be quiet! S9 and EVGA B3 in the test: 80Plus bronze power supplies with minimal and full equipment

– be quiet! missed the System Power 9 400W a technical upgrade, which again makes it an entry-level power supply with an outstanding price-performance ratio. With the B3 550W, EVGA also sets new best values ​​in terms of electrical performance in the middle class, but neglects other disciplines.

be quiet! and EVGA in an unequal duel

In the test, there are two power supplies that are not exactly at eye level, so the evaluation is also carried out separately, taking into account the respective class. While the System Power 9 series is the cheapest entry into be quiet! represents, the EVGA-B3 power supplies are already in the middle class and with the Pure Power 10 power supplies from be-quiet! overriding competitors.

be quiet! System Power 9 with technical innovations

The system power series, which was originally designed exclusively for system integrators, is also becoming increasingly popular in the end customer area. This origin can still be seen in Generation 9 in the simple housing, non-modular cable management and the purchased standard fan. There are innovations to the predecessor above all under the hood.

EVGA B3 550W out of competition

In contrast, the B3 550W is fully equipped with fully modular cable management and semi-passive fan control. With an output power of 550 watts, the next larger variant is being tested, which is based on the previous, similarly expensive reference – the be quiet! Pure Power 10 500W CM – must measure.

The details of the test methodology, the test station used, the electrical measurements and the sound pressure level measurements can also be read separately in this case in the article "How BitcoinMinersHashrate tests power supplies". The power supply ranking list with the best list offers a constantly updated overview of recommended power supplies.

Technical key data in comparison

A decisive difference in the technical data of both power supplies can be found in the permitted input voltage. While the EVGA B3 550W can be used worldwide thanks to its wide-range input, the mains voltage of the be quiet! System Power 9 400W should not fall below 200 V. For this reason, a certification was requested for the Power 9 400W system in accordance with the conditions of 80Plus EU, which allows higher levels of efficiency, which is why stricter requirements also apply to it. For both power supplies, the fifth highest certification level was achieved with bronze. In the B3 550W, a 130 mm fan provides cooling for the power supply, with its case being a bit larger with a depth of 150 mm. be quiet! uses the standard size of 120 mm and can accommodate the power supply in a shorter 140 mm housing.

The 12-volt rail, from which virtually all of the power of modern systems is absorbed, is very strong in both power supplies. In the Power 9 400W system, overcurrents that can be caused by incorrect connection or hardware defects are particularly effectively protected by dividing the current into two channels. It is also noteworthy that attention was paid to the complete implementation of all further fuses of both power supplies.

Favorable guarantee conditions

In the event of a defect, be quiet! as well as EVGA to be contacted quickly with German service points. It is advisable to consult the manufacturer and not the dealer within the warranty period, as this can benefit from faster exchange.

EVGA with a generous guarantee period

The B3 series power supplies come with a five-year warranty as standard. A campaign that runs until the end of 2018 extends the warranty by a further two years. In contrast, the Power 9 400W system comes with a shorter, three-year warranty.

Scope of delivery and exterior

The scope of delivery of the power supplies is limited to the essentials. In addition to a power cord, screws for assembly and a manual, there are no additional items. The packaging shows the complete technical data, a diagram also explains the concept of the semi-passive fan control of the EVGA B3 550W, since the standstill of the fan at low load is a feature of the power supply unit, but in return, slightly higher operating temperatures are accepted have to. An extra switch on the back of the power supply lets the user decide whether to use this feature called "ECO". The power supply manuals provide information on installation and contain further technical information.

be quiet! focuses on functional aspects of the case, which is why an optimized fan grille was screwed on that generates as little air turbulence as possible. EVGA uses a simpler variant in that the fan grill is simply punched out of the housing. On the other hand, the manufacturer advertises the look of the fan, the blades of which have been made more interesting with their own logo.

cable Features

The cable equipment of both power supplies is similar despite different nominal power. The B3 550W offers one more SATA and one Molex connector, whereby the five or two connectors of the System Power 9 are already sufficient for most simple systems. A floppy adapter is only included with the B3 550W, with the System Power 9 400W this would have to be purchased separately if required. The B3 550W allows a somewhat more flexible wiring of the peripheral consumers by dividing the SATA and Molex plugs into a total of three cable strands. The cable cross-sections correspond to the decisive sections and cores of the 18 AWG standard. Savings result from the fact that the two PCIe connections were realized via a Y cable and not via individual cables, which is absolutely sufficient for mid-range graphics cards and with moderate power consumption. The 2-pin additional connector of the 6 + 2-pin PCIe cable of the B3 550W is only equipped with thinner 20 AWG wires.

The cable harnesses are completely covered with a black sleeve. In addition, the wires are all colored black, which ensures an inconspicuous look in the system. be quiet! relies on the shortest possible cable harnesses and only paid attention to a somewhat larger dimension for the 4 + 4-pin EPS harness. In midi towers, however, the 59 cm may still be too short, depending on the housing, to lay this line behind the mainboard tray.

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