be quiet! Dark Power 12 850 W

[crmaris]

The be quiet! Dark Power 12 850 W performs incredibly well and keeps noise output low even under tough operating conditions. FSP, the OEM, used a modern platform to achieve such high performance. The strongest competitor is the similarly priced Corsair AX850.

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[Dave65]

Great review but price is just stupid..

 

[s3thra]

Excellent, detailed review. Thank you.

 

[joemama]

Damn this review is really detailed, nice.

 

[Icon Charlie]

Great review but price is just stupid..

Agreed, but as I have stated. Stupid sheeple will buy it. If this was a 1200watt PSU then yes this would be a buy, but in this day an age corporations SELL you less for more money. They can get away with it because are enough people who don't know (or frankly don't care) about costs to run a business then these prices are going to stay.

 

[ZoneDymo]

Great review but price is just stupid..

It is high sure but at the same time people are going to use it to power 600+ dollar processors with (atm) 1000+ dollar videocards on 200-500 dollar motherboards with 300 dollar ram sticks etc etc, to power all that hardware you want something good so is 240 dollars really that much compared to what you are spending already?

 

[Mescalamba]

Vampire Power?

Did I miss something or is it a joke?

That inrush.. hah, yea would need new circuit breaker with that. 90 amps.. jeeezus.

 

[GorbazTheDragon]

Bequiet finally discovered 10 year warranties?

That inrush.. hah, yea would need new circuit breaker with that. 90 amps.. jeeezus.

Probably fine given that it's a relatively short transient. Domestic circuit breakers are for sustained loads so they generally won't trip on short spikes unless they are absurdly high.

 

[-The_Mask-]

The strongest competitor is the similarly priced Corsair AX850.

This PSU is clearly better then the AX850 overal. The HX850i from Corsair is a much better competitor for this PSU.

 

[Solid State Soul ( SSS )]

This PSU is clearly better then the AX850 overal. The HX850i from Corsair is a much better competitor for this PSU.

HX850i is a tier below the AX850, which is considered the best Corsair PSU along side the ax 1500 flextronics built.

Also the HX850i is platinum, where as the AX850 is titanium, so it should be its direct competitor

 

[sith'ari]

The multiple +12 V rails are meant to enhance the PSU's protection features, but the high OCP triggering points render them almost useless. I understand that power-hungry graphics cards like the NVIDIA RTX 3080 have high power spikes, which can easily trip the OCP circuit and shut down the PSU, but with 180-195% OCP triggering points, you don't get the protection you'd expect

That's exactly why i never liked the multi-rail designs. They are likely to cause issues which otherwise they would simply be totally unnecessary......

If you don't want to mess with multiple +12 V rails, you can combine them into a powerful +12 V rail over a switch be quiet! calls "overclocking key."

....... but in this case , since BeQuiet can give you the option to turn the multi rail into a single rail with an ""overclocking key"", then i can't complain .... that much.

( yet , i was expecting that this ""overclocking key"" would just be a switch just like the power button ,attached on the PSU itself , but from what i've noticed it's on a .... seperate bracket , so again , since as a customer i strongly favour the single rail PSUs then there are more convenient/normal PSU designs/choices for people like me )

---P.S. As usual , another great PSU review by Aris !! Thanks !!

 

[-The_Mask-]

HX850i is a tier below the AX850, which is considered the best Corsair PSU along side the ax 1500 flextronics built.

Also the HX850i is platinum, where as the AX850 is titanium, so it should be its direct competitor

It's not about the 80PLUS certification.

The AX850 is also no where near the AX1500i of AX1600i. I don't no where you got that information, but I would look for a better source next time.

 

[Solid State Soul ( SSS )]

It's not about the 80PLUS certification.

But it is, cause they can be equally priced. and then the consumer would look which one performers better

The AX850 is also no where near the AX1500i of AX1600i. I don't no where you got that information, but I would look for a better source next time.

