INTRODUCTION

   A few days ago NVIDIA released the fastest single GPU graphics card in the market called the TITAN X a real beast featuring a massive 12GB's of onboard VRAM memory, 3072 CUDA cores, 192 TMUs, 96 ROPs, 384-bit wide memory interface and a TDP of 250W. Luckily although a few years back such performance would be far more power hungry today even 4 of these beasts would require a total output of roughly 1000W. Of course although these power requirements are indeed very low for such cards we need not forget the rest of the system components so adding those as well means that you'd certainly need around 1500W to be on the safe side. Unfortunately the market is not really filled with 1500W (1.5KW) power supply units but if you can afford to get 4 ultra-high end graphics cards then you shouldn't have a problem finding a suitable one and the Strider Gold model by SilverStone which we have here with us today could be the right one for the job.

   Founded in 2003, SilverStone is an established leader in its field, with an elite team of engineers; we started our quest of providing products that create inspirations. We have since expanded the lines of products as well as types of products we produce, giving our customers a wide selection of choices. With distribution centers in different areas of the globe, SilverStone products can be seen all over the world, not just for computer users but also for home entertainment use. Providing leisure with integration of advanced technologies that is functional and making them enjoyable to use. Here at SilverStone Technology, we continue to pride ourselves in providing the highest level of standards in designing and manufacturing computer enclosures, power supplies, and accessories. Our pursuit for the first class aesthetic appeal is relentless; our teams of devoted engineers are constantly searching for the best technologies that suit end-users with different needs and will make our products as technologically sound as they are beautiful.

   1500W is plenty of juice so SilverStone has given the ST1500-GS two +12V rails each rated for 70A which can output up to 1440W and two minor rails (3.3V and 5V) which are rated for 25A each with a combined maximum output of 150W. According to SilverStone the ST1500-GS can also deliver all of its 1600W (peak) output at up to 40 degrees Celsius, features a low-noise 135mm intake fan, comes ready with flat modular cables and packs several industrial grade electrical protections such as OCP (Over current protection), OPP (Over power protection), OVP (Over voltage protection), OTP (Over Temperature Protection), UVP (Under voltage protection), SCP (Short circuit protection) and no load operation. So since I’m certain everyone feels the same let's see how this beast performs.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

The main product features are listed at the front of the box right beneath a large product picture and the company logo.

All of the modular connectors are showcased at the bottom of the box while at the top we see the specifications table.

At the rear we find several graphs and drawings which point to both the features and size of the unit.

The PSU is placed inside two pieces of black foam and the bundle is placed inside a cardboard box.

As you can see SilverStone has packed quite a few things with the ST1500-GS so aside the PSU and its power cord you're also getting the modular cables, 4 cable ties, 4 Velcro straps, fan air-filter, two small bags with screws (4 regular and 4 thumbscrews) and two manuals (one in English and one in 11 other languages).

THE ST1500-GS EXTERIOR

Flat cables is not something we haven't seen in the past but i consider them to be quite important since they are not only easier to route beneath the mainboard tray but they also allow for better airflow levels inside the case (most of the time anyways).

Measuring 150mm in width, 180mm in length and 86mm in height the scratch-proof housing of the ST1500-GS makes it one of the smallest 1500W PSUs in the market today (if not the smallest).

The 135mm fan is big but judging by the opening of the housing SilverStone could had used a slightly larger one.

SilverStone placed the electrical table on a sticker found on the left side.

The company logo is engraved at the base of the unit.

The 11 modular connectors are not only different in design and tagged they are also color coded and protected with plastic covers.

Unfortunately at the rear there's no on/off switch so we only see the honeycomb perforation and the power port.

THE ST1500-GS INTERIOR

The 135mm dual ball bearing fan used is manufactured by Young Lin Technology and can spin up to 2500RPM (±10%) to produce airflow of up to 123.64CFM with up to 51.92dB of noise.

As you can all see there are two large heatsinks inside the housing (Enhance Electronics is behind the ST1500-GS).

On the primary side we see four Panasonic electrolytic capacitors rated for 270 uF, 420V, and 105°C.

Secondary capacitors are manufactured by United Chemi-Con and are rated for 2200 uF, 16V and 105°C.

