The Dark Power Pro 11 is an 80PLUS Platinum certified PSU that boasts up to 94% conversion efficiency. Today we are taking a look at the 850w variant, but the feature set remains consistent across the range. It's a semi-modular unit that is primarily focused towards the PC enthusiast crowd. A lot of careful consideration has been taken in the design of this unit and it's features. It should be no surprise to find all Japanese capacitors used throughout the unit. It's clear that the Dark Power Pro 11 is designed with two major applications in mind. To be the quietest and most efficient power supplies available.
Let's talk about the SilentWings 3 fan that is included in all of the Dark Power Pro units. It's a 135mm fan that utilizes a fluid dynamic bearing with a copper core. This increases the life span of the fan while reducing the operating noise. It's powered by a 6-pole fan motor that provides smooth operation even at lower speeds. With a name like be quiet!, surely you didn't think the sound reduction stops here? The fan blades of the SilentWings 3 have been designed to optimize airflow while decreasing noise-generating turbulence. It also uses a high quality IC motor controller to reduce electrical noise. Finally, the fan is attached to the chassis with a rubberized ring mount which helps to reduce vibration and noise.
While we are still on the topic of fans, the Dark Power Pro allows for up to four case fans to be connected directly to it. In this instance the PSU acts as a fan controller and helps to regulate fan speeds to reduce system noise. This is a great option that I haven't seen included on other units, Kudos to be quiet! for breaking out of the void of normal.
The chassis has also been designed with silence in mind. The Dark Power Pro employs a "Dual-Layer" chassis that utilizes rubberized sleeves to further help reduce vibration and noise within your system.
The Dark Power Pro 11 has another feature that I haven't seen on the test bench. That feature is the included "OCK" or Overclocking Key. This switch plugs right into the back of the unit. By turning the switch on or off, the unit is set to run between either multi-rail or a high performance single rail mode. While this may only apply to serious over clockers, it's a thoughtful inclusion. In the cases where I have seen similar features it's always controlled via a software element, but I actually prefer having the physical switch. If you decide you want to run it in the single rail mode all the time, you can forgo the switch altogether and just plug in the included jumper.
Overall, the be quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 is stacked with great features. The amount of time and effort put into making this a quiet unit goes beyond just using a better fan. be quiet! also made sure to have a product with great aesthetic appeal. It's refreshing to see a PSU on the test bench that has the premium look and feel to the chassis.
be quiet! Dark Power Pro 11 850W Power Supply
5 Year Warranty, Semi-Modular
80 PLUS Platinum
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