Raidmax Vampire RX-1000GH

[testman78]

Introduction

Raidmax is introducing the all new Vampire series power supplies.Unlike their earlier units which were produced in conjunction with CWT,these particular Raidmax units are produced in conjunction with HEC.The Vampire power supplies use a semi-modular cable management.ATX- and EPS-plugs are fixed to the PSU,while PCI-E,SATA and Molex plugs are modular.This allows the user to choose the optimum cable set-up for their system.In order to meet the power requirements of modern systems,the Raidmax Vampire use two separate 12V rails.In addition,they offer a variety of protection circuits, such as overload (OPP), over voltage (OVP), under voltage (UVP) and shorts (SCP).Raidmax once again comes out swinging in the 1 kilowatt PSU arena.This is not an easy level to perform out.Big numbers like wattage numbers like 900W and 1000W are nothing if there is insufficient Amperage supplied to the 12V rail,and even less impressive if the unit doesn't employ Power Factor Correction (PFC).The best thing you can do for your PC when selecting a power supply is to take a moment and read the specs,specifically the 12V rail ratings.Today i focus on the Kilowatt model priced at... 114.99 Euro!Affordable power supplies,who doesn't like them huh?



Will this new "Vampire" PSU be up to the task of my gauntlet?The pertinent information for this 1000W model is reproduced below.




Packaging & Contents

The first thing we are going to look at with the Raidmax Vampire RX-1000GH is its packaging,accessories,and documentation.While normally none of these items is a make or break item for a power supply the packaging quite often contains a lot of information about the product we are purchasing.The front and sides of the packaging are fairly clean but do provide a few key certifications such as the 80Plus Gold logo along with list of specifications as well as a connector availability list.



The back gives you more details about the key features.We find a lot of marketing points about the RX-GH line of power supplies,as well as the power labels for all of the current members of the GH line.



The bundle is extremely disappointing.Raidmax only include some modular cables,a regional specific power plug and mounting screws.There is no user manual,cable ties,or felt pouch to store unneeded cables.



The modular cables are high grade and sleeved while all of the hardwired cables are also sleeved except the 6+2 pin PCI E connectors.



A total of nine modular cables are included with the Raidmax Vampire RX-1000GH.




The Psu

The Vampire RX-1000GH comes trimmed out in a very attractive and refined looking package.The black finish is textured and durable while the white accents are very sharp looking on the Raidmax.



One side of the Vampire RX-1000GH is blank while the other side features the I/O specification label.



The back of the Vampire RX-1000GH houses the AC input and an on/off switch.Ventilation is provided by the large honeycomb mesh grill.



As we already know from Raidmax’s packaging the Vampire RX-1000GH features a single fan design.The single 135mm fan is in the same vein as the preferred standard of a single 120mm fan.The 135mm fan is obviously larger and used for quiet cooling due to its ability to move a larger volume of air at lower RPM than a smaller diameter fan.Additionally, given the size constraints of the ATX12v form factor a 135mm fan is most likely the largest size fan that can fit in a standard width ATX power supply.The 135mm fan should give excellent cooling and be very quiet so long as it is paired with a good fan controller.At the same time,the key criteria in our evaluation is whether or not the cooling solution is sufficient,not necessary its sound level or form factor.



The front of the unit houses the fixed wiring as well as the modular interface.



The connectors are color coded for your convenience.



The Vampire power supplies use a semi-modular cable management.ATX-EPS and first PCI-E-plugs are fixed to the PSU,while second PCI-E, SATA and Molex plugs are modular.



Both sides feature the same logo with the opposite side inverted in case it is installed in the bottom of a case.




A look Inside

We can see that Raidmax have used a Young Lin Tech Co. DFS132512H.This is a 135mm fan.This seems to be quite a quiet fan for the amount of airflow it is capable of.It is a 7 blade, dual ball bearing fan rated at 12V,3W,up to 1,700 rpm with a maximum noise output rating of 36.28dBa and 91.16CFM.



The design of the Raidmax Vampire RX-1000GH is by HEC, and the soldering quality is quite good throughout.The power supply has several rows of heatsinks separating the components.The modular daughtercard is attached to the main unit at the side of the PCB.The unit complies with OVP / UVP/ OTP / OCP/ OPP / SCP / SIP Safety certifications.



The transient filter starts at the AC receptacle with one X and two Y caps.



