The Andyson N500 Titanium PSU Review: High Efficiency For The Common PC

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.

As expected, the efficiency of the N500 Titanium is astonishing. The unit reached a maximum conversion efficiency of 95.2% at 50% load and an average of 94.1% within the nominal load range (20% to 100% of the unit's capacity). Not only that, but the low load efficiency is comparatively excellent as well, with the N500 Titanium maintaining an energy conversion efficiency of 91.4% at 10% load and 84.6% at 5% load. An efficiency greater than 84% with a load of merely 27.5 Watts on a 500W unit is outstanding.

The very high efficiency of the N500 Titanium aids its own thermal performance, as the PSU does not have to dissipate large amounts of heat. Generally, the internal temperatures are low, just not as low as one would expect from a 500W unit with 80Plus Titanium efficiency. If not for the very small heatsinks of the PSU, thermal performance figures could have been even better. Still, the temperatures are low enough to keep the fan from spinning too fast. Even with the PSU at maximum load for prolonged periods of time, the fan will barely be audible outside of a PC case.