Those are definitely better, however disregarding the AX850 without giving reasons why, was immature, it out performs the HXi in reviews.

so what's your angel on why the AX850 isnt as good as but the HXi is despite the AX performing slightly better in reviews.

I already know what you'r answer is going to be based on your history in these forums, but its amusing to hear it again non the less

 

[Tom Sunday]

I have been looking for Shannon Robb to be "chiming-in" with his commentaries throughout all of the more respected US based tech-sites and with the latest 'be quiet' happenings. And there has been a lot new from the near Hamburg located Listan GmbH with headquarters in Glinde. Being born in Germany I wrote to Glinde about 6-8 months ago and on the future AIO/AIR cooler compatibilities in wake of the 2021 Alder Lake arrival and this rendering a significant percentage of existing coolers to essentially be obsolete. My question: Would they freely entertain in supplying retrofit hosing and or pump mechanisms to their loyal customer base or customers that will be purchasing one of their products in the ensuing 12-months or so? Their very nicely worded response was a white washed "corporate one" and provided no real answers. The Germans are very good at this. Shannon to my knowledge has been their relatively new frontline US representative and is well respected and experienced. I wish he would soon step up to the bar and delight us. With that Shannon would most definetely carry more weight talking to the American audience than Hans Gruber from Hamburg.

 

[sith'ari]

.............

I already know what you'r answer is going to be based on your history in these forums, but its amusing to hear it again non the less

Well that's your mistake ,since you claim that you know his history in these forums(by the way ,not much of a history , you have 3 times more comments , though you became forum member 4 years later than him , so ... ) , though apparently you don't know his history in other forums , namely the Jonnyguru forum , which was the forum that every PSU reviewer ( or a PSU enthusiast such as myself) used to be.
I can assure you that the_Mask 's opinion was treated with high respect by every PSU expert in Jonnyguru forum.

As for your comments ,about the AX Vs HX all i'll say as only a customer , is that they are based on different platform , Seasonic's the former , CWT's the latter.
Both companies have proven that they can make great high-end platforms , and efficiency isn't always the determining factor about which platform is the best. ( especially when the criteria is the 80Plus which is an outdated rating much inferior to Cybenetic 's testing-methods )
For example , soldering quality , component quality , platform topology ,all these are factors which a customer , such as myself (and perhaps yourself as well) ,can't judge. These are things that only people with in-depth knowledge for PSUs can judge. The_Mask has this kind of knowledge. We as customers , well , we can only check numbers .
And as i said above , his opinion (that you find amusing to hear it again ,as you said ) was respected by every PSU reviewer in JonnyGuru forums.
I assume they knew better than you (or me) , what do you think ?

---P.S. Clarification : i made this comment only because you judged him based on his tiny history on this forum , while apparently you ignore the fact that he had a much(MUCH)greater history in a specialized PSU forum such as the Jonnyguru forum .
( personally i don't care to compare the AX Vs HX . They are both great platforms very close to each other. )

 

[VeqIR]

Excellent review as always! @crmaris : I hope you can also do a complete review of the 750W model. It appears to have higher average efficiency than the 850W model and lower ripple than the 850W model, comparing the cybenetics reports for both. Curious about OCP for the 750W model too.

It’d also be very useful to see inrush current tests for 115V and 230V both, not just either/or. Especially since inrush current tests can have pretty different results for each voltage, so while high for 230V, they can be good for 115V.

 

[Platinum certified Husky]

I genuinely don't know what makes Corsair HX better than Seasonic Prime other than multi-rail 12V output.
Soldering quality? Component quality? Cooling Fan?

Any answer is appreciated.

 

[sith'ari]

I genuinely don't know what makes Corsair HX better than Seasonic Prime other than multi-rail 12V output.
Soldering quality? Component quality? Cooling Fan?

