Seasonic Platinum Series 860W - Platinum without the Fuss
by Martin Kaffei on February 24, 2012 12:00 AM ESTExternal Impressions, Cables, and Connectors
Other than the change in color, the top of the casing looks exactly like the one from the X-1000 and X-1250. All the sides are very thick and even after opening the chassis we couldn't find any sharp-edged parts. One side shows the name of the series, and the opposite side has the power output label. On the rear of the PSU, next to the power input is a large power switch, occupying more than its fair share of space and taking away a bit of area that would otherwise be used for the ventilation holes.
At the front we find that all the modular plugs are uniform in color. The top right socket can be used either for a PCIe or for a CPU connector. When in doubt, the customer must choose one of the two variants, but the PCIe connector can also be connected in the bottom row. Three more PCIe plugs are available, though only two of them are required for the 860W model (e.g. there are only two PCIe cable harnesses).
Worth note is that at 19cm the body is relatively long, but it's not surprisingly long for a modular PSU in this power class. The product wasn't designed for HTPCs so the length shouldn't be a point of criticism. However, you'll want to ensure your intended case has enough room for the PSU.
| Cables and Connectors | ||
|
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Main | 1x 24-pin (60cm) modular |
| ATX12V/EPS12V |
4+4-pin (65cm) 8-pin (65cm) all modular |
|
| PCIe |
2x 6/8-pin (60cm) 2x 6/8-pin (60cm) all modular |
|
| Peripheral |
3x SATA (55, 70, 85cm) 3x SATA (55, 70, 85cm) 3x SATA (55, 70, 85cm) 2x SATA (35, 50cm) all modular |
|
|
3x Molex (55, 70, 85cm) 3x Molex (55, 70, 85cm) 2x Molex (35, 50cm) all modular |
||
In total there are eleven SATA connectors on four separate harnesses, which is above average. The eight Molex connectors are common for this performance category. Note that the connector panel of the PSU only supports using six total harnesses, so you'll have to either skip out on one SATA harness or one of the Molex harnesses. Apart from the two slightly shorter peripheral cables it would have been nice to get different lengths for the remaining SATA and Molex cables.
As noted above the upper socket can be used for graphics cards or the CPU. At up to 85cm long, the peripheral cables should work in nearly all cases, while the mainboard and PCIe plugs reach 60-65cm. The 24-pin plug is connected to the bottom row (with 12 volt) and the middle row as well.
The cable sleeving is very good and relatively opaque, but ends just before the plug sockets, which doesn't look as good as it could. That's apparently the price one must pay for the full modular connector system; perhaps flat cables would be a better solution here. But this is a matter of taste. As always the electronics is much more important for us.
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Death666Angel - Friday, February 24, 2012 - link
I read that OCP isn't that necessary in a single rail 12V design with the 12V offering nearly the whole capacity. General overpower protection is enough there. Is that not true?Martin Kaffei - Friday, February 24, 2012 - link
Hi,if there is an overcurrent on one ouput only, the total power might be below the level for OPP.
Death666Angel - Friday, February 24, 2012 - link
So, you are saying 3V and 5V could draw overcurrents then? :P That would be a special situation in this day and age.Martin Kaffei - Saturday, February 25, 2012 - link
That won't be simple. The ouput cables are parallel-connected to 12V which means the current usually gets shared. But it might happen that a high current will flow through a single cable when resistance is low enough. E.g. an unwanted bridge between two pins.This is no short circuit since there are enough resistors (or components with resistance) between the voltage source (secondary winding) and the output. SCP doesn't work.
This is no over power since resistance is low enough that you don't need much work (voltage) to transport load carrier. Voltage will be much lower. Power is the product of voltage and current which means the total power might be below the settings for OPP, even if current is high. OPP doesn't elese.
versesuvius - Friday, February 24, 2012 - link
What is the guaranty on this power supply? 5 years? 7 years? Or just 2 years?InsaneScientist - Friday, February 24, 2012 - link
Pg 2. - Last sentence of the second paragraph:"Seasonic also provides a 7-year warranty..." ;)
versesuvius - Friday, February 24, 2012 - link
Yes, I missed that. Actually the Seasonic site is equally skimpy on this little detail as well.It would be a really good idea if Anandtech provided a spec sheet of sorts for the reviewed products so that they could be glanced for basic info. This particular review saves a lot more than that, which in the case of a "Best PSU Ever" and a Gold award, it is certainly lacking.
I searched for "guaranty" on all pages before posting. I should have searched for "warranty". Being an Iranian I always thought that they are the same, but it looks like they are the same at the same time that they are not (i.e. You take the manufacturer to court for "guaranty", and reseller or distributor for "warranty"):
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_difference_b...
Anyway, here is a 100 months on the spot replacement guaranty:
http://www.green-case.com/products/power/power.php...
The page says that the power is certified Platinum by EPRI-EPA, but it is sold under 80-Plus Gold. (Maybe Platinum for 230v and Gold for 110v. :) )
ProtonGuy - Friday, February 24, 2012 - link
Guarantee is the more common spelling in this day and age by the way.AnnihilatorX - Friday, February 24, 2012 - link
Seasonic always makes extremely good PSU and they haven't disappoint this time eitherI own an X-560. Before I bought Seasonic I was with Enemax.
someone need to convince me really hard not to buy from Seasonic again
entity279 - Friday, February 24, 2012 - link
Own one for 1 about month and a half. It was a (pricey) no brainer since I wanted spare power (my current sistem uses less than 400W in full load but it will be upgraded from time to time), efficiency & absolute silence. The Super Flower based alternatives were nowhere to be found in my country (Romania).So far works perfectly.