboard: ASUS Maximus VIII Formula (Intel Z170);
• cooler: Prolimatech Megahalems;
• rAM: HyperX HX430C15PB3K2 / 16 (2x8 GB, DDR4-3000, 15-16-16-35-1T);
• video cards: GeForce GTX 780 Ti;
• drive: Kingston SSDNow UV400 240GB (240 GB, SATA 6Gb / s).

Testing was carried out on an open bench in Windows 10 x64. The Valley benchmark was used to create a gaming load on the system, and LinX 0.6.7 was launched in parallel for additional load.

Also, for maximum load, the following system was assembled:

• processor: Intel Core i7-975 (3, [email protected], 02 GHz, Bclk 175 MHz);
• motherboard: ASUS P6T7 WS SuperComputer (Intel X58);
• cooler: Noctua NH-D14;
• rAM: Kingston KHX2000C8D3T1K3 / 6GX (3x2 GB, [email protected], 8-8-8-24);
• video cards: ASUS ENGTX295 / 2DI / 1792MD3 / A and Inno3D GeForce GTX 295 Platinum Edition (GeForce GTX 295);
• hard drive: Samsung HD502HJ (500 GB, 7200 rpm, SATA-II).

To measure the total power consumption of the system, the Basetech Cost Control 3000 was used, which is also capable of displaying peak power, amperage, mains frequency, power factor, etc. on its LCD screen. Net power consumption was calculated based on compliance with the 80 Plus certificate - i.e. possible efficiency of the device. Errors in such calculations can be 5%. The voltages were checked with a UNI-T UT70D digital multimeter.

In addition, we decided to slightly expand the testing by taking readings of the temperature inside the power supply, fan speed and noise level under a particular load.

The temperature was measured using a Scythe Kaze Master Pro panel, the sensors of which were located on the heatsinks inside the block and at a distance of 1 cm in front of the fan (No. 1) and behind the outer wall (No. 2).

For the results of the fan speed, a UNI-T UT372 non-contact tachometer was used. The maximum speed was fixed for each of the power supply testing modes.

It should be borne in mind that such a technique at this stage is far from ideal and will be supplemented and changed as it is used.

Test results

The received data are entered into the table. Percentage deviations from the norm are given in brackets for voltage, and approximate net load on the power supply for power consumption.

	GTX 980Ti (LGA2011-3)	GTX 980Ti (LGA2011-3)	GTX 980Ti (LGA2011-3)	GTX 295 SLI (LGA1366)
Mode	Idle	Burn, Game	Burn, Game + LinX	Burn, OCCT
Power consumption, W	108 (~88)	357 (~295)	511 (~435)	1079 (~900)
Line + 3.3V, V	3,34 (+1,2)	3,34 (+1,2)	3,34 (+1,2)	3,32 (+0,6)
Line + 5V, V	5,08 (+1,6)	5,07 (+1,4)	5,07 (+1,4)	5,06 (+1,2)
Line + 12V1 (MB), V	12,14 (+1,1)	12,07 (+0,6)	12,08 (+0,7)	11,8 (-1,7)
Line + 12V2 (CPU), V	12,13 (+1)	12,10 (+0,8)	12,07 (+0,6)	12
Line + 12V3 (VGA1), V	12,15 (+1,2)	12,06 (+0,5)	12,06 (+0,5)	11,84 (-1,3)
Line + 12V4 (VGA2), V	12,15 (+1,2)	12,06 (+0,5)	12,06 (+0,5)	11,73 (-2,3)
Fan speed, rpm	820	824	949	1719
Thermal sensor No. 1	24,3	24,5	24,6	24,7
Thermal sensor No. 2	28,1	30,8	31	38,1
Thermal sensor No. 3	29,4	34,9	36,6	45,8
Thermal sensor No. 4	31,3	35,2	36,1	45,9
Thermal sensor No. 5	30,9	44,3	47,6	69,5

So, judging by the results we have before us a good kilowatt for such money, all indicators are within the normal range and do not even go beyond the 3% boundary. The only thing is that the noise level at maximum load will not allow assembling a quiet system.

conclusions

The Chieftec APS-1000CB power supply is well-built, has enough connectors to build a powerful system, but its noise level will become an obstacle for use in quiet PCs. It can most likely be called a compromise option when high power is required, but at the same time something can be sacrificed, and given its cost of about $ 140 - in most cases, many will turn a blind eye to a loud disposition, since this is the most affordable unit for 1 kW. An interesting solution can be called the implementation of power supply for video cards - a separate cable goes to each connector, which allows you to assemble a system from a large number of corresponding components without resorting to various adapters.

