Certification & Efficiency
Certification
Be Quiet! offers this PSU now as a Platinum 80+ product certified by the 80PLUS organization (the people that certify and test efficiency). We already explained a little what that literally means. But what does such a certification entail? Well, 80 Plus (trademarked 80 PLUS) is a voluntary certification program intended to promote efficient energy use in computer power supply units (PSUs). Launched in 2004 by Ecos Consulting, it certifies products that have more than 80% energy efficiency at 20%, 50% and 100% of rated load, and a power factor of 0.9 or greater at 100% load. That is, such PSUs will waste 20% or less electric energy as heat at the specified load levels, Thus reducing electricity use and bills compared to less efficient PSUs. Sometimes, rebates are given for manufacturers who use 80 Plus-certified PSUs.
Well there is plenty to choose from, we have Standard, Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum and even Titanium certifications. A PSU that is certified 80 PLUS Gold or 80 PLUS Platinum is far more efficient than your regular unit.
The Series 11 Dark power Pro power supplies are certified by the 80PLUS organization to deliver a 94 energy efficiency at 50% load and still 90% efficiency when your PC idles (at 230Volts). These days we suggest you get at least a 500 Watt PSU for any mediocre PC, but considering your PC / PSU is the most efficient and energy friendly at half it's load, it might be wise to get a higher rated power supply. The 850 Watt model tested is the most efficient at 425 Watt, which is pretty much what a powerful PC with a high-end graphics card uses during a game of hefty fragging. Listan released this power supply with the statement it will not only have a huge amount of power across all rails, but does so with very little noise + the option to create one huge 12V rail - that is fairly unique.
- All models are 80PLUS Platinum now / Topology: LLC + SR + DC/DC
- Equipped with 105°C Japanese caps
- 550, 650, 750, 850, 1000 and 1200 Watt
- Silent Wings 3, 135mm, FDB bearing, 6 Pole Motor
- Bigger air intake
- Funnel shaped fan opening
- Rubber between Fan
- Rubber around psu case (between Case when mounted to prevent any vibration))
- 4 case fans can be connected and controlled by the PSU
- Overclocking Key lets you manually switch between single rail and multi rail
- 5 years warranty
- Split launch: 850 Watt - 1200 Watt in May / 550 - 750 Watt in July
- Prices: from 154 Euro for the 850 Watt version up to 289 Euro for the 1200 Watt version
Topology: Full Bridge + LLC + SR + DC/DC
The Dark Power Pro 11 models offer the highest possible efficiency, which is made possible by using and combining the newest key technologies during product design. For instance, Be Quiet! has equipped the power supply with eight daughter boards, allowing for technologies such as Full Bridge conversion, LLC and synchronous rectifying as well as DC-to-DC transformation.
Overclocking Key
Resolving a long-time dispute amongst PC enthusiasts, Be Quiet! offers the only power supply which lets you choose between multi- or single-rail 12V mode. A quick flip of the switch turns Dark Power Pro 11 from factory default four rail setting to high performance single rail mode. Also good to know is that fan follow-up control (ECASO) protects sensitive hardware such as graphic cards or hard drives effectively from overheating. The power supply fan and the fans connected to the power supply are supplied with power for 3 minutes after shutting down. The thermal electronics regulates the rotational speed of the power supply fan and of the 3 housing fans connected directly to the power supply. The speed indicator signal of the power supply fan can be read out over the mainboard.
Warranty
This is what Listan does very well. They offer you a 5 year warranty. Yep, all that efficient power distribution with a modular design, 6 and 8-pin PCIe connectors and bunch of other stuff with silence in mind, it's really a lovely power supply huh? Allow me to commence the photo shoot, at the next page...
