Endorfy Supremo FM5 Gold 1000W Review

Connector count and cable length:

• 2× EPS 12V 8-PIN (4+4), 705 mm
• 1×ATX24-PIN, 600mm
• 4×PCI-E8-PIN(6+2), 560mm
• 8×SATA, 560–880mm
• 1× MOLEX, 880 mm

The power supply is relatively compact, measuring 77x140x15mm. The finish is of good quality and the plain colour scheme will work well in a variety of builds. If the unit is hidden behind a shroud, it hardly matters!

The fan is placed behind a black grille. We will get a closer look at it when we open the unit shortly.

One side is home to the power connector and power switch, with a honeycomb vented panel to aid with airflow.

The other side of the unit is home to the modular bay – clearly labelled and straightforward to follow.

The power supply is able to deliver 83A on the +12V rail for 996 Watts of the total power. Both the +3.3V and +5V rails are able to delivery 20A for 100W of the total power.

The fan used in this power supply is the Fluctus 10-1037. It is rated at 1,400 rpm, 12V, 0.15A. It's a 120mm fan, with a speed range of between 600 and 1,400 rpm. This has a Fluid Dynamic Bearing and has a 100,000 hour mean time before failure.

SAMA are the OEM partner for this power supply, a company that has not featured in any review sample we have tested for a very long time. We remember way back in 2016 they released a Titanium range of units under their own brand name. They are an OEM that have tended to focus on affordable units in the past. Endorfy pointed out to us that the FM5 series is based on the custom cooling ANP920 platform. ANP920 has been designed in cooperation with Synergy Cooling.

Additionally, they are keen to highlight that due to the DC-DC conversion they can maintain stable voltage on each line separately.

The supply looks reasonably well put together and PCB soldering seems ok. It is a bit surprising to see only one capacitor in the primary stage for a 1000W unit. It is a high grade Japanese 105C rated Nichicon capacitor @ 820uF, 400V. The last Corsair 1000W PSU we reviewed (the RM1000X 80+ Gold) had two Nippon Chemi Con caps from the KMW series, rated 400V 680uF and 470UF for a total of 1150uF. There is only one large heatsink in the design as well, which is a little unusual for a high output, yet modest 80 Plus Gold rated unit.

The Endorfy Supremo has OVP, UVP, OCP, SCP, OPP, SIP and OTP protections in place.

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

We test in a single +12V configuration.

DC Output Load Regulation
Combined DC Load	+3.3V		+5V		+12V		+5VSB		-12V
	A	V	A	V	A	V	A	V	A	V
100W	0.90	3.35	0.90	5.02	7.35	12.02	0.50	5.01	0.20	-12.02
200W	1.60	3.35	1.64	5.01	15.13	12.01	1.00	5.01	0.20	-12.01
500W	3.20	3.34	3.25	5.00	38.60	12.00	1.50	5.00	0.20	-12.01
750W	4.03	3.34	4.16	4.99	58.53	11.97	2.00	5.00	0.30	-12.01
1000W	5.45	3.34	5.51	4.98	78.13	11.90	2.50	5.00	0.30	-12.00

The load regulation of this power supply is acceptable, although far from the best we have seen in the last two years from a variety of OEM partners.

ENDORFY Supremo FM5 Gold 1000 W	Maximum Load
	1010W

The power supply managed to deliver 1000W, but not much more, hitting 1010W before shutting down.

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	11.92	0.2	-12.00	0.50	5.00
240W	20.0	3.28	23.0	4.95	2.0	12.04	0.2	-12.01	0.50	5.01

The Endorfy Supremo delivered decent results with some noticeable fluctuation on the minor rails when hit with high amps. The +12V rail dropped to around 11.92 when hit with 72amps.

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	10	5	15	10
250W	10	5	25	10
500W	15	10	35	15
750W	20	15	50	15
1000W	20	15	60	20

Ripple noise suppression falls within safe parameters, although far short of the market leaders in this segment.

