Introduction

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We would like to thank In Win for supplying the review sample.

After two generations In Win still insists on the Commander naming-scheme instead of promoting their fresh PSUs to generals or chiefs! However, they made them ready for desert battlefields by utilizing a sandy, tactile finish. A PSU ready for some warzone action and a highly customizable chassis does sound interesting, and the Commander III's unique coloring scheme may excite some users while turning off others that dislike such a "warlike" theme.

The new Commander III series consists of three units with capacities ranging from 600 W to 800 W. All feature 80 Plus Gold efficiency, a modular cabling system, share the same dimensions, design, and the unique coloring scheme. Today, we will evaluate the smallest of the new Commanders featuring 600 W maximum rated power. It can deliver most of its power on four +12V rails. The Commander III is a medium-capacity PSU that can support up to two high-end VGAs with its 600 W capacity and four PCIe connectors. This is pretty interesting because most manufacturers only equip a PSU of such a capacity with two PCIe connectors which cripples the PSU's usability, and that forces users looking for four connectors into a higher-capacity category with PSUs that aren't as efficient at low loads due to their increased wattage output. So buy a PSU that suits your needs when you are out searching for one. Don't buy one that clearly outputs too much power for your system and its components.

Let's skip to the second page to take a look at the Commander's specifications.

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Specifications

<table class="tputbl">
<thead>
<tr>
<th colspan="2">In Win Commander III 600W Features & Specs</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Max. DC Output</th>
<td align="center">600W</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row">PFC</th>
<td align="center">Active PFC</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Efficiency</th>
<td align="center">80 PLUS Gold</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row">Operating temperature</th>
<td align="center">0°C - 50°C</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Protections</th>
<td align="center">Over Voltage Protection<br />
Under Voltage Protection<br />
Over Current Protection<br />
Over Power Protection<br />
Short Circuit Protection</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row">Cooling</th>
<td align="center">135 mm Double Ball-Bearing Fan</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Dimensions</th>
<td align="center">150 mm (W) x 86 mm (H) x 160 mm (D)</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row">Weight</th>
<td align="center">2.01 kg</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Compliance</th>
<td align="center">ATX12V v2.31, EPS 2.92</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row">Warranty</th>
<td align="center">5 years</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">MSRP price at time of review (exc. VAT)</th>
<td align="center">$109</td>
</tr></table>

Efficiency is Gold and its operating temperature range is quite large given the PSU can deliver its maximum output at up to 50°C. The unit has all protection features except for OTP (Over Temperature Protection), which we don't like since OTP is essential to every PSU.

The fan has a 135 mm diameter and uses double-ball bearings for increased longevity. It is provided by Adda, so its quality is high enough. The footprint of the PSU is normal for an ATX compliant PSU since it is 160 mm long. This means that you won't have any compatibility problems with most cases available on the market. Finally, its warranty is long with five years; a clear indication that the new Commanders belongs to the high-end category. Its MSRP price is higher than we would like, but its retail price will probably be lower.

<table class="tputbl">
<thead>
<tr>
<th colspan="11"><strong>In Win Commander III 600W</strong> Power Specs</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tr>
<th scope="row">Rail</th>
<td align="center">3.3V</td>
<td align="center">5V</td>
<td align="center">12V1</td>
<td align="center">12V2</td>
<td align="center">12V3</td>
<td align="center">12V4</td>
<td align="center">5VSB</td>
<td align="center">-12V</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th rowspan="2" scope="row">Max. Power</th>
<td align="center">24A</td>
<td align="center">24A</td>
<td align="center">25A</td>
<td align="center">25A</td>
<td align="center">25A</td>
<td align="center">25A</td>
<td align="center">3A</td>
<td align="center">0.3A</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td colspan="2" align="center">120W</td>
<td colspan="4" align="center">590W</td>
<td align="center">15W</td>
<td align="center">3.6W</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row">Total Max. Power</th>
<td colspan="8" align="center">600W</td>
</tr></table>

There are four +12V rails with high OCP trigger points for the medium-capacity category, which is pretty convenient for contemporary systems. The minor rails are strong enough to meet the needs of any system, and the 5VSB rail is a little stronger than the average.

