Certification and efficiency
FSP markets the Hydro
PTM X Pro as an 80-Plus Platinum power supply. Certification is performed by an organization called 80 PLUS. But what does this mean “on paper”? It’s a pram introduced in 2004 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. Compared with less efficient designs, the PSU will waste 20% or less electric energy as heat, reducing power consumption and bills.
115 V internal non-redundant | 230 V EU internal non-redundant | ||||||||
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. As power consumption has dropped, most computers with a single GPU don’t need more than a 600-650 W PSU. The PSU tested today is the most efficient at 50% load (60 W), but the differences above and below this threshold are insignificant. You don’t need to keep it precisely at half load, but it’s best to stay below the maximum wattage for better noise performance, longevity, etc. The reviewed sample is 80 PLUS Platinum certified – up to ~92% efficiency @ 115 V (at 20~100% loads) and 94% @ 230 V – 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.
There are no actual results on the 80 Plus website. There are Cybenetics results available here.
Technical Specs below:
| Max. DC Output | 1600 W |
| PFC | Active PFC |
| Efficiency | 80 PLUS Platinum |
| Modular | Yes |
| Protections | OCP, OVP, OPP, SCP, OTP |
| Cooling | 120 mm FDB |
| Semi-passive operation | Yes |
| Topology | Primary side: Half-Bridge
Secondary side: Synchronous Rectification & DC-DC converters |
| Dimensions (W x L x H) | 130 x 150 x 86 mm |
| Weight | 1.63 kg (3.59 lbs) |
| Warranty | Twelve years |
The warranty period is ten years, which is long enough. The street price of the reviewed unit is ~245 USD. Let’s see if it’s worth it. Next page, please.
