INTRODUCTION

   The arrival of PCIe 5.0 compatible motherboards and graphics cards was obviously going to usher a new age in power supply units as well, not just with the addition of the new 16-pin 12VHPWR connectors (which are also available in some previous generation models) but also the introduction of the latest ATX 3.0 standard. The new ATX 3.0 standard was basically introduced to handle the latest graphics cards (among other things) which is why it was developed to handle power spikes of up to 2600W. Of course, that couldn't be all and so the ATX 3.0 standard also features improved efficiency (higher than 60% for loads as low as 10W), optimal power delivery/consumption (thanks to the built-in Alternative Low Power Mode - ALPM), higher slew rates on the +12V rail (2.5-5X), improved durability (175.200 power cycles minimum) and up to 200% peak power for up to 100ms (microseconds). Be quiet! just released their very first ATX 3.0 line of power supply units the Dark Power 13 and on my test bench for over a week now I’ve had the 1000W (1KW) model.

   be quiet! is a premium brand of power supplies, PC cases and cooling solutions for desktop PCs. The products of be quiet! offer legendary quiet operation and first-class performance thanks the passion for quality and precision. Attention to detail is the key to perfection. Which is why our very own experts lead product conception, design and quality control from our headquarters in Germany. be quiet! sticks to its name: More than 15 years’ experience in the field of noise reduction and silence make be quiet! products probably the most silent ones on the market.

   Exactly like its predecessor the Dark Power 12 line released roughly 2 years ago (1KW model review here) the brand new Dark Power 13 line includes 750/850/1000W output fully modular models all of which feature the 80 Plus Titanium certification (up to 95.8% electrical efficiency) along with active rectifier and full bridge LLC technology for optimal performance across the board. The Dark Power 13 line by be quiet! fully supports both the latest ATX 3.0 and PCIe Gen 5 specifications (excursion tolerance) and as for the 1000W (1KW) model which i have here with me today it sports a total of up to 4 PCIe 6+2 connectors, single 12VHPWR (600W) connector, 4 strong +12V rails (2x32A/2x40A) capable of delivering over 99% of the units’ total power output (996W) and a peak power output of no less than 1142W (although according to ATX 3.0 specs peak should now be up to 2KW for 100ms - haven't tried it however). Be quiet! has once again bundled an overclocking key which allows the end user to combine all four +12V rails into a single one with high power output (83A) making ideal for overclocked processors and/or graphics cards. Secondary features include strong minor rails with a total output of 146W, wire-free interior, sleeved cables, high-speed frameless 135mm Silent Wings fan and long-lasting Japanese capacitors certified for use up to 105 degrees Celsius. Of course, the new Dark Power 13 line is Energy Star v8.0 compliant, has a projected lifetime of well over 100.000 hours and is secured with a full array of electrical protections including over-current (OCP), over-voltage (OVP), under-voltage (UVP), short-circuit (SCP), over-temperature (OTP) and over-power (OPP). Typically, be quiet! covers the brand new Dark Power 13 line with a very generous 10-year limited warranty.