Chieftec GPA-500S power supply: review, reviews

Buying a power supply unit is a responsible business. It must be approached carefully so as not to burn the entire system or make it too weak. Despite the fact that most users neglect quality BP and prefer to buy something cheaper, there are those who care about their PC. So, for good budget systems, the Chieftec GPA-500S is perfect.

Appearance

In 2011, unbeknownst to everyone, the company is releasing a new series of iArena power supplies. The devices are all aimed at the entry-level segment for the entry level. Models are designed for those regions where 230V mains voltage is used, so they are slightly cheaper than their competitors.

In this series included at once eight models. They had a power of 350 to 500 watts, while they got two indices - "S" and "S8". The first option was allocated to those power supplies that operated at an efficiency below the declared standard of 80 PLUS. The second group worked with this certificate and applied to a more expensive segment. For some reason, the series also received a shorter warranty on its devices. Now, instead of three years, it's only 12 months, which, of course, a little upset, because of the failures no one is immune.

Block

The appearance of the model is quite ordinary. The 500W Chieftec GPA-500S power supply is gray and boring. He did not bother to paint in all his favorite black color and did not even add haze to the surface. But what is, that is. The body itself is sturdy, at first glance the materials also seem sturdy. It should be noted right away that the fan is slightly shifted to the side. Above it rises the lattice "grill", which is somewhat recessed into the body to match the plane and do not interfere, if the device will have to settle down under the chassis.

One of the ends is sealed with information about the model. There is a basic specification that will come in handy, especially if you purchased a model without a box and instructions. On the rear panel there is a ventilation grille that takes out all the air that gets through the top cover and the fan. There is also a place for connecting the power cable and the power button. On the reverse side of all this is a "bundle" of cables, among which there is almost everything you need. Although compared with the latest models with this statement can be argued.

Wires

So, the bundle of Chieftec iArena GPA-500S, although it is crammed with some cables, but seems to be rather sparse compared to current interfaces. As a result, the length to ATX connectors, 4 pin ATX12V PCI-E 2.0 and VGA Power Connector is 38 centimeters. Up to the first SATA connector - 370 mm, to the second - plus 150 mm and the same to the third. Before Peripheral Connector can be reached through 410 mm, and to the second and third it is necessary to add another 150 mm.

The set of cords has a main power cable for 24 pins and one for 12 V with 4 pins. Also there is a VGA 8 pin PCI-E 2.0 cord, then there is a Peripheral pair with 4 pins, Serial ATA works with three cables of 15 spikes, and nobody needs the Floppy Drive in one copy.

Already at that time it was believed that such a number of connectors and wires - not exactly the best option. This is due to the fact that at that time, optical disks and HDD were actively switching to the SATA connector. Accordingly, three cords could not be enough, besides they all fit on one bundle.

The length of the wires was also small. This was due to the fact that the power supply Chieftec iArena GPA-500S is considered a budget model, where they saved as much as they could. The cable lengths are sufficient for compact cases with a "low" and "medium" tower, provided that the PSU is located at the top.

Inside

If you open the top panel, you can see the inside of the model. It is known that the device is equipped with an active power factor, although the manufacturer claims that it uses power supplies with a standard range.

If you look at the semiconductor elements, you can see that they are on small radiators, which are only three pieces. Their thickness is also small - up to three millimeters. In addition, the fins were split by the upper part of the fins. In general, their placement on the board is good. Air freely passes in the right direction, they do not overlap important details, and also do not interfere with airflow inside the case. The heat dissipating elements can not boast of unprecedented characteristics, since the Chieftec GPA-500S is a budget model. At first glance, it seems that we have a 400 V version.

Aishi specifically provided capacitors for this PSU. In the output part are installed such elements, which received the highest work performance - 105 degrees. But in the output rectifier there is a capacitor with a capacity of 400 W, although it is typical for a similar model of a 500 Watt PSU that capacitors have a capacitance of up to 380 μF.

Grate was a type of "grill". This option is not often found in budget models. It looks good, although not particularly and stands out among the gray design. Below it is a 120 mm fan. The device works on a bearing and can speed up to 2,000 rpm. The design of the ventilation system of the Chieftec GPA-500S also looks a bit weak. A fan that is based on such a bearing does not provide the necessary resources if the device is at an elevated temperature. Although the same design is found in all cheap devices.

Specification

To understand the quality of the device and its capabilities, it is necessary to conduct testing. But first we should consider what is stated in the passport parameters. Before us is a power unit with a power of +12 V at 396 watts. If we calculate the percentage of this indicator to 500 W, then it turns out that the difference will be 78-79%. This is not enough to get 80 PLUS certification. If we had a more expensive model, of course, we could express our displeasure. But since before us a device that sells for less than $ 40, complaining about such indicators is silly.

As usual, the voltage along the +12 V line is divided in half into virtual tracks that have a load of 21 and 24 A. If the line were single, the power supply would look more reliable. But since the power reserve is sufficient, it is easy to avoid overloading on one of the tracks. The remaining indices differ little from the parameters in similar BP models. So, making for Chieftec iArena GPA-500S review, you can inadvertently capture the characteristics of all other models in this segment.

Stabilization

This feature is more important than ever for our device. The tests showed that this power supply unit with a voltage of +12 V gives stable results, while group stabilization is observed inside. It was not entirely rainbow to see the norm beyond the limits of the indicators on the line +12 V and the maximum load. If it is reduced to a minimum, the rest of the stresses will also occur a similar phenomenon.

At +5 V, the figures almost perfectly fade with the usual average use of the device, and from the nominal values they deviate by a couple of percent. If we calculate the total load at 130 watts, we can not collect +3.3 and 5 volts more than 100 watts. If you lift the load, the deviations are greater. All these negative sides are leveled, if we recall that Chieftec GPA-500S is usually purchased in budget systems for office PCs. In this case, the voltage rarely exceeds 50 watts, which means that the above-mentioned negative indicators will not be achieved.

Temperature and noise

This is another important characteristic that should not be ignored. As we have already said, a cooling fan with a size of 120 mm is responsible for cooling the device. It reaches two thousand revolutions per minute. If the minimum load is set to 50 W, then the speed is half the size, but the speed starts to increase noticeably.

That is, if you run a power supply with a voltage of 150 watts, then the rustling of the blades will become noticeable, not to mention the fact that the fan will be disgusting to hum at 250 watts. If you set the maximum load factor, then two thousand revolutions can not be achieved, but the noise from 1900 turns is enough with a vengeance.

Benefit

We should not forget about the efficiency of Chieftec GPA-500S. This is another no less important indicator. Testing showed that the model has its own peculiarity with respect to competitors. The PS received an active correlation of the power factor. As a result, at peak values we get 99.7%, and if we set the load higher than half, the percentage value will drop only by 0.7. The efficiency is not good enough, but the lack of 80 PLUS speaks eloquently about this. The total power indicates that the efficiency reaches 76%.

Reviews

Reviews Chieftec GPA-500S received a double. This is due to the fact that not many buyers carefully study the specifics and monitor the compliance of the system voltage and power supply capabilities. So, some users called the quality of the elements, "choked" the Chinese capacitors, the output filter, which after 6 months just burned.

There were also positive responses. It was noted that the device is stable, especially if the system itself is simple and not fastidious. It works quietly, although, as shown by testing, for quiet operation the device should function with minimal load. Also noted and low cost.

But this about the Chieftec GPA-500S 500W reviews are not limited. There were also those who immediately took the model back to the store, not having calculated for itself the necessary value. But those who understood that the device is designed only for weak models and that it is desirable not to overload it, were satisfied with continued operation and efficiency.