The SilverStone SX1000 is the strongest small factor unit we’ve tested so far, and it has enough connections to support a strong gaming system. This is why it is the best choice in the best power supply for gaming (opens in new tab) guide to this category.
Best of all, with a load below 700W, the noise output won’t bother you unless you’re super sensitive, in which case you shouldn’t invest in a high power density power supply in the first place.
Since anything small and powerful is usually expensive, especially in the IT world, the SX1000 will drain your wallet. That said, PSUs are inexpensive considering the critical role they play in any system. Not too long ago, people paid over $1000 to buy a mid-level graphics card, so a $250-300 power supply doesn’t look that expensive, especially when you consider you’ll be using it for many years. will love.
Specifications:
| Manufacturer (OEM) | Improve electronics |
| Maximum DC output | 1000W |
| efficiency | 80 PLUS Platinum, Cybenetics Platinum (89-91%) |
| Noise | Cybenetics Standard+ (35-40 dB[A]) |
| Modular | Yes (full) |
| Intel C6/C7 Power State Support | Yes |
| Operating temperature (continuous full load) | 0 – 50°C |
| Protections | OVP, UVP, OPP, OCP, SCP, swing |
| Operation without charging | no |
| Cooling | 120mm Double Ball Bearing Fan |
| Semi-passive operation | Yes |
| Dimensions (W x H x D) | 125 x 65 x 130mm |
| Weight | 1.39kg (3.06lb) |
| form factor | SFX-L, EPS 2.92 |
| Guarantee | 5 years |
| Price | $338 |
SilverStone’s SX PSU line consists of two SFX-L units with capacities of 750 W and 1000 W. The SX1000 has a power density of 969 W per liter, one of the highest we have seen to date.
SilverStone has equipped it with two EPS and six PCIe connectors to ensure that it can deliver its full power without any problems. In addition, all cables are modular, making installation of the PSU a breeze. Due to the small PCB, the temperatures inside can be high, so a fan with double ball bearings has been used, which can handle hot conditions without any problems. In general, DBB fans are considered to be of higher quality compared to FDB, but they are more expensive and therefore the latter dominate the high-end market.
The platform design is sleek, despite the high power density. Enhance Electronics, the OEM, used large heatsinks on the primary side, with perforations on the APFC heatsink to allow airflow to the components installed below. The small board didn’t have room for a single large main transformer, so Enhance used two smaller ones, installed in parallel. The filter caps on both the primary and secondary side are of high quality, as is the Globe Fan DBB fan with a diameter of 120 mm.
One of the notable advantages of the SFX-L form factor is that it allows up to 120mm fans, keeping noise output low, while the SFX units are limited to 92mm fans at best.
| Rail | 3.3V | 5V | 12V | 5VSB | -12V |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum Power (amps) | 25 | 25 | 83.3 | 3 | 0.3 |
| Maximum Power (watts) | 125 | 125 | 999.6 | 15 | 3.6 |
The 12V rail can supply the full power of the PSU and the secondary rails can add up to 125W together.
| Cable | Amount included | cable caps |
|---|---|---|
| ATX connector 20+4 pin | 1 | no |
| 4+4 pin EPS12V | 2 | no |
| 6+2-pin PCIe | 3 | no |
| SATA | 2 | no |
| 4-pin Molex (or adapter) | 1 | no |
| AC power cord | 1 | N/A |
With two EPS and six PCIe connectors, the PSU has no problem delivering its full power. There is no 12+4 PCIe connector, but hopefully SilverStone will update this platform soon. The cables are short, as this PSU is intended for small chassis, but SilverStone should probably offer a version with longer cables, including an SFX-to-ATX adapter.
Performance
The load regulation is tight enough at 12V, but not so tight on the small rails. Ripple suppression could also be better at 12V. More filter caps are needed for lower ripple on this rail, but the PCB isn’t big enough to accommodate them. In-cable caps can offer a performance boost here. With better ripple suppression at 12V, the SX1000 could easily hit top marks over all types of PSUs.
The latency exceeds 17ms, which is not so easy with high power density PSUs, as there is limited space to install large enough bulk caps. Although the inrush currents are at normal levels.
Efficiency is high at normal and super light loads, but can be higher at light loads. The 5VSB rail also achieves the highest efficiency scores. The vampire power is low at 115V, but we would like to see below 0.1W with 230V input.
The transient response at 12V is some of the best we’ve ever seen in this form factor category, meeting many regular sized PSUs with similar capacity eye-to-eye. The other rails also have good transient response.
It’s amazing to watch an SFX-L PSU deliver nearly 1500W. That said, it would be safer if the +12V OCP and OPP trigger points were set more conservatively, around 130%. Finally, there is an overheat protection and the other protections work fine, according to our results.
The average noise output is higher than 35 dBA due to the increased fan noise at high load. It would be extra difficult, if not impossible for a PSU with such a high power density to keep quiet under high loads.
Final Thoughts
The SX1000 is the strongest small form factor PSU on the market today, and in reality it is much stronger than its paper specs since we pushed it close to 1500W. The main alternative to this PSU is the Corsair SF750, but we would still opt for the SilverStone.
Enhance, the OEM behind this platform has provided SilverStone with a solid unit, with good build quality and premium parts. The only downside is that because of the small board, not many filter caps could be installed, so the ripple at 12V isn’t that great. Silverstone should probably use cable caps to improve ripple suppression. This type of cables is not preferred by most users as it makes installation more difficult, but this is a small price to pay if you ask us, for lower ripple, which plays a vital role in reliability and longevity of the system.
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