Be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 12 - 1500 Watt PSU Review -
Certification & Efficiency
Certification
Be Quiet! offers this PSU now as a Titanium 80 Plus product certified by the 80PLUS organization. We already explained a little what that literally means. But what does such a certification entail? Well, 80 Plus is an optional certification program intended to promote efficient energy use in computer power supply units (PSUs). Launched in 2004 by Ecos Consulting, it certifies products that have more than 80% energy efficiency at 20%, 50% and 100% of rated load, and a power factor of 0.9 or greater at 100% load. That is, such PSUs will waste 20% or less electric energy as heat at the specified load levels, thus reducing electricity use and bills compared to less efficient PSUs. The higher the rating, the less power you will consume.
80 Plus test type | 115 V internal | 230 V EU internal | |||||||
Percentage of rated load | 10% | 20% | 50% | 100% | 10% | 20% | 50% | 100% | |
80Plus | 80% | 80% | 80% | 82% | 85% | 82% | |||
80Plus Bronze | 82% | 85% | 82% | 85% | 88% | 85% | |||
80Plus Silver | 85% | 88% | 85% | 87% | 90% | 87% | |||
80Plus Gold | 87% | 90% | 87% | 90% | 92% | 89% | |||
80Plus Platinum | 90% | 92% | 89% | 92% | 94% | 90% | |||
80Plus Titanium | 90% | 92% | 94% | 90% | 90% | 94% | 96% | 94% |
There certainly is plenty to choose from, we have Standard, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, and even Titanium certifications. A PSU that is certified 80 PLUS Gold or 80 PLUS Platinum is more efficient than your regular unit. The Series 12 Dark Power Pro power supplies are certified by the 80PLUS organization to deliver a 96 energy efficiency at 50% load and still 90% efficiency when your PC idles (10% is 120W or 150W depending on model)). These days we suggest you get at least a 500 Watt PSU for any standard PC, but considering your PC / PSU is the most efficient and energy-friendly at half it's load, it might be wise to get a higher rated power supply. The 1500W model tested thus is the most efficient at 750 Watts, which is hugely extreme and only a powerful PC with multiple high-end graphics card uses during a game of hefty mining would reach such loads. Listen released this power supply with the statement it will not only have a huge amount of power across all rails but does so with very little noise + the option to create one huge 12V rail - that is fairly unique.
Dark Power Pro 12
Overclocking Key
Resolving a long-time dispute amongst PC enthusiasts, Be Quiet! offers the only power supply which lets you choose between multi- or single-rail 12V mode. A quick flip of the switch turns Dark Power Pro 12 from factory default four rail setting to high-performance single rail mode.
Cute and expensive cabling
Extra-long, single-sleeved, modular cables and included cable combs simplify component installation and reduce annoying clutter inside the PC. Support for up to ten PCI-Express connectors makes this power supply ideally suited for any workstation or multi-GPU system. On top of that, the visually striking brushed aluminum case underlines the noble design and high-end character of the power supply
Warranty
The company will offer you a 10-year warranty.
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