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- Date:
- Wednesday, February 27, 2008
- Author:
- Paul Johnson
- Editor:
- Kyle Bennett
- Google +1
BFGTech ES-800 800w Power Supply
BFGTech comes back to HardOCP’s computer power supply review program a full year later, and this time BFG comes loaded for bear with an 800w PSU that actually has new features that should certainly interest most high end PSU users and hardware enthusiast alike.
Build Quality
As we already know the BFG ES-800 features a single 138mm fan design (no that is not a typo this unit has a 138mm fan not a 135mm and not a 140mm) that is used in the same vein as 120mm fans in that they can provide for quiet cooling environments due to the ability to move a larger volume of air at slower speeds than a smaller diameter fan. The 138mm fan is just short of the largest diameter fan we are likely to see in ATX power supplies given the physical constraints of the form factor. While great for quiet computing environments the key criteria in our evaluation is whether or not the cooling solution is sufficient, not necessarily it’s sound output level or form factor, although we certainly listen for offending units.
External Build Quality
The external build quality of the ES-800 is excellent and comes trimmed out with everything we would expect to see from BFG. The unit is clad in an attractive reflective finish and is dominated by the lone 138mm fan that cools the unit.
It should be noted that just prior to press we were contact by BFG indicating to us that the first batch of power supplies has an unusual paint issue resulting in a slight “orange peel” effect that will not show up in later units. While our unit does have this effect we did not find it worthy of noting and would never have thought anything of it without it being brought to our attention. So if you can actually make it out in our photos, expect a much more “mirror-like” finish in the next production of retail PSUs. (Honestly, we liked the finish on the supplied unit.)
The back of the unit features the typical sparseness found on full range power supplies, however the rocker switch on this unit actually is labeled “on/off” rather than the usual “-/0.”
The ES-800 is 6 ˝ inches long and the cables all reach out to ~19 inches at the first or only connector with the sleeving being complete and well done on all of cables.
Internal Build Quality
Once we open the ES-800 we notice a very unusual power supply design that can be only be described as “madness,” compared to what we have come to expect from ATX power supplies. To start off there are two power supplies in the unit, but they are not two full fledged power supplies or one for the 12v and one for the 5v/3.3v. Rather the ES-800 PSU has a stand-alone +5vsb power supply and then the remaining voltages are derived from the larger power supply housed on the main PCB. To further make things unique, the larger power supply is not your “normal” power supply either as it features what BFG call "Frequency Conversion." What this means is the power oscillator changes the DC switching on/off rate based upon the load at any given time as opposed to using a static rate like most power supplies. This process of varying the DC on/off rate results in a more efficient conversion of DC back to AC at the transformer before being rectified back to the requisite DC voltages. We will see during load testing if this “reinvention of the wheel” really has gained us anything or if it is all rather "Rube Goldberg-esque." This most unique design is cooled by a lone 138mm sleeve bearing overhead fan provided by Globe Fan and is rated at 0.40A at 12v. In addition to this fan being a unique 138mm custom fan for this power supply the fan can start at voltages as low as 3v which we think would provide an exceptionally quiet cooling system at low loads.
As we move on we see the +5vsb power supply housed on the PCB that is fitted to the brass standoffs at the rear of the unit. This particular power supply features a Nippon Chemi-con primary capacitor rated at 450v 150uF while the secondary (and remaining) capacitors are also Nippon Chemi-con.
With the +5vsb power supply out of the way we can begin to look at the primary "side" of this power supply. The primary side houses the APFC transistors and is next to one of the two primary capacitors. This particular capacitor is a Hitachi capacitor rated at 560uF 450v 85c, while the second primary capacitor is again supplied by Hitachi but is a 105uF 450v 105c unit that is mounted parallel to the main PCB like the primary capacitor on the +5vsb power supply. While on the primary side, we also see that directly below the +5vsb power supply is one of two APFC coils, the second is behind the main transformer on the main PCB, and it is stamped with Andyson's model number for this unit.
Moving over to the secondary side of this most unusual power supply we see that the 12v rectifiers are on one rather small heatsink closest to the main transformer while the 3.3v/5v are on a second much shorter heatsink by the output wiring. Sandwiched between these two heatsinks we find the majority of the secondary capacitors which all appear to have been sourced from Nippon Chemi-con which is an excellent choice for any power supply. Lastly, we see on the far edge of the power supply an add-in PCB that houses the "Andyson AD-MT8 Controller Board." This PCB is responsible for housing all the secondary protection circuitry and regulation. This is one of the largest PCBs we have seen used for this task but given the rather unorthodox design of this power supply it seems to fit.
Build Quality Summary
Strictly from a build quality stand-point the ES-800 is an excellent unit. The unorthodox design certainly makes the unit’s build unique, but what will matter to us is how that design works in the load testing. The ES-800 features a well crafted exterior that is trimmed out in a reflective black finish and paired with well-sleeved cables which all make a great first impression. Once we move inside the unit we find that the build quality continues to improve as the unit is cooled by a custom 138mm Globe fan that has a sleeved bearing to reduce noise. The ES-800 is an impressively unique build considering the number of different components this unit houses compared to most ATX power supplies. The +5vsb power supply features all Nippon Chemi-con capacitors while the main power supply features Hitachi capacitors on the primary side with Nippon Chemi-con reappearing on the secondary here. There is simply nothing to complain about from a specifications stand point but all of these components seem shoehorned into a small space, giving the guts of this PSU a somewhat "ghetto" appearance, which of course no "normal" user should ever see. But will it blend?