LEPA G1600 MA EU 1600W PSU Review

1. Introduction2. LEPA G1600 (Bundle/Cabling)3. LEPA G1600 (External)4. LEPA G1600 (Internal)5. LEPA G1600 (High Res Gallery)6. Testing Methodology & Results7. Closing Thoughts8. View All Pages

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
• Extech digital sound level meter
• Digital oscilloscope (20M S/s with 12 Bit ADC)
• Variable Autotransformer, 1.4 KVA

12V output is combined for our testing.

DC Output Load Regulation
Combined DC Load	+3.3V		+5V		+12V		+5VSB		-12V
	A	V	A	V	A	V	A	V	A	V
500W	7.60	3.33	8.80	5.02	36.02	12.11	1.5	5.02	0.30	-12.09
750W	12.61	3.33	14.12	5.02	52.03	12.00	2.0	5.02	0.30	-12.08
1000W	17.72	3.33	20.02	5.01	72.23	11.96	2.5	5.01	0.50	-12.07
1250W	18.82	3.33	24.05	5.01	90.12	11.90	3.0	5.01	0.60	-12.08
1500W	18.85	3.32	22.62	5.00	115.90	11.85	3.5	5.00	0.80	-12.11
1600W	10.00	3.31	10.00	4.96	125.00	11.69	3.5	5.00	0.80	-12.14

Load regulation is quite good, although we noticed a drop to 11.69 volts on the +12V rail when hit with 125Amps.

LEPA G1600 1600W Power Supply	Maximum Load
	1733W

We managed to get the PSU to achieve 1733W before it would shut down, delivering around 133W more than the rated specifications.

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
1150W	3.0	3.33	2.0	5.02	92.0	11.89	0.2	-12.01	0.50	5.00
250W	20.0	3.29	24.0	4.94	5.0	12.02	0.2	-12.02	0.50	4.98

The power supply coped reasonably well with the cross loading test, although there was minor droop noticeable on the +12V rail when hit with 92 amps.

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
500W	10	15	10	10
750W	10	20	10	15
1000W	15	20	15	15
1250W	15	20	15	15
1500W	20	25	20	20
1600W	20	25	25	30

Ripple results are excellent, especially on the +12V rail – peaking at 25mV. This falls in with some of the best results we have seen.

Efficiency (%)
500W	91.21
750W	92.23
1000W	91.89
1250W	90.51
1500W	89.83
1600W	88.56

The efficiency ratings are superb, peaking at 92.2% at 50% load. Efficiency drops to 88.6% at full load, which is a good result. If you are running this power supply at a constant 1,600 watts we can't imagine the system you are powering !

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 Digital Sound Level Noise Decibel Meter Style 2 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)
500W	29.2
750W	29.8
1000W	32.7
1250W	34.3
1500W	35.6
1600W	36.1

The fan spins slowly until around 800 watts is demanded and it begins to increase with load. At 1000 watts the fan is audible although not intrusive. At 1250 Watts, the fan is spinning much faster and will be audible if your system is relatively quiet. At 1500watts to 1600 watts the noise increases a little further.

We like the pitch of this fan, even though it is quite active above 1000 watts, it never becomes annoying, even though it is audible.

Temperature (c)
	Intake	Exhaust
500W	37	41
750W	39	45
1000W	42	49
1250W	46	55
1500W	48	60
1600W	51	64

The large fan copes with the heat inside the chassis, spinning more actively as the load increases above 1,000 watts.

Maximum load	Efficiency
1733W	88.2

At 1733W, the efficiency level is still good, measuring 88.2%. Not a practical situation to be running 24/7, but worth noting.

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