Super Flower Leadex Platinum 1000 W

[crmaris]

Super Flower hits the competition really hard with their new Leadex series units utilizing a fresh platform, promising Titanium efficiency levels with 230 VAC input. Today, we will test the Leadex Platinum 1000 W unit. How will it perform against the high-end competition?

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[erixx]

It has a price, 245! wow!

Note:
In negative aspects you say "large footprint": I am not sure if that is optimal from a language point of view. A footprint is something that remains after the "foot" is gone elsewhere... But the dimensions of a body (in my humble opinion) stay intrinsically with the body all the time.

 

[Jack1n]

Quite the PSU this is.

 

[McSteel]

Nice review! You know you have a fantastic PSU on your hands when just about the only things you can fault it for are a lower efficiency 5VSB and a somewhat long housing...

Perhaps the latter is due to airflow dynamics? Probably SF's testing has shown the fan to be more efficient in a bulkier casing.

You didn't mention the peculiar behavior of the PSU at low loads, with regards to AC power draw... Did you ever find out what it was all about?

I have a theory of my own... SF probably uses one of the three APFC FETs as a driver for the other two, alternating which one of them it drives based on the current/voltage phase. The On-Semi controller SF used is a CCM controller after all, and it's capable of operating in both peak and average current mode. If they used average mode (which is more likely, since this particular part works at 67kHz, too slow for ultra-precise peak-mode operation at kW power levels), that would explain phase shifting the input to accommodate for switching time (fitting rise/fall of the FETs at lower bias into the incoming AC).

Does this make any sense to you?

 

[radrok]

Been eyeing this PSU for quite a while, jonnyguru has had a review of this for quite a while and it gave me a very good impression.

Can't find it here in Europe, would like to try one though so let's hope some retailer stocks em up.

Did they give any word on their Titanium PSU they showcased earlier this year?

Oh, thank you for the review

 

[crmaris]

This is the Titanium PSU they were talking about, at least with 230 VAC (although 80 Plus certifies desktop PSUS only with 115 VAC) so it is more marketing.

 

[crmaris]

Nice review! You know you have a fantastic PSU on your hands when just about the only things you can fault it for are a lower efficiency 5VSB and a somewhat long housing...

Perhaps the latter is due to airflow dynamics? Probably SF's testing has shown the fan to be more efficient in a bulkier casing.

You didn't mention the peculiar behavior of the PSU at low loads, with regards to AC power draw... Did you ever find out what it was all about?

I have a theory of my own... SF probably uses one of the three APFC FETs as a driver for the other two, alternating which one of them it drives based on the current/voltage phase. The On-Semi controller SF used is a CCM controller after all, and it's capable of operating in both peak and average current mode. If they used average mode (which is more likely, since this particular part works at 67kHz, too slow for ultra-precise peak-mode operation at kW power levels), that would explain phase shifting the input to accommodate for switching time (fitting rise/fall of the FETs at lower bias into the incoming AC).

Does this make any sense to you?

I mention this inside the review somewhere (the peculiar AC draw at low loads).

As for the APFC part yeap it makes some sense but unfortunately from the moment we don't know how it works exactly and don't have a proper scheme of this the only thing we can do is speculations. I think only an SF engineer could shed some light on this matter. Also at least in this case this scheme doesn't look to work so well since at low loads the older platform performed better (and the Gold Leadex one, too). Apparently the tuning of the Platinum unit at low loads isn't optimal.

 

[TheDeeGee]

For the same Price you can get the SeaSonic Platinum 1000. Wouldn't be hard to make a choice...

 

[McSteel]

Actually, there's not much between the two in terms of both performance and quality. If anything, the SuperFlower has lower ripple...

 

[Sin]

Indeed, the only reason I'd consider the Seasonic XP 1000 over this is its multi-rail setup, otherwise the Leadex is the better unit.

 

[Fourstaff]

I think it depends on local availability and prices, given that both are more or less equal. If everything is equal Ill probably give my vote to SF

 

[radrok]

I think it depends on local availability and prices, given that both are more or less equal.

This, the damn Super Flower unit is a rare snowflake, can't be found anywhere near Europe.

Atleast I couldn't find it.

 

[crmaris]

It will be available soon in the EU, as they have told me (no dates were give though).

 

[radrok]

Thanks,

Will it be through rebranded resellers or just Super Flower?

I kinda like it how it is

 

[crmaris]

Most likely under their own name, since they are into retail, too.

 

[LAN_deRf_HA]

Any real Titanium or new digital units on the horizon? High-powered fanless? After the Corsair digi units hit it feels like the market hasn't had much excitement.