Cases & PSUs

SilverStone Strider Gold Evolution 1000W Review

vortez
August 30, 2012 10 Min Read
2 0

Looking for a power supply capable of handling NVIDIA SLI/AMD CrossfireX? Strider Gold Evolution PSU is under examination.



Product on Review: ST1000-G
Manufacturer and Sponsor: SilverStone
Street Price: £165 / $213 (At time of review)

In the quest for better frame rates and higher scores gamers and enthusiasts are throwing their cash into pairing up graphics cards and pushing the limits of their hardware but adding another graphics card to a system and overclocking the CPU causes more power draw and performing such tasks require a reliable and capable power supply unit and this is where today’s review takes us. PSUs over 850W were largely unheard of a couple of years ago but with this ever increasing demand, manufactures are furnishing their product lines with bigger units to cater for power hungry consumers.

Today we will be taking a look at the SilverStone Strider Gold Evolution 1000W; an 80 Plus Gold efficient PSU which is fully modular and equipped with a single +12v rail capable of 83A. Can this unit withstand multiple graphics cards? How loud is the fan during load? Is it a good value for money offering? These are just some of the questions you might be asking and we are here to answer them.



SilverStone on Strider Gold Evolution
To make great power supplies even better, SilverStone engineers delved into the details with the Strider Gold series. In order to reduce the already low noise generated by the Strider Gold, they replaced the fan with SilverStone’s own Air Penetrator, which has superb cooling ability and is equipped with fluid dynamic bearing. This allowed for reprogramming of the fan controller to enable lower fan speed at any given loading condition compared to the predecessor. Various components were also re-tested and replaced with newer versions for minor boost in efficiency and performance. An excellent FF141 fan filter with magnets is even included in the package for use to reduce dust buildup.

With the fan and component upgrades, the Strider Gold Evolution series will again encompass wattage range from 750W to 1200W with 80 PLUS Gold level efficiency, ±3% voltage regulation, ±3% ripple & noise, and high amperage single +12V rail as its main features. For discerning users looking to get a top-notch power supply with all features covered and more, this is the perfect solution.

Technical Specifications


Model No.
SST-ST1000-G Evolution
Max. DC Output
1000W (Peak 1100W)
Combined +3.3, +5V
150W
Combined +12V
996W / 83A
Input Voltage
90V~264V
Input Frequency Range
47Hz ~ 63Hz
PFC
Active PFC.（PF>0.95 at Full Load）
Efficiency
88%~91% at 20%~100% loading
MTBF
100,000 hours at 25°C（at Full Load）
Operating temperature
0°C ~ 40°C
Protection
Over Current Protection
Over Power Protection
Over Voltage Protection
Over Temperature Protection
Under voltage protection
Short Circuit Protection
No Load Protection
Connectors
1 x 24 / 20-Pin Motherboard connector （550mm）
1 x 8 / 4-Pin EPS / ATX 12V connector （750mm）
1 x 8 / 4-Pin EPS / ATX 12V connector （550mm）
4 x 8/6-Pin PCIE connector （550mm）
2 x 6-Pin PCIE connector （550mm / 150mm）
8 x SATA connector （600mm / 150mm / 150mm/150mm）
6 x 4-Pin Peripheral connector （600mm / 150mm / 150mm）
2 x 4-Pin Floppy connector （600mm / 150mm / 150mm / 150mm）
Color
Black (scratch resistant and lead-free paint)
Cooling System
Ultra silent 139mm Air Penetrator fan with fluid dynamic bearing
Noise Level
17dBA-28dBA
Dimension
150 mm (W) x 86 mm (H) x 180 mm (D)
Weight
3.255 kg
Certification
80 PLUS Gold

Packaging, Bundle & Cables


Strider Gold Evolution is presented in a rather large, eye-catching box. In keeping with the name and efficiency of this PSU, gold is a dominant colour. The front of the packaging identifies the model name and key features of this PSU. The sides and rear of the box has various graphs and more details for Strider Gold Evolution.

Inside the box, foam padding and bubble wrap helps to keep all items protected during transit.


The packaging for Strider Gold Evolution


There are quite a number of items bundled with the Strider Gold Evolution. These include the following:

• 8 Screws (4x standard 4x thumbscrews)
• 4 Velcro Straps
• Power cable
• Documentation – Multilingual Manual, Specifications Booklet
• Detachable Magnetic Air Filter
• Modular Cables (Already attached to PSU)

Being fully modular the PSU has detachable cables – these cables come already attached to the PSU. It’s good to see SilverStone include some extra items you wouldn’t usually get with a PSU such as the thumbscrews and Velcro straps for cable management. They have also included a detachable air filter; the filter attaches via magnets and is useful for reducing dust build up.


Strider Gold Evolution bundle


As already mentioned, Strider Gold Evolution 1000W is fully modular – as a result all cables are detachable. Due to the calibre of PSU, there are additional cables included too. The included cables are as follows:

• 1 x 24 / 20-Pin Motherboard connector 550mm
• 1 x 8 / 4-Pin EPS / ATX 12V connector 750mm
• 1 x 8 / 4-Pin EPS / ATX 12V connector 550mm
• 4 x 8/6-Pin PCIE connector 550mm
• 2 x 6-Pin PCIE connector 550mm / 150mm
• 8 x SATA connector 600mm / 150mm / 150mm/150mm
• 6 x 4-Pin Peripheral connector 600mm / 150mm / 150mm
• 2 x 4-Pin Floppy connector 600mm / 150mm / 150mm / 150mm

All cables are covered in a black Nylon sleeve to conceal the wires underneath and maintain tidy looking cable management inside the computer chassis. The yellow wires show through the sleeves – ideally it could be thicker for complete concealment.


