be quiet! Power Zone 2 1000W

After 12 years, be quiet! is finally launching a successor its longstanding Power Zone series. With this second generation, comes the latest connectivity and more-modern stylings. Naturally, these PSUs come complete with a bunch of 8-pin cables and the latest 12V-2×6 for your GeForce RTX 50 Series graphics cards. The series features a semi-passive cooling design using the brand’s Pure Wings 3 140mm fan that will only kick in under heavy load. To make its operation less noticeable, there is also a 2 to 5-minute cooldown period to avoid frequent on/off switching. Better yet, when needed the fan starts at a lower rpm before slowly ramping up to blend into the environment. Lastly, be quiet! further optimises Power Zone 2 noise profiles with glue where needed to reduce vibrations and coil whine. Regarding capacity, be quiet! isn’t trying to break any records, offering three versions, 750W, 850W, and 1,000W. At £179.99, the latter of the three is quite interesting to me as it covers the needs of most machines without breaking the bank. It also puts it head-to-head with the brand’s Straight Power 12 1,000W PSU, which offers a Full-bridge topology and slightly better power factor correction.

All models use a single-rail design, meaning you don’t have to think about adequately splitting power between the connectors, just plug and play. Plus, you can be sure most of this power is going towards your hardware as the series rocks an 80 Plus Platinum efficiency rating alongside Cybenetics Platinum. In terms of compatibility, this new generation of power supplies meets ATX 3.1 standards and natively includes the 12V-2×6 600 W connector, essential for powering the latest generation of PCIe 5.1 graphics cards. Three PCIe 6+2-pin connectors are also present to cover the needs of today’s GPUs, and the 12V-2×6 cable benefits from a 90° angled connector for greater ease of installation.

Packaging & Contents

We’re lucky enough to have in our hands the new Power Zone 2 1000W. be quiet! artwork has remained consistent now for many years – I do like the black and orange accents, it's very effective. The front of the box showcases a high resolution image of the power supply along with key details such as efficiency. It shows its Cybenetics Platinum badge.

The rear of the package still carries quite a clean aesthetic. We see that there is a QR code where you can go to the be quiet! website to learn more about the product. This will be helpful if you are in a shop looking at the PSU and want more information than the snippets offered on the packaging. I do like that be quiet! even lists that the QR code is for more details on this supply, and they translate that note into ten languages, including English. We have the output table near the lower portion along with the array of safety and compliance iconography. The top is a small marketing blurb that tells the story of be quiet! and what their goal is.

The PSU is protected by bubble wrap and a cardboard frame. A bit spartan, but enough to keep it safe from any bumps during transport. The contents are neatly organized. You’ll find a basic multi-language manual on top of it and a stack of all-black cables to the side.

The bundle includes fixing bolts and zip ties also. As for the modular wiring, all are flat.

The ATX and PCIe cables are long enough, while the EPS cables are longer at 700mm. The number of EPS and PCIe connectors is enough, and there is also a 12VHPWR connector available, set at 600W.

A Closer Look - Outside

The power supply has a fairly compact ATX size (160 mm long), and aesthetically it's quite striking with its black color and a gold plate with the family name. It covered with black, slightly rough varnish. We shouldn't worry about dirt or scratches on the casing. On one side, we have the name "be quiet!" embossed in the metal itself.

On the opposite side, the usual sticker with the power table and certification and compliance logos.

At the top we have a large grille behind which is the hybrid fan responsible for cooling the interior.

The modular connectors are arranged vertically. The PSU is fully modular with all cables, which include the main motherboard ATX lead, two CPU EPS connectors. As you can see there are lots and lots of connections. The modular panel consists of nine sockets, one being a 12V-2×6 type and set for 600W max power output.

On the opposite side, a small vent for air output, the power connector and a mechanical power switch.

A Closer Look - Inside

The PSU fan is a modified Pure Wings 3 fan with a diameter of 140mm and closely resembles a Silent Wings revision. The power supply unit (PSU) has a smart fan that only starts spinning when it needs to protect the system. Until a certain temperature or load is reached, the fan stays off, staying silent and gentle. When the moment arrives, the fan begins its quiet journey with a smooth and gentle start, avoiding any sudden noise that might startle you. This particular power supply adopts a 140mm Pure Wings 3 fan rated 0.42A, DC12V and with a maximum rotational speed of 2,100rpm.

The be quiet! Power Zone 2 1000W model is based on a design developed by FSP.

The topology of this unit is a half bridge LLC with synchronous rectification and DC/DC conversion and it features one single 12V rail. Analyzing the layout of the elements, on the left side there is an EMI filter and a bridge rectifier radiator. Next we can see the APFC section coil and the APFC section radiator and the keying section, which uses a half-bridge topology. Behind the main transformer, on the vertical laminate, we find the +12 V line rectification section, in its vicinity we have additional polymer and electrolytic capacitors. On the right side there is another vertical laminate, containing DC-DC converters. At the very edge, a PCB with modular wiring connectors is soldered, where we can find additional electrolytic and aluminum-polymer capacitors.

