Efficiency

Using the efficiency results from the previous page, we plotted a chart showing the efficiency of the HALE90 V2 1000 W at low loads and at loads equal to 20-110% of the PSU's maximum-rated load.



At low loads, the HALE90 V2 1000 W stays away from the Platinum competition, but it does manage to shorten the difference at normal loads.

Efficiency at Low Loads

In the next tests, we measured the efficiency of the HALE90 V2 1000 W 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 500 W of capacity). This is important for settings where the PC is in idle mode with power saving turned on.


Efficiency is high enough at low loads, considering the 1 kW capacity of the unit and its Gold certification. Even with 40 W of load, the PSU managed to achieve over 70% efficiency, and it easily surpassed the 80% mark with a 80 W load. The speed of the fan remained the same during all these tests, which kept the output noise below 39 dBA. The NZXT HALE90 V2 1000 W is not the quietest PSU we have ever encountered, but it is definitely not annoying, at least to our ears.

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 each, and one with the full load that the 5VSB rail can handle.


At 5VSB, efficiency started rather high, especially on the second test where it surpassed 70%. The peak was registered during the third test while dropping a bit on the full load test, which shows that the 4 A of load is very close to the limits of the 5VSB circuit.

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).


Vampire power is near the half of the ErP Lot 6 2013 limit. This is good news for your pocket because the PSU doesn't waste much energy in standby. The bigger gain is of course that of the environment which we all ought to respect and protect by using energy-efficient devices.

Fan RPM, Delta Temperature and Output Noise

The cooling fan's speed (RPMs) and the delta difference between input and output temperature are illustrated in the following chart. The following results were obtained at 38°C - 45°C ambient.



A chart that shows the cooling fan's speed (RPMs) and the output noise follows. We measure the fan's noise from 1 meter away - inside a small custom-made anechoic chamber that is completely covered by specialized soundproofing material internally (Be Quiet! Noise Absorber Kit). Background noise inside the anechoic chamber was below 30 dBA during testing, and the results were obtained with the PSU operating at 38°C - 45°C ambient.



The following graph illustrates the fan's output noise throughout the entire operating range of the PSU. The same conditions of the above graph apply to our measurements, but the ambient in this case was between 28 and 32°C.



The ball-bearing fan is not that quiet, even at low speed, and its output noise increases significantly at higher loads, to the point of being annoying to some. We think that an FDP (Fluid Dynamic Bearing) fan would be a better choice for this unit, since they are generally quieter at similar rotational speeds, and they last much longer. But they are significantly more expensive.