Be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 12 - 1500 Watt PSU Review - Certification & Efficiency

by Hilbert Hagedoorn on: 09/08/2020 12:56 PM [

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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

Dark Power Pro 12 elevates the flagship power supply series from be quiet! to state-of-the-art. With 80 PLUS Titanium certification, the efficiency is increased to the highest rating possible. Digital regulation of PFC and LLC SR/12V in combination with a complete wire-free interior design on AC- and DC-side (except grounding wire) and premium components enable higher efficiency with maximum reliability and signal quality of the six 12V rails. The cooling concept was further improved and developed into a completely new design. A patented frameless fan sits in a funnel-shaped opening, enabling optimal air circulation and resulting in the best cooling for high component longevity. The fan, although unique in its design, is based on Silent Wings technology for almost inaudible operation. Thanks to improved cooling and high component quality, be quiet! now offers a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty without geographical restrictions. Customers in Germany and France also benefit from the be quiet! express exchange service for the first year after purchase. Also included is the overclocking key from the previous Dark Power series, which allows switching between single- and multi-rail operation. The power supply features a high-quality aluminum housing, a clear-cut, fine-meshed fan grill, and modular, single-sleeved black cables, which give it a premium and awe-inspiring appearance. The innovative Dark Power Pro 12 series is available in 1200 and 1500 watts. The Dark Power Pro 12 uses fully digital control for PFC, Full Bridge LLC, and SR/12V. Two UCD3138A micro control units (MCU) are in charge of the digital control. The MCU on the primary side controls the Power Factor Correction (PFC), enabling very high efficiency and better signal quality. The MCU on the secondary side controls the LLC-SR circuit with 12V regulation and FullBridge MOSFETs on the primary side with the help of optocouplers, resulting in even higher efficiency, better voltage stability and regulation. Besides protection circuits, the fan is digitally controlled as well. This fully digital concept offers the highest efficiency, best signal quality, and lowest noise over the whole power range.

More silent

Dark Power Pro 12 is equipped with a newly developed frameless Silent Wings fan. This fan has been developed exclusively for use in power supplies and boasts features similar to the Silent Wings 3 retail fan. The modern six-pole motor and the high-quality fluid dynamic bearing (FDB) allow for an extremely long lifespan and ensure that the fan operates at an extremely low noise level, making semi-passive solutions redundant. An optimized, custom-shaped funnel made out of two separate parts is mounted underneath the mesh cover of Dark Power Pro 12 to increase airflow while reducing unwanted turbulence.

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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