Introduction

We would like to thank EVGA for supplying the review sample.

EVGA entered the PSU market with the SuperNOVA 1500 W unit it released a while ago and followed it up with the G2 1000 W and 1300 W, which intimidated the competition with killer price/performance ratios and EVGA's huge ten year warranty. EVGA clearly puts lots of passion into every product, and they thankfully decided to pour some of that passion into the component responsible for your system's well-being over the long term: the PSU. A good PSU provides your system with clean power to increase its reliability and longevity while protecting it when something goes wrong (e.g. power surges). EVGA is a company with a focus on enthusiast users, so they understand the importance of power supplies, which they now follow up on by offering high quality PSUs.

One of the most promising PSU OEMs today is Super Flower. Super Flower introduced their second generation high-end platform a while ago, and EVGA already utilized the Gold version of the aforementioned platform in their G2 line. Now offering a Platinum model based on Super Flower's top version of the platform, the P2-1000 we are going to evaluate today offers upgraded components for Platinum efficiency and the option to operate semi-passively. The same option was cut from the feature list of the G2 line to lower production cost, and while the P2-1000 costs a little more than the G2s, cost wasn't an issue this time around. We are pretty sure that many of you will happily fork over a little more for its Platinum efficiency, optional semi-passive operation, fully modular cabling design, and excellent performance. Combine all the above with its stunning ten year warranty and you have one of the most impressive PSU products that money can buy today. The P2-1000 definitely has many aces up its sleeve so we had better get on with this review to reveal them all.

Specifications

Efficiency is Platinum and the PSU not only features the sought after Haswell compatibility, but a fully modular design that makes it even more appealing. At 50°C, the maximum operating temperature is in line with the ATX recommendation, and its available protection features don't include OTP (Over Temperature Protection) or OCP (Over Current Protection). We strongly believe that OTP should be present in a semi-passive PSU, but Super Flower apparently disagrees.

The cooling fan has ball-bearings, so it will last a long time, but its noise output will be higher than that of an FDB or sleeve-bearing fan. Thankfully, the fan profile is very relaxed, and you have the option of picking the semi-passive operation to have the fan engage even less.

The unit's dimensions are pretty large since it is 20 cm long, so you have to check if your case can accommodate it before making the purchase. The most impressive feature, though, is the ten year warranty EVGA provides, and the price looks really good given all the above.


The single +12V rail can almost deliver 1000 W of power, so it will easily handle three high-end VGAs and a strong CPU in tandem. The minor rails only provide 100 W, but there is nothing to worry about here since a modern system hardly uses these two rails. Super Flower unfortunately didn't upgrade the 5VSB circuit, so its maximum current output is low for a 1 kW PSU.

Cables & Connectors, Power Distribution

Eight PCIe and two EPS connectors are available at the same time, which fully covers the demands of a system utilizing 1 kW of power. All cables are also very long, so you won't have any problems connecting all components properly in even a very large chassis. The distance among SATA connectors is also good, but the peripheral connectors are rather close to one another. The main ATX cable and the PCIe and EPS connectors use 16AWG wires for lower voltage drops, while all the other connectors use standard 18AWG gauges.

Since this PSU features a single +12V rail, we do not have anything to comment on about its power distribution.

Packaging

There are no fancy graphics on the box—only the model description in large font at the front and the really small Platinum efficiency badge in the bottom-left corner. The box also features a handle on top, which will help you lug it around.



One of two sides only has EVGA's logo while there is a list of the company's achievements on the other, though none of those relate to their PSU products.


A clear view of the black plastic handle. The top also has a label with the unit's part and serial numbers.


The rear of the box holds the most interesting information. There is a list of the unit's features and available connectors, each, a scheme describing the fan's operation in both normal and ECO Mode, the power specifications table, and three photos of the PSU's APFC caps, the fan, and the fully modular PCB.