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We have reviewed a handful of high end Super Flower power supplies in recent years, even focusing on several EVGA units featuring Super Flower as an OEM partner. All of the units have scored extremely well in our tests, combining stellar technical proficiency, good build quality with competitive pricing. Today we look at their latest Leadex II 1000W unit, which is fully modular and 80 Plus Gold Certified.
For those of you new to the brand, Super Flower are a Taiwan based organisation that was founded in 1991 and they produce computer cases, power supplies and accessories. They have worked as an OEM power supply partner for well known companies such as NZXT, Kingwin and EVGA in recent years.
As we will see shortly from the retail packaging, this particular unit is 230V 80 Plus Gold Certified as well as 115V 80 Plus Gold Certified. Many power supplies you will buy in the United Kingdom only get 115V certification, so this is interesting to note. Super Flower are supplying this particular range of units in capacities ranging between 650W and 1200W. They state that they can supply their power within a 50c environment continuously.
For added peace of mind, Super Flower offer a full Seven year warranty, which while commendable falls way short of the recent Seasonic warranty announcement of 12 years. These units are available in black (such as our review sample), or white if you wish to coordinate with a fancy new white case from the likes of Phanteks or NZXT.
Super Flower Leadex II 1000W 80 Plus Gold Overview:
- 100% Full Modular Cabling Design For Easy Cable Management
- 80 PLUS ® 115V & 230V EU Gold Certified
- 100% Japanese 105 degree Capacitors (Main Board)
- 100% Taiwan A Grade 105 degree Capacitors (Modular Backpanel)
- Full Range Auto Voltage Detection Design 115V~240V (Active PFC)
- Additional 150W solid and sustainable power output under 230V
- Comply With ATX 12V. V2.32 & EPS 12V. V2.92 Specification
- Comply With Energy Star Standard & EuP (Energy Using Products) Regulation
- Over Voltage Protection / Over Current Protection / Over Power Protection / Short Circuit Protection / Under Voltage Protection / Over Temperature Protection
- Support All Intel/AMD Multi-Core CPU & ATX/BTX Compatible Motherboards (Haswell ready)
- Support NVIDIA® SLI™ & ATI CrossFireX™ High Performance Graphic Card
- Patented Easy To Use & Install Crystal Clear Cube Connectors with LED On/Off Switch
- More than 2,000 times On/Off test
- Unleaded Green Materials with RoHS/WEEE Compliance
- Perfect For Professional & High Performance Gaming System
- Seven Year Warranty.
Review photography handled in house at KitGuru with a Leica S series medium format camera and S series prime lens. Do not use any of these images without our permission.
The Super Flower Leadex II 1000W is supplied in a rather bright, somewhat gaudy looking yellow accented box featuring their logo – which is a butterfly. I would much rather see a nice high resolution image of the product itself, but there you go.
It is worth pointing out that Super Flower highlight the Dual Certification top right of the box. They offer 90% and 92% Gold efficiency for both 115V and 230V regions respectively.
The rear of the box is loaded with information on the power supply, including the ECO Thermal Control System, the full modular cabling, 100% Japanese capacitors and info on the power delivery capabilities ‘Additional real 150W-200W solid and sustainable power output under 230V). So in theory Super Flower are claiming this is a 1150W/1200W power supply in disguise! We will test that out later in the review.
Inside the main box is a soft bag of modular cables, a user manual, a white storage pouch, mounting screws and some additional literature.
The bag of modular cables is fully loaded, as can be seen above. Some of the cables are sleeved (main ATX, CPU and VGA), and some are the flat ‘ribbon' style (peripherals) for easier routing. All of the cables are 18AWG and 20 AWG.
Connectors:
– 1x 20+4-Pin ATX12V/EPS12V
– 2x 4+4-Pin ATX12V/EPS12V
– 6x 6+2-Pin-PCIe
– 12x SATA
– 4x 4-Pin-Molex
There are no shortage of cables to support a high end system build. There are six 6+2 pin PCIe cables to cater for high end dual and triple SLI or Crossfire configurations.
The Super Flower Leadex II 1000W is built to a very high standard with the company logo embossed into the side panels. This is a pure modular design as we can see from the image above. The paintwork and surface treatment is very resistant to scratching.
