Page 2 - Physical Look - Outside
This is the first time we are reviewing a power supply from the motherboard and video card giant Gigabyte, but you can see the company's ambitions in spinning the AORUS brand off as a dedicated gaming division right off the bat. Besides the warranty sticker and the specifications label, you will not find the word "Gigabyte" anywhere -- this power supply is simply branded AORUS. To accentuate its gaming ambitions, its trapezoidal grey, black, and orange graphics on the left and right side contribute to a more interesting look. It is 16cm deep, which is about average and quite reasonable purely from a numbers perspective. 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. That said, this is an 80 Plus Gold unit, which should be a bit shallower in my opinion. The Seasonic PRIME Ultra Titanium is only 17.0cm and can be specified up to 1000W, while the SilverStone Strider Titanium ST80F-TI 800W is 15.0cm -- both 80 Plus Titanium certified and fully modular. For most ATX or eATX chassis, length should not be much of a problem, if at all. If size is your primary concern, there are shorter power supplies on the market today.
From our view above, AORUS' logo is located dead center on the trapezoidal slit vent matrix fan grille. The full branding is printed on both sides of the SECC shell. Strangely enough, the orientation of it is the same on both sides, so the side facing the user after installation will only be correct when the fan is facing up. Typically, I install my PSU with the fan facing down, so this is one detail they have omitted. Residing behind the trapezoidal slit vent matrix fan grille -- where the center of the logo corresponds to the center of the fan impeller -- is the primary and only cooling fan installed. The 135mm 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 can leave at the back of the power supply through the large secondary honeycomb mesh opening. Meanwhile, four screws secure the power supply case together; where one screw has a warranty seal over it, so you cannot open the AORUS P850W 850W without voiding the ten-year warranty.
Starting from the back part of the power supply, we have the honeycomb mesh design as aforementioned; what you will find here is a horizontally aligned male connector for power input on the western edge along with an on/off switch. The low resistance 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 AORUS P850W 850W incorporates only one 135mm fan at the bottom with no auxiliary fan. It is implemented in a somewhat efficient manner, as the power input block takes up a little more amount of room here than average. As with all active PFC power supplies, the Gigabyte AORUS P850W 850W 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 cover here at APH Networks, the AORUS P850W 850W 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. Here, we have a group of five connectors for six PCI Express 6+2 pin and two ATX/EPS 4+4 pin, followed by a group of three connectors for six Serial ATA and six Molex connectors. The motherboard section supports 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 Gigabyte has done a great job in this regard. This generous array of available connectors should be more than sufficient for casual users and power enthusiasts alike.
The external build quality of Gigabyte AORUS P850W 850W power supply is excellent -- a good indication the company is serious about the product they are selling. We will take it apart in just a moment. Fit is done well with minimal panel gaps, and all edges are nicely finished off. The level of refinement with regards to the external build quality is right up there with all the other high-quality PSUs I have used in the past. As aforementioned, 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 Gigabyte AORUS P850W 850W. 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 70.5A (846W) to reduce operating overhead compared to multiple +12V rails. Overall, the combined power output for the whole Gigabyte AORUS P850W 850W is... well, 850W haha. 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, 846W on the +12V rail, and 850W 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 very flexible power demands and should be sufficient to accommodate most users. I have seen higher power outputs in the +3.3V and 5V rails for lower output rated units, but the overall distribution is still reasonable for an 850W power supply.
The Gigabyte AORUS P850W 850W 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 for power supplies of this type include 80 Plus Platinum and 80 Plus Titanium at press time.
A total of ten 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 except for the high current motherboard ATX 24-pin cable. Usually, manufacturers will fatten the wires of EPS/ATX and PCIe cables up to 16 AWG, but Gigabyte opted out on that.
The following modular cables are included out of the box:
- 1x ATX 20+4 pin, 65.0cm
- 1x ATX/EPS 4+4 pin, 80.0cm
- 1x ATX/EPS 4+4 pin, 65.0cm
- 2x PCIe 6+2 pin, 2 connectors each, 65.0cm to first connector, 15.0cm spacing thereafter
- 1x PCIe 6+2 pin, 2 connectors, 75.0cm
- 1x SATA and Molex, 3 SATA and 1 Molex connectors, 55.0cm to first connector, 10.0cm spacing thereafter
- 1x SATA and Molex, 3 SATA and 1 Molex connectors, 45.0cm to first connector, 10.0cm spacing thereafter
- 1x Molex and Floppy, 3 Molex and 1 Floppy connectors, 45.0cm to first connector, 10.0cm spacing thereafter
An extra 10.0cm Molex to Floppy adapter is included as well. These are specified measurements from the manufacturer. Most users should have no problems with Gigabyte's AORUS P850W 850W, even if your case has a bottom power supply mount. 50cm is the general standard, but the shorter peripheral cables may actually be advantageous in routing management with modern cases.
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Minor Tests and Conclusion