Cables & Connectors, Power Distribution

<table class="tputbl">
<thead>
<tr>
<th colspan="2" align="center">Native Cables</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tr>
<th scope="row">ATX connector (550mm)</th>
<td align="center">20+4 pin</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row">4+4 pin EPS12V/ATX12V (650mm)</th>
<td align="center">1</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">6+2 pin PCIe (550mm+150mm)</th>
<td align="center">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th colspan="2" align="center">Modular Cables</th>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row">6+2 pin PCIe (500mm+150mm)</th>
<td align="center">2</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th scope="row">SATA (500mm+150mm+150mm)</th>
<td align="center">9</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th scope="row">4 pin Molex (510mm+150mm+150mm) / FDD(+150mm)</th>
<td align="center">3 / 1</td>
</tr></table>

A fair amount of cables and connectors equip the unit; that is, for a 600 W unit. Included are, amongst others, four PCIe connectors. We usually only find two PCIe connectors at this power range, which would only allow for a single high-end VGA to be attached. Thankfully, In Win didn't adhere to the norm by enhancing the small Commander III's usability with an additional two PCIe connectors, something many users will highly appreciate.

The length of all cables is sufficient, and the distance amongst all connectors is adequate. The native EPS and all PCIe connectors also use 16AWG wires. The same applies to the +12V wires of the ATX connector. All other wires are of 18AWG size.

<table class="tputbl">
<thead>
<tr>
<th colspan="2" align="center">Power Distribution</th>
</tr>
</thead>
<tr>
<th align="left" scope="row">12V1</th>
<td align="center">Peripheral (Modular), ATX</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th align="left" scope="row">12V2</th>
<td align="center">EPS (Native)</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th align="left" scope="row">12V3</th>
<td align="center">PCIe1, PCIe2 (Native)</td>
</tr>
<tr class="alt">
<th align="left" scope="row">12V4</th>
<td align="center">PCIe3, PCIe4 (Modular)</td>
</tr></table>

Power distribution is good since the single EPS connector is fed by a dedicated rail, and each pair of PCIe connectors uses its own +12V rail. Nothing more to ask for here.

Packaging

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The package features the image of a fox since the PSU is nicknamed desert fox. In the bottom, left corner, we find three badges for the 80 Plus Gold efficiency, the five-year warranty, and Nvidia's SLI certification. Some of the unit's most crucial features, like its modular cabling design, the 105 °C caps, and its four +12V rails, are listed right next to the badges. There is also a top handle to help you carry the box around.

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The sides hold information about the unit's weight, the country it was made in (China of course), and a series of badges describing the PSU's most interesting features.

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On the rear is an extended features description list with an outline of all available connectors. Unfortunately, there is no mention of cable length.

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Two pieces of packing foam surround the unit and provide adequate protection. The PSU is also wrapped in a plastic bag, which offers some additional protection against scratches.

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The rest of the bundle includes the AC power cord (EU type in our case), a set of fixing bolts along with some Velcro straps, a user's manual, and the modular cables. Unfortunately, In Win doesn't provide a storage pouch for its modular cables, but you will probably use most of them given there aren't very many of them.

Exterior

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The finish is of a pale, sandy-brown color; it gives the new Commander a new and unique look. On its sides are an illustration of a fox and the "desert fox" phrase. "Desert fox" was also German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's nickname and the name of the operational bombing of Iraq in 1998. The omnipresent honeycomb-style vent is used on the front, and a well-placed on/off switch can be found next to the AC receptacle. On the rear, we find several sockets for the modular cables and the PSU's native cables that are fully sleeved all the way back into the casing. There is also a grommet around the cable-exit hole. The specifications label is installed on the bottom side of the PSU, while the usual octagonal fan-grill, with a nice IN Win badge at its center, can be found on the other side. All in all, the PSU does feature a nice look that will easily stand out amongst other PSUs because of its sandy-brown finish.

A Look Inside & Component Analysis

Before reading this page, we strongly suggest a look at this article, which will help you understand the internal components of a PSU better.

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The manufacturer of the PSU is In Win: one of the few unofficial OEM companies that has the know-how and the facilities to build their own PSUs. The PCB is rather small and is not densely populated. It features a clean design without any exotic characteristics, like an LLC converter or a full bridge topology for high efficiency. Nevertheless, DC-DC converters are used with synchronous rectification for the generation of +12V on the secondary side.

