Introduction

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


If everything goes as planned, we will have NVIDIA's next-gen "Lovelace" GPUs in 2022, which will be power hogs consuming up to 600 W excluding power spikes. The upcoming ATX specification will also include stricter requirements for power supplies, which already has many forward-thinking brands working towards releasing powerful PSUs. SilverStone has already done so with the HELA 2050; as its model number implies, it can deliver up to 2050 W of power with 230 V input. With 115 V input, it is capable of providing 1650 W since standard wall sockets cannot deliver more than 15 A.

The HELA 2050 is a power factory. Still, it is only 180 mm long. A few years ago, 1500 W PSUs were much larger, being up to 220 mm long. However, technology advancements since have allowed for smaller and more efficient designs. Besides vast power, the HELA is among the very few PSUs equipped with a 12-pin PCIe connector. We recently saw 12+4 pin PCIe connectors for the PCIe 5.0 standard, with the four extra pins not transferring power but used as signal lanes. Once the upcoming ATX specification is released, we will know the new PSU requirements, including for the PCIe connectors. This is also the first PSU by Silverstone that is only certified by Cybenetics and not 80 PLUS. It is Platinum rated in efficiency and Standard in noise.

Specifications

Photos

The PSU comes in a huge, heavy box. You will only find the Cybenetics Platinum badge at the face of the box since Silverstone didn't certify it with 80 PLUS. The power specifications table and other details about the product have been put on the back, including the number of available connectors.


The first thing you will notice after opening the box is the vast number of cables. Silverstone also informs us about the semi-passive operation of the PSU fan lest you think it is defective after installing the HELA 2050 and powering it up.


The bundle includes fixing bolts and thumbscrews, along with zip ties and Velcro straps. However, missing is a bag for storing the modular cables you won't use.


To provide more airflow, the fan grille is not restrictive. At the front is a small switch to toggle on/off the semi-passive operation, but there is no power switch, which is a notable con in my book since a power switch ensures there is no power to your system every time you need to mess with its hardware. I do not advise removing the power cord at the PSU; rather, use a power strip with a switch or unplug the connector from the wall socket.


The power specifications label has been put on the bottom of the PSU. On the sides, a sticker describes the model number, and there is a transparent Cybenetics Platinum badge.


The modular panel has many sockets.


The PSU is not as large as the legendary 220 mm long Silverstone ST1500.


Some more photos of the PSU from various angles.

Cables and Connectors

The ATX cable should be 650 mm long for incredibly large PC cases. Thankfully, both EPS connectors are installed on very long 700 mm cables. Besides a vast number of PCIe connectors, including four on dedicated cables, SilverStone provides a single 12-pin PCIe connector capable of delivering more than 600 W of power. Usually, there would be two of these connectors, but even a 2050 W PSU doesn't meet the upcoming requirements for two fully saturated 12-pin PCIe connectors.


There are many SATA connectors, and three 4-pin Molex ones, which is enough for most users. However, instead of one of these 4-pin Molex connectors, a Berg variant would have been nice. Finally, the distance between peripheral connectors is 125 mm; anything at or above 150 mm would have been ideal, especially for the 4-pin Molex connectors.

Component Analysis

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



Enhance Electronics provides this platform, and it is powerful. The heatsinks are not large, and there is ample space on the right side of the PCB. The interleaved PFC controller uses two large chokes. The two main transformers, installed in parallel, handle the primary side's output and electrically isolate the primary from the secondary side. Overall build quality is good, and the parts Enhance used are of high quality. The board holding the +12 V FETs is installed right next to the main transformers to save space and minimize energy losses.


The transient/EMI filter stages have all the necessary parts and suppress EMI emissions well enough.


Two Metal Oxide Varistors (MOV) handle voltage surges, while an NTC thermistor suppresses large inrush currents. A bypass relay supports the latter.


The bridge rectifiers are bolted to a pretty large heatsink. There was no way to identify them without lots of desoldering, which I wanted to avoid.


The APFC converter uses two Oriental Semiconductor FETs and two powerful CREE boost diodes. The bulk caps are by Nippon Chemi-Con and offer 2040uF combined capacity. An interleaved design is used, where two APFC converters operate in parallel with a phase difference among them. This leads to minimized input/output current ripple, lower conduction losses, higher efficiency, and effective switching frequency doubling.


The APFC controller is an ATK AT6201ZSPF.


The four main switching FETs are installed in a full-bridge topology, and an LLC resonant converter is used for higher efficiency. The resonant controller is an ATK AT6301ZTSF.


There wasn't enough space for a huge main transformer, so two smaller ones were installed in parallel.


The +12 V board is as close as it gets to the main transformers, which minimizes energy losses.


The electrolytic filtering caps are of high quality, and lots of Unicon polymer caps are also used.


Two DC-DC converters generate the minor rails. Things are pretty tight here, too, so I couldn't identify the parts used.


This is the board responsible for the 5VSB rail's regulation.


The standby PWM controller is an ATK AT6002H.


The supervisor IC is a Weltrend WT7527RA.


Twelve polymer caps at the face of the modular panel form an extra ripple-filtering layer.


Soldering quality is good.


The cooling fan is by Globe Fan, and its model number is RL4Z B1352512EH-3M. It uses double ball-bearings, which are tolerant to heat.