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PowerCase PHKPOW550080MM
As was the case with Bliss, my experience with this brand is limited. The few I have seen were low end Huntkey products. While Huntkey can make a decent power supply, some of their low end products can be somewhat overrated. Let’s see if this is the case with this product.
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After peeling the label off, there was a Huntkey label underneath it. More specifically, a Huntkey CP-350 label. That’s a 350W model, not a 550W, so it looks as though Powercase have just stuck a 550W label over a 350W product. Both labels make this out to be a more 12V-heavy design.
Load Testing
Test 1 (117.05W Load)
| Rail | Load | Voltage | Ripple |
| 12V | 4.86A | 12.16V | 35.0mV |
| 5V | 4.95A | 4.95V | 13.0mV |
| 3.3V | 10.06A | 3.32V | 6.0mV |
| −12V | 0A | −12.63V | 6.2mV |
| 5Vsb | 0A | 5.06V | 30.4mV |
| AC Power | 140.6W | ||
| Efficiency | 83.25% | ||
| Power Factor | 0.67 | ||
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Test 2 (207.1W Load)
| Rail | Load | Voltage | Ripple |
| 12V | 9.74A | 12.18A | 55.0mV |
| 5V | 9.86A | 4.93V | 17.0mV |
| 3.3V | 10.06A | 3.32V | 6.0mV |
| −12V | 0.11A | −12.62V | 19.4mV |
| 5Vsb | 1.01A | 5.04V | 14.0mV |
| AC Power | 241.43W | ||
| Efficiency | 85.78% | ||
| Power Factor | 0.66 | ||
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Test 3 (264.07W Load)
| Rail | Load | Voltage | Ripple |
| 12V | 14.48A | 12.07V | 69.4mV |
| 5V | 9.94A | 4.97V | 20.4mV |
| 3.3V | 10.06A | 3.32V | 6.4mV |
| −12V | 0.11A | −12.8V | 29.2mV |
| 5Vsb | 1.01A | 5.04V | 15.0mV |
| AC Power | 309.31W | ||
| Efficiency | 85.37% | ||
| Power Factor | 0.66 | ||
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Test 4 (320.3W Load)
| Rail | Load | Voltage | Ripple |
| 12V | 19.2A | 12.0V | 94.2mV |
| 5V | 10.0A | 5.0V | 26.6mV |
| 3.3V | 10.06A | 3.32V | 7.0mV |
| −12V | 0.11A | −13.06V | 46.2mV |
| 5Vsb | 1.01A | 5.04V | 17.2mV |
| AC Power | 385.53W | ||
| Efficiency | 83.08% | ||
| Power Factor | 0.66 | ||
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Test 5 (373.23W Load)
| Rail | Load | Voltage | Ripple |
| 12V | 23.76A | 11.88V | 107.0mV |
| 5V | 10.1A | 5.05V | 29.4mV |
| 3.3V | 10.06A | 3.32V | 8.0mV |
| −12V | 0.11A | −13.29V | 52.2mV |
| 5Vsb | 1.01A | 5.04V | 19.0mV |
| AC Power | 469.17W | ||
| Efficiency | 79.55% | ||
| Power Factor | 0.67 | ||
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The voltage regulation was mediocre at best. The 12V rail managed to stay within 0.18V (or 1.5%) of its nominal 12V, but it dropped to 11.88V in test 5, which equates to a drop of 0.3V, or 2.5%. The 5V rail was off by a maximum of 0.07V or 1.4% (Test 2), and climbed up to 5.05V during Test 5, which equates to a 0.12V, or 2.4% variation. The −12V rail was the worst performer – it only managed 10.75% regulation. While this isn’t allowed in ATX specifications, it’s unlikely to be a major problem, given how little use the −12V rail sees these days.
The efficiency was reasonable for a low end product, peaking at just over 85%. The power factor, while high for a product with no PFC, was still fairly poor compared with higher end products. I did ask for 420W for a 6th test, but the switching transistors exploded. This confirms that it is really only a 350W product, and not a 550W.
| Rail | Test 4 (320.3W) | Test 5 (373.23W) |
| 12V |  |
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| 5V |  |
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| 3.3V |  |
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| −12V |  |
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| 5Vsb |  |
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The ripple suppression on the 12V rail was mediocre. While it was still in spec, it did get above 100mV, which is getting close to the maximum. The 5V rail was a little better, but still slightly above half-spec. The other rails, especially the 3.3V rail, all had excellent ripple suppression, staying below half the maximum limit at all times.
Disassembly
The input filtering contains two X capacitors, one common-mode choke, two Y capacitors and two MOVs. It’s better than nothing, but there should be another choke. The primary capacitors are 470µF parts from Jianghai, a brand I’ve never heard of before, and the bridge rectifier is rated at 4A. Screwed on to the heat sink are two Fairchild FJP13009 switching transistors rated at 12A. These parts can sometimes deliver more than 370W with exceptionally good design, but that was obviously not the case with this power supply. The 5VSB uses a switching IC, like the Bliss ATX-350. Unfortunately, I couldn’t identify its manufacturer or find a datasheet for it.
The 12V rectifier is a Diodes Inc. SBR20A100CT, which is a 20A Schottky rectifier. The 5V rail uses a 30A ST Micro STPS3045CT Schottky rectifier, and the 3.3V rail uses a 20A Jilin Sino Micro HBR2045 Schottky rectifier. While all of these rectifiers are adequate for what the label claims, it is interesting to note that the 12V rail is actually weaker than the 5V, in spite of being rated for more current. The capacitors are branded Fcon, a questionable quality brand which I have only ever known Huntkey to use. The Supervisor IC and PWM controller is a Weltrend WT7520, which only supports Over Voltage and Under Voltage Protections (OVP and UVP).
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The fan is made by Yate Loon. Their fans are normally not too bad in terms of reliability. There was some lubricant in the bearing, but a little more could probably have been used. The fan is temperature controlled, but it was only quiet during Test 1. This is probably due to the smallish heat sinks.
Specifications and Conclusions
| Real Wattage | 370W |
| OEM | Huntkey |
| PFC | None |
| Price | $25 (As Huntkey CP-350) |
| ATX Connector type | 20+4 pin |
| Worst-case voltage regulation (12v, 5v, 3.3v) | 1.5%, 1.4%, 0.6% |
| Worst-case ripple (12v, 5v, 3.3v) | 107.0mV, 29.4mV, 8.0mV |
| Worst-case efficiency | 79.55% |
| Input filtering | Inadequate |
| CPU Connector | ATX12V (4 pin) |
| PCIe Connectors | None |
| Molex (Peripheral) Connectors | 4 |
| FDD Power connectors | 1 |
| SATA Power connectors | 2 |
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Pros: Quiet, Voltages and ripple stayed in spec
Cons: Can’t deliver labelled 550W (−2), Low quality capacitors (−2), Mediocre 12V ripple suppression (−0.5), Mediocre Voltage regulation (−0.5)
Score: 5/10 (or 7/10 for Huntkey CP-350 version)
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