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A-Power Elite 680W
A-Power. Just mentioning that name is enough to send shivers down the spines of most technicians. However, there are very few if any properly done reviews of their power supplies. So, let’s see now if they really deserve their horrible reputation.
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This power supply feels somewhat lighter than the Aywun A1-1000, which as a worrying sign. It’s light enough that it wouldn’t even make a good paperweight. Unlike what the label says, this power supply is really a single rail.
Load Testing
Test 1 (120.01W Load – Cold)
| Rail | Load | Voltage | Ripple |
| 12V | 5.0A | 12.5V | 55.8mV |
| 5V | 5.03A | 5.03V | 92.0mV |
| 3.3V | 9.88A | 3.26V | 3.0mV |
| −12V | 0A | −12.73V | 14.6mV |
| 5Vsb | 0A | 5.01V | 10.8mV |
| AC Power | 157.0W | ||
| Efficiency | 76.44% | ||
| Power Factor | 0.56 | ||
Test 2 (212.68W Load – Cold)
| Rail | Load | Voltage | Ripple |
| 12V | 10.0A | 12.5V | 92.0mV |
| 5V | 9.96A | 4.98V | 101.4mV |
| 3.3V | 9.82A | 3.24V | 6.0mV |
| −12V | 0.11A | −12.91V | 55.2mV |
| 5Vsb | 0.99A | 4.94V | 29.0mV |
| AC Power | 212.68W | ||
| Efficiency | 80.81% | ||
| Power Factor | 0.58 | ||
Test 3 (243.16W Load – Cold)
| Rail | Load | Voltage | Ripple |
| 12V | 12.45A | 12.45V | 106.4mV |
| 5V | 10.0A | 5.0V | 105.4mV |
| 3.3V | 9.82A | 3.24V | 10.0mV |
| −12V | 0.11A | −13.19V | 67.8mV |
| 5Vsb | 0.99A | 4.95V | 26.2mV |
| AC Power | 298.4W | ||
| Efficiency | 81.49% | ||
| Power Factor | 0.57 | ||
The voltage regulation was mediocre. The rails did all stay within spec, but the 12V rail was always on the high side, at 12.5V during the first two tests. The upper limit is 12.6V, so it was in spec, but I would like to see it stay closer to 12V than that. The 5V rail was OK for voltages, but it’s ripple was far too high – over double the maximum allowed, which will seriously stress the capacitors on a motherboard. The efficiency was bad too. I’ve seen worse, but it only managed 81.49%. On 110V, it would have been worse. I attempted to load the power supply to about 300W for Test 4, but it died during that test.
| Rail | Test 2 (212.68W) | Test 3 (243.16W) |
| 12V |  |
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| 5V |  |
 |
| 3.3V |  |
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| −12V |  |
 |
| 5Vsb |  |
 |
A Look Inside
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And I thought that the Aywun was gutless. This power supply gives a whole new meaning to the word. The input filtering consists of a single ceramic capacitor, which is completely inadequate. There is no bridge rectifier on this power supply, just four 2A diodes – nowhere near enough for a 680W Product. The switching transistors are 13007s. Again, I couldn’t identify their real manufacturer, but in all likelihood, they have similar specifications to the Motorola/ON Semiconductors MJE13007. They might handle 300W on a good day, and are completely incapable of delivering 680W.
Moving on to the secondary side, the 12V rail uses an F12C20C Rectifier. It’s rated for a pathetic 12A. This is insanely underpowered, considering that the label claimed 42A between the 12V rails. The 5V rail uses an STPS3045CW rectifier rated at 30A. The 3.3V rail uses linear regulation from the 5V rail. The transistor is an InPower Semiconductors FTP06N03N MOSFET rated at 65A. Some of the capacitors are made by ChengX, and others by Canicon. Little is known about the former, and the latter is notorious for making low quality capacitors.
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The fan is branded Kexiang Hardware. I’ve never heard of this brand before, so the reliability is anyone’s guess. It is wired directly to the 12V output, and it was audible throughout the testing. Like the Aywun and CoodMax, the heat sinks are very thin, and I can bend them with my bare fingers.
Specifications and Conclusions
| Real Wattage | 0W |
| OEM | Unknown |
| PFC | None |
| Price | $17 |
| ATX Connector type | 20+4 pin |
| Worst-case voltage regulation (12v, 5v, 3.3v) | 4.2%, 0.6%, 1.8% |
| Worst-case ripple (12v, 5v, 3.3v) | 106.4mV, 105.4mV, 10.0mV |
| Worst-case efficiency | 76.44% |
| Input filtering | Inadequate |
| CPU Connector | ATX12v (4 pin) |
| PCIe Connectors | None |
| Molex (Peripheral) Connectors | 3 |
| FDD Power connectors | 1 |
| SATA Power connectors | 2 |
Pros: None
Cons: Can’t deliver anything with the ripple in spec, Inadequate input filtering, Inefficient, Mediocre voltage regulation, Noisy/No fan controller, Low quality fan and capacitors, Extremely thin heat sinks, Doesn’t even make a good paperweight or doorstop.
Score: 0/10
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