The latest power supply units feature ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5.1 standards, with 12V-2×6 connectors that support the latest NVIDIA RTX graphics cards. Check out one of Super Flower’s offerings – the LEADEX III GOLD ATX 3.1 Series PSUs.
Product Name: LEADEX III GOLD UP ATX 3.1
Manufacturer: Super Flower
MSRP: $139.99/£139.99 (including VAT)
The LEADEX III GOLD UP ATX 3.1 is Super Flower’s flagship 80 PLUS Gold-rated ATX 3.1 power supply unit featuring ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5.1 standards. This is a newer model, not to be confused with the LEADEX III GOLD PCIe 5.1 which also has 12V-2×6 connectors but is not yet Intel ATX 3.1 compliant, is longer at 160mm in length, and looks different.
The newer LEADEX III GOLD UP ATX 3.1 comes in a more compact length of 150mm and a new look with its mesh fan grill. It features a fully modular cable design with flat black cables, cooled by a 140mm FDB fan with ECO Intelligent Thermal Control System. The new fan grill design provides better airflow compared to the previous design. The power supply comes with a full suite of protections including Over Voltage Protection, Over Current Protection, Over Power Protection, Short Circuit Protection, Under Voltage Protection, Over Temperature Protection, No Load Operation, and Surge & Inrush Protection.
Super Flower on their LEADEX III GOLD UP ATX 3.1
LEADEX III GOLD is fully compatible with Intel ATX 3.1 Specifications, supporting up to 200% power excursion. HCS terminals & Dual 8-pin sockets on the modular panel to 12+4 pin socket on GPU side, safer design to avoid high angle bending issue. Modern Design to meet the latest safety & PC requirement with IEC/EN 62368 & ALPM mode.
Features and Specifications
Model: LEADEX III GOLD UP ATX 3.1 850W (SF-850F14GE)
• 140mm F.D.B Fan: Unique 7-blade design for high airflow and more stable cooling system and provides accurate RPM thus minimizing the noise (dBA).
• Copper shaft around the bearing which provides stability and durability during operation thus better heat dissipation and longer life span.
• New patented technology of Buckle (20+4) Pin connector (Patent No.: Taiwan M563575 ; China 7566010,USA)
• Innovative Design for gaming System & PSU protection
1. DC output +12V/ +5V/ +3.3V remain stable
2. Dynamic loading (Transient response) improvement on +12V/+5V/+3.3V
3. +12V Output With Exceptional Low Ripple Measurements
4. Low Output Voltage Ripple
• ECO-design
1. Auto & ECO Fan control
2. High efficiency on all rails, including 5VSB
• 100% Fully Modular With All Ultra Flexible Ribbon Cables For Easy Cable Management.
• 80 PLUS® Gold Certified, 87% 90% 87% Efficiency At 20% 50% 100% Rated Load.
• Japanese Main Capacitor
• Full Range Auto Voltage Detection Design 100V~240V (Active PFC)
• Comply With ATX 12V v3.1, EPS 12V v2.92 Specification.
• Comply With Energy Star Standard & EuP (Energy Using Products) Regulation
• Over Voltage Protection / Over Current Protection / Over Power Protection / Short Circuit Protection / Under Voltage Protection / Over Temperature Protection / No Load Operation / Surge & Inrush Protection
• Support All Intel / AMD Multi-Core CPU & ATX / BTX Compatible Motherboards (Haswell ready)
• Support NVIDIA® SLI™ & ATI CrossFireX™ High Performance Graphic Card
• More than 2,000 times On/Off test
• Lead-free Green Materials with RoHS / WEEE Compliance
• Perfect For Professional & High Performance Gaming System
• PCI-E (6+2) Pin Connector For High-End Graphic Card Requirement.
• 140mm F.D.B Fan: Unique 7-blade design for high airflow and more stable cooling system and provides accurate RPM thus minimizing the noise (dBA).
• Copper shaft around the bearing which provides stability and durability during operation thus better heat dissipation and longer life span.