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The transient filter starts right at the AC receptacle with two Y caps. The power cables are wrapped around a ferrite bead to reduce EMI. On the main PCB, the transient filter continues with two CM chokes, an MOV, two X caps, and a pair of Y caps after the bridge rectifiers.

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Two parallel bridge rectifiers are used, and both are bolted onto the primary heatsink.

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In the APFC, two STW26NM60N separate the intermediate DC voltage coming from the bridge rectifiers into constant pulse sequences. As boost diode, a BYC10-600 is used. The two parallel hold-up caps are provided by Rubycon (180μF each or 360μF, 450V, 105C). Their combined capacity looks small for the maximum power this unit can deliver, something we will figure out for ourselves during the hold-up-time test.

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Two STW26NM60N are used as primary choppers. The combo PFC/PWM controller is a Champion CM6802AHX IC. It is an upgraded version of the widely used CM6800 IC mostly found in Bronze and Silver efficiency PSUs. In Win managed to achieve high efficiency without the use of an LLC converter or a full-bridge topology, which is not as easy as it sounds.

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The standby PWM controller is an STR-A6069H IC. The SBR diode that rectifies 5VSB is an STMicroelectronics STPS2045CT.

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Synchronous rectification is utilized on the secondary side, and four IPP032N06N3 G fets, installed on a small heatsink, generate the +12V rail. Each one can handle up to 120 A of current, even at 100°C.

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The minor rails are generated by two DC-DC converters. Two pairs of G853NL and G603NL fets and an APW7166 PWM controller are used on each DC-DC converter.

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On the secondary side, several electrolytic Teapo caps, rated at 105°C, and four polymer caps (also provided by Teapo) are used for filtering purposes. As you will find out later, more should have been used for better ripple suppression.

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Housekeeping duties are handled by a Weltrend WT7579 IC for which no information is available on the web.

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Soldering quality is quite good on the modular PCB, but, unfortunately, no filtering caps are installed to provide extra ripple filtering. Two thick cables deliver two +12V rails to this PCB. The first feeds the modular 8-pin socket, while the other one powers the four peripheral sockets.

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Soldering quality on the main PCB is of very high quality. We usually see such high-quality soldering from large OEMs that dominate the field, and such quality from In Win has amazed us. The four current sense shunts on the secondary side indicate that the PSU does have four +12V virtual rails.

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The fan is provided by ADDA, and its model number is ADN512LB-A90 (12V, 0.22A). It uses ball-bearings and is a medium-speed fan, but it does produce a lot of noise at full RPM.

Test Setup

All measurements were performed using two Chroma 6314A mainframes equipped with the following electronic loads: six 63123A [350 W each], one 63102A [100 W x2], and one 63101A [200 W]. The aforementioned equipment is able to deliver 2500 W of load, and all loads are controlled by a custom-made software. We also used a Picoscope 3424 oscilloscope, a Picotech TC-08 thermocouple data logger, a Fluke 175 multimeter, and a Yokogawa WT210 power meter. We also included a wooden box, which, along with some heating elements, was used as a hot box. We also had at our disposal four more oscilloscopes (Rigol 1052E and VS5042, Stingray DS1M12, a second Picoscope 3424), and a CEM DT-8852 sound level meter. In this article, you will find more details about our equipment and the review methodology we follow. Finally, we conduct all of our tests at 40 - 45°C ambient in order to simulate with higher accuracy the environment seen inside a typical system, with 40 - 45°C being derived from a standard ambient assumption of 23°C and 17 - 22°C being added for the typical temperature rise within a system.

Primary Rails Voltage Regulation

The following charts show the voltage values of the main rails, recorded over a range from 60W to the maximum specified load, and the deviation (in percent) for the same load range.

