SilverStone Strider Gold 1200W PSU Review (SST-ST1200-G)

1. Introduction2. SilverStone Strider Gold 1200W (Bundle/Cabling)3. SilverStone Strider Gold 1200W (External)4. SilverStone Strider Gold 1200W (Internal)5. Testing Methodology and Results6. Closing Thoughts7. View All Pages

If you are the proud owner of a new high end SLI or CrossfireX gaming system, then you might be in the market for a powerful, future proof power supply. The product we are going to be looking at today will be of interest as it is 80 Plus Gold Certified modular design capable of outputting 1200W, with peaks up to 1300W. Is the SilverStone Strider Gold 1200W power supply good enough to be on your next shortlist?

The specification list for the Strider Gold 1200W is as good as we have seen in recent months. It is a pure modular design capable of generating 1300W+ peak power at 40c operating temperatures. The single 12V rail can deliver 100A and SilverStone claim a strict ±3% voltage regulation with low noise performance. Thankfully they have opted for a large 135mm fan to help keep noise to a minimum.

Special Features

• 80 PLUS Gold certification with high efficiency 87%~90% at 20%~100% loading
• 100% modular cables
• 1200W (1300W peak power) 24hour fully continuous power output with 40℃ operating temperature
• Class-leading single +12V rail with 100A
• Strict ±3% voltage regulation and low ripple & noise
• Japanese main capacitors
• Silent running 135mm fan with 19dBA minimum
• Dual EPS 8pin connectors support
• Multiple PCI-E 8pin and PCI-E 6pin connectors support
• Support ATX 12V 2.3 & EPS 12V
• Active PFC

The SilverStone Strider Gold 1200W arrives in a stunning looking package, which has a reflective gold stripe across the middle of the box.

The bundle is extensive, containing mounting screws, cable tidies and a power cable for your region. There is also a product overview pamphlet and a user manual.

The majority of the connectors come pre-fitted to the chassis, but Silverstone supply an additional set of cables to cater for specific system builds (giving more SATA cables).

Silverstone have also added 2200uF capacitors to the PCI-E connectors to reduce electrical whine/buzz which can be associated with high performance graphics cards when dynamically loaded. They claim it helps with ripple and noise performance.

Connectors supplied are:

1 x 24 / 20-Pin Motherboard connector （550mm）
1 x 8 / 4-Pin EPS / ATX 12V connector （750mm）
1 x 8 / 4-Pin EPS / ATX 12V connector （550mm）
4 x 8/6-Pin PCIE connector （550mm）
4 x 6-Pin PCIE connector （550mm / 150mm）
16 x SATA connector （600mm / 150mm / 150mm/150mm）
6 x 4-Pin Peripheral connector （600mm / 150mm / 150mm）
2 x 4-Pin Floppy connector （600mm / 150mm / 150mm / 150mm）

The power supply is nicely understated and is finished with a high quality black, scratch resistant, lead free paint. It measures 150mm x 86 mm x 180 mm (WxHxD) and weighs 3.295kg.

The large 135mm fan takes centerstage, with the Silverstone logo in the middle. We liked the subtle embossing on the case which is not that evident on first glance. We deliberately underexposed the shot above (right) so you could get a better view of it. The anti scratch paint finish is very resistant to marking, which is always a bonus.

The vented front of the power supply which surprisingly has no power switch, just a power connector.

The power supply comes fully loaded with modular cables. It is a pure modular design meaning that every cable can be removed, even the necessary ones such as the 20/24 pin motherboard connector.

There is a label above the connectors, which gives an overview of what should be attached. They are also colour coded to make it simple for inexperienced users – the PCI-E connectors are all blue.

Silverstone Strider Gold 1200W Power Supply (SST-ST1200-G)
DC Output	+3.3V	+5V	+12V	-12V	+5Vsb
Max Output	25A	25A	100A	0.3A	3.5A
Max Power	150W		1200W	3.6W	17.5W
Total	1200W

A very tasty 100A is available to the 12V output ensuring that even the most demanding video card configurations are supported.