• New patented technology of Buckle (20+4) Pin connector (Patent No.: Taiwan M563575 ; China 7566010,USA)
• Innovative Design for gaming System & PSU protection
1. DC output +12V/ +5V/ +3.3V remain stable
2. Dynamic loading (Transient response) improvement on +12V/+5V/+3.3V
3. +12V Output With Exceptional Low Ripple Measurements
4. Low Output Voltage Ripple
• ECO-design
1. Auto & ECO Fan control
2. High efficiency on all rails, including 5VSB
• 100% Fully Modular With All Ultra Flexible Ribbon Cables For Easy Cable Management.
• 80 PLUS® Gold Certified, 87% 90% 87% Efficiency At 20% 50% 100% Rated Load.
• Japanese Main Capacitor
• Full Range Auto Voltage Detection Design 100V~240V (Active PFC)
• Comply With ATX 12V v3.1, EPS 12V v2.92 Specification.
• Comply With Energy Star Standard & EuP (Energy Using Products) Regulation
• Over Voltage Protection / Over Current Protection / Over Power Protection / Short Circuit Protection / Under Voltage Protection / Over Temperature Protection / No Load Operation / Surge & Inrush Protection
• Support All Intel / AMD Multi-Core CPU & ATX / BTX Compatible Motherboards (Haswell ready)
• Support NVIDIA® SLI™ & ATI CrossFireX™ High Performance Graphic Card
• More than 2,000 times On/Off test
• Lead-free Green Materials with RoHS / WEEE Compliance
• Perfect For Professional & High Performance Gaming System
• PCI-E (6+2) Pin Connector For High-End Graphic Card Requirement.
Specifications
Dimensions (L*W*H)
150 x 150 x 86 (mm)
Packaging, Bundle, and Cables
Packaging for LEADEX III GOLD UP ATX 3.1 850W PSU
The Super Flower LEADEX III GOLD power supply unit comes in colourful and informative packaging – key features of the PSU are highlighted in front of the box alongside the 80 PLUS Gold certification badge. The PSU, cables, and accessories are all packed inside a plastic bag except the manual.
Aside from the modular cables that are no longer packed in a fabric bag, the LEADEX III GOLD ATX 3.1 PSU also came with four thumbscrews and a power cord, the power cord varies per region.
The LEADEX III GOLD UP ATX 3.1 features modular flat black cables which appears to be the trend nowadays, instead of sleeved modular cables.
Featuring ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5.1 standards, the LEADEX III GOLD UP ATX 3.1 series features 12V-2×6 connectors – also using the flat black cable format. The modular cables included in the PSU are as follows:
1x 20+4Pin Motherboard ATX
2x 8(4+4Pin) EPS
1x 2×8(6+2Pin) PCIe (550+150mm Cable)
1x 8(6+2Pin) PCIe (700mm Cable)
1x 16Pin PCIe 5.1 (700mm Cable)
2x 4xSATA (550+130+130+130mm)
1x Molex (550+150+150+150mm)
All the cables have markings on their connectors that identify what it is. One thing I’ve noticed about the LEADEX III GOLD UP ATX 3.1 PSU is the EPS connectors. The PSU supplies two 8-pin (4+4) EPS connectors, each 8-pin EPS connector is on separate cables. In some PSUs from other brands, the two 8-pin EPS connectors are in one cable, the 8-pin EPS connectors are simply daisy-chained. If your motherboard has two 8-pin EPS connectors, the PSU supplies two separate EPS cables for each 8-pin connector.
Closer Look (External)
The Super Flower LEADEX III GOLD UP ATX 3.1 850W power supply unit sports a new mesh grill design that improves the cooling performance of the 140mm FDB fan. The PSU is also compact, measuring 150mm(L) x 150mm(W) x 86mm(H).
On the underside, there’s a sticker filled with essential information about the power supply unit.
On the side is a print showing the brand and model. This would be the visible side for tempered glass cases without a PSU shroud.
The rear of the PSU has the power cord socket, power switch, and ECO Fan Control switch located on the right side, as shown in the photo below. The ECO Fan Control switch allows users to switch between three modes detailed below.