In June 2013, Chieftec introduced the updated A-135 series, which includes 11 PSU models ranging from 400 to 1000 watts. The series includes models with both disconnectable wires (so-called modular power supplies) and fixed (standard power supplies). The latter have a power range from 400 to 650 W in 50 W steps, and modular PSUs are represented by 550, 650, 750, 850 and 1000 W models.

We will take a look at the Chieftec APS-750CB power supply, which is a 750W modular power supply.

The packaging is a cardinally black box with a carrying handle. The PSU enclosure is also painted black, which is typical of the latest Chieftec modular wiring solutions.

Characteristics

All the necessary parameters are indicated on the body of the power supply in full, for the bus power + 12VDC the declared value is 750 W. The ratio of the power on the + 12VDC bus to the total power is 1 - this, of course, is an excellent indicator.

Length of wires and number of connectors

Fixed

to the main ATX connector - 50 cm

up to processor socket 8 pin SSI - 58 cm

Modular

to the power connector of the video card PCI-E 2.0 VGA Power Connector - 47 cm

to the power connector of the video card PCI-E 2.0 VGA Power Connector - 47 cm

to the power connector of the video card PCI-E 2.0 VGA Power Connector - 47 cm

to the first SATA Power Connector - 45 cm, plus 15 cm to the second and another 15 cm to the third of the same connector

to the first SATA Power Connector - 45 cm, plus 15 cm to the second and another 15 cm to the third of the same connector

to the first Peripheral Connector (molex) - 45 cm, plus 15 cm to the second and another 15 cm to the third of the same connector, plus 15 cm to the FDD power connector

Connector name	Number of connectors	Note
24 pin Main Power Connector	1	collapsible
4 pin 12V Power Connector	no
8 pin SSI Processor Connector	2	one collapsible
6 pin PCI-E 1.0 VGA Power Connector	no
8 pin PCI-E 2.0 VGA Power Connector	4	collapsible
4 pin Peripheral Connector	3	ergonomic
15 pin Serial ATA Connector	9	on 3 bundles
4 pin Floppy Drive Connector	1

This power supply uses a so-called modular wiring system with connectors for powering components inside the system unit. This design allows you to remove unused wire harnesses, freeing up more space and giving a cleaner look to the insides of the system unit.

Although not ideal, the number of connectors and their location on the wiring harnesses is still good. Nine SATA Power connectors on three harnesses, as well as the ability to disconnect extra wires for powering video cards make this model quite convenient. Unless it would be nice to make one of the harnesses with the processor power connector disconnectable.

As for the length of the wires to the connectors, it is quite standard for this price category. The length of the wires to the processor power connector is slightly increased relative to the standard 50 centimeters and is about 58 centimeters. This length will be sufficient for almost any top-mounted PSU case, and will be sufficient for almost all miditower cases with a bottom-mounted PSU, but for full tower and larger cases with a bottom-mounted PSU, the length of the wires to the processor power connector may not be sufficient.

Cooling system

The power supply has a 135 mm fan (RL4Z S1352512HH), which, according to the manufacturer, has a maximum rotation speed of 1800 rpm. The fan is based on a sleeve bearing. Fan manufactured by Globe Fan.

It should be borne in mind that the use of a fan based on a sliding bearing of a boundary type is not optimal in the power supply due to the low resource of such bearings when operating in high temperature and dusty conditions. But in relatively inexpensive products, fans of this type are ubiquitous, since they have a lower cost compared to ball bearing fans.

The main semiconductor elements are mounted on two medium-sized radiators with a base thickness of 4.5 mm.

Independent power converters for + 3.3VDC and + 5VDC channels are located on daughter boards and do not have additional heat dissipators.

In the high-voltage part, a Su'scon capacitor with a capacity of 390 μF (400 V) is installed; in the output stage, there are also mainly Su'scon capacitors of various ratings.

Power supply testing

The first stage of testing is operating the power supply at maximum power long time. Such a test with confidence allows you to make sure that the power supply is working.

In this case, no problems arose, the voltage values \u200b\u200bhave small deviations from the nominal.

The next step in instrumental testing is construction of cross-load characteristics (KNH) and its representation on a quarter-plane, 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 abscissa. At each point, the measured voltage value is indicated with a color marker depending on the deviation from the nominal value.

Size designation deviations of output voltages from nominal
Colour	Deviation range	Qualitative assessment
	more than five percent	unsatisfactory
	+ 5 percent	badly
	+4 percent	satisfactorily
	+3 percent	oK
	+2 percent	very good
	1 percent or less	excellent
	−2 percent	very good
	−3 percent	oK
	−4 percent	satisfactorily
	−5 percent	badly
	more than five percent	unsatisfactory

It is worth explaining that if there are deviations within three percent, the parameters of the power supply can be considered as being at a good level.

This model has no deviations of more than five percent in the entire tested power range - the measured voltage values \u200b\u200bmanaged to keep within three percent deviations, which is a good indicator.

