Superior Energy in a Small Shell

It’s well-known amongst PC fans that the majority {hardware} firms that promote PSUs don’t really manufacture their merchandise. As an alternative, they depend on platforms and designs developed and manufactured by the Unique Design Producer (ODM). The engineers employed by the assorted client-brands do carry out modifications and/or upgrades to the unique design however, extra steadily than not, these modifications are restricted to aesthetic modifications and using a special fan. All of which signifies that many of those ODM-derived PSU designs are primarily copies of the unique platform’s topology and really helpful digital elements. In different phrases, whereas there are dozens of PSU distributors on the market, the PSU business as a complete is constructed on the again of a handful of firms.

Over the previous decade, a number of ODMs determined to launch their very own retail divisions. Essentially the most outstanding examples are SeaSonic and FSP Group, whom launch new retail merchandise nearly each time they improve their core designs. FSP Group not too long ago carried out a long-overdue replace of their retail lineup and introduced a number of contemporary merchandise. A couple of months in the past we had a have a look at their top-end Hydro PTM Pro 1200W ATX PSU, an upgraded model of their tried & true flagship platform that has been round for practically a decade. In right this moment’s evaluate, we’re going to take a look at one thing considerably totally different – a really {powerful} 850W SFX unit, the Dagger Pro.

By conventional metrics, 850 Watts is so much for a typical small type issue (SFF) PC, however the continually rising demand for compact–yet-powerful PCs is constant to drive rising demand for high-performance SFX PSUs. That is triggered primarily by the gaming market, as top-tier graphics playing cards have substantial energy necessities (e.g. 450W for RTX 3090 Ti). On paper, the FSP Dagger Professional 850W isn’t too spectacular by right this moment’s requirements, with an 80Plus Gold certification and no extravagant options – however it makes up for that with its tiny dimensions.

Packaging and Bundle

We acquired the FSP Dagger Professional inside a comparatively giant and really sturdy cardboard field that one might simply assume was meant for an ATX unit as an alternative. Contained in the field, the small PSU lies inside a really thick packaging foam container. The art work could also be a little bit extreme however isn’t actually extravagant, with loads of info printed on all sides of the field.

FSP saved the bundle pretty primary, with only a common AC energy cable, typical mounting screws, and a small handbook to be discovered contained in the field. The noteworthy addition to the bundle is the SFX to ATX adapter that permits the Dagger to be put in in ATX-compliant instances, permitting customers the pliability to change between ATX and SFX instances at will.

With the Dagger Professional being a completely modular PSU, each cable could be indifferent. This consists of the principle 24-pin ATX cable. All the cables are ribbon-like, “flat” kind, with black wires and connectors. It’s noteworthy to say that the cables with the SATA and Molex connectors are combined.

The FSP Dagger Professional 850W SFX PSU

Exterior Look

Regardless of the huge energy output of the unit, FSP’s engineers one way or the other managed to take care of the usual SFX type issue dimensions of 125 × 63.5 × 100 mm / 4.92 × 2.5 × 3.94 in (W×H×D), making the Dagger Professional totally appropriate with any SFX-compliant case. The chassis of the Dagger Professional is sprayed with textured black paint.

Stickers with the corporate and collection logos cowl each the left and the fitting aspect of the chassis. The highest aspect is roofed by the sticker with {the electrical} specs and certifications of the unit.

One of many main setbacks that SFX PSUs have is that 120 mm followers don’t match into the usual SFX type issue dimensions. As such, FSP had to make use of a slim 92 mm fan for the Dagger Professional. Regardless, regardless of the very compact dimensions, FSP one way or the other managed to position a small on/off swap subsequent to the AC cable receptacle on the rear aspect of the PSU.

The entrance aspect of the Dagger Professional is dwelling to the connectors for the modular cables. A refined legend is printed on the chassis itself, in the identical gold coloration as the remainder of the art work. The connectors are keyed, so it isn’t potential to insert any cable into the fallacious connector.

Inner Design

The 92 mm low profile fan liable for the cooling of the Dagger Professional 850W is provided by Energy Logic, a comparatively well-known fan producer whose merchandise are steadily discovered on GPU coolers. It includes a easy however very dependable double-ball bearing engine and has a most rotational pace of 2500 RPM.

Naturally, there is no such thing as a third-party ODM behind the creation of the Dagger Professional as FSP designed and constructed this unit themselves. The inside of the unit is clear however packed to the brim, with the designers clearly having spent many hours making an attempt to make the whole lot match inside commonplace SFX proportions. The filtering stage begins on the rear of the AC receptacle and extends over the aspect of the chassis, with two Y capacitors, two X capacitors, and three filtering inductors complete. There are two rectifying bridges which are merely connected to one another, with none heatsink cooling them.

Resulting from measurement restrictions, the designers had been pressured to make use of three APFC capacitors, the mixed complete capacitance of which is 420 uF. All three capacitors are provided by Nippon Chemi-Con. There are two main aspect inversion MOSFETs that type the guts of a half-bridge design, feeding a slightly small distinctive transformer.

The secondary aspect MOSFETs are positioned beneath the principle PCB and are thermally linked to the chassis of the PSU. It is a widespread approach in such very compact designs. A vertical PCB on the aspect of the unit holds the DC-to-DC converters for the 5V and three.3V voltage strains. Nippon Chemi-Con and Rubycon provide the electrolytic capacitors, whereas the polymer capacitors are coming from Teapo.