Mode O: Semi-fanless with cooling fan activation point when PSU temperature reaches ~60°C
Mode I: Semi-fanless with cooling fan activation point when PSU temperature reaches ~40°C
Mode II: Normal mode. The cooling fan will spin from start-up and gradually increase according to the PSU temperature
Mode I: Semi-fanless with cooling fan activation point when PSU temperature reaches ~40°C
Mode II: Normal mode. The cooling fan will spin from start-up and gradually increase according to the PSU temperature
Lastly, the connector side of the PSU is all labelled properly as seen in the photo below.
Closer Look (Internal)
Internal
The LEADEX III GOLD UP ATX 3.1 power supply units are Super Flower’s high-end 80 PLUS Gold-rated models. They feature high-quality components to deliver stable and tight voltage regulation. The power supply has two Chemi-Con 420v 390uF 105°C primary capacitors – a top-tier Japanese-brand capacitor known for reliability and durability. Having two primary capacitors appears to be the standard for mid-tier PSU models which is where this model is marketed. The small aluminium electrolytic capacitors with a blue-coloured print are CapXon capacitors – a Taiwanese brand. The PSU also makes use of heatsinks to help dissipate heat.
Nippon Chemi-Con 420v 390uF 105°C primary capacitors
The power supply is equipped with a 140mm ZIC cooling fan (Model ZFF142512M), 12V 0.45A using a Fluid Dynamic Bearing (FDB) offering a long lifespan.
ZIC 140mm FDB 7-blade fan
Testing Methodologies & Results
Our testing methodology for PSUs is straightforward, using a multi-meter and high-precision wattmeter and power analyzer that we installed on the 12V+, 5V+, and 3.3V+ output rails. We used a high-precision wattmeter and power analyzer on two 12V+ cables – one on the 12V+ PCIe cable and one on the 12V+ peripherals cable. With this, we can compare if the 12V+ output for the PCIe cables and peripherals are the same particularly when the system is loaded. We also have a wattage and power meter for the entire system to monitor the total wattage pulled by the computer. The test computer’s configuration is as follows below.
CPU: Intel Core i7-13700K (stock)
Cooling: Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
Motherboard: GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS EXTREME X
Graphics Card: GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3070 EAGLE OC
Memory: KLEVV CRAS XR5 RGB DDR5-6000 2x16GB Kit
Storage: ADATA Legend 960 Max 1TB
Cooling: Noctua NH-U12A chromax.black
Motherboard: GIGABYTE Z790 AORUS EXTREME X
Graphics Card: GIGABYTE GeForce RTX 3070 EAGLE OC
Memory: KLEVV CRAS XR5 RGB DDR5-6000 2x16GB Kit
Storage: ADATA Legend 960 Max 1TB
To load the system, we used a combination of the Unigine Heaven Extreme graphics benchmarking tool and the Intel XTU CPU stress testing tool. Both applications ran simultaneously for 10 minutes and delivered an entire system power load of 550~570 watts which is approximately 65% load for the PSU.
Aside from loading the GPU and CPU with workload, we also used a Lamptron FC5V3 fan controller and a 33mm-thick HF DC Brushless 120mm (Model JLFS12E12BS6) 12V 3.0A, rated for up to 7000 RPM. This fan can draw 20 watts of power at full speed. This setup is to pull power from the 12V+ peripheral cable since the Lamptron fan controller is powered by a 4-pin Molex connector.
Results
We observed a difference in voltage between the 12V+ on the PCIe cables and the 12V+ on the peripheral cables. On our testing, the 12V+ on the PCIe cables appears to be more powerful, ensuring it delivers above 12.0V at high workloads. Running Unigine Heaven Extreme and Intel XTU CPU stress test simultenously, the 12V+ reading on the PCIe cables drops from 12.19V to 12.08V.
Meanwhile, the powerful 7000 RPM fan drawing 20W pulls the 12V+ reading from 12.11V down to 12.01V which is still impressive. The 5V+ and 3.3V+ lines appear to be very stable even at 62% power load.
