Power efficiency is a significant consideration for any system that is running frequently – a home server, mining system, a workstation or any other system that gets close to 24/7 usage is a prime candidate for a high efficiency power supply. With the need to cut electricity related carbon emissions, and consume less electricity in the wake of rising electricity prices, the time to get an efficient power supply is now – particularly if you are upgrading from an old unbranded power supply that lacks any form of certifications or efficiency standards. The 80 Plus standard has been around for a while to ensure that customers know what they are getting in terms of efficiency. At the top end of this efficiency standard is 80 Plus Platinum which promises 90/90, 92/94 and 89/91% efficiency at 20%, 50% and 100% loads on 115/230V circuits respectively. Antec’s EarthWatts Platinum series is designed specifically to meet those certifications and offer consumers affordable 80 Plus Platinum power supplies in a range of sensible wattages. We’ve already reviewed Antec’s 450W EarthWatts Platinum power supply and today we are moving on to the 650W variant. With the EarthWatts Platinum 650W power supply Antec are seeking to capture some of the higher end market – 650W is more than enough for a dual GPU system. Like other power supplies in this same series this unit is made by FSP, is non-modular and is backed by a three year warranty. Of course there is more to a power supply than just efficiency so let’s move onto having a look at this power supply and see how it performs.



Link: eTeknix