The Enermax PlatiGemini 1200W ATX 3.1 + ATX12VO PSU Assessment: The Swiss Military Knife

Within the retail PC PSU area, a lot of the deal with new requirements and their capabilities previously couple of years has been on ATX 3.0 and it is fast follow-up successor, ATX 3.1. And whereas the revised ATX normal is actually an important new normal for the rank-and-file PC builder, it is not the one normal that has been launched as of late. Intel and its companions have additionally developed an ordinary, that in some respects, goes even farther out by dropping among the legacy facets of ATX and its more and more esoteric secondary voltages: ATX12VO.

Brief for “ATX 12 Volts Solely”, ATX12VO is an ordinary that is been slower to take off because it makes a reasonably onerous break with backwards compatibility. However with so many motherboard capabilities operating off of 12V (CPUs and GPUs, for a begin), the necessity for a PSU to offer secondary voltages like 3.3V and 5V simply aren’t what they as soon as have been 20 years in the past – and even 10. So we have slowly seen PC producers and motherboard makers take a look at the waters, with a handful of designs utilizing the extra petite ATX normal.

In the meantime on the ability provide aspect of issues, the end result has been a bit extra fascinating, if messy. Whereas ATX12VO motherboards want matching PSUs, there’s nothing to say that such a PSU can solely be ATX12VO. To reference an historical meme, the thought at some PSU producers has been “why not each?”, resulting in high-end PSUs that may bridge the compatibility hole by providing each ATX 3.1 and ATX12VO compatibility.

The primary instance of such a PSU to make it in our labs is Enermax’s new PlatiGemini 1200W PSU. Designed to be the Swiss knife of contemporary top-tier PCs, Enermax’s PSU provides assist for each ATX 3.1 and ATX12VO – guaranteeing it could energy just about any PC – whereas driving each modes with a sizeable 1200W design that may just about energy just about any desktop PC one can hope to construct at this time. Plus, with options like absolutely modular cables with per-wire sleeving, a dynamic hybrid fan management for optimum cooling, and superior energy topologies, the PlatiGemini 1200W goals to ship each reliability and efficiency on high of its multi-mode compatibility. The tip result’s a really fascinating (if premium) product that may do all of it.

Packaging and Bundle

The Enermax PlatiGemini 1200W ATX 3.1 PSU is available in easy but environment friendly packaging. The outer field, a easy cardboard design, is visually enhanced with an ornamental ribbon. The PSU itself is well-protected throughout transport by a nylon bag and dense packaging foam, guaranteeing it arrives in excellent situation.

The bundle consists of extra than simply the important mounting screws and AC energy cable – a guide, a jump-start adapter, and cable combs are additionally included.

This PSU options all-black cables, together with connectors and wires, with individually sleeved wires, offering the PlatiGemini unit with a premium aesthetic issue. Enermax additionally consists of an ATX12VO connector, which is among the highlights of this sequence. Unusually, for the large 1.2 kW output of the unit, the overall variety of connectors is pretty low.

The Enermax PlatiGemini 1200W ATX 3.1 PSU

Exterior Look

The Enermax PlatiGemini 1200W ATX 3.1 PSU is housed in a chassis that measures 150 mm in size, barely longer than the usual ATX dimensions specified by the ATX design information. This further size accommodates the 135 mm cooling fan, guaranteeing higher cooling efficiency and becoming into all ATX-compliant tower PC instances.

This PSU boasts a smooth and refined design, highlighted by its matte textured black end. The unit eschews pointless decorations, that includes distinguished chrome logos on the edges for a clear look as an alternative. The highest aspect is roofed with a sticker detailing {the electrical} specs and certifications.

The entrance aspect of the unit consists of the usual on/off swap and AC cable receptacle, in addition to a swap for the Mud Free (D.F.) operate, which reverses the fan course to blow mud away. The rear hosts the modular cable connectors, organized for straightforward and error-free connections. Whereas the connectors are usually not color-coded, they’re labeled with a easy, shiny white legend subsequent to every connector, aiding in correct cable administration. A white imprint of the corporate emblem can be discovered on the rear aspect, enhancing aesthetics.

Inner Design

The Enermax PlatiGemini 1200W PSU is provided with a Zeta Group ZFB132512H 135 mm fan, that includes a ball-bearing engine. The sort of fan is thought for its reliability and sturdiness, making it a standard selection for high-quality PSUs. Whereas ball-bearing followers might be barely louder at larger speeds, they excel in high-temperature environments. The fan on this mannequin can attain a most pace of 1800 RPM, a comparatively conservative determine, suggesting that Enermax’s engineers have a number of religion on this unit’s effectivity.

The Enermax PlatiGemini 1200W ATX 3.1 PSU is produced by Shenzhen Rui Sheng Yuan, an OEM with intensive expertise within the energy provide business, regardless of previous reliability points between 2015-2017. Their lengthy historical past in energy electronics permits them to provide mid to excessive energy output PC energy provides. They appear to be behind at the least a number of of Enermax’s newest models.

This platform relies on well-established topologies, designed with reliability in thoughts. The enter stage includes a primary transient filter, consisting of two Y capacitors, one X capacitor, and two filtering inductors. The Lively Energy Issue Correction (APFC) setup consists of two rectifying bridges connected to a devoted heatsink, supplemented by 4 APFC MOSFETs (50R140CP), three diodes, a big encased filtering inductor, and two Rubycon 560 μF capacitors. The lively parts are sandwiched between two plates that additionally function primary heatsinks.

In its major inversion stage, the Enermax PlatiGemini makes use of a full-bridge LLC topology with high-quality Infineon 50R140CP MOSFETs. Uniquely, the first aspect transistors are on a vertical PCB with none heatsink connected instantly on them. The secondary stage options eight Infineon 014N04LS MOSFETs, utilizing synchronous rectification for the first 12V line, with 3.3V and 5V rails generated by DC-to-DC circuits on a vertical daughterboard. There’s an additional rectification circuitry to generate the 5VSB and 12VSB voltages, as required for the ATX12VO compliance. The secondary aspect capacitors are a mixture of top-tier Japanese merchandise from Rubycon, Nichicon, and Nippon Chemi-Con, guaranteeing reliability and efficiency.