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5VSB Regulation

The following chart shows how the 5VSB rail deals with the load we throw at it.
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Hold-up Time

The hold-up time is a very important characteristic of a PSU and represents the amount of time, usually measured in milliseconds, that a PSU can maintain output regulations as defined by the ATX spec without input power. In other words, it is the amount of time that the system can continue to run without shutting down or rebooting during a power interruption. The ATX spec sets the minimum hold-up time to 16 ms at maximum continuous output load. In the following screenshot, the blue line is the mains signal and the yellow line is the "Power Good" signal. The latter is de-asserted to a low state when any of the +12V, 5V, or 3.3V output voltages fall below the undervoltage threshold, or after the mains power has been removed for a sufficiently long time to guarantee that the PSU cannot operate anymore.

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The hold-up time of the Commander III 600 W is significantly lower than the minimum time that the ATX spec specifies. Apparently, larger caps in the APFC circuit are needed to reach 16 ms.

Inrush Current

Inrush current or switch-on surge refers to the maximum, instantaneous input-current drawn by an electrical device as it is turned on. Because of the charging current of the APFC capacitor(s), PSUs produce large inrush-current right as they are turned on. Large inrush current can cause the tripping of circuit breakers and fuses and may also damage switches or relays; as a result, the lower the inrush current of a PSU right as they are turned on, the better.

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Voltage Regulation and Efficiency Measurements

The first set of tests revealed the stability of the voltage rails and the efficiency of the Commander III. The applied load was equal to (approximately) 20%, 40%, 50%, 60%, 80%, 100% and 110% of the maximum load that the PSU can handle. In addition, we conducted two more tests. In the first test, we stressed the two minor rails (5V and 3.3V) with a high load while the load at +12V was only 2 A, and, in the second test, we dialed the maximum load that the +12V rail could handle while the load on the minor rails was minimal.

<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#aaaaaa" style="border-collapse:collapse">
<tr>
<th colspan="10" class="th1 tac" style="font-size:15pt"> Voltage Regulation & Efficiency Testing Data <br/>
In Win  Commander III 600W</th>
</tr>
<tr bgcolor="#dddddd">
<td width="115" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Test</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>12 V</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>5 V</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>3.3 V</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>5VSB</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Power<br />
(DC/AC)</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Efficiency</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Fan Speed</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Temp<br />
(In/Out)</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>PF/AC <br>
Volts</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>20% Load</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">8.027A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.951A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.927A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.989A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">119.69W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">87.75%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">1600 RPM</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9"> 42.94°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.813</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.227V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.114V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.420V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.031V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">136.40W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"> 46.26°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">230.0V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>40% Load</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">16.434A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.919A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.870A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.195A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">239.65W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">90.85%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">1600 RPM</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9"> 42.76°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.895</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.200V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.097V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.408V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.013V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">263.79W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"> 46.27°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">230.0V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>50% Load</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">20.530A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">4.912A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">4.849A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.599A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">299.64W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">91.20%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">1600 RPM</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9"> 42.95°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.913</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.186V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.087V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.401V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">4.994V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">328.54W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"> 46.72°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">230.0V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>60% Load</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">24.636A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">5.896A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">5.831A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">2.005A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">359.56W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">91.36%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">1600 RPM</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9"> 43.69°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.927</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.171V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.079V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.394V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">4.977V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">393.56W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"> 47.68°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">229.9V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>80% Load</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">33.037A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">7.894A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">7.806A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">2.418A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">479.46W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">90.99%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">1600 RPM</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9"> 45.23°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.944</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.142V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.062V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.381V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">4.952V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">526.94W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"> 49.86°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">229.9V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>100% Load</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">42.086A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">8.909A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">8.810A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.044A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">599.42W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">90.40%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">1600 RPM</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9"> 45.14°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.955</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.112V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.050V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.371V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">4.923V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">663.05W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"> 50.60°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">229.9V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>110% Load</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">47.094A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">8.916A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">8.820A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.048A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">659.31W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">90.05%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">1600 RPM</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9"> 45.01°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.960</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.096V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.045V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.367V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">4.917V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">732.15W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"> 50.87°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">229.9V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Crossload 1</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.962A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">14.011A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">14.005A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.501A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">144.77W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">85.36%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"> 1600 RPM</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9"> 43.66°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.846</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.216V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.057V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.387V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.025V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">169.60W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"> 47.65°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">230.2V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Crossload 2</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">49.114A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.001A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.002A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.001A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">608.11W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">90.92%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"> 1600 RPM</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9"> 45.04°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.956</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.107V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.083V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.393V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">4.996V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">668.85W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0"> 51.06°C</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">229.9V</td>
</tr>
</table>

As you will see from the relevant column of the above table, the fan started to spin up fully, which produced a significant amount of noise that would annoy most users, once the heat inside the hot box surpassed 40°C. We believe that the fan profile should be less aggressive in a Gold efficiency PSU because of significantly lower heat/energy dissipation compared to less efficient PSUs, especially since this unit can, according to its maker, operate at up to 50°C ambient. Its efficiency is, as you can see, very high, but we would like to see it eclipse the 88% mark at 20% load.