Voltage Regulation
Based on Intel regulation standards of ±5%, the LEADEX III GOLD UP ATX 3.1 passes with ease. However, Super Flower boasts the LEADEX III GOLD UP ATX 3.1 for having “voltage regulation within 0.5% to ensure stability, durability, and reliability to every system build.”. This very tight 0.5% voltage regulation is not observed under 20% load. At 65% load (550~570W), 12V+ on the PCIe and peripheral cables has the tightest voltage regulation that’s very close to the claimed 0.5% voltage regulation. This ensures stable power delivery to components that mainly use the 12V+ rail – namely the CPU and graphics cards.
The LEADEX III GOLD UP PSU’s peak efficiency is around 50% power load. It appears that it is also at the power load range wherein voltage regulation is at its tightest.
Acoustics
It’s difficult to isolate the noise from the PSU from the noise coming from the graphics card and CPU cooler. Hence, we tested the noise of the entire test unit which uses an open testbench setup in a typical room setup scenario and using the PSU’s Mode I intelligent cooling. Putting the sound meter directly under the PSU where the fan is, it reads under 38 dBA at <20% load. At 50% load running Unigine Heaven Extreme, the sound meter reads 48 dBA but louder noise is coming from the triple-fan graphics card. Overall, the LEADEX III GOLD UP ATX 3.1 is the least of your worries when it comes to noise, particularly for gaming PC setups with a triple-fan graphics card and CPU cooler with multiple fans installed.
Conclusion
Today, building a gaming PC powered by the latest NVIDIA RTX graphics cards that use the 12V-2×6 connector would require at least a PCIe 5.0-compliant model. The LEADEX III GOLD UP ATX 3.1 series is Super Flower’s flagship 80 PLUS Gold-rated PSU that features ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5.1 standards. It is positioned as a mid-range offering second to the LEADEX VII PLATINUM PRO ATX 3.1 which is the brand’s latest 80 PLUS Platinum-rated PSU with the same ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5.1 standards.The LEADEX III GOLD UP ATX 3.1 series offers an impressive set of features. Those that would be notable to builders include the compact size, the intelligent cooling fan modes, and the availability of black and white models for colour-matching with the rest of your PC.
Acoustics of the LEADEX III GOLD UP ATX 3.1 is excellent, users can run it on a semi-fanless operation using Modes 0 and I. Super Flower’s fan modes are based on temperature not load which is a good take on intelligent fan control. Temperature is the better variable to control the PSU’s cooling given that room temperature plays a larger role in the component’s temperatures compared to load. For example, lower room temperatures during winter subject computers to require less active cooling. Hence, PSUs like the LEADEX III GOLD UP ATX 3.1 could run its semi-fanless modes more efficiently in such a scenario. The PSU’s FDB fan runs silently even at loads above 50%. In gaming, it would still be the graphics card and CPU cooler that would be the louder source of noise during computer operation.
The LEADEX III GOLD UP ATX 3.1 features a powerful 12V+ rail based on our testing with tight voltage regulation well beyond the Intel voltage regulation. The flat cables are flexible and easy to manage. The white model comes with flat white cables to colour-match white gaming PC builds.
The Super Flower LEADEX III GOLD UP ATX 3.1 850W power supply unit has an MSRP of £139.99/US$139.99 which sits in the middle of the pack among other 850W fully modular 80 PLUS Gold offerings that have 12V-2×6 connectors. However, it is currently the cheaper offering when it comes to ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5.1-compliant models. The LEADEX III GOLD UP ATX 3.1 Series comes with a 10-year warranty. Super Flower is the OEM of the world-renowned EVGA PSUs with a good track record for reliability. The LEADEX III GOLD UP ATX 3.1 Series is an ideal PSU for builders today looking to adopt the 12V-2×6 standard with its good performance, smart cooling, compact design, and long warranty coverage.
Pros
+ Strong 12V+ Rail
+ Intelligent cooling fan modes with semi-fanless cooling
+ Compact Size
+ Fully modular cable design
+ Flexible flat cables
+ 10-year warranty
+ Black and white colour options
Cons
– Not available in some regions
+ Strong 12V+ Rail
+ Intelligent cooling fan modes with semi-fanless cooling
+ Compact Size
+ Fully modular cable design
+ Flexible flat cables
+ 10-year warranty
+ Black and white colour options
Cons
– Not available in some regions
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