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0 Power supplies for PCs continue to evolve, as does their efficiency. Did you know be quiet! who are renowned for their fans and water coolers, also make PSUs? They kindly sent across one of their units from the Dark Power range for me to try out.
be quiet! Got the Power!
The Dark Power fully modular ATX 3.0 range, backed by a 10-year warranty and housing many onboard protective circuits, starts at 750W and climbs to 850W and 1000W before going Pro at 1300W and 1600W respectively. Whatever your power demand, either now, or in the future, one of these 5 PSUs will suit you.
Unboxing
be quiet! sent me the 1000W version, however, it is worth noting that all of the range has 80+ Titanium certification when it comes up to 95.8% power efficiency. In a nutshell, this means that the PSU is more energy-efficient along with less heat loss. Good for your utility bills and the environment.
Inside the box, I received the following cables and accessories: It is worth noting that the quantity adjusts depending on the size of the PSU.
The cables are all fully sleeved and feel premium in quality. There is certainly a decent amount of sata plugs available for the many SSDs, lighting and fan hubs that you may need to power. The inclusion of the 12VHPWR cable was great timing as I also had a GPU to test at the time that could use it.
Getting Technical
Four independent 12V rails within the PSU allow for fluctuations in power demand to not affect other devices. Should you wish to overclock and require more power then you can cleverly group the rails into one using the overclocking key.
To keep the PSU cool, be quiet! have installed a frameless Silent Wings Fan. To ensure quietness it has a fluid-dynamic bearing while a 6-pole fan motor helps to ensure longevity and efficiency.
Delving into the inner workings, be quiet! have included for 105-degree C Japanese capacitors, an active rectifier, and full bridge LLC tech. In layman’s terms, it has good electronic components to ensure a stable operation and a long life. This is good, as without the PSU you do not have an operating PC!
Installation of the be quiet! Dark Power 13 1000W PSU was like any other unit. For me, I installed my case-supplied PSU frame onto it and then slid it into the PC case.
The modular cables were all of a decent length for what I needed them for and each made a satisfying click when they were pushed into each socket. On my previous PSU, I did have a heart-sinking moment when my PC didn’t power up due to the 24pin plug pulling out of the PSU after I thought it was engaged. Clicks certainly make all the difference!
From Experience
As I am fortunate enough to get to review a fair amount of tech, it was great having the ability to install both types of power cables for GPUs. I could then simply fish for the required plug whenever I needed it. There is great versatility with this product.
The 12VHPWR cable has a reminder not to bend it due to the wattages that the cable can pull when powering a high spec 40 series GPU. While it is certainly a clever cable, as it is nowhere near as chunky as running a PCIE cable, it would be nice to see an option of a 90-degree plug so that you do not have the pressures of the bend radius when trying to install the glass side of the case near the GPU power cable.
While talking about cables, I did also find that I had to remove one of my extract fans that was installed on the roof of my case. This was because the cables and sleeving were so tough that the cable could not bend in a tight enough radius when plugging into the top of my motherboard. While previous unsleeved cables haven’t had this issue before, there was no working around this situation. Here the premium quality defeated me due to my case clearance. A case upgrade looms….
Powering Up
As far as performance goes, the be quiet! Dark Power 13 1000W PSU is completely silent to run. I had no squeals from any components as I unnervingly did with a Corsair unit previously. All of my PC parts happily powered up nicely with cables all securely plugged in at both ends.
The standby parasitic draw was given as below 0.1W. Like most people, I leave my main plug turned on, therefore it’s nice to know that I am not stealthily adding to my utility bill.
When testing a 4080 Super GPU, the PSU was more than happy with the additional demand required. While overclocking is not quite on my adventure radar just yet, I have just changed up to AM5 and I am keen to see where I can take it. The PSU will ensure that any eventuality will be comfortably catered for.
Summary
In conclusion, the be quiet! Dark Power 13 1000W PSU is one of the most versatile, energy-efficient PSUs that I have been fortunate to review. While the Dark Power range starts at around £200, there is cheaper out there, however, I am in awe of the 10-year warranty and efficiency that you also get for the price. You do get what you pay for, therefore for any avid gamer or PC builder that demands a multitude of versatility, this PSU will suit your demands easily.
I award the be quiet! Dark Power 13 1000W PSU the Thumb Culture Platinum Award!
Disclaimer: A sample was received in order to write this review.
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