The unit measures 165mm (L) x 150mm (W) x 86mm (H).
The power supply is cooled by a large 135mm fan which is hidden behind a thick metal panel with holes cut into it for air circulation. We will get a closer look at the fan later in the review.
One side of the power supply is fully vented with a power cable and switch on one side. The other side of this panel features two small switches. One is for ECO on/off and LED on/off (for the modular cable connector headers on the reverse side).
The other side of the unit is home to the modular connector bays. The LED switch can be toggled on to light these connectors white. It can thankfully be disabled as well if you prefer a more subtle build.
The modular cables panel is well structured with clear markings above each section for ‘M/B' and ‘Universal'. The headers are different sizes so it would be difficult to make mistakes during the system build.
| Super Flower Leadex II 1000W | |||||
|
DC Output
|
+3.3V
|
+5V
|
+12V |
-12V
|
+5Vsb
|
|
Max Output
|
24A
|
24A
|
83.3A |
0.5A
|
3A
|
| Total Power | 120W | 999.6W | 6W | 15W | |
| 1000W | |||||
The single +12V rail is able to deliver 83.3 amps which is plenty for any Crossfire or SLI system build I can imagine. Larger 1200W power supplies are often able to deliver around 100 amps.
Super Flower are using a 135mm Globe branded fan (Model B1352512HH). This is a dual ball bearing fan design for reliable operation and decent longevity. I have previous (less than impressive) experiences with this particular fan and it can get loud if it has to work hard. In ECO mode the fan will stop spinning at lower loads below 60c.
Super Flower Leadex II 1000W 80 Plus Gold Gallery
Soldering is good throughout the design and we noticed no major issues of concern.
The topology of this Super Flower Leadex II power supply is half bridge with resonant convertor LLC – switching to zero voltage (ZVS). This design helps reduce energy loss in the primary Mosfet subsequently enhancing efficiency.
In the secondary stage Super Flower have used synchronous rectification based on a DC to DC topology. The +3.3V and +5V output is generated by two PCB's mounted to the main board.
Close to the input fuse is the filtering stage which consists of a MOV, Four (ceramic) Y Caps, Two X Caps and two ferrite coils. The filtering stage continues with two more Y caps and another X cap.
The primary stage is served by two 105c rated Japanese Nippon Chemi Con Capacitors (KMR Series) – both rated 470uF 400V for a total of 940uF.
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. We test ambient temperatures at 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
|
3.36
|
1.78
|
5.02
|
6.69
|
12.08
|
0.50
|
5.01
|
0.20
|
-12.02
|
|
250W
|
3.42
|
3.35
|
4.45
|
5.01
|
17.16
|
12.07
|
1.00
|
5.01
|
0.30
|
-12.03
|
|
500W
|
7.07
|
3.35
|
9.15
|
5.01
|
34.67
|
12.07
|
2.00
|
5.00
|
0.50
|
-12.04
|
| 750W |
11.06
|
3.35
|
13.74
|
5.01
|
52.75
|
12.05
|
2.50
|
5.00
|
0.60
|
-12.03
|
|
1000W
|
16.86
|
3.34
|
18.96
|
5.00
|
71.94
|
12.01
|
3.00
|
5.00
|
0.80
|
-12.03
|
The load regulation of this power supply is fantastic, with all rails holding close to reference levels.
| Super Flower Leadex II 1000W | Maximum Load |
| 1187W |
We managed to get another 187W from the power supply before the protection circuitry kicked in. The supply was undamaged and it was ready to fire up again when we were a little more sensible with the load.
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 | 3.34 | 2.0 | 5.01 | 72.0 | 12.00 | 0.2 | -12.03 | 0.50 | 5.01 |
| 240W | 20.0 | 3.34 | 24.0 | 4.98 | 2.0 | 12.07 | 0.2 | -12.02 | 0.50 | 5.01 |
The Super Flower supply handled the Cross load tests without any concerns. Excellent results.