Any answer is appreciated.

ehmm , what ? which platform is multi-rail ? i don't believe any of those 2 is multi-rail.
Perhaps you got confused with this BeQuiet PSU ?
(the BeQuiet in this review is multi-rail not the other 2)

 

[Platinum certified Husky]

ehmm , what ? which platform is multi-rail ? i don't believe any of those 2 is multi-rail.
Perhaps you got confused with this BeQuiet PSU ?
(the BeQuiet in this review is multi-rail not the other 2)

AFAIK Corsair HX is a single rail PSU with 40A OCP on each connector. I thought that makes it a multi-rail PSU?
I dunno.

Edit:
https://www.corsair.com/ww/en/Categ...-Units/hxi-series-2017-config/p/CP-9020139-UK

 

[sith'ari]

AFAIK Corsair HX is a single rail PSU with 40A OCP on each connector. I thought that makes it a multi-rail PSU?
I dunno.

Edit:
https://www.corsair.com/ww/en/Categ...-Units/hxi-series-2017-config/p/CP-9020139-UK
View attachment 201928

Ohh , you are talking about the HXi line , not the normal HX.
Yeah , i wasn't aware of that , but indeed ,if you go to Corsair's site it says about the HXi 750 : """Adjustable Single/Multi 12V Rail : Yes"""
while if you check their normal HX 750 they say : """Adjustable Single/Multi 12V Rail : No""" EDIT: apparently Corsair made a mistake . Although they write : NO at the specs , they indeed have a switch to toggle between single/multi.

To be honest i don't deal with PSUs that much anymore and i wasn't even aware of Corsair's new HXi line.

EDIT : and now i just noticed the the HXi line is actually really old !! i totally messed up my info about the HX Vs HXi line , lol , weird , i'm usually much more carefull than that

 

[Solid State Soul ( SSS )]

Well that's your mistake ,since you claim that you know his history in these forums(by the way ,not much of a history , you have 3 times more comments , though you became forum member 4 years later than him , so ... ) , though apparently you don't know his history in other forums , namely the Jonnyguru forum , which was the forum that every PSU reviewer ( or a PSU enthusiast such as myself) used to be.

You can find him, in most PSU related press releases articles, reviews, and forums in TPU. Also i teased him a little because he has some strong opinions about Seasonic power supplies, claiming they are not as great as people think and constantly have a thing or two to say about "Seasonic good" opinions in TPU, other people called him out for this multiple time, and notice why he disregarded the AX850 being the closest competition to the dark power 12 is because the AX850 is a Seasonic prime platform, which according to him is no more than a fancy Seasonic focus, ( despite having different, more powerful internals ).

He has proven himself to be a troll who bash everyone who has good opinions about seasonic, and we see him being himself here, disregarding the AX850, calming a tier lower PSU to be better, because its made by someone else other than Seasonic, despite the AX850 scoring nearly perfect scores in every review, outperforming the HXi in charts, its really his word against the many, he might have respected opinions elsewhere, but so far i haven't seen that here

 

[sith'ari]

...........
He has proven himself to be a troll who bash everyone who has good opinions about seasonic, and we see him being himself here, disregarding the AX850, calming a tier lower PSU to be better, because its made by someone else other than Seasonic, despite the AX850 scoring nearly perfect scores in every review, outperforming the HXi in charts, its really his word against the many, he might have respected opinions elsewhere, but so far i haven't seen that here

That's not how i remember him through Jonnuguru forums.
Unfortunately JonnyGuru is now closed , but there was a time when i used to be very active there (2015-2017) , so i know the_Mask very well , and i certainly know that he has a lot of knowledge about PSUs , so i would certainly take his comments under consideration.
Anyway , just like i said in previous comment, he has the knowledge to judge the internals of a PSU design , which is something that i can't do , i can only compare numbers , not the quality of a platform.

And again , i'll emphasize that comparing how good a platform is , based on a criteria such as its 80plus ranking is irrelevant (in my opinion anyway) , since 80plus is an outdated system which tests a only few load-conditions for a PSU. On the contrary , the new Cybenetic certification , test thousands of load scenarios ( https://www.cybenetics.com/ ) so it can give much more reliable data about a PSU.