To keep the cost low, Teapo and Elite provide the electrolytic caps. The main capacitors are two 420V, 390 microfarad capacitors @105C. The list of components confirms the more mid-range quality of the electronics used, including solid transistors and controllers from Magnachip, Nexperia, and Infineon.

Instrumentation Used

Sleek, stylish, and professional. The be quiet! Dark Power 13 looks to be a fantastic design both internally and externally. There is though, and of course, the small matter of how this actually performs when operating. So, without further a do, let’s get this strapped onto our test bench and see how it does!Below we report the instrumentation used in the test phase for the Dark Power 13.

PowerKiller 2.0. Test bench designed for power supplies up to 2185W.

Stingray DS1M12 USB Oscilloscope

PCE-PA 6000 Wattmeter

Range 1W ~ 6kW

Accuracy ± 1.5%

Multimeters

3 x HT81

1 x ABB Metrawatt M2004

1 x Eldes ELD9102

1 x Kyoritsu Kew Model 2001

1 x EDI T053

Multi-Channel Datalogging Digital Thermometer PCE-T 1200

Center 325 sound level meter

Voltage Regulation

Average voltage 3,271 volt

Deviation from the ideal value (3,33 volt) = -1,75%

Average voltage 4,911 volt

Deviation from the ideal value (5,0 volt) = -1,76%

Average voltage 12,01 volt

Deviation from the ideal value (12,0 volt) = +0,08%

Although the deviation between the no-load value and the full load value is extremely small, the average value of the lower voltages remains below the nominal value due to starting values already close to the reference. The 12V voltage is better, which starts from a higher no-load value. The voltages remain within the limits imposed by the ATX standard with a good margin, therefore no problem for the powered components, which will receive an adequate voltage value in any condition.

Efficiency

be quiet! has decided to abandon, starting with this model, the 80Plus certification in favor of the Cybenetics one. The power supply has obtained the Cybenetics Platinum badge and from the values we measured it would have also obtained the analogous 80Plus certification without problems.

With an efficiency at 50% of the load of 94.2%, the power supply will deliver 500W "wasting" just 30W, which is why it will be necessary, at full load, to draw about 1093W from the electrical network.

Ripple

Ripple results are extremely low, and that means consistently clean and stable power delivery on all rails at all loads, which is great for system stability and health.

Cross-Load

Line +3,3V

Maximum Vdrop 0,06 volt (1,79%)

Line +5V

Maximum Vdrop 0,05 volt (1,00%)

Line +12V

Maximum Vdrop 0,12 volt (0,99%)

The deviation on the lines of interest remains well within 2%.

APFC & Overload

The Power Factor Control (APFC) system is not surprising, but it performs well on the new Power Zone 2 1000W, achieving a good 0.98 above 750W.

Test 12V-2x6

The output voltage of the 12V-2x6 cable contains the voltage drop compared to the no-load value in just 130mV, an excellent result and in line, if not better, than many other ATX competitors.

Noise

A control system that takes into account both the power delivered and the internal temperature is certainly among the best solutions for combining efficiency and silence.

The control system does an excellent job of limiting the rotation speed to the minimum possible value to keep the internal temperature under control, furthermore, the non-disabled fanless mode (Zero RPM Mode) is active up to the 400W threshold.

Final Thoughts

About seven years after the first series was released, be quiet! is renewing its line of Power Zone format power supplies and is once again relying on FSP for their production. The improvements made have allowed us to move up a level from every point of view. There are now three power cuts ranging from 750 to 1000 watts and the increased efficiency to the Platinum level has really impressed us, especially for the low-load values (worthy of the higher certification) and for the electrical performance, which has reached the levels of many high-end ATX competitors. The robustness of the 12V-2x6 cable is also excellent, even though it is derived from a double 8-pin connector, with a voltage drop at 600W of just 130mV. Thanks to an advanced LLC topology, optimized DC/DC conversion, and a single high-performance 12V rail, it ensures stable and reliable power delivery, even under heavy load. Thanks to the high efficiency, the fanless mode up to 400W and the new PWM-controlled FDB fan, the new Power Zone 2 1000W has proven to be extremely silent across the entire power range. The electrical performance measured during our tests proved to be in line with or better than that of the previous series and other competitors in the same price range. The only criticism I could possibly make of this power supply in terms of practicality is that I would like to see something better than these Elite chinese bulk capacitors. The list of components confirms the more mid-range quality of the electronics used, including solid transistors and controllers from Magnachip, Nexperia, and Infineon It’s not that they’re necessarily bad, but if they were high grade Japanese capacitors, I wouldn’t have a problem at all here. Its mesh design combines aesthetics with heat dissipation, while its flat black modular cables facilitate organization and improve airflow.

With a retail price of $189.90/€189.90/£179.99, more than justified by the expressed performance and the 10-year warranty, the be quiet! Power Zone 2 1000W is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the best value for money PSU's on the market with ATX 3.1/PCIe 5.1 and Cybenetics Platinum certification.

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