With typical channel power distribution, the output of the PSU is very good.

During the next stage of testing, we measure the parameters of the AC mains to which the investigated power supply is connected, when the latter is operating at constant power. Based on the data obtained, the parameters are calculated that determine the economy and efficiency of the power supply.

No load operation
Mode	I, A	P, W
PWR_Off	0,049	0,2
STB	0,098	0,3
Zload	0,127	10,5

At a power of 50 W, the PSU dissipates about 22 W, and at a maximum power it dissipates about 138 W. It dissipates 100 W at a power of about 600 W; at the same power, the last spike in the growth of the increase in the dissipated power is also noted. Thus, from the point of view of economy, this model has an optimal range, limited from above by a value of 600 W. Economy is not the strong point of this model.

According to our measurements, the efficiency of this PSU reaches over 85% in the power range from 200 to 700 watts, the maximum recorded value was about 87.7% at 300 watts. At the same time, the efficiency at a power of 50 W was about 69%, at a power of 42 W - about 65%. This is an average indicator for modern power supplies of similar power and equivalent cost; one should not expect any records from such solutions.

Measurement of noise level

In preparing this material, we continued to use a new method for measuring the noise level of power supplies, which is still experimental. The power supply unit is located on a flat surface with a fan upwards, above it at a distance of 0.35 meters is placed the measuring microphone of the Oktava 110A-Eco sound level meter, which measures the noise level. The power supply is loaded using a special stand with a quiet operation mode. During the noise level measurement, the power supply is operated at constant power for 20 minutes, after which the noise level is measured.

Such a distance to the object of measurement is the most approximate for a desktop placement of a system unit with an installed power supply unit. This method evaluates the noise level of a power supply in harsh environments in terms of a short distance from the noise source to the user. With an increase in the distance to the noise source and the appearance of additional obstacles that have good sound-reflecting ability, the noise level at the control point will also decrease, which will lead to an improvement in acoustic ergonomics in general.

The noise level of this model when operating in the power range from 50 to 350 W approaches the average value when the PSU is located in the near field; with a more significant removal of the power supply and placing it under a table in a case with a bottom-mounted power supply, such noise can be interpreted as being at a level below average. In the daytime, in a residential building, a source with a similar noise level will not be too noticeable, especially at a distance of a meter or more, and even more so it will be hardly noticeable in an office space, since the background noise in offices is usually higher than in residential buildings. At night, a source with such a noise level will be clearly visible, it will be difficult to sleep nearby. This noise level can be considered comfortable when working at a computer.

At a load of 500 W, the noise of the power supply overcomes the ergonomic level of 40 dBA under the condition of desktop placement, that is, when the power supply is located in the near field in relation to the user.

The noise level when operating at maximum power can be described as high. Being in the near field from such a noise source is already uncomfortable for a long time, even in an office environment. With a more significant distance, such a source will still attract attention, but it will become less annoying.

For lovers of silence, a model with similar characteristics will not work, at the same time, the power consumption of computers of the overwhelming majority of users does not exceed 350 W, and with this power the power supply will not stand out much against the background of computer components with stock cooling systems.

We also evaluate the noise level of the power supply electronics, as in some cases it is a source of annoying sounds. This assessment is carried out by determining the difference between the noise level in our laboratory with the power supply turned on and off. If the obtained value is within 5 dBA, then there are no deviations in the acoustic properties of the power supply unit. With a difference of more than 10 dBA, as a rule, there are certain defects that can be heard at a distance of about half a meter.

At this stage of measurements, the microphone of the sound level meter is located at a distance of about 40 mm from the upper plane of the power supply unit, since at larger distances it is very difficult to measure the noise of the electronics. The measurement is carried out in two modes: standby mode (STB or Stand by) and when the power supply unit is operating on the load, but with the forcedly stopped fan.

In this case, the noise level of the electronics is minimal, the main contribution to the overall noise level of the power supply is made by the operating fan.

Assessment of consumer qualities

The consumer qualities of this product are average. Of the significant drawbacks, we note not the most successful acoustic ergonomics: even in idle mode, the noise level cannot be called low, but under typical loads, the noise is still within ergonomic limits, but under high load the noise level becomes very significant. The electrical characteristics of the model are quite decent, especially for a budget solution. The rest of the parameters are at an average or so level.

Based on the totality of consumer qualities demonstrated by the tested power supply, we can conclude that this model will be able to show its advantages most successfully in productive systems with a powerful video subsystem, but provided that the computer does not require improved acoustic ergonomics.

This model is a good option for those who want to save money when buying a power supply unit for very powerful systems. The power supply can be attributed to the lower segment of the mid-budget range - this is not yet an economy one, but it is already close to it.

