Be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 10 850W – Introduction

Some weeks ago we had a look at the Dark Power Pro 10 650W, the first power supply that we received from Be Quiet!, an European manufacturer which is just starting to enter the North American markets. Today we are having our second review of a Be Quiet! power supply, the Dark Power Pro 10 850W. Although the name and even the appearance of these two products is virtually identical, the 850W version is based on an entirely different design which boasts even better performance and higher efficiency.  Can it really be that much better than the already excellent 650W version? We will soon find out.

Unfortunately, although they are readily available in Europe and even some Asian countries, availability remains a great issue with Be Quiet’s products in the US and Canada. The 850W version can be found at Newegg for $239.99 plus $5.99 shipping. This is slightly higher than the MSRP of the power supply is virtually no competition at all in the North American market as very few retailers carry Be Quiet! power supplies. The Be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 10 MSRP prices for the US market are:

be quiet! DARK POWER PRO 10 550W	$149.00
be quiet! DARK POWER PRO 10 650W	$169.00
be quiet! DARK POWER PRO 10 750W	$189.00
be quiet! DARK POWER PRO 10 850W	$229,00
be quiet! DARK POWER PRO 10 1000W	$249.00
be quiet! DARK POWER PRO 10 1200W	$309.00

 Manufacturer’s features and specifications

• Virtually silent operation achieved through a broad array of meticulous optimizations, including use of be quiet!’s custom-designed 135mm SilentWings® fan
• SilentWings fan features airflow-optimized fan blades, fluid dynamic bearing with copper core and high quality IC motor controller for the quietest possible operation
• 80PLUS Platinum certification and up to 94% power conversion efficiency let you do more work with the same power and reduce your power bills
• 850 Watts of continuous power provide deep power reserves for demanding computing applications
• NVidia SLI and AMD CrossfireX multi-GPU certifications allow you to build intense Quad-GPU systems with utter confidence
• Cable management with extra long cable reach simplifies component installation and reduces annoying clutter, increasing airflow and improving cooling in even the largest PC cases
• Overclocking key allows switchover between quadruple independent +12V rail mode and high-performance single-rail operation
• German product conception, design and quality control

Continuous power (W)	850
Peak power (W)	950
Form factor ATX 12VVersion	2.31
Form factor EPS 12VVersion	2.92
Modular cable management	YES
Special technology	LLC – DC/DC
Voltage (Vac)	100 – 240
Frequency (Hz)	50 – 60
Input current (A)	10 – 5
PFC	active
Power factor at 100% load	0.99
Compliant to Intel C6 mode	YES
Power consumption in standby (W)	0.325
Average life time (h / 25°C)	300.000
Operating temperature up to (°C)	40
12 V Rails (Multi-Rail operation)	4
12 V Single Rail operation	YES
Overclocking key	YES

 

Output
+3.3V (A)	25
+5V (A)	25
+12V1 (A)	30
+12V2 (A)	30
+12V3 (A)	45
+12V4 (A)	45
+12V5 (A)	–
+12V6 (A)	–
-12V (A)	0.5
+5Vsb (A)	3
Max. combined current 12V (A)	70
Max. combined power 12V (W)	840
Max. combined power 3,3V + 5V (W)	140
Hold-up time (ms)	21