All cables are modular



Black Nylon sleeves on all cables

Closer Look (External)


Strider Gold Evolution is fairly nondescript in its styling. Though it isn’t gaudy, it does have a professional visual appearance that will bode well inside both gamer’s and enthusiast’s computer chassis. The outer shell is covered in rugged, rough, matt black casing. The unit is 150 mm (W) x 86 mm (H) x 180 mm (D) and weighs 3.255 KG.


An overview of Strider Gold Evolution



Rough texture with SilverStone engraved


Turning our attention to the top (or underside) of the PSU there is a large fan grille covering the cooling fan found inside the unit. This fan is Ultra silent 139mm Air Penetrator fan. We will take a closer look at the specification of this fan when we go inside the unit in the next section. In the very centre is the SilverStone emblem.


A 139mm cooling fan


Strider Gold Evolution is completely modular so there are no hardwired cables attached to the unit but rather an extensive range of sockets for attaching the modular cables. The blue sockets are designated for PCI-E whilst the black sockets are for peripherals, CPU power and ATX power. Beneath the sockets is a diagram to give further details regarding the placement of these cables/sockets.


Modular panel for attaching cables


Next we come to the specifications label. Typically this label would be situation on the opposite side to the cooling fan but SilverStone have attached this to the side instead. On this label there are technical details concerning the wattage and ampage. Strider Gold Evolution has a single +12v rail with a huge 83A dedicated for multi-GPU configurations. Later, we will test the stability of this rail using a triple graphic card setup.


The specifications label is on the side

Closer Look (Internal)


** Opening a PSU voids the warranty and should be done at the user’s own risk **

After removing four screws we can slide off the cover and gain access to the inner-workings of the PSU. Inside, the design is rather busy but well organised. The PCB utilises a dual heatsink design for advanced cooling.

A 139mm Air Penetrator has been used in the Strider Gold Evolution which uses fluid dynamic bearing. The actual model of this fan is: HA1425M12F-Z and it operates at a quiet; 17dBA-28dBA.


An overview of the PSU



139mm Air Penetrator cooling fan


In V1 of this PSU Nippon hold up capacitors were used but in our V2 featured in today’s review SilverStone have opted to use Panasonic branded hold up capacitors. These are rated as 330µF, 450V, 105°C.


Panasonic hold-up CAPs

Testing Methodologies & Results


Our testing methodology for testing Power Supply Units is limited to the multi-meter to show each rail’s performance due to us not having access to an ATE load tester.

Although this does constrain us slightly we can still monitor fluctuations on the rails and give the unit a good assessment when we feature it in one of our builds. The way the testing will run is simple, voltages will be observed at idle wattage and then a single GPU will be installed within the system and a combination of OCCT and MSI Kombustor will be executed to provide simulation with just 1 GPU. This will be run for 10 minutes. We will also be adding in another two GPUs to allow for dual and triple card configurations with SLI in order to generate as much power consumption as possible. The CPU will also be overclocked to maximise power consumption and strain. This should give us a good indication of how the Strider Gold Evolution will perform under gaming stresses and beyond.

NOTE: AC power draw is recorded.

System Components
CPU Intel Core i7 3570K (with OC 4.5GHz)
Motherboard MSI Z77A-GD65
Graphics NVIDIA GTX 480 X3
Memory 8GB Corsair Vengeance 2133MHz CL10
HDD 1x Kingston HyperX SSD 240GB
PSU SilverStone Strider Gold Evolution 1000W

As I mentioned there is no ATE load tester available so generating as much power as possible is key to observing the fluctuations on the rails.

For voltage tolerance levels, ATX specify that a 5% variable fluctuation is acceptable. (Form Factors – ATX Specification PDF – Page 10). So what this means is:

3.3V Rail – 3.135V – 3.465V acceptable
5V Rail – 4.75V – 5.25V acceptable
12V Rail – 11.4V – 12.6V acceptable

Idle test – The system settles in windows without any applications or stressing. 1 GPU (165W)
Single GPU – OCCT/MSI Kombustor run for 10 minutes (382W)
Dual GPU – OCCT/MSI Kombustor run for 10 minutes (683W)
Triple GPU – OCCT/MSI Kombustor run for 10 minutes (1044W)

Conclusion


Pairing up graphics cards is an ever increasing trend but doing so requires a reliable PSU capable of handling such a task. The demand for 1000W+ PSUs is certainly there and manufacturers have their work cut-out trying to battle for the top spot in the marketplace. So how does SilverStone’s Strider Gold Evolution fare?

Strider Gold Evolution has great build quality, its external design features a gainy, matt finish and has a rather professional touch to it; meaning it will sit well with both the gamer and enthusiast. Being fully modular gives complete control and flexibility. The cables are covered in Nylon sleeves that conceal the wires underneath well and are sufficient in length.



On the performance front, the PSU handled load operation near to 100% (AC power draw); voltage variance at 34%, 62% and 92% remained within ATX specifications. With single and dual graphics card configuration the unit’s cooling fan was noticeable but without hindrance. Adding a third card does create quite a noise from the cooling fan during load but then it isn’t advisable to put a PSU under such load for normal usage.

Priced at £165 / $213 the Strider Gold Evolution is an affordable solution for those who need extra juice and today’s review has demonstrated that this unit is a great value for money choice.

Strider Gold Evolution 1000W is an excellent option for multi-GPU configurations. It has SilverStone’s renowned build quality, is fully modular, has bundled extras and best of all; sits at an affordable price. Based on all these things its our pleasure to give this PSU our Gold award.

Pros
+ Excellent build quality
+ Fully modular
+ Affordable
+ Quiet during load
+ Bundled cable management straps + air filter

Cons
– Warranty could be longer


Click here for an explanation of our awards at Vortez.net.

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