be quiet! Dark Power Pro 430W

Introduction

There was a time when people really didn’t have to care what PSU they had in the computer. Then came the faster CPU’s, the more power-hungry video cards, SLI and Crossfire and multiple cheap hard drives and now suddenly we see 600W and even 1000W PSU’s being sold as an essential part of any enthusiast computer.

So why on earth are we looking at a measly 430W PSU in today’s review? Well, if anything this review of the be quiet! Dark Power Pro 430W PSU should prove to you once and for all that quality is more important than quantity.

BE QUIET

be quiet is a German company that specializes on making high quality PSU’s. They do have some other products like fans and Noise absorber kits but their main products are the Straight Power and the Dark Power series of PSU’s

“We utilise innovative technologies and high-quality materials, to be able to guarantee the quality and workmanship of our products. That is how our power supplies provide an efficiency that exceeds 80% by far, as well as a reliability that makes it possible for us to grant a full 3 year warranty.

be quiet! power supplies are always characterized by an extremely low noise level. We believe that performance does not have to be loud. This assures you the possibility to concentrate on important things, while working with your computer.”

Features and specifications

The Dark Power Pro is the follow-up to their popular Dark Power PSU. While the Straight Power series is aimed for people who “look for mature technology and love extremely reliable operations, if you want sufficient output at any time and prefer a power supply with a compact design”, the Dark Power Pro PSU’s are marketed as high-end PSU’s for the professional users.

Let us take a look on what features the entire Dark Power pro series of PSU has:

TOP EFFICIENCY

Extremely high efficiency of >80% at loads of 50% for reduction of your electricity expenses
Active PFC with PF of up to 0.99 for stabilising and enhancing output voltage values
The power supply unit is manufactured in line with RoHS Guidelines

THERMO CONTROL

The fan follow-up control unit (ECASO) protects your hardware against overheating. The electronic thermo-control unit controls the power-supply fan speed, as well as the speed of up to 3 case fans directly connected to the power supplies.
Read-out tacho-signal from the power-supply fan through your mainboard.

SERVICE PLUS

3-year warranty
Service hotline: +49 40 736 76 86 – 559
Technical email support: service@be-quiet.com
Multi language manuals

HIGH CONNECTIVITY

Flexible cable management
Up to 19 cable bundles, of which 17 are removable
High-quality finish, including cable sleeves made of nylon braiding.
Highest possible compatibility to available mainboard technologies
Up to four 12V rails assure an independent power supply to the CPU.
ATX12V 2.2 and EPS12V 2.91
The connection of PCIe and ATI CrossFire graphic cards is possible by way of up to four 6-pin VGA connectors
Future-proof connectors for the upcoming generations of graphic cards
P8 connector for dual-server mainboards
Up to 12 SATA connectors
The connection to the mainboard is made by 24-pin connector; an included 20-pin makes operation with older mainboards also possible.
2 x 50 cm cable for desktop computers

I think this is about what you will expect from a better quality PSU these days without being extraordinary. The 3 year warranty is nice though.

Next let us take a look at the exact specifications for this PSU:

Output 430 Watt
ATX12V Version 2.2
1 x 120mm Silent ventilator
Active PFC
2 separate 12V cables
P4 and P8 plug
Specifications: +3,3V: 26A, +5V: 28A, +12V1: 20A, +12V2: 20A, -5V: 0,5A, -12V: 0,8A, +5VSB: 2,5A

Recently the Dark Power Pro PSU’s also get certified by ATI for Crossfire. This PSU is certified for X1800/X800 Crossfire combinations.