SilverStone are using a Young Lin DFB132512H fan which is rated to produce over 90cfm at a rated 36.28 dBa.

The Active PFC design is by Enhance and we can immediately see the positioning of the heatsinks across the full width, with thermal sensors in place to maintain optimum temperatures.

105c capacitors are used throughout and the primary Nippon Chemi-Con are rated at 330uF/450v. The wiring and layout is very good. The Strider Gold 1200W offers over current, over power, over voltage, over temperature, under voltage, short circuit and no load protection.

Additional technical assistance: Peter McFarland and Jeremy Price.

Correctly testing power supplies is a complex procedure and KitGuru have configured a test bench which can deliver up to a 2,000 watt DC load. Due to public requests we have changed our temperature settings recently – previously we rated with ambient temperatures at 25C, we have increased ambient temperatures by 10c (to 35c) in our environment to greater reflect warmer internal chassis conditions.

We use combinations of the following hardware:
• SunMoon SM-268
• CSI3710A Programmable DC load (+3.3V and +5V outputs)
• CSI3711A Programmable DC load (+12V1, +12V2, +12V3, and +12V4)
• Extech Power Analyzer
• Extech MultiMaster MM570 digital multimeter
• SkyTronic DSL 2 Digital Sound Level Meter (6-130dBa)
• Digital oscilloscope (20M S/s with 12 Bit ADC)
• Variable Autotransformer, 1.4 KVA

DC Output Load Regulation
Combined DC Load	+3.3V		+5V		+12V		+5VSB		-12V
	A	V	A	V	A	V	A	V	A	V
330W	5.50	3.38	5.50	5.06	21.25	12.16	0.87	5.04	0.20	-12.09
620W	11.00	3.37	11.00	5.05	42.50	12.13	1.75	5.02	0.40	-12.11
918W	16.50	3.35	16.50	5.04	63.75	12.08	2.62	5.00	0.60	-12.13
1204W	22.00	3.32	22.00	5.02	85.00	12.03	3.5	4.98	0.80	-12.14

Strider Gold 1200W	Maximum Load
	1405W

We wrestled 1405W from the unit before it would switch off. The overcircuit protection system worked fine and it shut off safely.

Next we want to try Cross Loading. This basically means loads which are not balanced. If a PC for instance needs 500W on the +12V outputs but something like 30W via the combined 3.3V and +5V outputs then the voltage regulation can fluctuate badly.

Cross Load Testing	+3.3V		+5V		+12V		-12V		+5VSB
	A	V	A	V	A	V	A	V	A	V
1190W	1.0	3.31	1.0	5.01	62.0	11.93	0.05	-12.14	0.05	4.98
195W	22.0	3.22	22.0	4.93	1.0	12.05	0.05	-12.15	0.05	5.00

The Strider Gold 1200W power supply handles the Cross Loading tests very well and we experienced no issues during this phase. All voltages remained within stated tolerances.

We then used an oscilloscope to measure AC ripple and noise present on the DC outputs. We set the oscilloscope time base to check for AC ripple at both high and low ends of the spectrum. ATX12V V2.2 specification for DC output ripple and noise is defined in the ATX 12V power supply design guide.

ATX12V Ver 2.2 Noise/Ripple Tolerance
Output	Ripple (mV p-p)
+3.3V	50
+5V	50
+12V1	120
+12V2	120
-12V	120
+5VSB	50

Obviously when measuring AC noise and ripple on the DC outputs the cleaner (less recorded) means we have a better end result. We measured this AC signal amplitude to see how closely the Silverstone unit complied with the ATX standard.

AC Ripple (mV p-p)
DC Load	+3.3V	+5V	+12V	5VSB
330W	5	10	15	10
620W	15	15	20	10
918W	15	20	25	15
1204W	15	20	35	15

Ripple results are well within the parameters set down in the ATX12V Ver 2.2 standard. +3.3V and +5V are extremely impressive and the +12V rail is also very stable, never exceeding 35mV.

