Real World Testing

So, what do these excellent controlled results mean in a real world environment? To show this we take two steps. The first is to build a system which is appropriate to the PSU's target market. In the case of the HX1050 we assembled the following components:

Intel Core i7-2600K CPU
Corsair H80 CPU Cooler
Asus Sabertooth P67 Motherboard
2x4Gb Corsair Vengeance DDR3-1600
1x Nvidia GeForce GTX 590
1x Corsair Force3 GT SSD
2x WD VelociRaptor SATA Drives
Corsair 600T Case
Sony BDU-X10S Blu-Ray Drive

This creates the basis for an enthusiast system with significant power use. Added to this we have 2x20cm case fans and various USB devices (keyboard, mouse, wireless-n) which draw additional current.

With the system set-up we then test noise, exhaust temperature and min/max power use on the 1050w sample, a current generation PSU and a comparable model from 12-18 months ago in real world use.

	Noise	Exhaust Temp	Minimum Power	Maximum Power
HX1050 Idle	24.1dBA	26.0°C	168w	-
HX1050 Load	27.6dBA	29.3°C	-	453w
BFG 1200w Idle	26.9dBA	28.4°C	175w	-
BFG 1200w Load	30.1dBA	34.1°C	-	464w

We are always surprised to see just how far PSU's have come in the last few years and the HX1050 is no different, exceeding the performance of an older 1200w model by some way. Whether these gains continue to be seen in the future as more manufacturers go with 80plus certification remains to be seen... but for those looking to upgrade from an older model, significant benefits can be achieved.