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A few weeks ago we reviewed the Silverstone Strider Gold 1200W power supply and we were very impressed with the results. If you can't quite stretch to the £200+ asking price, then today's review product might just hit the spot. The SilverStone Strider Plus 1000W power supply costs around £100 less, but maintains a modular design with 80 Plus Silver Certification. Is it worth your money?
The Silverstone Strider Plus 1000W is a single +12V rail design and they have equipped it with a large 135mm fan to keep noise levels to a minimum, at only 160mm deep it should fit in every modern enthusiast case, meaning compatibility is maximised.
Main specifications:
- 1000W 24hour continuous power output with 40℃operating temperature
- 1100W peak power
- 100% modular cables
- Efficiency 85%~88% at 20%~100% loading
- Class-leading single +12V rail with 80A (peak 85A)
- Strict ±3% voltage regulation and low ripple & noise
- Japanese main capacitors
- Silent running 135mm fan with 19dBA minimum
- Dual EPS 8pin connectors support
- Four PCI-E 8pin and six PCI-E 6pin connectors support
- Support ATX 12V 2.3 & EPS 12V
- Active PFC
The SilverStone Strider Plus 1000W ships in a lovely black box with a product image on the right and specifications listed at the left.
The bundle contains a region specific power cable, a user manual, mounting screws, multiple cable ties (velcro and plastic) and mounting screws.
| Cable | Amount |
| MB 20+4 pin | x1 (550mm) |
| 4-Pin EPS / ATX 12V connector | x1 (750mm) |
| 4-Pin EPS / ATX 12V connector | x1 (550mm) |
| PCI E 8 pin (6 pin +2) | x4 (550mm) |
| PCI E 6 pin | x2 (550mm/150mm) |
| Sata power connectors | x6 (550mm / 250mm) |
| Peripheral 4 pin (molex) | x6 (500mm/ 250mm) |
| Floppy connector | x2 |
The cables are sleeved, high quality, much as we would expect from a higher cost product.
Silverstone finish their products in a lovely matt black paint which is very durable and resistant to scratches.
The chassis has colour coded modular cable connectors, clearly marked blue and black with labeling above, to ensure people don't get confused during the build phase.
The Silverstone name is embossed rather nicely into the chassis.
The rear is vented to ensure maximum airflow. There is a power connector to the side, but no power button – which might annoy some of the potential user base.
| Silverstone Strider Plus 1000W power supply | |||||
|
DC Output
|
+3.3V
|
+5V
|
+12V
|
-12V
|
+5Vsb
|
|
Max Output
|
30A
|
30A
|
80A
|
0.3A
|
3.5A
|
Silverstone rate the +12V to 80A (960W), although they claim at peak it can deliver 85A.
The Young Lin DFB132512H is rated to generate a maximum of 91.16 Cfm at 1,700 rpm. At full speed it is rated to emit just over 36 dBa.
The Active PFC design is by Enhance and it is populated by several hefty heatsinks on either side. There are two thermistors attached to the heatsinks, one to provide overtemperature protection and the other to control the fan speed. This supply is independently regulated.
Silverstone are using Japanese filter capacitors in the build, Nippon Chemi Con, which are rated 420v, 270 uF and to 85c. Other makes such as Teapo make an appearance on the secondary side of the unit. The power supply offers OCP, OPP, OVP, UVP, OTP, SCP and no load protection. The soldering work throughout seems to be of a consistently high standard.
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 | |
|
100W
|
1.55
|
3.34
|
1.78
|
5.05
|
6.65
|
12.05
|
0.50
|
5.05
|
0.20
|
-12.01
|
|
250W
|
3.45
|
3.32
|
4.40
|
5.02
|
17.17
|
12.02
|
1.00
|
5.02
|
0.30
|
-12.02
|
|
500W
|
7.04
|
3.29
|
9.11
|
5.00
|
34.63
|
11.97
|
2.00
|
5.01
|
0.50
|
-12.04
|
| 750W |
11.02
|
3.27
|
13.73
|
4.98
|
52.79
|
11.94
|
2.50
|
4.98
|
0.60
|
-12.06
|
|
1000W
|
16.89
|
3.26
|
18.95
|
4.94
|
71.23
|
11.93
|
3.00
|
4.95
|
0.80
|
-12.08
|
This power supply produced solid load regulation across all outputs, even when delivering the full 1000W. All rails held within 1.5% of the reference voltage, well in excess of the +/-5% threshold.
| Silverstone Strider Plus 1000W | Maximum Load |
| 1134W |
We managed to get another 134W from the power supply before the protection circuitry kicked in. We are happy to report a safe shut down verifying that the overcircuit protection is doing its job.
