According to be quiet!, the new Dark Power 14 series makes no compromises in silence or performance. It’s time to put that claim to the test and see if it holds up. Read the full review to discover how the flagship 1000W model performs.
The be quiet! Dark Power 14 1000W is (or will be) included in my best ATX v3.x & PCIe 5.x PSU picks article.
be quiet! has been in the PSU market since 2021 and is one of the best-selling brands in Germany among users seeking silent IT products. This brand’s PSU portfolio from top to bottom goes like that:
- Dark Power 14
- Dark Power 13
- Straight Power 12
- Power Zone 2
- Pure Power 13
- Pure Power 12
- System Power 11
- SFX Power
- TFX Power 3
The Dark Power 14 series represents be quiet!’s flagship PSU lineup. It includes three models spanning 850W to 1200W, all of which carry Cybenetics Titanium efficiency ratings along with top-tier LAMBDA noise certifications. Cybenetics also evaluated these units for full ATX v3.1 compliance, confirming that every model meets the standard’s requirements.
The highlights of the Dark Power 14 line are the following:
- Available in 1200W, 1000W, and 850W models
- Cybenetics Titanium efficiency (up to 95.57%)
- ATX 3.1 PSU with full support for PCIe 5.1 GPUs and GPUs with 6+2-pin connectors
- Active and semi-passive cooling can be selected with the push of a button
- An aluminum heat sink to support the semi-passive cooling concept and improve the longevity of the components
- Silent Wings fan for virtually inaudible operation
- Full bridge + Synchronous Rectifier + LLC technology provides unmatched signal stability and extremely high efficiency
- Button to switch between single and multi-rail operation
- Full-mesh front with funnel-shaped air inlet upholds the high air circulation abilities
- Modular cable management for maximum convenience
- 10-year manufacturer’s warranty
- Product conception, design, and quality control in Germany
To keep the fan’s output noise as low as possible, be quiet! used a large heatsink connected to the PSU’s parts that require the most cooling. This heatsink restricts the fan’s workload, hence keeping noise output low. Moreover, the fan is integrated directly into the heatsink mentioned above, so according to be quiet! this makes it immune to vibrations. To complete the story, the fan uses a 6-pole motor and a fluid dynamic bearing.
The MSRP prices of the Dark Power 14 units are:
- Dark Power 14 1200W: $310/310€
- Dark Power 14 1000W: $275/275€
- Dark Power 14 850W: $230/230€
These prices are stiff, I know, but we are talking about the flagship be quiet! products here.
Check out our top ATX v3.1 PSU guide before purchasing your next PSU.
ATX v3.x 1000W PSU Reviews:
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- ASUS ROG Thor 1000W Platinum III ATX v3.1 PSU Review
- be quiet! Pure Power 13 M 1000W ATX v3.1 PSU Review
- be quiet! Pure Power 11 FM 1000W PSU Review
- be quiet! Power Zone 2 1000W ATX v3.1 PSU Review
- be quiet! Dark Power 13 1000W PSU Review
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- Manufacturer (OEM): CWT
- Max Power: 1000W
- Cybenetics Efficiency: [115V] Cybenetics Titanium (91.631%), [230V] Cybenetics Titanium (93.457%)
- Noise: [115V] Cybenetics A++ (10.34 dB[A]), [230V] Cybenetics A++ (10.37 dB[A])
- Compliance: ATX v3.1, EPS 2.92
- Operating Temperature (Continuous Full Load): 0 – 40 °C
- Alternative Low Power Mode support: ✓
- Power 12V combined: 996W
- Number of 12V rails: 1
- Power 5V + 3.3v: 120W
- Power 5VSB: 15W
- Cooling: 135mm Fluid Dynamic Bearing (BQ SIW4-13525-MF)
- Semi-Passive Operation: ✓ (Selectable)
- Modular Design: Yes (Fully)
- High Power Connectors: 2x EPS (2x cables), 1x 12+4 pin (600W), 4x PCIe 6+2 pin (2x cables)
- Peripheral Connectors: 13x SATA (4x cables), 2x 4-pin Molex (1x cable)
- ATX Cable Length: 600mm
- EPS Cable Length: 700mm
- 12+4 pin PCIe Cable Length: 600mm
- 6+2 pin PCIe Cable Length: 750mm
- Distance between SATA/4-pin Molex: 155mm
- In-cable capacitors: No
- Dimensions (W x H x D): 150 mm x 85 mm x 175mm
- Weight: 2.23 kg (4.92 lb)
- Warranty: 10 Years
- MSRP (excluding VAT): $275/275€
Power Specifications
| Rail | 3.3V | 5V | 12V1 | 12V2 | 12V3 | 12V4 | 5VSB | -12V | |
| Max. Power | Amps | 25 | 24 | 33 | 33 | 40 | 40 | 3 | 0.5 |
| Watts | 120 | 996 | 15 | 6 | |||||
| Total Max. Power (W) | 1000 | ||||||||
