Seasonic S12 II 500W
Sep 12th, 2007 | By Archive
Seasonic S12 II 500W
Date
: 09/13/07 – 12:49:26 AM
Author
:
Category
: Power Supplies
Page 1 : Introduction
Manufacturer:
Seasonic
Price:
$109.99
Seasonic, well known on its own and even better known as an OEM supplier to other brands has long been a favorite of many as the maker of extremely efficient and quiet power supplies. Combining quality components, design excellence, and a philosophy oriented towards the end user Seasonic's success is no secret. As a company founded over three decades ago, Seasonic has been established as a global leader in the field of switching power supplies.
Today we will be taking a look at Seasonic's new S12II 500W, predecessor to the famed S12. The S12 II line is comprised 330W, 380W, 430W and 500W units each as efficient, powerful and quiet as the next.
Page 2 : Features and Specifications
Here is what Seasonic has to say about the S12 II 500W:
Enjoy S12II, rock with 80 PLUS
The Seasonic S12II exceeds 80 PLUS standards, ready for VISTA OS, and provides silent, rock- solid performance. The series surpasses 80% energy efficiency at 20%, 50% and 100% of rated loads with a true power factor of 0.99, dramatically reducing computer engery usage by more than 20%
Super High Efficiency
Reduces energy consumption and component stress, improves PC reliability.
Optimized Energy Utilization
0.99 power factor reduces current demand and power distortion.
Super Silent
Reduces heat output and annoying noise output, optimizes cooling and silence.
The S12II series is technically based around a dual 12V rail solution, but it functions as a single rail power supply. On the S12II 500W, the total combined output of the two 12V rails is 408W, which is plenty for most systems.
The S12II 500W comes with a fairly standard assortment of cables including a6+2 pin PCI Express connector and six SATA connectors.
Another feature Seasonic really pushes is the solid aluminum conductive polymer capacitors, or just capacitor.
Page 3 : Package and Contents
The power supply ships in a fairly small blue and black themed box, a refreshing change from enormous oversized boxes which has now become somewhat typical, but of course this might have something to do with the S12II 500W's small size.
The side and back panels of the box contain a lot of the information found on the last page when we covered specifications and features.
Inside is a manual, warranty information, power chord, screws, a floppy power adaptor and the power supply itself finished and sleeved in black.
Seasonic has always been one who really tones down designs, and keeps things simple. The only touch of flare is the emblem placed in the middle of the fan grill.
Though the appearance is minimalist, Seasonic maintains an elegant appeal.
As mentioned earlier, the wires are covered in black mesh covering with the exception of the SATA cables which are sleeved up until the first connector.
While 20+4 pin motherboard ATX connectors are quite common now, 6+2 pin PCI Express connectors are quite new to us!
Next, we will be opening up the power supply!
The heatsinks are bent at 90 degree angles and cropped to firstly take advantage of the 120mm exhaust fan and secondly allow air to freely move within the enclosed unit and escape through the perforated rear.
On the primary side, Seasonic uses a single Rubycon capacitor and on the secondary side, a series of Nippon Chemicon capacitors including a single solid aluminum capacitor on the 12V rail.
Page 4 : Testing
While our load tester consisted of a large array of wire wound resistors is in the process of taking shape, in order to simulate system load, we will be using peltiers. The reason for this is because when using an actual computer system there is no way we could accurately measure how much load we are putting on the power supply without some very expensive equipment.
Prior to any official tests, the units will run with no load for two weeks or approximately 336 hours at an operation temperature of 21°C (room temperature will vary throughout this period) as a burn-in period. We will be running two sets of tests, a cold and a hot test, but both under loaded conditions. This is to reflect different conditions the power supply could potentially encounter within an enclosed system. Cold tests will run with an exhaust temperature of 21°C and hot tests will be run with an exhaust temperature of 45°C. All temperature and voltage readings will be recorded with two separate digital multimeters.
Next, lets take a quick look at installation!
We will be installing the Seasonic S12II into a Lian Li PC60B case, a fairly typical case in size and features.
First, the existing power supply will need to be removed, in this case the power supply is mounted with a back plate.
Finally, the Seasonic S12II can be installed. The S12II is a standard sized ATX power supply, so it should have no trouble fitting into most cases.
Page 5 : Conclusion
The Seasonic S12 II much like Antec's Earthwatts we took a look at back in January has stunned us all at Overclockers Online. We were quite impressed how it managed our load test while unflinchingly strolling through an incredibly punishing ambient environment, and even more so when it simply refused to heat up even though it was cooled by a single 80mm fan.
Even before the S12II's release, the bar was already set quite high, as the predecessor of the widely successful Seasonic S12 nothing short of excellence would suffice. As we have seen today, Seasonic's S12II 500W has lived up to its expectation. Priced only slightly more than $100, the S12II 500W is a great buy for those who are looking for a silent high end power supply for a mid ranged system.
Advantages
- Affordable pricing
- Quiet
- Excellent performance
Disadvantages
[list><li]Not suitable for higher end computer systems[/list]
Overclockers Online would like to thank Seasonic for making this review possible.