Page 2 - Physical Look - Outside
It is not the first time we have reviewed an SFX or SFX-variant power supply here at APH Networks; where my colleague Aaron Lai has covered SilverStone's ST45SF V3.0 450W, SX700-LPT 700W, and SX800-LTI 800W since October of last year. However, this is the first time I have really taken a detailed look at a PSU of this form factor, and even I am beginning to be astonished by these miniature wonders of the modern world. Given its size, FSP has aptly named this product lineup "Dagger". At 11cm deep, it is one centimeter longer than proper SFX dimensions, although it is not quite SFX-L's 13cm specifications introduced by SilverStone. Therefore, make sure this power supply fits in your chassis before taking out your credit card. Most modular power supplies are longer than non-modular units by a centimeter or two, as the extra length is needed to accommodate its connector board at the back. We will take a look inside the PSU on the next page.
From our view above, you can see a honeycomb grille smack dab in the middle. The full branding is implemented on both sides, where you can spot FSP's logo and Dagger branding via a label. To make sure you will see the wording right side up at all times, the orientation of it is different on both sides, so whatever side facing the user after installation will always be correct. Its classical SECC construction comes finished off with the customary black matte paint. Residing behind the honeycomb is the primary and only cooling fan installed. The 80mm fan generates airflow by drawing air from the bottom of the power supply over its internal components to keep the temperatures in check. Exhaust heat is allowed to leave at the back of the power supply through the large secondary honeycomb mesh opening. Meanwhile, nine screws secure the power supply case together; where one screw has a warranty seal over it, so you cannot open the Dagger 600W without voiding the five-year warranty.
Starting from the back part of the power supply, we have the same familiar honeycomb mesh design like most PSUs with a bottom mounted fan; what you will find here is a horizontally aligned male connector for power input on the southwestern edge. The low resistance honeycomb mesh design is implemented to maximize airflow and minimize air resistance. This is done as heat needs to leave the power supply as easily and efficiently as possible, because the Dagger 600W incorporates only one 80mm fan at the bottom with no auxiliary fan. It is also implemented in a relatively efficient manner, as the power input block takes up a minimal amount of room here. As with all active PFC power supplies, the FSP Dagger 600W has an automatic full range (100V-240V) AC line voltage selection, so the user does not have to worry about manually selecting input voltage.
Like many power supplies we have covered here at APH Networks, the FSP Dagger 600W is a fully modular power supply. This means all cables are completely detachable from the main unit. While it is somewhat questionable with regards to why this is necessary, since cables such as the ATX 24-pin and ATX 4-pin/EPS 8-pin have practically an 100% chance of being connected at all times, it may prove to be beneficial to an extent when building your computer initially.
The rear cable connection panel is done nicely. Similar connectors are grouped together, and are laid out in a very logical manner. To ensure you know what is going on, they are all grouped and clearly labeled for minimal ambiguity. Starting from the left in a clockwise manner, we have connectors for one ATX/EPS 4+4 pin, two Express 6+2 pin, two peripherals for five SATA and two Molex, and an ATX 24-pin connector by two separate blocks next to each other. Incompatible outputs will not physically fit into each other, so I think FSP has done a great job in this regard. There are not a whole lot of connectors, but this is a 600W SFX power supply, after all.
The external build quality of FSP's Dagger 600W power supply is quite standard fare, other than the fact the black paint is razor thin, and I already spotted a few scratches after I took photos. I have no idea how those scratches came about, so keep that in mind if you ever buy this product. Fit is done well with minimal panel gaps, and all edges are nicely finished off. That aside, we will crack open the power supply to see what components are inside in the following section.
The voltage specification label on the top panel of the FSP Dagger 600W. There are two main virtual rails. Up to 20A can be delivered via the +3.3V rail for a total of 66W; while the 15A on the +5V rail brings the output to 75W in this area. The total combined output for the +3.3V and +5V rail is 90W. In other words, your power allocation combination must fall within the limits of the listed specifications. Meanwhile, a single powerful +12V rail delivers up to 50A (600W) to reduce operating overhead compared to multiple +12V rails. Overall, the combined power output for the whole Dagger is... well, 600W haha. Again, your power distribution in your system must fall within the limits provided -- it must not exceed 66W on the +3.3V rail, 75W on the +5V rail and 90W combined for both, 600W on the +12V rail, and 600W combined between the +12V and +3.3/+5V rails. It does sound a bit confusing to understand how this works at first, but generally speaking, this configuration allows fairly flexible power demands and should be sufficient to accommodate most users. Although the +5V rail can be a bit more powerful, the overall distribution is reasonable for a 600W power supply.
The FSP Dagger 600W is 80 Plus Gold certified, which means that it is certified to be at least 87%, 90%, 87% efficient at 20%, 50%, and 100% load, respectively. Higher certifications available at press time include 80 Plus Platinum and 80 Plus Titanium.
A total of nine modular cables are included out of the box. All modular cables are flat and easy to bend, making them extremely easy to work with. All wires are 18 AWG, including high current PCI Express and ATX/EPS connectors. Usually, manufacturers will fatten them up to 16 AWG, but FSP opted out on that.
The following modular cables are included out of the box:
- 1x ATX 20+4 pin, 50.0cm
- 1x ATX/EPS 4+4 pin, 40.0cm
- 2x PCIe 6+2 pin, 35.0cm
- 1x SATA/Molex/Floppy, 4 connectors, 35.0cm to first connector, 10.0cm spacing thereafter
- 1x SATA/Molex, 3 connectors, 35.0cm to first connector, 10.0cm spacing thereafter
These are empirical measurements I have conducted. For ATX cases, 50cm is the general standard for the first connector with 15cm thereafter. Most users should have no issues with these figures in an SFX system, although you may run into problems if you try to get this power supply into a standard mid-tower with a bottom power supply mount. There is a very limited amount of PCI Express connectors, so run only one graphics card in your system.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Minor Tests and Conclusion