TEST BED

TESTING METHODOLOGY

     Using a dedicated measurement instrument such as a Chroma or a SunMoon to test power supply units is without doubt the most ideal and accurate way (not to mention the fastest) to do that currently. However it's certainly not the only way there is and so pretty much anyone can test a power supply unit just by using a computer. Certainly limitations do apply and so you can't really test a 1000W power supply if your system only uses 500W at peak loads and that's why during the past 5 years i have saved certain hardware components for the purpose of building a dedicated PSU test rig. True it may not be as accurate as the above mentioned solutions but it comes really close and is in fact closer to real world usage. So as always we ran several games with maximum graphic options enabled at a resolution of 2560x1600 in order to stress every hardware component and increase the overall power demands of the system. The Passmark BurnIn Test was also used to overstress the components in an effort to provide the most accurate results possible. As a final test we also used the latest OCCT 4.4 software and its dedicated PSU testing suite since it can really bring a power supply to its knees after inside a few minutes.

       Rail stability was checked/measured with the CPUID Hardware monitor and a Metex multimeter which also recorded the system load in idle and in load. As always try to remember that the power consumption numbers listed in the graph are the highest (Peak) ones recorded during the entire duration of the tests and not the average ones. Noise levels coming from the fan were recorded using the high precision HD600 ExTech Sound dBA Meter from the rear of the unit and at a range of no more than 5-10cm. Readings under load are recorded the exact moment we manually switch the fans of all graphics cards from full speed to almost zero, that way the fan of the power supply does not have enough time to slow its RPM and so by doing this we get very accurate noise level readings. Needless to say in order to get 100% accurate readings you need to have a noise isolated room for that exact purpose, something which is quite impossible unless you are working inside a real lab (some people use very small noise insulated boxes but due to their size both heat and noise exceed normal levels and so the results can't really be considered to be 100% accurate). Also do take into account that since all noise measurements take place from just 5-10cm away the final noise levels to reach your ears will be considerably less.

TEST RESULTS

RAIL STABILITY

Rock solid rail stability although I’m certain SilverStone can do even better with Platinum or Titanium certified unit.

POWER CONSUMPTION

Once again our test bed was unable to max the unit but still 1053W should give is reliable results.

NOISE LEVELS (SPL)

43.6dBA at 1053W is very good but the fan should produce more noise as you get near to its maximum rated output of 1500W.

CONCLUSION

   The Strider Gold ST1500-GS by SilverStone is actually the 2nd 1500W (1.5KW) PSU I’ve ever used so i was very interested in its results and as you can all see it didn't disappoint us one bit. Rail stability is almost excellent, build quality is very good, noise levels are quite low (although if you manage to squeeze more power from it they should get slightly higher), the fully modular feature ensures future-proof capability and the 80 Plus Gold Certification promises very good electrical efficiency. On top of that add the ability to use up to 1600W from this PSU (not continuous) and the small ATX form factor housing (180mm in length) and i really i don't think we could have asked for much more. I do realize that some people would like to see one of the latest 80 Plus Certifications like Platinum or Titanium with an 1.5KW unit but those come at much higher price tags and thus target different segments of the market (although if you can for example afford 4 TITAN X cards price will not stop you from getting the best there is).

   We all know that power supply units over 1000W/1KW don't really come cheap so when we're talking about a 1500W model there's simply no way that it will be what people call "affordable" (besides such models target entirely different audiences). With that in mind as we speak the Strider Gold ST1500-GS by SilverStone retails for USD349.99 inside the USA (Amazon.com) and 287Euros inside the EU (Amazon.co.uk) a price tag which although not as high as most other 1500W models still it's far from low. That being said thanks to its performance levels, 80 Plus Gold certification, fully modular design, electrical protections, size, low noise levels and massive 1600W peak output the Strider Gold ST1500-GS by SilverStone deserves our Golden Award.

PROS

- Build Quality
- Size
- Rock Solid Rail Stability
- Fully Modular
- Noise Levels
- 1600W Peak Output
- 80 Plus Gold Certified
- Industrial Grade Electrical Protections (OCP/OPP/OVP/OTP/UVP/SCP/NLP)

CONS

- Price (For Some)