The SilverStone Strider Gold S 1500W PSU 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 SilverStone Strider Gold S 1500W met its 80Plus Gold conversion efficiency requirements, even if only barely. We recorded a maximum conversion efficiency of 90% at 50% load and an average of 90.0% within the nominal load range (20% to 100% of the unit's capacity). Low load performance is mediocre, with the ST1500-GS maintaining an efficiency of 80% at 10% load, which drops to 74.4% at just 5% load. These are actually good figures considering the size of the power supply, yet they are nothing special by today's standards.

Always considering its massive power output, the ST1500-GS maintains very low internal temperatures. The primary heatsink of the PSU barely reached 67°C under maximum load, when the four transistors were pumping more than 1.5kW to the main transformer. This can be partially attributed to the "stepping" behavior of the cooling fan. While the load is low, the fan is barely audible when unobstructed, meaning that it would be virtually imperceptible with the PSU installed inside a case. At 55%-60% load, the speed of the fan steps up and the fan becomes audible, yet the noise output remains within comfortable limits. If the load exceeds 70% of the unit's capacity, then the fan speed steps up again, making the fan clearly audible and clearly prioritizing thermal performance over acoustics.