 

[crmaris]

Excellent review as always! @crmaris : I hope you can also do a complete review of the 750W model. It appears to have higher average efficiency than the 850W model and lower ripple than the 850W model, comparing the cybenetics reports for both. Curious about OCP for the 750W model too.

It’d also be very useful to see inrush current tests for 115V and 230V both, not just either/or. Especially since inrush current tests can have pretty different results for each voltage, so while high for 230V, they can be good for 115V.

In most cases, inrush currents are way lower with 115V input. As for the 750W unit, sure I will do something. Probably at TPU again

 

[kde]

constantly have a thing or two to say about "Seasonic good" opinions in TPU

I'm not very good expert on modern PSU designs (though I understand electronics), but Seasonic Prime 850 W was my previous PSU. It worked about a week, then it started suddenly switching off. Once a day, twice a day, more often, more ... and then it began switching off right after switched on. I tested it both with and without load (using the PSU tester connector that comes with the PSU), and it switched off anyway. During that second while PSU had been working it produced absolutely good output voltages, so it probably was a protection fault. Had to return it and got refund. Otherwise that it didn't work it seemed to be a very good PSU - fully modular, with good flat cables and fan control switch. Later I read some more negative feedback about the "Prime" series: some people complained that it was switched off by protection with powerful video adapter installed, some people even said that it completely burned. So, having considered this I tried to avoid the "Prime" platform.

I'd spent about a week searching for a decent PSU and finally settled down with BQ Dark Power 12 850 W. I can't say much about it yet, but it seems to work and that's already good. I also like its modularity and that it has its fan on even for light loads - the fan is almost inaudible at that speed, but it helps air to circulate through the PSU and thus to cool it down a little (cooling is never bad for capacitors).

The only disadvantage I see now is the high standby current - it's about 0.17 A while PSU (and powered off PC) consumes about 3 - 4 W. High current with low consumption means that almost all the standby current is reactive. I think it could flow through the X-capacitors that are used in the transient filter. Does anybody know what their capacitance is?

 

[VeqIR]

I'm not very good expert on modern PSU designs (though I understand electronics), but Seasonic Prime 850 W was my previous PSU. It worked about a week, then it started suddenly switching off. Once a day, twice a day, more often, more ... and then it began switching off right after switched on. I tested it both with and without load (using the PSU tester connector that comes with the PSU), and it switched off anyway. During that second while PSU had been working it produced absolutely good output voltages, so it probably was a protection fault. Had to return it and got refund. Otherwise that it didn't work it seemed to be a very good PSU - fully modular, with good flat cables and fan control switch. Later I read some more negative feedback about the "Prime" series: some people complained that it was switched off by protection with powerful video adapter installed, some people even said that it completely burned. So, having considered this I tried to avoid the "Prime" platform.

I'd spent about a week searching for a decent PSU and finally settled down with BQ Dark Power 12 850 W. I can't say much about it yet, but it seems to work and that's already good. I also like its modularity and that it has its fan on even for light loads - the fan is almost inaudible at that speed, but it helps air to circulate through the PSU and thus to cool it down a little (cooling is never bad for capacitors).

The only disadvantage I see now is the high standby current - it's about 0.17 A while PSU (and powered off PC) consumes about 3 - 4 W. High current with low consumption means that almost all the standby current is reactive. I think it could flow through the X-capacitors that are used in the transient filter. Does anybody know what their capacitance is?

That’s not your power supply—it’s other system components, including any LEDs remaining on. The power supply consumes a fraction of 1 Watt when in standby mode:

be quiet! Dark Power 12 850 W Review - Titanium Silence

The be quiet! Dark Power 12 850 W performs incredibly well and keeps noise output low even under tough operating conditions. FSP, the OEM, used a modern platform to achieve such high performance. The strongest competitor is the similarly priced Corsair AX850.

www.techpowerup.com