Page 2 - Physical Look – Outside
At first glance, the SilverStone Strider Gold ST65F-G 650W looks quite a different than its distant cousin, the SilverStone Strider Plus ST75F-P 750W, which we have reviewed in the past at APH Networks by Kenneth Kwok. The latest iteration in the Strider Gold line uses a matte finish; not to mention a much smaller footprint. However, just like its somewhat distant relatively, no noteworthy design elements were used -- this is just your good old, honest to earth, humble power supply.
The top of the Strider Gold ST65F-G 650W has the SilverStone brand name and logo molded onto it, along with a few of my fingerprints. Near each corner, there is a small hole that lines up with a screw on the PCB corresponding inside. One can assume this little hole is connected to mounting the PCB. Not sure what made me think that way. Before you ask, yes, I voided my warranty by cracking mine open for the sake of reporting, so you don’t have to.
At 140mm (W) x 150mm (D) x 86mm (H), the SilverStone Strider Gold ST65F-G 650W is a bit smaller than its brother, the SilverStone Strider Plus ST75F-P 750W, despite similar appearances. The SilverStone Strider Gold ST65F-G 650W should have smooth time moving into any standard ATX or smaller case out in the market today. Actually, SilverStone says this is the smallest ATX PSU in the world with full modular cables; we will have to take their word for it -- this PSU is tiny. For HTPC owners, this is pretty darn important. Upon further research, majority of the sub-650W SilverStone power supplies come in this dimension. This one-size-fits-all model simplifies the manufacturing process without sacrificing quality; a win-win for everyone.
The SilverStone Strider Gold ST65F-G 650W has a matte black finish on its casing, and honeycomb meshing across the entire back. Both features are common to most modern power supplies found in the market today. Unlike its brother/cousin/whatever, the SilverStone Strider Gold ST65F-G 650W features a power switch below the AC line in connector. Much like the floppy disk drive, it nice-to-have features that is rarely used... but this is a different story. Like most modern PSUs, the SilverStone Strider Gold ST65F-G 650W features automatic full range (100V-240V) AC line selection. There is no need to worry about manually selecting input voltage.
The SilverStone Strider Gold ST65F-G 650W features a bottom mount sleeve bearing 120mm fan. A five ring fan grille is placed over the fan to prevent any big objects from falling in accidentally. In the center of the fan grille is a cap with the SilverStone logo on it. Incidentally, this logo is found on SilverStone Strider Gold ST75F-G 750W and SilverStone Strider Evolution ST75F-G 750W, but not the SilverStone Strider Plus ST75F-P 750W. (Editor's note: The Strider Plus is an older model.) Does this help cool SilverStone Strider Gold ST65F-G 650W? Probably not. Does it look cool? Sure it does. As always, four Philips head screws hold the power supply case together, with a warranty seal over one of them. So don’t open the power supply if you don’t want to void your warranty.
All of the SilverStone Strider Gold, Evolution, and Plus series PSUs are 100% modular. A rear view of the SilverStone Strider Gold ST65F-G 650W shows this is no exception. This fact sets the SilverStone aside from quite a number of its competitors. While the necessity, such as the 20+4 pin connector for the motherboard, are always required, having a fully modular PSU simplifies the installation process, and creates a clean and professional look with its matte black finish in and out of your computer. It will also allow builders to replace everything with SilverStone's short cable kit for cramped environments. The sockets are color coded with a diagram at the bottom, enhancing user friendliness.
The power output/voltage specification label is located on the left side of the SilverStone Gold ST65F-G 650W modular power supply. While the +3.3V rail and the +5V rail can deliver up to 22A (72.6W) and 20A (100W) respectively, their total power must not exceed 150W. The +12V rail is capable of outputting 54A. By following the simple formula P=IV, my result is 648W, which matches up perfectly with the label. The -12V rail is rated for maximum 0.3A current (3.6W). Last, but not least, the +5VSB rail’s sustainable current and power is 2.5A and 12.5W respectively. Overall, all of the mentioned rails' combined output cannot exceed 650W. With a capability of delivering 99.6% of the power to the +12V rail, this power supply is well designed to accommodate people of different needs, especially for a mid-range power supply.
Up next, let us take a closer look at the included modular cables. These measurements are provided by the SilverStone. The lengths are reasonable compared to other products in the market today, and it should not raise any issues. Given that the mid-range capacity of this unit will most likely be sheltered in a mid-sized case or smaller, fewer issues will arise, compared to a much higher capacity PSU with the same cable length. All of the cables are sleeved, and are clearly labeled. As previously mentioned, the sockets' colors also match with the colors on the power supply end. All of these combined made installation a breeze, even if you are not experienced in building your own computer.
The following modular cables listed are included out of the box:
- 1x ATX 20+4 pin, 550mm
- 1x ATX 4+4 pin, 550mm
- 2x PCIe 6+2 pin, 550mm to first connector, 150mm spacing thereafter
- 2x PCIe 6-pin, 550mm to first connector, 150mm spacing thereafter
- 2x SATA, 4 connectors each, 500mm to first connector, 150mm spacing thereafter
- 2x Molex/Floppy, 3 Molex and 1 Floppy, 500mm to first connector, 150mm spacing thereafter, Floppy 4-pin attached to the end of the daisy chain
Page Index
1. Introduction, Packaging, Specifications
2. Physical Look - Outside
3. Physical Look - Inside
4. Minor Tests and Conclusion
