The SilverStone Strider Platinum ST1200-PTS 1200W PSU Review: Small in Size, Big on Compliance
by E. Fylladitakis on October 11, 2019 9:15 AM EST- Posted in
- PSUs
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
- SilverStone
- 80Plus Platinum
- ATX
Cold Test Results
For the testing of PSUs, we are using high precision electronic loads with a maximum power draw of 2700 Watts, a Rigol DS5042M 40 MHz oscilloscope, an Extech 380803 power analyzer, two high precision UNI-T UT-325 digital thermometers, an Extech HD600 SPL meter, a self-designed hotbox and various other bits and parts. For a thorough explanation of our testing methodology and more details on our equipment, please refer to our How We Test PSUs - 2014 Pipeline post.
The energy conversion efficiency of the SilverStone ST1200-PTS at room temperature is just sufficient enough to justify the unit’s 80Plus efficiency certification. It meets the 80Plus Platinum certification requirements for an input voltage of 115 VAC, reaching up to 92.1% efficiency at 50% load and holding an average nominal load (20%-100%) efficiency of 90.7%. In our testing the PSU cannot meet the 80Plus Platinum efficiency certification requirements for an input voltage of 230 VAC, failing to reach 94% efficiency at 50% load, yet the average nominal load (20%-100%) efficiency of 91.6% is good.
The thermal control circuitry of the SilverStone ST1200-PTS is simple, meaning that there is no “fanless mode” or some other advanced control method, with the circuitry simply controlling the speed of the cooling fan depending on the temperature and load of the PSU. We found the control algorithm a little peculiar, as it holds the speed of the fan at very low levels while the load is lower than 450 Watts but then increases the speed of the fan almost exponentially, reaching its maximum speed within a range of just a few hundred Watts. This effectively makes the ST1200-PTS very quiet at loads below 450 Watts and very loud at loads above 650 Watts.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
22 Comments
View All Comments
RealBeast - Friday, October 11, 2019 - link
I've used a lot of SilverStone smaller (450-550W) units in small builds and been very happy, but would be hard pressed not to opt for a larger case and go with a Seasonic in this range.C@mM! - Friday, October 11, 2019 - link
I had both the last 1200w & a 850w Platinum from Silverstone die on me, whilst I applaud the size, they really needed to up their game on the PSU before making it smaller again.tygrus - Friday, October 11, 2019 - link
It's like having a 600w PSU with turbo boost upto 1200w. A 900w version with a bit more free space & easier airflow would be better for some users. Future versions may improve efficiency so you can run at higher loads without the hairdryer noise.The_Assimilator - Saturday, October 12, 2019 - link
Since SLI and Crossfire are dead, the only people who care about PSUs able to supply over a KW are miners and extreme overclockers - neither of which have a use for mITX chassis. So, this is a product looking for a market, which is not exactly a formula for success.PenGunn - Saturday, October 12, 2019 - link
I made an account for this. You just get the Seasonic that fits your purpose, no need for heavy thinking. ;)HardwareDufus - Sunday, October 13, 2019 - link
I have built my own PCs for 30 years. I'm going to build the last one of my professional working career in the next 8-12 months. It will be built to last 5 years (my current I7-3770k, 16GB, 500GB rig has been in service since late 2012) and it will be substantial. However, it will not a power supply that cost much over $100.Showtime - Tuesday, October 15, 2019 - link
I don't see the point. Some people will buy this thinking 50% loads, and other bs. Truth is no real SFF build requires over 750 watts which will cover a 2080 Ti with a 200 watt CPU. No SLI builds that require SFX power supply. Maybe specialty applications, but I mostly see it going to people with too much money, and not enough knowledge.umano - Tuesday, October 15, 2019 - link
I am waiting for their 1000w sfx-L and I hope a dual gpu prosumer card that needs that power :)