The Raidmax Vampire RX-1000GH uses two Capxon capacitors in the primary stage,these are rated 85c,420V,390uF.This is a little disappointing as i would expect to see premium Japanese 105c rated capacitors in a flagship unit like this.That said,i haven’t had any problems with Capxon in the past(although they are not popular with some enthusiast users).



Capacitors in the secondary stage are from Teapo and all rated to 105c which is slightly more reassuring,especially as many of them are mounted in a low airflow position.



Voltage conversion circuit.



Opposite to the bridge rectifier resides a vertical daughter board that houses the combo PFC/PWM controller,a Champion CM6800TX.



The +12V rail is regulated by 30A60CT SBRs while the minor rails are handled by 40CPQ060.



Converter for standby power + 5VsB is close to the APFC chip.It is noteworthy that the control of this converter chip thoughtfully equipped with a small heatsink.



The front of the modular PCB only houses filtering capacitors.The 1000 W model uses Nippon Chemi-Con here.



Raidmax used in this power supply independent of voltage stabilization.In practice,this appears in the form of two inverters constituting two chips,where forming voltage 3.3 and 5 volts,respectively.



Choke coil has a thick wire that is one of the indicators of the quality of assembly.




Test System

In order to review power supplies the right way i needed some key pieces of equipment. Briefly those pieces of equipment are shown below.



SunMoon SM-8800 SMPS ATE
CSI3710A Programmable DC load (+3.3V and +5V outputs)
CSI3711A Programmable DC load (+12V1, +12V2, +12V3, and +12V4)
Extech MultiMaster MM560 digital multimeter
Extech 380803 Power Analyzer
SkyTronic DSL 2 Digital Sound Level Meter (6-130dBa)
Oscium iMSO-104 signal oscilloscope
Oscium WiPry-Combo peak power meter and spectrum analyzer
Sperry DT-506 4 Channel Digital Thermometer
Powerstat Variable Autotransformer, 1.4 KVA, 0-140 VAC


Voltage Variance

This power supply produced decent regulation across all outputs,even when delivering a full 1000W.All rails held within 3% of the reference voltage,in excess of the +/-5% threshold.



Cross Load

The Raidmax Vampire RX-1000GH handled the Cross loading tests very well and we didn’t experience any troublesome issues.All the voltages remained well within specification.



AC Ripple

Ripple suppression of the Raidmax Vampire RX-1000GH isn’t the best we have seen in recent months, but all output falls within the rated tolerance specifications.+3.3V and +5V peak between 25mV and 30mV.The +12V output peaks at 55mV.




Efficiency

Efficiency is good, peaking at just under 92 percent at around 50 percent load.This drops to just over 88 percent at full load.




Noise

The Raidmax Vampire RX-1000GH power supply is quiet throughout most of the power range, becoming audible only in the last 200W of total power output.Even when holding a 900W load,the Young Lin fan can barely be heard in a normal environment.




Temperature

The large 135mm fan ensures there is plenty of airflow,rising to a maximum of 12c above ambient at full power load.




Conclusion

Aesthetics,the Raidmax Vampire RX-1000GH looks great with its white design but you probably want to use a chassis that matches the 'color'.The PSU breathes this stylish two tone white and dark finish.Technically,the HEC design is capable and exhibits no glaring weakness. The Raidmax Vampire RX-1000GH delivers some good end results.Load Regulation is solid and the unit passed the intensive Cross loading tests without a hitch.Ripple suppression isn’t close to class leading, but the results are well with the industry rated tolerance levels and in this regard the unit passes this test without a problem.Efficiency is also commendable,hitting close to 92 percent at 50 percent load.The large 135mm Young Lin fan inside manages to ensure all the components are cooled without creating a racket,even in the last 20% of total load.
Raidmax do really need to work on their bundles however.This is the first power supply i have received from them which hasn’t included a user manual,or any literature at all.They say first impressions are very important,and in this regard the package is disappointing.The lack of cables ties and storage pouch for the modular cables is also an unnecessary cost cutting measure.The modular cabling is high grade, but i am disappointed that this design ships with quite a few hard wired cables.All of the PCI E cables for instance should ideally be modular.While i also appreciate the sleeved modular cables,the 6+2 pin PCI E hard wired cables are not traditionally sleeved .As Raidmax have placed such a focus on the appearance of this unit,why not make all the cables match?



The MSRP for the different PSU models ranges from 74.99 Euro for the 700 Watt model to 114.99 Euro for the 1,000 Watt power supply.The price point of this unit is actually quite competitive especially when considering many of the 1000W power supplies are priced around the 120-160 Euro mark.