A PSU designed to keep users and polar bears happy
Recently, Chieftec announced the release of a new line of power supply units: the Eco range. As you can expect from the name, these are PSUs that adhere to strict environmental values and are all present and correct where European standards are concerned.
There are four PSUs in the Eco range: the GPE-400s, 500s, 600s and 700s, ranging from 400W up to 750W. The model we have in for review is the GPE-500s, a 500W ATX PSU with an efficiency rating of 85 Plus and ErP certified. The ErP Lot 6 EU (1275/2008) standard states that a computer in standby mode or when powered off must not use more than a maximum of half a watt. The Eco range complies with this ruling and certification.
The GPE-500s has 37.5A on the single +12V rail, 20A on the +5V and 21A on the 3.3V supply. Connectivity consists of a 24-pin plug on a 400mm length of braided cable; two sets of SATA power cables with two SATA connectors on each, both terminating with a Molex and measuring 650mm in length; a single 6+2 PCIe line on the end of a 400mm length cable, and a single four-pin 12V power plug on a generous 450mm cable.
There’s not much room for those with a more demanding system, but for a decent power efficient 500W system with a single graphics card, it’ll certainly do the job. Users who require an extra PCIe connector, 4+4 EPS and up to six SATA power plugs will need to look to the top of the Eco range with either the GPE-600s or GPE-700s.
Included with the PSU are a number of features, such as under-voltage protection, over-voltage protection, short circuit protection, overload protection and an automatic fan speed control for the 120mm silent fan situated at the base of the chassis.
Fitting the PSU within our test system was a simple enough affair. We quite like the design of it, with it being an all-black chassis, since it matched the colouring of the system – as opposed to it being silver and standing out like a sore thumb. On the whole, it worked well, and the cable lengths to the various connectors were more than ample; the 150mm gap between the SATA power connectors was especially welcome.
The cost of the GPE-500s is pretty good to. At just £46.99, it’ll happily fit the budget of most system builders who are looking to minimise the impact on both their wallet and the environment. However, this particular model is limited due to the lack of EPS and modular cabling. On the plus side, the components used are excellent, and the overall build quality of the GPE-500s is good throughout.
The Chieftec Eco GPE-500s is a good PSU, if a little limited in terms of upgradability. But it's good for the environment and your electric bill, and it’ll happily work with the majority of users’ systems. David Hayward
Environmentally friendly and competitively priced.