Antec HCG 520W: A Good PSU for Bargain Hunters
by Martin Kaffei on May 31, 2011 6:55 PM ESTNoise Levels
| Sound Pressure Level (Ambient: 16dBA, 1m distance) | |
| Load | dB(A) |
| 10% | 17 |
| 20% | 18 |
| 50% | 20 |
| 80% | 28 |
| 100% | 30 |
| 110% | 32 |
The HCG-520 is not audible at low loads and comes in very close to the lowest value we can measure (16 dB(A)). At 50% load we can definitely hear the fan, but 20 dB(A) is far from a bad result. Upon reaching 80% load, the fan noise ratchets up quite a bit and the PSU is no longer silent, but generally speaking you will need to put a decent load on your CPU and GPU to reach a power draw of over 400W, at which point those components are likely to generate more noise than the PSU. Total system noise isn't strictly additive either, but keep the above in mind when configuring your PC.
Efficiency and PFC
| 115VAC, 60Hz | ||
| Load | Efficiency | PFC |
| 10% | 78% | 0.938 |
| 20% | 84% | 0.977 |
| 50% | 86% | 0.982 |
| 80% | 85% | 0.988 |
| 100% | 83% | 0.994 |
| 110% | 82% | 0.996 |
| 230VAC, 50Hz | ||
| Load | Efficiency | PFC |
| 10% | 79% | 0.918 |
| 20% | 85% | 0.942 |
| 50% | 87% | 0.960 |
| 80% | 86% | 0.975 |
| 100% | 85% | 0.989 |
| 110% | 83% | 0.991 |
Since many readers like measurements at 115VAC as well as 230VAC, we have two charts. The efficiency isn't great at 10% load, but 80 Plus certification only tests at 20, 50 and 100% load so all the results fall in the expected 80 Plus Bronze range. The power factor is very high on both power grids which is a rarity, particularly for 230VAC. The overall results are very good, delivering good quality for all potential users.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
13 Comments
View All Comments
Jeff H - Wednesday, June 8, 2011 - link
No sooner did I read Anandtech's reveiw of the Antec HCG-520 than my home pc died. Figured it was either the p.s. or the motherboard.Ordered the HCG-520 from the egg late last week. Received it today, installed it and my pc came to life. I'm impressed w/ sleeving and cables for a budget p.s., as well as its low noise level.
Myr - Tuesday, July 12, 2011 - link
Hello, i had this PSU for 6 months now in its box, and i am going to put it in a new system in one hour or two, and this is why i glad i run into your review.But first things first, very nice review!
My problem is that my XFX 6950 asks for 2*6 pin 75W connectors, and specically says NOT to use a Y connector or anything else, it wants 2 cables while the PSU has only one.
So the question is, should i connect both, or use a connector on a 4pin molex to get the job done?
Thanks in advance
ghd nz - Monday, January 7, 2013 - link
http://www.beatsbydreheadphones-outlet.com