Voltage regulation on all rails is tight and is, especially at +12V, only a hair away from 1%; a really good performance that easily compares to most of its competition. In Win did an excellent job with voltage regulation, and the unit even manages to keep all of its rails close to their nominal values with a 110% of its max-rated-capacity load.

As a final note, we would like to highlight the fact that the PF readings with 20% and 40% load are low. They should, normally, be higher than 0.9 since this unit is a Gold-certified unit. Nevertheless, power factor is of no concern to the commercial consumer, although a high PF is useful to a PSU since that means less energy is wasted.

Efficiency

Using the efficiency results from the previous page, we plotted a chart showing efficiency of the Commander III at low loads and at loads equal to 20-110% of the PSU's maximum rated load.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...efficiency.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I..._low_loads.gif http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...rmal_loads.gif

For a discussion of these results, see the text at the end of the previous page.

Efficiency at Low Loads

In the next tests, we measured the efficiency of the Commander III at loads much lower than 20% of its maximum rated load (the lowest load that the 80 Plus Standard measures). The loads that we dialed were 40, 60, 80, and 100 W (for PSUs with over 500W of capacity). This is important for settings where the PC is in idle mode with power saving turned on.

<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#aaaaaa" style="border-collapse:collapse">
<tr>
<th colspan="9" class="th1 tac" style="font-size:15pt"> Efficiency at Low Loads <br/>
In Win  Commander III 600W</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="100" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Test #</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>12 V</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>5 V</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>3.3 V</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>5 VSB</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Power<br />
(DC/AC)</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Efficiency</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Fan Speed</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>PF/AC <br>
Volts</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>1</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.806A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.951A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.924A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.195A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">39.69W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">74.34%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">1600 RPM</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.662</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.247V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.120V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.426V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.060V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">53.39W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">230.0V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>2</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.359A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.951A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.925A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.395A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">59.69W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">80.75%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">1600 RPM</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.732</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.242V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.119V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.423V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.053V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">73.92W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">230.1V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>3</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">4.914A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.951A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.925A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.590A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">79.68W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">83.80%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">1600 RPM</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.767</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.237V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.118V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.423V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.045V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">95.08W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">230.0V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>4</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">6.469A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.951A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.926A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.790A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">99.68W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">86.25%</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">1600 RPM</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.791</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.232V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.116V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.421V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.038V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">115.57W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">230.0V</td>
</tr>
</table>

At low loads, efficiency is very high for the standards of a Gold PSU - exceeding 74% efficiency with a 40 W load. It easily surpasses the 80% mark on all other tests, which makes this PSU an ideal choice for a system that needs little wattage at idle. Since the ambient was close to 40°C, the fan was, again, spinning at full speed, which produced a lot of noise, although the load of the PSU was minimal.

5VSB Efficiency

The ATX spec states that the 5VSB standby supply's efficiency should be as high as possible and recommends 50% or higher efficiency with 100 mA of load, 60% or higher with 250 mA of load, and 70% or higher with 1 A or more of load.
We will take four measurements: one at 100, 250, and 1000 mA, and one with the full load that the 5VSB rail can handle.

