EVGA Supernova 850 G2 Power Supply Review

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.

The performance of the Supernova 850 G2 at room temperature displays why Superflower's Leadex platform became so popular among enthusiasts. With an average energy conversion efficiency within the nominal load range (20% to 100%) of 91.0% and a maximum efficiency of 93.1%, the EVGA Supernova 850 G2 honors its 80 Plus Gold certification without issues. Loads lower than 170 Watts will make the efficiency of the Supernova 850 G2 plummet, dropping down to 76.9% with a load of 43 Watts, which however is natural for most switching PSUs and does not affect the 80 Plus certification, which takes into account only the 20% to 100% nominal capacity range.

The most surprising outcome of our cold testing is the thermal behavior of the PSU. Instead of hectically working to keep the temperature of the unit low, the fan will only kick in when it is really needed; therefore, with a highly efficient power supply such as this working in room temperature, the fan did not even start until the load was over 550 Watts. This sort of thermal control however allows the PSU to reach higher temperatures than units of similar specifications, with the temperature of the primary and secondary side heatsinks reaching up to 59.7 °C and 61.8 °C respectively.