Efficiency (%)
100W	88.6
250W	90.3
500W	92.1
750W	91.3
1000W	89.2

The efficiency results are fairly decent, peaking at 92.1% at close to 50%. This drops to 89.2% efficiency at full load.

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 Refrigerator
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	30.2
750W	31.3
1000W	35.4

The large fan does not make much noise at all during all load situations. This is one of the key points that ENDORFY pointed out when they sent us the sample. Low noise levels at any load.

Temperature (c)
	Intake	Exhaust
100W	37	41
250W	38	45
500W	40	53
750W	45	56
1000W	46	61

The large fan works well in maintaining quiet noise levels, however due to the low rotational speeds and the focus on acoustic performance, the unit does get a little hotter than most we have tested in the 80 Plus Gold sector, especially as we get to around 750 watt load and above – when we feel the unit would definitely benefit from increased air flow.

Additionally, we feel if the unit had more than a single heatsink it may have coped a bit better in this test. Especially with a modest rated 80 Plus gold efficiency.

Maximum load	Efficiency
1010W	89.0

Pushing the PSU above its rated limits generates an efficiency level of around 89.0%.

When we received the Endorfy Supremo FM5 to review, it would be fair to say that first impressions were somewhat muted. The plain brown box and bland internal packaging don't really instil the feeling of having purchased a quality product. It is not a critical concern, however – and if we look at this product as a focused value proposition then we can adjust our expectations a little.

Right now, there are not many 1000W 80 Plus Gold rated units selling for 149 Euros (approx. £130). Applying a quick search on Overclockers UK, prices range from around £170 for B-grade options, up to £250 for the class leading Seasonic Vertex GX that we reviewed a short time ago (1200W review HERE).

That said, we can't find the Endorfy Supremo FM5 for sale anywhere in the United Kingdom, and based on their website (HERE), there isn't even a country entry for the UK. We spoke with etailers in England and are yet to hear from anyone who plans to stock the FM5. It is difficult to rely on the Endorfy website, however, as many pages are broken or just don't show what you would expect. Looking for some information on the Fluctus fan used in this power supply leads you to this page for instance.

If we look past the poor packaging, somewhat disjointed website and a lack of UK sales distribution and focus on the technical side of the power supply, then it is not all bad news. While the unit doesn't perform at the level of a Seasonic Vertex GX, it doesn't exhibit any game breaking problems either. Ripple suppression falls well within industry rated parameters, and it coped with our cross load test without any major issues.

Endorfy have adopted a Fluctus 120mm fan inside the power supply and versions of these fluid dynamic bearing fans have been highly regarded as part of SilentiumPC Fera 5 CPU cooler bundles in the past. The fan remained quiet under all load situations as it peaks at 1,400 rpm, however when the unit delivered over 800 watts constant load, we feel that some additional rotational capabilities would have proven beneficial for reducing temperatures. The fact there is only a single large heatsink in this 1000W PSU doesn't really seem to help either. This would be less problematic in a more efficient Platinum or Titanium-rated unit.

The adoption of a fully modular design, low overall noise characteristics combined with bargain pricing will appeal to a wide audience of enthusiast users aiming to power a gaming system between 500-700 watts under peak load. This is when the unit is the quietest, and hits maximum efficiency levels around 92%.

Right now the Endorfy FM5 gold power supplies seem available across Europe, and if you can get it at the 149 Euros asking price then it's definitely worth a consideration. The 7 year warranty might not be class leading, but it offers some peace of mind. That said, if you are able to invest £30+ there are more capable units from competitor brands available.

Discuss on our Facebook page HERE.

Pros:

• Bargain basement pricing.
• 105C Japanese primary capacitor.
• Achieves 80 Plus Gold efficiency.
• Very quiet.
• Physically compact.
• 7 year warranty.

Cons:

• Not technically the finest unit we have tested.
• No UK availability listed.
• Support website is poor.
• At high loads the fan struggles to cool due to limited RPM.

KitGuru says: The Endorfy Supremo FM5 Gold targets the budget audience wanting a high output unit. Technically it is competent, but if you can spend a little more there are much better options available.