FSP Dagger Pro (850W PSU) review - Introduction

FSP DAGGER PRO 850 Watt power supply

Today we're putting the FSP DAGGER PRO 850 W power supply on our test bench. We recently have tester their 1200 W ATX unit. Besides the PSUs, they also make some chassis and the UPSes. The series was introduced at the end of August '21, so it's less than a year on the market. This fact shouldn't make it obsolete yet, as a revolution will happen in the coming months due to the implementation of the PCI-Express 5.0 generation's power connector.

FSP didn't inform the release of an ATX 3.0 compliant unit for the DAGGER PRO series; so far, it was done only for the 80PLUS PLATINUM-certified model "Hydro PTM PRO" series (850W / 1000W / 850W) and the 80PLUS GOLD certified model "Hydro G PRO" series (850W / 1000W) are ATX 3.0 compliant. The "12V HPWR" connector is a 12 + 4pin specification consisting of 12pin for power supply and 4pin for signal. It is possible to deliver up to 600W, which is incompatible with standard 8pin (6 + 2pin) and 6pin connectors. 

Let's begin with an overview of the reviewed sample. The FSP DAGGER PRO 850 W is an SFX power supply with a semi-passive mode. Under the hood, we have an FSP platform with the highest quality and reliability that distinguishes this brand. This time, it's an 850 Watt model (in black) with an 80 PLUS® Gold certificate, which means that it's 90% efficient at 50% load @ 115 V, and 92% efficient @ 230 V. It is crucial because less consumed energy goes to waste (at least not in a significant amount), and that should affect your energy bill. It is essential in these wicked times, where energy prices skyrocketed recently. Speaking of fan – it's a 92 mm double ball bearing one, but it's possible to have a passive mode enabled till 20%, which is about 170 W of power consumption. FSP DAGGER PRO 850 W is a fully modular PSU, even the motherboard connectors are not attached permanently to the housing, but you still have to use most of them anyway. Nearly all cases have a power supply shroud now (at least ATX-sized ones do), so the unit and the cables will be hidden in most scenarios. There are no colour variants, the only one available in black, but that's typical for this kind of product. Most brands usually stop at 450-600W; here are other wattage versions available:

• 550 W
• 650 W
• 750 W

We can agree that there's nothing left to be desired in the department of wattage choice. The 850 Watt available in the reviewed unit should be more than enough for most users; even an i9 12900K combined with the Geforce RTX 3090 shouldn't be a problem (when both won't be overclocked). The FSP DAGGER PRO 850 W is built with 100% Japanese capacitors and other premium components to achieve 80 Plus Gold Certification; thus, that provides enhanced reliability and durability. The unit is very compact (but would you expect it from an SFX unit), as it measures 125 mm x 100 mm x 65 mm. The PSU can be found for 149.9 USD for the 850 W. A 10-year warranty backs FSP's DAGGER PRO 850 W. Ok, let's check out this PSU from FSP, shall we?