Testing (continued):
The first set of charts analyzes the four power supplies over a thirty minute period while the system was run from the idle to the load condition described. The chart indicates that a total of sixteen readings were taken at two minute intervals, with the first two readings being at idle, and the next fourteen being at load. The times are approximate, as I would not take load readings if 3DMark was in between load tests, and because I could only read one rail at a time. For example, I would connect to the 12V rail - wait for it to stabilize - take a reading, and then repeat the process on the 5V and 3.3V rail, making sure to get back to the 12V rail in about two minutes. The transition between graphics tests was generally just over a minute, and really didn't delay any readings by much.
Across the three main rails I was impressed to see that the Thermaltake unit put up what may be the best results. Let's take a closer look at each rail, starting with the 12V rail. This unit started the closest to 12.00V and the regulation was extremely tight. The deviation from idle to load was just 12.03V to 12.09V, which is 0.06V or 0.5%. Very impressive. On the 5V rail the readings for the Thermaltake unit run just about parallel to the BFG Tech unit, and both run just over 5.00V. The deviation from idle to load was 5.09V to 5.03V, which is 0.06V or 1.2%. The 3.3V rail on the Thermaltake unit exhibited tight regulation, while also being very close to specification. The deviation from idle to load was 3.34V to 3.35V, which is 0.01V or 0.3%.
Other units used in this review put up some great results, but the three main rails on the Thermaltake unit make it easy to identify as the top performer in this round of testing.