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 | |
| 885W | 2.0 | 3.32 | 2.0 | 5.02 | 72.0 | 11.92 | 0.2 | -12.00 | 0.50 | 5.02 |
| 240W | 20.0 | 3.26 | 24.0 | 4.95 | 2.0 | 12.02 | 0.2 | -12.04 | 0.50 | 4.96 |
The Silverstone PSU handled the Cross loading tests very well and we didn’t experience any issues at all. All the voltages remained well within specification.
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 Silver Stone unit complied with the ATX standard.
| AC Ripple (mV p-p) | ||||
| DC Load | +3.3V | +5V | +12V | 5VSB |
| 100W | 10 | 15 | 15 | 10 |
| 250W | 15 | 15 | 20 | 10 |
| 500W | 20 | 25 | 30 | 15 |
| 750W | 30 | 30 | 35 | 20 |
| 1000W | 35 | 35 | 45 | 30 |
The +12V rail shows great ripple control, generating 45 mV at full load, well within specifications. The +3.3V and +5V rails aren't quite so impressive however, peaking at 35mV, but still within industry specifications.
|
Efficiency (%)
|
|
|
100W
|
85.78
|
|
250W
|
87.74
|
|
500W
|
89.13
|
|
750W
|
87.07
|
|
1000W
|
85.57
|
The efficiency results are quite good, achieving 80 Plus Silver Certification, barely.
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)
|
|
|
100W
|
28.9
|
|
250W
|
28.9
|
|
500W
|
30.4
|
|
750W
|
32.5
|
| 1000W | 35.2 |
The Silverstone Strider Plus 1000W is very quiet throughout all the range, and only in the last 250W of power output does it become audible, peaking around 35 dBa. Great results.
|
Temperature (c)
|
||
|
Intake
|
Exhaust
|
|
|
100W
|
35
|
37
|
|
250W
|
35
|
39
|
|
500W
|
38
|
43
|
|
750W
|
43
|
50
|
|
1000W
|
46
|
56
|
The large fan handles air flow very well and under 50% load the exhaust temperature doesn’t rise that much compared to the intake air. Only around 750W does the fan spin up more to help compensate for rising ambient temperatures. A good balance of low noise levels with strong air flow.
|
Maximum load
|
Efficiency
|
|
1134W
|
83.45
|
Pushing the PSU above its rated limits generates an efficiency level of around 83.45%. This is not a viable ‘real world’ situation, but its interesting nonetheless.
The Strider Plus 1000W is a great power supply, which will certainly help Silverstone build a good reputation in this sector. As with all Silverstone products, the appearance is first class, the black matt paint and embossed logo really enhance the appearance.
The modular design is stellar, and the colour coded connectors and quality cables give the feeling that this product will last a long time. Being a fully modular implementation means that there will be no cables taking up space inside a chassis when they aren't needed.
On a technical level the product meets 80 Plus Silver Certification although it was very close in our testing. Noise suppression is excellent across the +12V output, peaking at 45mV when under full load. +3.3V and +5V noise suppression isn't quite as impressive, but they still fall within the rated specifications, so we have no reason to flag it as a problem even if we are used to seeing slightly better results.
The kicker is the price, because we can't believe that a quality 1000W power supply such as this is retailing for only £120 in the UK. This is a fantastic price point to achieve and if I was buying a power supply myself today, this would certainly be right at the top of my list.
Pros:
- Fully modular design
- very high power output for demanding SLI and CF systems
- great appearance
- Internal design is good
- price point is fantastic
Cons:
- +3.3V and +5V noise suppression could be better
Kitguru says: For the price, this is one of the best power supplies on the market, especially if you have a high output demand.
I always wondered why more companies didnt do ‘silver’ rated power supplies, because they are better than bronze on an efficiency level, but not as expensive as gold. the price is great.
The embossing is nice, but its hard to see. my buddy has a silverstone PSU and they should tint it or something to stand out.
technically, they seem decent, but enhance are good.
Excellent all round pricing for the performance. I can’t justify spending over 200 quid on a PSU, but just over 100 quid, makes more sense.
Dont do what I did. spend a lot of time on a system build, cutting the case with a dremele and modding a nice panel.
Then spending 100 quid on a PSU which wasn’t modular. Routing the cables was a nightmare. fully modular for me all the time now.
Generally these are around 150-180. So its good to see some company with the sense to balance 80 plus bronze pricing with 80 plus gold efficiency and release a midway silver.
I agree with previous reader who said he doesnt understand why more companies dont aim at silver market. it seems the best price to efficiency balance to me.