<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#aaaaaa" style="border-collapse:collapse">
<tr>
<th colspan="5" class="th1 tac" style="font-size:15pt"> 5VSB Efficiency<br/>
In Win  Commander III 600W</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="100" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Test #</strong></td>
<td width="100" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>5VSB</strong></td>
<td width="100" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Power (DC/AC)</strong></td>
<td width="100" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Efficiency</strong></td>
<td width="100" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>PF/AC Volts</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>1</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.101A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.51W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">52.58%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.021</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.066V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">0.97W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">230.8V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>2</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.251A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.27W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">62.87%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.044</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.061V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">2.02W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">230.2V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>3</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.001A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">5.04W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">77.06%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.133</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.037V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">6.54W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">230.8V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>4</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.001A</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">14.93W</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">80.18%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.274</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">4.975V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">18.62W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">230.7V</td>
</tr>
</table>

Efficiency at 5VSB in the first two tests may be above the specified thresholds, but is still not ground breaking. However, it is high enough on the last two tests and marginally manages to surpass 80% efficiency with a 3A load.

Power Consumption in Idle & Standby

In the table below, you will find the power consumption and the voltage values of all rails (except -12V) when the PSU is in idle mode (powered on but without any load on its rails) and the power consumption when the PSU is in standby mode (without any load at 5VSB).

<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#aaaaaa" style="border-collapse:collapse">
<tr>
<th colspan="7" class="th1 tac" style="font-size:15pt"> Idle / Standby <br/>
In Win  Commander III 600W</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="100" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Mode</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>12 V</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>5 V</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>3.3 V</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>5VSB</strong></td>
<td width="85" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Power (AC)</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>PF/AC Volts</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Idle</strong></td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.249V</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.130V</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">3.434V</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">5.068V</td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">8.69W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">0.179</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">230.8V</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td rowspan="2" colspan="5" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Standby</strong></td>
<td rowspan="2" align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">0.29W</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">0.007</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">230.7V</td>
</tr>
</table>

Phantom power is low, and the unit easily meets the ErP Lot 6 2010 and the stricter 2013 requirements. This translates into a lower carbon footprint, which benefits the environment and, over the long haul, your wallet.

Fan RPM & Delta Temperature

The following chart illustrates the cooling fan's speed (RPMs) and the delta difference between input and output temperature. We had to conduct a second round of tests at lower ambient (33°C - 36°C) to find out what the fan's profile was because the PSU's fan was constantly spinning at its maximum speed at 40°C - 45°C ambient.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I.../fan_speed.jpg

The fan profile only goes crazy when the ambient temperature exceeds 40°C. It follows a linear operation at lower ambient, but almost spins up fully in the end. Considering the high efficiency of the unit at high loads, we think that In Win should restrict the maximum speed of the fan a little bit in order to make it output a lot less noise.

Cross Load Tests

For the generation of the following charts, we set our loaders to auto mode through our custom-made software before trying over a thousand possible load combinations with the +12V, 5V, and 3.3V rails. The voltage regulation deviations in each of the charts below were calculated by taking the nominal values of the rails (12V, 5V, and 3.3V) as point zero. We should note here that we only run this test with PSUs that have a capacity equal to or lower than 1000 W. This test takes a long time to run since the capacity of a unit increases the completion time of a cross-loads test exponentially.

+12V Voltage Regulation Chart

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...ges/CL_12V.jpg

5V Voltage Regulation Chart

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...ages/CL_5V.jpg

3.3V Voltage Regulation Chart

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...ges/CL_33V.jpg

Efficiency Chart

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...efficiency.jpg

+12V Ripple Chart

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...ipple_12V1.jpg

5V Ripple Chart

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I..._ripple_5V.jpg

3.3V Ripple Chart

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...ripple_33V.jpg

5VSB Ripple Chart

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...ipple_5VSB.jpg

Advanced Transient Response Tests

In these tests, we monitor the response of the PSU in two different scenarios. First, a transient load (10 A at +12V, 5 A at 5V, 5 A at 3.3V, and 0.5 A at 5VSB) is applied to the PSU for 200 ms while the latter is working at a 20% load state. In the second scenario, the PSU, while working at 50% load, is hit by the same transient load. In both tests, we measure the voltage drops that the transient load causes using our oscilloscope. The voltages should remain within the regulation limits as defined by ATX specifications. We must stress here that the above tests are crucial since they simulate transient loads that a PSU is very likely to handle (e.g., booting a RAID array, an instant 100% load of CPU/VGAs, etc.) We call these tests "Advanced Transient Response Tests", and they are designed to be very tough to master, especially for PSUs with capacities lower than 500 W.

