Contents
- 1Introduction
- 1.1Packaging and accessories
- 2Connectors & cabling
- 2.1Casing & cooling
- 3Input filtering
- 4Primary side
- 4.1+5 V stand-by rail
- 5Secondary side
- 5.1Build quality
- 6Load testing
- 6.1Loading +5 V SB
- 6.2Voltage hold-up time
- 6.3Combined loading
- 6.4Combined loading ripple
- 6.5Crossloading, overloading
- 6.6Crossloading, overloading ripple
- 7Conclusion and evaluation
- 7.1Thanks
- 7.2Discussion
Introduction
The Silverstone Strider Essential Gold 600 W (SST-ST60F-ESG) is a brother series of the infamous Strider Essential Series 600 W (SST-ST60F-ESB) we got here some time ago. This time Silverstone offers 80 PLUS Gold certification (@115 V) from 2013 as this is based on already aging FSP Group Aurum platform. It also comes with a 3-year warranty for a price starting at 2600 CZK/109 AUD, so we are barely but still in high-end.
This platform uses active clamp forward topology but does not have true DC-DC modules. Rather, all of the ordinary windings are still present in the main transformer and all of them are actively rectified. That means that when a single rail needs power, the power supply pumps it in the transformer and the effect is higher voltage on other rails (when there is not enough power draw from them). So basically it uses what we nowadays call group design.
This also explains the quite high power on the minor rails, which provide 130 watt combined. Unlike Antec with the Earthwatts Platinum 550 W and its gazillion of crazy +12V rails, Silverstone went for just one 46A rail which is much more user friendly and it may actually mean the OCP/OPP will be working for the first time in the history of Aurum platform, but we will see for sure later. But there is still this Chinglish label. Duh. Also note that the unit supports mounting in both directions.
Packaging and accessories
The unit comes in a box with ordinary Silverstone colors, stating some basic facts including efficiency, connectivity and cooling.
The backside repeats that in other languages and shows something more with an efficiency diagram and fan speed diagram. According to that it should stay under 1500 RPM until 85 % of its nominal power. However, nothing is said about protections other than “multiple protection circuitry”. I had to check the website, and there it states OVP, UVP, OCP and OPP, no OTP. Consistent with other Aurum-based units.
The unit is packed in a plastic bubble bag and also in a foam form – I like it, for the first time I consider this safe packing. For that I give the unit half a point. Accessories include a manual, power cord, some ordinary screws and even big thumbscrews you can do up with your bare hands. And that’s not all, you also get no less than four velcro ties (plus one on the cables from factory) and also four more zip ties. This is much more than basic equipment, so I will give another two and half points!