Be Quiet! Dark Power 12 - 850W PSU Review

Posted on: 03/23/2021 06:44 PM

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Some of the maths is wrong.
"if your components would consume 500W directly from the PSU, then with that 70% efficient product, you'd use and draw 650W"
More likely to draw 714W not 650W.
500/714= ~70%
500/650= ~76.9%
So your calculated 70% and other derived average 80plus power figures are wrong.

If a PSU which is 80% efficient it does not draw 20% more power than the load as heat.
125w from wall = 100w for load & 25w of heat = 80% efficiency.
25w/100w = 25%

To work backwards, 100÷0.80 = 125.
80% = 0.80

The actual measurements of PSU you have reviewed (power draw at the wall) are OK. I'm just talking about those you made up for comparison.
Approx input for 350w load (pg8):
80plus = 420 should be 437.5
Bronze = 402,5 should be 411.7
Silver = 392 should be 397.7
Gold = 385 should be 388.8
Platinum = 378 should be 380.4
Titanium = 364 could be 364.5 (OK, close enough)

These days CPU/GPU require much higher sub-second power than what you see with measured averages. More headroom (unused capacity) means better regulation for today's more sensitive components.
Diminishing returns to increase efficiency past 95% at ever increasing cost.

Posted on: 03/23/2021 09:11 PM

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It would be great if you could review PSU's of 400/500w for regular gamers like me.

Posted on: 03/23/2021 11:43 PM

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Serious gamers are 1200W+, gamers are 850W+, weekend warriors are 600W, soooo....

Posted on: 03/24/2021 12:34 AM

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Well, thats what you say, you ott power crazed looney bin.

Posted on: 03/24/2021 02:05 PM

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In my life i had about 12 bequiet! PSUs , i can recomment them . None of them died . Some are very old . ( oldest being 12 yo), stil work like new.