Deepcool Gamer Storm DQ750-M Power Supply review - Certification and efficiency

Energy efficiency certification

Deepcool markets the DQxxx-M series as their 80 Plus Gold power supplies. Certification is performed by an organization called (yes, you guessed it right) 80 PLUS. But what does this “on paper” mean? It’s a program that was introduced in 2004, and intended to promote efficient energy use in computer power supply units (PSUs). Only products that have 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.  

 
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 600-650W 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 under this value are not significant. You don’t need to keep it exactly at half load, but for better noise performance, longevity, etc.,  it’s better to stay below the maximum wattage. The reviewed sample is 80 PLUS GOLD certified - up to 87~90% efficiency (at 20~100% loads), and has active PFC with a power factor of up to 0.99. It consumes < 0.3W in its off-mode, complying with the ERP standard. If you want to check the Deepcool DQ750-M’s measurements taken by the 80 Plus organization, you can look at this and (in detail) this link.

Technical Specs below

“Gamer Storm DQ750-M Series power supplies give you extremely tight voltage control, quiet operation, 80 PLUS Gold-certified efficiency and all new white casing, and fully modular cabling. It's built with 100% Japanese 105℃ capacitors, they're a great choice for high-performance PCs where reliability is essential. 80 PLUS Gold efficiency reduces operating cost and excess heat. It is equipped with 120mm FDB speed adjustable silent fan. They have 5-year warranty. It is sure to be one of the most ideal equipment for gamers.”

Package contents

• DQ Series High-Performance ATX Power Supply
• AC power cord
• DC Modular cable set
• DC Modular cable storage bag
• 4 case screws

Compatibility

• Intel Core processor (including Skylake LGA2066) and AMD Ryzen/Threadripper Ready
• ATX12V v2.31 and EPS 2.92 standards and is backwards compatible with ATX12V 2.2 and ATX12V 2.01 systems

Features

• Compliant Intel ATX12V v2.31 & EPS 2.92
• 80 PLUS® GOLD certified - Up to 87~90% efficiency (20~100% loading)
• High quality Japanese capacitors can obtain excellent reliability and long service life
• Patented 120mm FDB Bearing fan with double-layer fan-blade, temperature control function, enjoys excellent performance & super low noise
• Full modular design, with longer flat cable, excellent for cable management and increases the cooling capability of system
• Double-Layer EMI Filter protects from electromagnetic interference & restrains noise
• Intelligentized eco-friendly chipset,  consume < 0.3W in its off-mode, compliant ERP standard
• CircuitShield™ — OVP,  UVP,  SCP,  OPP
• Compliant Multi-Way SLI / CrossFire + Multi-Core CPUs
• High reliability with an MTBF of at least 120,000 hours of use
• Newly designed gaming style appearance under DEEPCOOL high-end gaming brand: GAMER STORM
• DC to DC design, make it more stable, stronger and higher efficiency
• Ready for AMD Ryzen Threadripper & Intel Skylake LGA2066

This 750W model can be spotted at a street price of ~120 USD.