<div style="float:left">http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...ansient_20.gif</div><div style="float:left"><table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#aaaaaa" style="border-collapse:collapse">
<tr>
<th colspan="5" class="th1 tac" style="font-size:15pt"> Advanced Transient Response 20%</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Voltage</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Before</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>After</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Change</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Pass/Fail</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>12 V</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">12.227V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">12.107V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.98%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>5 V</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">5.112V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">5.039V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.43%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>3.3 V</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.420V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.299V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.54%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>5VSB</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">5.028V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">4.993V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.70%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
</table></div><div style="clear:both"></div>

<div style="float:left">http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...ansient_50.gif</div><div style="float:left"></div><table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#aaaaaa" style="border-collapse:collapse">
<tr>
<th colspan="5" class="th1 tac" style="font-size:15pt"> Advanced Transient Response 50%</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Voltage</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Before</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>After</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Change</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Pass/Fail</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>12 V</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">12.187V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">12.064V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.01%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>5 V</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">5.085V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">5.020V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">1.28%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>3.3 V</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.400V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">3.323V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">2.26%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>5VSB</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">4.994V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">4.952V</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">0.84%</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
</table><div style="clear:both"></div>

Only during the first test did a rail, the 3.3V one, deviate by 3%. Deviations were kept low on all other rails. The +12V rail only deviated by close to 1% in both cases, which is a very good performance given the unit's medium capacity. All in all, the PSU performed very well, proving that it will easily handle all real-life dynamic loads.

Below, you will find the oscilloscope screenshots that we took during Advanced Transient Response Testing.

Transient Response at 20% Load

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...n_20_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...n_20_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...n_20_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...n_20_small.jpg

Transient Response at 50% Load

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...n_50_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...n_50_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...n_50_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...n_50_small.jpg

Turn-On Transient Tests

We measure the response of the PSU in simpler scenarios of transient loads - during the power-on phase of the PSU - in the next set of tests. In the first test, we turn the PSU off, dial the maximum current that the 5VSB can output, and then switch on the PSU. In the second test, we dial the maximum load that +12V can handle, and we start the PSU while it is in standby mode. In the last test, while the PSU is completely switched off (we cut off power or switch off the PSU's on/off switch), we dial the maximum load that the +12V rail can handle before switching the PSU on from the loader and restoring power. The ATX specification states that recorded spikes on all rails should not exceed 10% of their nominal values (e.g., +10% for 12V is 13.2V and for 5V is 5.5V).

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...5vsb_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I..._stb_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I..._off_small.jpg

The slope ramps up smoothly with no spikes or voltage overshoots on the 5VSB rail, while the +12V rail makes a small step in both cases. During the "PSU OFF TO FULL 12V" test, we also measured a spike at 12.58V, a high value which, however, is much lower than the 13.2V limit; it won't cause any problems.

Ripple Measurements

You will see the ripple levels that we measured on the main rails of the Commander III in the following table. The limits are, according to the ATX specification, 120 mV (+12V) and 50 mV (5V, 3.3V, and 5VSB).

<table border="1" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" bordercolor="#aaaaaa" style="border-collapse:collapse">
<tr>
<th colspan="6" class="th1 tac" style="font-size:15pt"> Ripple Measurements<br/>
In Win  Commander III 600W</th>
</tr>
<tr>
<td width="100" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Test</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>12 V</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>5 V</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>3.3 V</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>5VSB</strong></td>
<td width="80" align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Pass/Fail</strong></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>20% Load</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">33.5 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">22.8 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">13.4 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">11.5 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>40% Load</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">37.8 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">23.0 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">13.7 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">12.7 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>50% Load</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">42.4 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">23.2 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">15.7 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">16.0 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>60% Load</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">48.2 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">22.3 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">16.1 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">18.1 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>80% Load</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">57.6 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">23.5 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">16.2 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">19.7 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>100% Load</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">70.1 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">24.0 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">16.3 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">22.7 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>110% Load</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">76.5 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">24.3 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">17.0 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">23.3 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Crossload 1</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">33.8 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">25.5 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">14.5 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">10.0 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f0f0f0">Pass</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#DEE2E7"><strong>Crossload 2</strong></td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">70.6 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">24.4 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">16.7 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">18.0 mV</td>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#f9f9f9">Pass</td>
</tr>
</table>

Ripple suppression is not so good at +12V, and we expected much better ripple suppression on this rail from the new Commander. Surely 70 mV, as its poorest value, won't pose a threat to your system's components, but we don't expect to see over 50 mV of ripple on this rail, especially with a good, modern PSU. In Win should look into this matter and find a way to further suppress ripple at +12V. On the other hand, ripple suppression on the minor rails is quite good, indicating that the DC-DC converters are equipped with proper components that are correctly tuned.

