The SilverStone Strider Platinum ST1000-PT & ST1200-PT PSU Review: Tenured
by E. Fylladitakis on May 4, 2018 9:00 AM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- PSUs
- SilverStone
- 80Plus Platinum
SilverStone Strider Platinum 1000W & 1200W - Cold Test Results
For the testing of PSUs, we are using high precision electronic loads with a maximum power draw of 2700 Watts, a Rigol DS5042M 40 MHz oscilloscope, an Extech 380803 power analyzer, two high precision UNI-T UT-325 digital thermometers, an Extech HD600 SPL meter, a self-designed hotbox and various other bits and parts. For a thorough explanation of our testing methodology and more details on our equipment, please refer to our How We Test PSUs - 2014 Pipeline post.
Predictably, the performance of the two top-end Strider Platinum units is very similar, with the ST1200-PT showing just a tiny advantage over the ST1000-PT on the electrical efficiency and noise output. The units just barely meet the 80Plus Platinum certification efficiency levels with an AC input voltage of 230V, with the ST1000-PT even missing the 94% efficiency goal at 50% load by a tiny bit (93.8%). The ST1200-PT fares a little better, surpassing the 80Plus Platinum certification limits, even if by only a thread. The average conversion efficiency of the two units within their nominal load range (20% to 100%) is 92% and 92.2% for the ST1000-PT and the ST1200-PT respectively.
Although both the ST1000-PT and the ST1200-PT feature a "fanless" mode, the thermal control circuitry appears to be very sensitive and starts the fans with a load of merely 12-15%. Considering the powerful systems that these units are meant for, it is even possible that their fans will never stop, even if the system is idling. Both units displayed virtually identical thermal performance, with low operating temperatures. The acoustic performance however is unbalanced, with the fans starting and speeding up quite quickly, making the units clearly audible with a load of even a few hundred Watts. The 1200W variant fares a little better here as well, but the difference between the two units is imperceptible.
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Samus - Saturday, May 5, 2018 - link
I'm still rocking an 11 year old PCP&C 750 Quad. 80 Plus something or other rating. I think it was rated 80 Plus before there were even sub-categories of 80 Plus.notashill - Tuesday, May 8, 2018 - link
I had the same PSU but it died (for the second time, first was under warranty and it was repaired not replaced) about a year and a half ago. Still not a bad service life.DanNeely - Tuesday, May 8, 2018 - link
That was a very good supply in its day, and is probably fine to keep using in whatever you've got it in for as long as you keep it. I'd be hesitant to install it in a new built system today though.I can't find any reviews that did a cross load test on it; but from its age it's almost certainly a design with separate 12V and 3.3/5V segments whose voltages get out of spec if you put a huge load one of them and barely anything on the second (aka cross load).
That's an issue because modern systems use 12V almost exclusively and put very little load on the 3.3/5V rail (PCIe cards can draw up to 10W@3.3V, a few years ago AMD was to get the most power out of the slot, nvidia was limiting itself to the 65W available at 12V; USB draws 5V for most uses, 2.5/3.5" drives might tap 5V, but almost never touch the 3.3V line because of molex to sata adapters that leave it unpowered); which puts older PSUs into a cross load situation if you're running GPUs and load the 12V rail heavily. Newer designs avoided this by going pure 12V at the AC-DC conversion step and then making lower voltages via DC-DC conversion.
Achaios - Friday, May 4, 2018 - link
"considering that the ST1000-PT was struggling to reach the 80Plus Platinum certification limits"@E.F: You should know, since you are a PSU specialist, that Silverstone has got a history of marketing units made by Enhance, which fail to meet the Certification limits or barely make it.
Case in point, my own Silverstone Strider Gold 850W. This unit fails to meet the Gold Certification by 1-2 %. This is a year 2011 PSU and the reviewer who first noted the fact was Johnny Guru.
After, what, 7 years Silverstone learned nothing from the negative publicity and they just keep doing the same thing. Ofc such data does not concern the average buyer out there who buy PSU's b/c of attractive packaging or good price, just us enthusiasts.
Silverstone sells good, solid units, just not without flaws and not the best-of-the-best. I'd label them Tier 2 or Tier 3.
stanleyipkiss - Friday, May 4, 2018 - link
Who is Tier 1 then?praeses - Friday, May 4, 2018 - link
Seasonicpraeses - Friday, May 4, 2018 - link
... and probably FSP Group after them.Fallen Kell - Friday, May 4, 2018 - link
Tier 1 is Seasonic, FSP, Corsair, and Enermax who design (and in the case of Enermax build) their own power supplies. Many of the other ones simply use an OEM design, possibly with a few modifications, but in many cases it is simply an OEM with specific paint/color scheme, or specific cables, etc..praeses - Friday, May 4, 2018 - link
Corsair is usually Seasonic or FSP. I'm not sure that I would put Enermax in the same tier as Seasonic/FSP.piroroadkill - Monday, May 7, 2018 - link
As far as I recall, Corsair uses Great Wall for a good number of their mid-range units, and Flextronics at the very high end.