Performance and Testing
As you know, I do not have the specialized equipment for PSU testing (which costs thousands of dollars). So the best way I could do test the PSU is by using what we’ve got. My testing method involves comparing the voltage and power consumption reading during idle and at full load. I know it’s not the most accurate method technically, but I think this simple method should provide some ideas of the performance of the power supply in terms of stability and power consumption.
Efficiency Requirements for 80Plus Certification
The main thing to watch out for, is the fluctuation on the +12V line. If the +12V line drops to below 12V during full load or large fluctuations in the V readings … then we’re in trouble. The system may unstable and you might also get random reboots.
We used AIDA64 and simultaneously ran both CPU and GPU stress test which produces 100% load. We then checked the voltage readings on AIDA64, we were able to read the sensor onboard the Asus Z790-E Strix Gaming motherboard. We were able to take the readings of the total power consumption of the CPU and GPU.
Idle
Voltage readings taken from ADIA64 at idle
- +12V : 12.192V
- +5V : 5V
- +3V : 3.328V
Load
Voltage readings taken from ADIA64 under load
- +12V : 12.096 (-0.096)
- +5V : 5.00 (no change)
- +3V : 3.328 (no change)
Total power consumption (in wattage)
- CPU (Core i9-1400K) – Max: 274.01W
- GPU (RTX 4070 Ti) – Max: 227.01W
Surprisingly at full load, using the Core i9-14900K processor along with the GeForce RTX 4070 Ti, the system didn’t draw as much power as I expected. A total of only 501W … 274W for the CPU and 227W for the GPU.
At full load, the +12V line dropped ever so slightly from 12.192V to 12.096V. A minute change of only -0.096V. Nothing to be concerned about. For the +5V and +3.3V lines, both were solid with no change at all.
Now lets move on to the Conclusion and Verdict!
