Epilogue
be quiet! It is a brand that has my respect because it pays great attention to every power supply it makes. It doesn’t focus so much on high performance, to the degree Corsair does, for example, but cares more about noise output. A 1-2% overall performance difference might not be crucial for most users, but 5-10 dBA lower noise output matters the most, and I can feel them. I used to work with my first PSU load tester, the legendary Faganas, only one meter from me, with all its fans operating at full speed, exceeding 50 dBA. I wouldn’t say I like any fan outputting above 30 dBA for long, so I undervolted the CPU in my work PC to have the lowest possible thermal load. Silent computing has been the established trend for quite some time now, and although you might believe that the PSU’s noise is unimportant, you should keep in mind that it can notably add up to the overall system’s noise.
The be quiet! Dark Power 13 1000W might not offer overall competitive performance. Still, it is silent, highly efficient, and among the best performers in the demanding ATX v3.0 transient response tests, which matter the most in real-life conditions.
To check all alternative PSU offerings, read my Best ATX v3.0 PSUs article before investing in a new power supply. You help me a lot by using my affiliate links, which don’t increase the product’s price. I get a commission from Amazon every time you do it, which can make a difference for me, especially now that I am on my own, working exclusively for my media and not for someone else.
- Delivered full power at 47°C
- ATX v3.0 and PCIe 5.0 ready
- Very good transient response performance at 12V
- High build quality
- Silent operation
- Efficient
- Good APFC performance
- Low enough vampire power at 115V
- Low inrush current at 230V
- Satisfactory ripple suppression
- Long hold-up time
- Long and accurate power ok signal
- Alternative Low Power Mode (ALPM) compatible
- Fully modular
- Plenty of connectors, including a 12VHPWR (600W)
- Enough distance (150mm) between peripheral connectors
- FDB frameless fan
- Ten-year warranty
- OCP protection features need tuning
- Not competitive overall performance
- Load regulation should be tighter
- Not efficient 5VSB rail (230V)
- Only two 4-pin Molex connectors
Does your Dark Power model suffer from a fan that spins with an “rrrrrrrrrrrr” noise?
I have a Dark Power Pro 12 and some user reviews of the Dark Power 13 in the UK report that the fan noise is persistent.
There are some areas where then noise is increased, because of the bearing noise, but it is too low in general.
RPM Noise (LAeq) – Corrected
380 6
386 6
389 6
390 6
391 6
392 6
393 6
394 6
395 6
396 6
398 6
399 6
400 6
401 6
404 6
406 6
442 6.8
443 6.1
450 9.2
471 7.9
572 13.2
648 17.6
656 14.4
693 16.5
848 24.4
1027 27.5
1090 28.6
1133 32.6
1240 33.0
1321 34.1
1398 35.8
1556 39.1
1614 40.4
1684 42.7
1938 45.0
1951 45.1
2011 45.8
2013 45.8
2014 45.8
2015 45.8
2016 45.8
2017 45.8
2019 45.8
2020 45.9
I got two Dark Power 13 100W from two different online retailers and they both have obvious bearing noise. Stay away.
A bit of further messing about, it seems that the one I tried it with would make no irregular fan noise when placed fan up, but makes obvious bearing noise when oriented fan down.
A review of the be quiet! Dark Power Pro 13 1300W (or 1600W) would be very welcome.
The 1600 is on my list 🙂
Great! Do you have a time frame for the release of your review?