Outcome

About a year ago, we reviewed the Chieftec CTG-750C power supply from the updated A-80 series, which, in theory, has a lower positioning than the A-135 series, of which the APS-750CB is a representative. It is all the more interesting to discover the CTG-750C's advantage in some parameters: in particular, it has better acoustic ergonomics, the wires are longer, but there are fewer connectors and the electrical characteristics are slightly worse. It costs less, and the power of the + 12VDC bus is 102 watts less, but for the majority, 600 watts over this channel are very redundant.

Chieftec APS-750CB power supply provided for testing by the manufacturer

The power supply is just as important to computers as the processor. So that there are no failures in the process of work, power surges, and individual components do not fail, it is important to make the right choice.

The ATX 20 + 4 pin power supply is very popular. It is reliable and powerful enough for all the necessary operations. The block is suitable for any motherboard: both new and old.

On the ComputerMarket website you can buy the A-135 series APS-650SB system power supply from the Chieftec manufacturer. This model has the following technical characteristics: power - 650 W; voltage - 115/230 V; motherboard connector - 20 + 4 pin. Fan 140 x 140 mm.

Functionality, convenience

By purchasing the A-135 series APS-650SB from Chieftec, you get a modern, high-quality device that can be used in both old and modern computers.

For any task

In addition to the A-135 series APS-650SB from Chieftec, in the catalog on our website you can find and order other models of system units. You will definitely find what you need.

Optimal cost

All products of the online store, including the A-135 series APS-650SB, are delivered directly from the manufacturers. Thanks to this, we have all prices without "markups".

Still have questions? Call us or write to the online chat for a detailed consultation.

Chieftec is known in Russia and Europe for its chassis and power supplies. The popular A-135 family has recently been updated and you can now purchase models with or without modular cable connections. The updated A-135 family also has an increased efficiency. Our testing lab received an entry-level power supply unit APS-550SB without modular cabling, which we will subject to close analysis.

The updated power supplies of the A-135 family are available in two versions. The fixed wiring options range from 400 to 650 W and can be distinguished by the addition of "SB" to the name. These PSUs can be recommended to price-sensitive consumers, but Chieftec has opted out of paint spraying, which gamers won't really like.

The second version of the A-135 boasts not only modular cable connections, but also an improved appearance. The "CB" variants are available in 550-850 watts, the dark gray finish does seem visually more appealing. Other key performance and efficiency characteristics are broadly comparable.

Chieftec A-135 550W Fixed Cables

The functions of the "new" A-135 PSUs are tailored to their price and performance class, but overall the A-135 models left a positive impression. The use of a 135mm fan is not standard. In terms of performance and efficiency, the power supplies showed an expected high level.

When it comes to pricing for the A-135 PSUs, we didn’t get an advantage over the competition - they are on a par with direct competitors such as the Corsair CX family that we recently tested - see. The Chieftec APS-550SB power supply considered in the article will cost 2.1 thousand rubles in Russia (62 euros in Europe), which corresponds to the price level of the Corsair CX500 about 2.3 thousand rubles in Russia (52 euros) and is cheaper than a better equipped CX600M for 2.9 thousand rubles (69 euros). In Europe, the A-135's direct competitors are be quiet! Pure Power L8 and Cougar PowerX.

Below are the specifications of the A-135 APS-550SB (550 W) in tabular form:

Comparison of technical specifications

Manufacturer and model	Chieftec A-135 Series PSU without modular connection 550 watts
Model	APS-550SB
Retail price	about 2.1 thousand rubles in Russia about 62 euros in Europe
Products webpage	APS-550SB Official Page
Performance
+3.3 V	22 A
+5 V	22 A
+ 12V1	22 A
+ 12V2	22 A
+ 5Vsb	2.5 A
-12 V	0.3 A
Power 12V	495 watts
Power 3.3V and 5V	120 watts
general power	550 watts
Interfaces
ATX	24 (20 + 4) -cont.
EPS / 12V / CPU	1x 8 (4 + 4) -cont.
PCI Express (6P / 8 (6 + 2) P / 8P)	0 / 2 / 0
SATA	6
4-pin Molex	3
Drive	2
Functions
Efficiency	80PLUS Bronze
Dimensions (LxWxH)	155 x 150 x 86 mm
Fan	135 mm
Modular cable connection	No
Manufacturer's warranty	2 years
Additionally	-

Let's start with a photo of the APS-550SB box.

We can say that the box has a "simple design".

The power supply is packed in a box in a bubble wrap, which should be sufficient to protect it during transport. The delivery set does not differ in any additional accessories.

The APS-550SB power supply comes with standard accessories.

The Chieftec shipped with a user manual, power cable and mounting screws. The user manual is written in several languages, it seems thick, but in fact it has two pages per language.

On the next page, we take a close look at the Chieftec APS-550SB.

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