Author: Andrew Schembri Date: September 02, 2008 Manufacturer: GlacialPower Provider: GlacialPower

« The Insides! Page 5: Testing

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Testing was performed on our test system in three different scenarios: Boot defined as the period of time when the Windows XP logo is displayed on the screen; Idle being defined as Windows XP desktop with standard boot programs; and finally 3dmark06, which is the first test of 3dmark06. All values recorded values were the worst that were shown during the testing scenario. For example, during boot and 3dmark06, wattage consumption can jump around. Only the highest wattage during each specific time sequence was recorded.

Test setup:

• Intel Core2Duo E6300 @ 2.1GHz
  
  
  
• Gigabyte x38-DQ6
• OCZ Vendetta 2 CPU Cooler
• OCZ Reaper PC2-9600 (2x1GB)
• Leadtek 8800GT 512MB
• Soundblaster X-FI Gamer
• GlacialPower GP-AL 650A
• Asus DVD-RW
• Western Digital WD5000AAKS
• Western Digital WD10EACS
• Windows XP Professional SP2

The GP-AL 650A shows very tight voltage regulation. The largest deviation shows up on the 12 volt line at 2.17% deviation.


The GlacialPower GP-AL 650A makes an impressive showing here with the lowest power consumption of the group.


The GP-AL 650 has the lowest power factor of the group, but still, 0.94 is pretty good. A power supply which lacks active power factor correction might have a power factor of about 0.5, like the Antec Trupower 430 that I tested for a comparison. It should be noted that having a better power factor does not have any effect on one's electrical bill, but it does make the utility happy.

Throughout testing, the fan was watched periodically to monitor its status. When the computer started up, the fan was not spinning. During times of high load, such as 3dmark 06, the fan would spin up very quietly for a bit and then shutdown again. If the fan was spinning when the computer was shutdown, it continued to spin for a bit.


Above is a bad picture of the running power supply ( on a simple power supply tester) with the fan not running. No flash was used to show that the fan is not spinning.

Conclusion

The GlacialPower GP-AL 650A is a great product in terms of electrical prowess and features. However, it will not win any beauty contests. The quiet operation, high efficiency and delayed fan shutdown make this power supply ideal for an HTPC. All this plus the tight voltage regulation make this power supply great for any computer without any windows, or a great candidate for a UV sleeving kit.

Because of the GlacialPower GP-AL 650A’s excellent efficiency, quiet operation and tight voltage regulation, Mikhailtech awards the Editor’s Choice award.


Special thanks to GlacialPower for sending out a unit for review!

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« The Insides! Page 1: GlacialPower GP-AL 650A Powersupply Page 2: Features Page 3: A Closer Look Page 4: The Insides! Page 5: Testing