Ripple at Full Load

In the following oscilloscope screenshots, you can see the AC ripple and noise that the main rails registered (+12V, 5V, 3.3V, and 5VSB). The bigger the fluctuations on the oscilloscope's screen, the bigger the ripple/noise. For all measurements, we set 0.01 V/Div (each vertical division/box equals to 0.01 V) as standard.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...load_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...load_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...load_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...load_small.jpg

Ripple at 110% Load

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...load_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...load_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...load_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...load_small.jpg

Ripple at Crossload 1

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I..._cl1_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I..._cl1_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I..._cl1_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I..._cl1_small.jpg

Ripple at Crossload 2

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I..._cl2_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I..._cl2_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I..._cl2_small.jpg http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I..._cl2_small.jpg

Performance Rating

The following graph shows the total performance rating of the PSU in comparison to other units we have tested before. To be more specific, the tested unit is shown as 100% and every other unit's performance is relative to it. If you want to know the exact method that we use to calculate the performance rating of each PSU, read this article.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...mages/perf.gif

Performance per Dollar

For most of you, the following graph is the most interesting since it shows the performance per dollar of the PSU that you may consider buying. We looked up the current USD price of each PSU on the popular online shop Newegg and used it, along with the relative performance numbers, to calculate the performance-per-dollar index. If Newegg didn't have a stock of a specific unit, we searched for it at other popular online shops (e.g., TigerDirect, Amazon) and, finally, if the unit was not sold in the USA, we searched the product at popular EU shops (e.g., Caseking) and then, if found, converted its price to USD (w/o VAT). Note that all numbers in the following graph are normalized by the rated power of each PSU.

http://www.techpowerup.com/reviews/I...perfdollar.gif

Value and Conclusion

<table width="100%" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" id="result">
<tr><th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/dollar.gif</th>
<td>

The In Win Commander III 600 W has an MSRP of $109

</td><br>
</tr><tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbup.gif</th>
<td>

Delivered full power (and even more) at 45°C
Efficient
Tight voltage-regulation
Good amount of connectors for its capacity
5-year warranty
Unique looks

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>http://www.techpowerup.com/images/thumbdown.gif</th>
<td>

Ripple at +12V
Hold-up time lower than the ATX spec threshold
Not an optimal fan profile above 40°C ambient
Noisy fan at high RPM

</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th>8.3</th>
<td>In general, the new In Win Commander III 600 W performed very well by excelling in voltage regulation and efficiency for its category and by showing a good overall response to dynamic loads. However, the high ripple on the +12V rail was enough to spoil the picture somewhat, and the PSU lost a lot of performance points in this area. The small Commander would easily earn a much higher place in our performance charts if ripple suppression on the +12V rail, the most important rail of all, were better and lower than 50 mV. I think In Win should take a closer look at this matter to conduct appropriate changes that would provide a cleaner +12V output. Another thing that annoyed me was the fan's profile, which made the fan ramp up completely once temperatures encroached and eclipsed 40°C. The unit is very efficient, and I am pretty sure that there is no need for the fan to operate at such high speeds, and a more relaxed fan profile would be a better match for this PSU.<br/><br/>To wind up, although the MSRP exceeds 100 bucks, which brings the Commander III 600 W to the high-end class of mid-capacity PSUs, its retail price will most likely be much lower, making it an ideal choice for someone that needs a highly efficient, medium-capacity PSU that can support up to two VGAs with two PCIe sockets each. If your chassis has good airflow and the ambient is kept close to 30°C, the fan's noise won't annoy you unless you have incredible hearing. To conclude, the Commander III 600 W is a good PSU that would surely earn a recommendation award with a better ripple suppression at +12V.</td></tr>
</table>