BFG ES-800

INTRODUCTION

The power supply is an odd component of sorts. In the same way our heart doesn't make us run faster or get better grades in school, a power supply won't give you a higher frame rate or make your CPU faster. But without a strong, solid heart even everyday tasks would become difficult. Imagine trying to walk a flight of stairs with a weak heart or carry groceries. Your power supply is the heart, the very core, of your PC and without a strong solid PSU everyday tasks become difficult. Imagine trying to play games or run Folding@Home with a flaky PSU. Constant lock-ups or total shut-downs would put a quick stop to any chance of enjoyment you would get from your PC. Clean, solid power is a must in today's PCs but with so many poor quality power supplies masquerading as high-end units it's easy to get buried by the sea of marketing hype. Today Bjorn3D is looking at one power supply that not only positions itself as a top-notch PSU built with quality components, but brings some new tricks to the table to increase efficiency and show some love to mother earth. The power supply is the ES-800 by BFG. A company well known for its commitment to quality. Let's put some of BFG's claims to the test and see if this unit is worthy of your hard earned money.

FEATURES & SPECIFICATIONS

Features

• Active PFC (Power Factor Correction)
• ATX12V 2.2 / EPS12V 2.91
• 80+ Certified
• Quad +12V Rails
• Extra long cables support full tower size chassis
• Silent 138mm Intake Fan
• 800W Continuous Rated at 40°C

Connectors

To view a larger image of each connector click the image.

		20+4 Pin Main x 1 This is the main connection that powers the motherboard. It has support for older boards (20P) as well as new generation boards (24P)				6-Pin PEG (PCI Express Graphics) x 2 This connector powers today's graphics cards. They provide an extra 75 watts each.
		4-Pin CPU x 1 This connector powers the CPU. Use this connector OR the 8-pin connector if your motherboard requires it but not both.				8-Pin (6+2) PEG (PCI Express Graphics) x 2 This connector powers today's graphics cards. They provide an extra 150 watts each.
		8-Pin CPU x 1 This connector powers the CPU. Use this connector OR the 8-pin connector if your motherboard requires it but not both.				4-Pin Floppy x 2 This connector powers internal floppy drives.
		4-Pin Molex x 6 This connector powers PATA hard drives, fans and older optical drives.				SATA x 6 This connector powers the latest hard drives and optical drives.

With no shortage of connectors to be found you can trust that this unit will handle all of your hardware. Now let's take a quick look at how the power is broken down in this beast.

Specifications

There is one thing these specs don't reveal and it's one of the most important parts. Not only can the ES-800 deliver up to 800w of environmentally friendly power, but it can do so at temperatures up to 40ºC! For my American brothers and sisters that means 104º F. Wow. Most PSU manufactures rate their PSUs at only 25-30º C (77-86ºF) which can easily be exceeded on hot summer days.