Power supply manufacturers are really focusing on 80Plus efficiency standards versus max wattage. And, it seems that many of them are paying closer attention to what we the consumers want. For example, we recently tested one of Rosewill’s strategically focused 750 watt Fortress Platinum power supplies and found that the OEM, ATNG, manufactures decently efficient units for them. While the price conscious unit takes care of them, the Tachyon 1000 Platinum modular PSU caters to a more demanding enthusiast. Let’s take a look to see if the Tachyon 1Kw plant offers what is needed and whether or not it has the heart to keep up with today’s top end systems.
Features and Specifications
While the Fortress series are hard wired for a better budget solution, the Tachyon are modular and appeal to a higher end need. Both share similar designs but the key features are different. Here are the main features that give the Tachyon its purpose and differentiation.
- 80 PLUS PLATINUM Certified – At least 87% efficiency
- Continuous 1000W@50°C
- Single 12V rail power deliver – ideal especially for gaming systems
- SLI & CrossFire Ready – 6 x 6+2pin Connector
- Modular cable design – great for wire management
- One silent 140mm fan with auto fan speed temperature control
- Active-PFC with auto AC-input voltage adjustment(100-240V)
- Smooth black coated housing
- Mesh sleeving on all cables – better appearance and ventilation
- Over Current/Voltage/Power Protection, Under Voltage Protection, and Short Circuit Protection provide maximum safety and component protection
- Safety & EMI Approval: cTUVus, FCC, CE, ROHS
This unit has six 6+2pin connectors. That’s enough for three high end GIGABYTE GTX 670 OC video cards configured in SLI. Instead of a 120 or 135mm cooling fan, a 140mm fan is used which means lower fan noise without sacrificing air flow. The unit also offers all the right power protection features as well.
Looking at the commonly important specifications, the PSU offers 20 Amp +3.3V and +5V power rails. But the best power comes from the 83 Amp single +12V rail. The heart of the plant distributes this power evenly and accurately among the connected cables whether fixed or modular.
As far as pricing and availability, many Rosewill products are still a NewEgg exclusive, but distribution has been increasing into other retailers like Amazon and Buy.com. Pricing for this unit retails for $239.99 US and is backed by a 5 year warranty.
What’s in the Box?
The Tachyon bundle includes the PSU, power cord, manual, cable management bag with included cabling, and black screws for installation. Four black thumb screws are also included for tooless installation. Too bad the bundle doesn’t include Velcro straps or zip ties to aid in cable management.
The longest cable reaches 42 inches while the shortest 20+4pin is only 22 inches followed by the 4+4pin and 8pin at 24 inches. Taller, larger enclosures may require some extensions to properly hide or route wires, of which there are many options. Otherwise, the rest are plenty long.
The cabling itself is wrapped with common nylon braiding and the ends are properly terminated with a rather thick shrink wrap to ensure resistance to repetitive abuse.
Tachyon 1000 Platinum Inspected
The Tachyon has that rugged exterior look even though you may not easily see inside your enclosure once installed. At least you don’t have to use kid gloves during installation. The other main point of interest is what’s inside.
The unit utilizes two Nippon Chemi-Con electrolytic 400V capacitors but they aren’t identical though. One is a 560 uF and the other a 470 uF. The unit also has all the necessary controllers and objective circuits needed to ensure the 80Plus Platinum efficiency. A 140mm Globe fan blows about 40 to 130 CFM of air to cool all of the components. Similar listed 140mm fans create about 35 to 40 dB noise.
An engineering colleague pointed out that the unit has a couple of potential issues. First, the unit doesn’t have proper protection against surges, pointing out the unit is missing a necessary fuse of sorts. Users should always use a good quality surge protector, but it seems just a little more important with this product. Second, we noticed that the fan controller mini-PC board flexes back and forth a bit because it’s only attached by what appears to be thin soldering. Without proper OTP (over temperature protection), the fans won’t spin up properly so if for some reason component temps reach or exceed specifications, it will cease to function. Remember, heat is the number one killer of electrical components.
With all the nitpicking aside, let’s see how the sum of the parts perform in our tests.