Efficiency (%)
330W	88.56
620W	92.02
918W	90.74
1204W	88.32

Very solid results generated by the SilverStone 80 Plus Gold Certified power supply, hitting 92 percent efficiency at 50 percent load. At full load the efficiency drops to just over 88% which is very strong.

We take the issue of noise very seriously at KitGuru and this is why we have built a special home brew system as a reference point when we test noise levels of various components. Why do this? Well this means we can eliminate secondary noise pollution in the test room and concentrate on components we are testing. It also brings us slightly closer to industry standards, such as DIN 45635.

Today to test the Power Supply we have taken it into our acoustics room environment and have set our SkyTronic DSL 2 Digital Sound Level Meter (6-130dBa) one meter away from the unit. We have no other fans running so we can effectively measure just the noise from the unit itself.

As this can be a little confusing for people, here are various dBa ratings in with real world situations to help describe the various levels.

KitGuru noise guide
10dBA – Normal Breathing/Rustling Leaves
20-25dBA – Whisper
30dBA – High Quality Computer fan
40dBA – A Bubbling Brook, or a Refridgerator
50dBA – Normal Conversation
60dBA – Laughter
70dBA – Vacuum Cleaner or Hairdryer
80dBA – City Traffic or a Garbage Disposal
90dBA – Motorcycle or Lawnmower
100dBA – MP3 Player at maximum output
110dBA – Orchestra
120dBA – Front row rock concert/Jet Engine
130dBA – Threshold of Pain
140dBA – Military Jet takeoff/Gunshot (close range)
160dBA – Instant Perforation of eardrum

Noise (dBA)
330W	29.4
620W	32.3
918W	35.3
1204W	38.1

It is not the quietest PSU we have tested, but at anything under 50% is it barely noticeable in a normal environment. At 900W the fan starts to spin up, generating a maximum of 38dBa at full load. The chances of running this at anything close to full load is rather low however. Generally noise emissions were below 34 dBa.

Temperature (c)
	Intake	Exhaust
330W	35	36
620W	38	43
918W	42	50
1204W	46	56

The large Young Lin 135mm fan helps to generate high levels of airflow across the components inside the chassis, with a 10c above ambient intake registered at full load.

Maximum load	Efficiency
1405W	86.3

Pushing the PSU above its rated limits generates an efficiency level of around 86.3%. This is not a viable ‘real world’ situation, but its interesting nonetheless.

The SilverStone Strider Gold 1200W is a fantastic product and one we would easily recommend to a prospective customer desiring an extremely powerful, futureproof power supply.

The eye-catching box is the first indication that something special lies inside, and true enough, the bundle is very impressive, comprising quality cable ties, additional modular cables and two booklets pertaining to the product.

The build quality of the Strider Gold is without question, they are using a special scratch resistant lead free paint which both looks great and is very durable, even with rough handling. As this is a fully modular design, every cable can be removed and various combinations can be utilised to suit specific system builds. The headers are also clearly labelled and colour coded to make a system build as hassle free as possible.

On a technical level, the Enhance design is bulletproof with 105c rated capacitors used throughout – we always like to see Nippon Chemi-Con as part of the product build as they are one of the finest manufacturers of capacitors and electronics components in the industry.

Load regulation is very strong, maintaining a very tight dynamic across the range, and the product excelled with both noise suppression and cross loading tests. We wouldn't say it was the quietest power supply we have tested, but within a performance PC under high load (900W+) you can be sure that other components in the system build will be generating more noise than this power supply.

Prices are around £190 in the UK, meaning a £20 lower overhead than the Corsair AX1200W, its closest 80 Plus Gold certified competitor, which retails for around £210 inc vat. The Corsair unit delivers higher levels of efficiency, but they are both fantastic products capable of powering any high end gaming enthusiast system. In real world terms I used the Strider gold to power a HD6990 QuadFireX system with overclocked 990x @ 4.8ghz and didn't experience any issues over the course of a week.

Pros:

• Incredible levels of power for the most taxing system builds
• high efficiency
• great build quality
• price is very competitive

Cons:

• Under high load it is audible
• no power switch

KitGuru says: Silverstone's offering in the high end is certainly worth a shortlist.

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