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 unit complied with the ATX standard.
| AC Ripple (mV p-p) | ||||
| DC Load | +3.3V | +5V | +12V | 5VSB |
| 100W | 5 | 5 | 10 | 5 |
| 250W | 10 | 5 | 10 | 5 |
| 500W | 10 | 10 | 15 | 5 |
| 750W | 10 | 10 | 15 | 5 |
| 1000W | 15 | 10 | 20 | 10 |
Ripple suppression from this unit is extremely impressive indeed with +12V output peaking at 20mV at 100% load. +3.3V and +5V rails hit 15mV and 10mV respectively at full load.
|
Efficiency (%)
|
|
|
100W
|
83.4
|
|
250W
|
92.2
|
|
500W
|
93.2
|
|
750W
|
92.0
|
|
1000W
|
90.4
|
The efficiency results are excellent, peaking at just over 93% at 500W. This drops to 90.4% efficiency at full load. This is well in excess of the 92% industry rating when at 50 percent load. This is certainly an extremely efficient ‘Gold' rated unit.
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
|
28.0
|
|
250W
|
28.0
|
|
500W
|
31.6
|
|
750W
|
34.7
|
| 1000W | 36.3 |
ECO mode is beneficial in that you can turn the fan off completely under 60c with moderate to lesser loads. We found that at 400 watts or less the fan tended to disable completely. In active mode the fan spins around 800-900 rpm at lower loads, rising as the need demands.
On a slightly negative point I did notice the operational pitch of this fan more than most I have listened to in recent months. This is however subjective and will differ from person to person. I would say however that for those of you with sensitive ears, there are better options from a noise level currently available on the market.
|
Temperature (c)
|
||
|
Intake
|
Exhaust
|
|
|
100W
|
35
|
38
|
|
250W
|
35
|
43
|
|
500W
|
38
|
50
|
|
750W
|
43
|
58
|
|
1000W
|
46
|
64
|
With the high efficiency of this unit, the temperatures are well maintained throughout the full range of the thermal curve.
|
Maximum load
|
Efficiency
|
|
1187W
|
88.8
|
Pushing the PSU above its rated limits generates an efficiency level of around 88.8%. This is not a viable ‘real world’ situation, but its interesting nonetheless.
The Super Flower Leadex II 1000W is a very competent update over the original platform. I have yet to review a weak release from the company and they do honestly continue to impress me.
Technically there is little to fault. The ripple suppression results stand out as class leading and the quality of the voltage rates as excellent. It also passed our Cross load test with flying colours, exhibiting tight regulation when pushed into tricky load situations.
This unit has received two 80 Plus Gold Certifications one at 230V ( Europe/UK) and the other at 115V (USA). Fortunately, the unit excelled in our efficiency tests, well above the 92% peak rating associated with Gold certification. We actually measured 93.2% efficiency at around the 50% load mark.
Ultimate power delivery is another area that impressed me. We managed to extract close to 1200 watts (1183W) from the unit before it shut down safely. This is a very highly overspecified design, often a strategy adopted by Seasonic and sure to help reduce RMA costs as well over time.
The adoption of high grade 105 rated Nippon Chemi Con capacitors and a very careful design by Super Flower delivers some class leading Ripple Suppression figures (and I don't say that lightly!). It is not often we measure only 20mV from the +12V output under full load conditions.
The only fault I can really find with this unit is the 135mm Globe Fan they are using. Above 500 watts load it spins up rather quickly and emits a rather unpleasant pitch. I also think when the fan is in the active mode that it is spinning a little faster than it needs to which doesn't aid overall noise emission levels. I know noise is subjective and that everyone will have a different opinion, but several people I asked for a second opinion did say that they heard the fan in a similar way, with a somewhat annoying pitch clearly audible over several case fans. I would advise those looking for an ultra quiet power supply to look at other options on the market.
You can buy the Super Flower Leadex II 1000W from Overclockers UK for £179.99 inc vat HERE.
Discuss on our Facebook page, over HERE.
Pros:
- high standard of build quality.
- very high efficiency levels.
- LED lights on connectors (which you can turn off).
- ECO fan mode
- Great voltage regulation
- class leading efficiency levels.
Cons:
- Fan noise can be intrusive.
KitGuru says: The Super Flower Leadex II 1000W is a remarkable power supply however we do feel the fan choice lets the package down, as it gets intrusive as the speed increases.
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