be quiet! has been slowly infiltrating the North American PC components market with cooling and power products that really speak for themselves. Or rather, they don’t speak at all, because they are quiet. be quiet!. Get it? Anyway, the company has just released their new be quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 series in a range of capacities, however the biggest achievement is the delivery of 80PLUS Platinum ratings across the entire line.
All be quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 series power supplies offers efficiency of up to 94%, which puts it right above 80PLUS Platinum standards. This goes for their smallest 850W version all the way up to the monster 1200W versions. Because of our previous testing of be quiet!’s products, we know that they are probably understating the true performance by a bit, giving you a margin of safety in case you do overdo it with that overclock or the number of GPUs you planned on installing.
Internally, the new series will build upon their “Full Bridge + LLC + SR + DC/DC” topology with two main parallel transformers, 4 output capacitors on the 12V rails that have 3,300 microfarads of headroom (vs 2,200 in previous models), and 39 solid caps pus a new PFC capacitor. The hardware changes allow the new series to not only produce more power efficiently, but it has also decreased temperatures, near silent operation from component noise, and hardware layout better setup for uniform cooling. While the Dark Power Pro 11 series barely requires any cooling, their SilentWings3 fan will fulfill any cooling duties under extreme loads.
The be quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 series will roll out immediately with the introduction of the 850W ($199US), 1000 watt ($239 US) and 1200 Watt ($279 US) models. Lower wattage models will also become available this coming August 2015. The series will also carry a five-year warranty plus free 48-hour on-site replacement for the first 12 months of ownership.
Full press release is available below.
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be quiet! introduces Dark Power Pro 11 in 850 to 1200 watt range
Highest efficiency, top performance and near-silent operation
Glinde, May 12th 2015 – be quiet!, the market leader in PC power supplies in Germany for nine consecutive years*, presents the new Dark Power Pro 11 series in the 850 to 1200 watt range. The latest generation of this high-end PSU now consistently reaches an efficiency of the 80PLUS Platinum standard and delivers the highest performance for absolute best-in-class systems, with up to four graphics cards. The Dark Power series was improved thanks to the proven and virtually inaudible SilentWings® 3 fans and technical optimizations. As a result, be quiet! offers once again, one of the most advanced power supplies with top technology.
Highest efficiency due to topology optimization
All Dark Power Pro 11 models offer an efficiency of up to 94 percent and thus, carry the 80PLUS Platinum certificate. be quiet! achieved this by improving upon the already powerful “Full Bridge + LLC + SR + DC/DC” topology. For example, the PSU now includes two parallel main transformers, resulting in lower heat emission and a higher efficiency. On top of this, its lower design makes room for better ventilation on the side of the power supply. The capacity of the 4 output capacitors on the 12V-rails has been increased from 2,200 to 3,300 microfarads. With a total of 39 Solid Caps and a new PFC capacitor, any noise that could be induced by the extreme load charges that a graphics card might place on the power supply, is minimized.
SilentWings® 3 for virtually inaudible operation
To make the Dark Power Pro 11 even quieter than the previous generation, be quiet! builts in SilentWings® 3 fans, which are already used with much success in the Straight Power 10 series. The 135 millimetre fan has a durable fluid dynamic bearing and a modern six-pole motor with IC-control for guaranteed smooth operation, even at lower speeds. More so, the SilentWings® 3 has a low startup rotational speed of 250 rpm. In addition, a large, funnel-shaped vent improves air intake and stabilizes airflow in the power supply. Thanks to these changes, the new Dark Power Pro 11 models work even quieter than its predecessors.
Proven feature set
All the innovative features of the Dark Power Pro 10 can be found in the new generation of this high-end power supply as well. Each watt class provides four ports for external fans that are driven via an additional temperature sensor and dedicated circuit. Moreover, every Dark Power Pro 11 model can be used in single or multi-rail mode by using the Overclocking Key. The rubber case lining for optimal decoupling and the semi-modular cable management are also back. And as usual, be quiet! has selected high-quality Japanese premium capacitors with a 105-degree Celsius certification for maximum reliability of the new top PSU models.
The Dark Power Pro 11 is available for retail immediately at a suggested retail price of $199/£161/€225 (850 watt), $239/£186/€259 (1000 watt) and $279/£207/€289 (1200 watt). Buyers of these high-end power supplies receive a five-year warranty and free 48-hour on-site replacement service in the first 12 months. The Dark Power Pro 11 series will be extended with lower-wattage models in August.
*Source: GfK Panel Market Germany, sales units internal computer power supplies, January 2015
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