Seasonic Flagship PRIME 850W Power Supply Review @ [H]

FrgMstr

Just Plain Mean
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Seasonic Flagship PRIME 850W Power Supply Review - Seasonic is one of our long-time favorites when it comes to high power and high efficiency desktop computer power supplies. Seasonic does not introduce wave after wave of new PSU series, so when it does come across with a new platform it gets our attention. Is the TITANIUM rated PRIME 850W worthy of yours?
 
I think it's about time to create a Platinum Award..... Simply astounding!
 
Thanks for the review.

Holy shit, that voltage regulation is ridiculous. Amazing PSU.
 
Another excellent review of another excellent Seasonic PSU. Thanks again to the [H]ard reviewers.

I'm still rocking my Seasonic 660w Platinum I bought in early 2013 and it was [H]ard tested and shown to have a variance of only 0.01v on the 12v rail. Seasonic has maintained it's top position among high-end PSUs.

850 watts. Wow!!! But in all honesty who will need that much power in this day-n-age? Modern GFX cards with their greater power efficiency are reducing the demand for high-powered PSUs. Nvidia's 1080 has a TDP of 180 watts. This Seasonic PSU would be overkill for a 2-way SLI or CFX system using modern graphics cards. How many 3-way systems are going to be built?

Unless I'm missing something obvious, it seems the days of high-powered PSUs has passed.
 
Another excellent review of another excellent Seasonic PSU. Thanks again to the [H]ard reviewers.

I'm still rocking my Seasonic 660w Platinum I bought in early 2013 and it was [H]ard tested and shown to have a variance of only 0.01v on the 12v rail. Seasonic has maintained it's top position among high-end PSUs.

850 watts. Wow!!! But in all honesty who will need that much power in this day-n-age? Modern GFX cards with their greater power efficiency are reducing the demand for high-powered PSUs. Nvidia's 1080 has a TDP of 180 watts. This Seasonic PSU would be overkill for a 2-way SLI or CFX system using modern graphics cards. How many 3-way systems are going to be built?

Unless I'm missing something obvious, it seems the days of high-powered PSUs has passed.

AMD video cards pull similar power, but have overkill power input stages. So you can OC them to hell and back with voltage increases that an Nvidia brand card wouldn't allow. So that's your answer. And AMD video cards support 3 and 4 way CrossfireX. We will see if that changes when they release their higher end cards early next year.
 
Great review again! I'm just biding my time until my next build. I already know I'm going to splurge for a Seasonic PSU this time. Again thanks for the thorough review.
 
Thanks for the review, well done. I have been a fan of Seasonic since the SS-400HT Active PFC F3 and have never been let down by this company. Talk about clean DC output on this 850W supply. Is it true that there is usually a tradeoff between transient response and ripple or noise? Maybe this is why the load tests are what they are.
 
Nice review guys.
So are we now going to see other brands on the same exact same hardware Seasonic used?
 
They already said this is the best PSU they've seen. So if that's what you want, there is no other option. If price is a big factor, then look at other PSUs.
 
Is this really a question?
They're both titanium rated psus, both around the same price. If i'm looking for the best psu at that wattage, wouldn't i want to know which one was better? I understand part of that is highly subjective, but i'm still interested in knowing.
 
I think I just found my next PSU. Good lawdy. SeaSonic, they never stop being ridiculously awesome, this is insanity.
Much like the [H] crew, who once again get mad props and infinite thanks for doing the testing, gathering the data, and letting the rest of us know what's up, with no bullshit.
 
So, 15-year lurker, finally getting around to posting...

Just built a custom water-cooled rig and the eVGA 1300W Supernova P2 PSU that I used is noisy as hell all the time. It never changes from its dull roar. It's noisier than even the entire air-cooled PC that I just replaced. I bought it nearly 2 years ago on a Black Friday sale and never needed it until now, so it was not bought for quiet operation in mind and is essentially "incompatible" with my current build since one of the primary goals was silence.

That said, does anyone know if the modular cables supplied with that PSU would be compatible with this one? i.e. are all the pins arranged the same? I've found in my brief research on a replacement the past couple days that not all manufacturers use the same pin arrangement on their connectors even amongst what are essentially just re-brandings of the same PSU design.

As my case is the Thermaltake Core P5, running all new cables is essentially a full teardown. And since all my cables were custom-sleeved, I'd really hate to go through the trouble of re-wiring (or at least re-pinning; if I could even determine the correct orientation needed) everything.

Thanks
 
^ 15 year lurker here asking for help guys. Seriously this needs to get moved up to the main page! :)
 
This is worth 2x the cost of the FSP HYDRO G 750W?

Then again im lucky if i swap power supplies every 10 years.
 
I just built a new rig using the reviews here and chose the Seasonic Prime 750w. Love it. Definitely the quietest PSU I've ever hard. The cables were nice and it came in a velvet bag and had a really nice metal case badge that I put on the front of my pc. Couldn't be happier and really appreciate what Kyle and the gang here do. I've never been disappointed in choosing a product using the information I've found on HardOCP. Thanks guys!
 
So, 15-year lurker, finally getting around to posting...

Just built a custom water-cooled rig and the eVGA 1300W Supernova P2 PSU that I used is noisy as hell all the time. It never changes from its dull roar. It's noisier than even the entire air-cooled PC that I just replaced. I bought it nearly 2 years ago on a Black Friday sale and never needed it until now, so it was not bought for quiet operation in mind and is essentially "incompatible" with my current build since one of the primary goals was silence.

