Certification and efficiency
Energy efficiency certification
Deepcool markets the DQ850-M-V2L (and the whole DQ-M-V2L) series as their 80 Plus Gold power supplies. Certification is performed by an organization called 80 PLUS. But what does this mean “on paper”? It’s a program that was introduced in 2004 and is intended to promote efficient energy use in computer power supply units (PSUs). Only products that offer more than 80% efficiency at 20, 50, and 100% load, and a power factor of 0.9 or more, are eligible. This means that the PSU will waste 20% or less electric energy as heat, reducing power consumption and bills as compared with less efficient designs.
|
80 Plus test type |
115 V internal non-redundant |
230 V EU internal non-redundant |
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|
Percentage of rated load |
10% |
20% |
50% |
100% |
10% |
20% |
50% |
100% |
|
|
80 Plus |
|
80% |
80% |
80% |
|
82% |
85% |
82% |
|
|
80 Plus Bronze |
|
82% |
85% |
82% |
|
85% |
88% |
85% |
|
|
80 Plus Silver |
|
85% |
88% |
85% |
|
87% |
90% |
87% |
|
|
80 Plus Gold |
|
87% |
90% |
87% |
|
90% |
92% |
89% |
|
|
80 Plus Platinum |
|
90% |
92% |
89% |
|
92% |
94% |
90% |
|
|
80 Plus Titanium |
90% |
92% |
94% |
90% |
90% |
94% |
96% |
94% |
|
As you can see above, there are 80 Plus, Bronze, Silver, Gold (these three are from 2008), Platinum (2009), and Titanium (2012) certificates. Nowadays, most computers with a single GPU don’t need more than a 600-650 W PSU, as power consumption has dropped over the years. The PSU tested today is the most efficient at 50% load (375 W), but the differences above and below this threshold are not significant. You don’t need to keep it exactly at half load, but for better noise performance, longevity, etc., it’s best to stay below the maximum wattage. The reviewed sample is 80 PLUS Gold certified – up to ~90% efficiency @ 115 V (at 20~100% loads) – and has active PFC with a power factor of up to 0.99. It consumes < 0.3 W in its off-mode, complying with the ERP standard. If you want to check the Deepcool DQ850-M-V2L’s measurements taken by the 80 Plus organization, you can have a look at them here.
|
Max. DC Output |
850 W |
|
PFC |
Active PFC |
|
Efficiency |
80 PLUS Gold |
|
Modular |
Yes, Flat Black cables |
|
Operating Temperature |
0–40 °C |
|
MTBF |
100,000 hours |
|
Protections |
OVP/UVP/OCP/SCP/OPP/OTP |
|
Cooling |
120mm |
|
Semi-passive operation |
No |
|
Dimensions (W x H x D) |
160 mm (L) x 150 mm (W) x 86 mm (H) |
|
Compliance |
ATX12V v2.31 |
|
Warranty |
10 years |
As for the provided cables, you’ll find this information in the unboxing section of the review. The street price is 129.99 USD. Let’s see if it’s worth it. Next page, please.
