Page 2 - Physical Look - Outside
We have seen several FSP power supplies, but the Dagger Pro 650W follows in line with the recently reviewed Hydro PTM+ 850W, at least in terms of the surface details. Specifically, you can see the whole shell of the unit is covered not with a standard matte finish, but rather a bit of a gritty look. Thankfully, this surface does not reveal scratches as easily, which is something we noted in the Dagger 600W report. Other differences include the change of the grille at the top. Rather than a honeycomb mesh pattern, we have a concentric circles grille, which should allow for air to flow through while still providing some sort of protection from you clipping your fingers in the fan. Underneath the grille, we have a 92mm fan attached to the top with four metal screws. On the top, you can see there are an additional four screws to hold this top panel with the rest of the enclosure. Interestingly, all of these screws are easily accessible with no warranty label covering any of them.
As for measurements, the FSP Dagger Pro 650W is an SFX unit and thus measures as such. Unfortunately, I did not have a banana at the time of testing for some visual comparison, but we have a total depth of 10cm, which is pretty typical for the smaller form factor of power supplies. Modular power supplies can sometimes be longer than their fixed cable counterpart, as there is internal real estate used for the modular connectors at the back of the board. We will explore what this looks like later when we delve inside. With this size, I doubt the power supply length will be of concern. Even much smaller mITX cases will have no concerns. In reality, the limiting factor of compatibility will probably be the length of the cables included with the Dagger Pro 650W, as we will see later on.
As usual, we have a typical honeycomb look, with the hexagonal pattern appearing in many power supplies as well as on other ventilation areas. This is often used because it maximizes airflow while minimizing air resistance without compromising on structural integrity. The ventilation area plays an important role to let heat flow out the back. Most modern power supplies have an automatic full range (110V to 240V) AC line voltage selection, so there is no need for a manual switch as seen on some older units. Therefore, the back only has a power switch and a standard power input. Thankfully, FSP has used the standard C13 cable, so really any power cable should work with the Dagger Pro 650W.
Like many power supplies we have covered here at APH Networks, the FSP Dagger Pro 650W 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 clean, with similar connectors grouped together and laid out logically. Each plug is clearly labeled so you know where to plug your cables in. On the top row, we have a single CPU power connector followed by two PCI Express connections. Next, we have two sets of peripheral outputs, commonly used for SATA or Molex connections. At the bottom row we have both halves of the motherboard pin connectors. 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 as expected for a unit of this wattage capacity and physical size.
The external build quality of FSP's Dagger Pro 650W power supply is pretty standard fare. Fit is done well with minimal panel gaps and all edges are nicely finished off. What matters is the inside and we will see what it is like soon enough.
The voltage specification label on the top panel of the FSP Dagger Pro 650W. There are two main virtual rails. Up to 20A can be delivered via the +3.3V rail for a total of 66W; while the 20A on the +5V rail brings the output to 100W in this area. The total combined output for the +3.3V and +5V rail is 120W. 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 54A (648W) to reduce operating overhead compared to multiple +12V rails. Overall, the combined power output for the whole Dagger is an unsurprising 650W. Again, your power distribution in your system must fall within the limits provided -- it must not exceed 66W on the +3.3V rail, 100W on the +5V rail and 120W combined for both, 648W on the +12V rail, and 650W 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. The overall distribution is reasonable for a 650W power supply.
The FSP Dagger Pro 650W 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 five 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. Sometimes 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, 2 connectors, 70.0cm to first connector, 15.0cm spacing thereafter
- 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, 4 connectors, 35.0cm to first connector, 10.0cm spacing thereafter
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 limited amount of PCI Express connectors and you may need both cables for a single graphics card. Otherwise, I am glad to not see any in-cable capacitors. I would have liked to see a Molex to Floppy adapter rather than a dedicated connection on the cable, as this connection is not very common in modern builds and may be better utilized as a SATA or Molex connection.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Minor Tests and Conclusion