That said, does anyone know if the modular cables supplied with that PSU would be compatible with this one? i.e. are all the pins arranged the same? I've found in my brief research on a replacement the past couple days that not all manufacturers use the same pin arrangement on their connectors even amongst what are essentially just re-brandings of the same PSU design.

As my case is the Thermaltake Core P5, running all new cables is essentially a full teardown. And since all my cables were custom-sleeved, I'd really hate to go through the trouble of re-wiring (or at least re-pinning; if I could even determine the correct orientation needed) everything.

Thanks
I have fried PSUs before using Company X with Company Y cables. Check the pin-outs, I would not make assumptions.
 
Shouldn't they all come together and make a standard of this? Like usb cables? It's about time when more and more psu's come with modular cables.
 
All my builds use Seasonic X supplies...and those I do for friends and family. I've never had a PSU issue since I started using them. (15+ years ago? Gah.)

This series is on my list for my next build. Keep it up, Seasonic.
 
Couldn't hold back. Ordered from Newegg via [H] and with the rebate coming in at $179.99.
 
Arrives today. Package says a little over 35lbs. That can't be right...
 
That said, does anyone know if the modular cables supplied with that PSU would be compatible with this one? i.e. are all the pins arranged the same? I've found in my brief research on a replacement the past couple days that not all manufacturers use the same pin arrangement on their connectors even amongst what are essentially just re-brandings of the same PSU design.

As my case is the Thermaltake Core P5, running all new cables is essentially a full teardown. And since all my cables were custom-sleeved, I'd really hate to go through the trouble of re-wiring (or at least re-pinning; if I could even determine the correct orientation needed) everything.

Thanks

From my experience and simular question about custom cables for my SS Platinum 760 , NO the cables are NOT interchangeable . For my Platinum 760 it was noted ONLY buy custom cables specifically made for my unit ; and Iam sure the new Titanium series is the same in that reguard .
 
So, 15-year lurker, finally getting around to posting...

Just built a custom water-cooled rig and the eVGA 1300W Supernova P2 PSU that I used is noisy as hell all the time. It never changes from its dull roar. It's noisier than even the entire air-cooled PC that I just replaced. I bought it nearly 2 years ago on a Black Friday sale and never needed it until now, so it was not bought for quiet operation in mind and is essentially "incompatible" with my current build since one of the primary goals was silence.

That said, does anyone know if the modular cables supplied with that PSU would be compatible with this one? i.e. are all the pins arranged the same? I've found in my brief research on a replacement the past couple days that not all manufacturers use the same pin arrangement on their connectors even amongst what are essentially just re-brandings of the same PSU design.

As my case is the Thermaltake Core P5, running all new cables is essentially a full teardown. And since all my cables were custom-sleeved, I'd really hate to go through the trouble of re-wiring (or at least re-pinning; if I could even determine the correct orientation needed) everything.

Thanks

If you wanted to save some cash, you could plug them in (Outside a case), power it on, and check the pin outs with a multimeter.
 
is their gold or plat prime the same just a bit less efficient?

If that's the case, why not just buy the gold and save?
 
is their gold or plat prime the same just a bit less efficient?

If that's the case, why not just buy the gold and save?
This article is for you. :)

Why 80 PLUS® is Irrelevant to You When Buying a PSU
A HardOCP editorial about the 80 Plus program and how it is changing the computer power supplies you are buying. Is this good, bad, or ugly, and should you care? Did you know that you paid for that 80Plus rating on your shiny new PSU? Certainly PSU efficiency is a great thing, but what about the rating system?
 
Ok, I just read it.

I just wonder, specifically with the seasonic prime series, the specs (other than a few), look pretty similar between the units.
So, if the price is much lower, it would be reasonable to get the gold unit, assuming that the inner components are as good and give good review results?

No gold units have been reviewed yet, right? So there is no way right now to really compare the titanium vs gold ?

So what, just wait for the gold to be avail in canada, read a review, and if it's as good as the titanium, just consider it a very good PSU and buy?

I'm looking for a new quality PSU for my computer, and I want a recent design, quality product, from a good manufacturer, and the prime series looks good, it's just that the titanium is maybe a bit expensive for what it would be compared to the gold. I don't need to save 5$ a year, I just want a really good PSU.

Thanks
 
Ok, I just read it.

I just wonder, specifically with the seasonic prime series, the specs (other than a few), look pretty similar between the units.
So, if the price is much lower, it would be reasonable to get the gold unit, assuming that the inner components are as good and give good review results?

No gold units have been reviewed yet, right? So there is no way right now to really compare the titanium vs gold ?

I could be wrong, but I don't think the gold series has been released yet. I've been really happy with my Seasonic PSU. It's 12 years old and in my third build. These new Prime series look awesome though.
 
There are a handful of Amazon reviews for this PSU that report "ticking" when powered, even when not under heavy load. Has anyone experienced this or any issue with this PSU?
 
There are a handful of Amazon reviews for this PSU that report "ticking" when powered, even when not under heavy load. Has anyone experienced this or any issue with this PSU?

the prime seasonics are some of the best made, period....lot of warranty too....12 yrs.....the 4 psu units i have are showing some age,,but with 4 computers.....each does not used a lot..
 
I would buy this in an instant if my 5 year old Seasonic X-850 died today. But it won't. :)

Im rocking a 5 year old CX750(1st gen) powering a 1070 and 4.2ghz 3930k. Its time to avoid this bomb of a corsair.
 
I bought one this March and it's absolutely rock solid stable, quiet, cool, couldn't ask for a better power supply. This is also way less than I paid, so hop on it!
 
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