High Power Astro GD 1200W Fully Modular Power Supply Review

A Detailed Look

The High Power Astro GD-1200W power supply enclosure is painted a very dark brown color, almost a matte black with gold trim and measures 180mm (7.1”) long. The gold lettering isn’t my favorite but I suppose it is there to convey the point this is an 80 Plus Gold certified power supply. The back panel includes an On-Off switch, AC receptacle and a large grill area for good exhaust airflow.

The power supply uses a 135mm Globe Fan for cooling (RL4Z B1352512HH) that incorporates dual ball bearings for reliable operation and long life. The sculpted golf-ball dimpled fan blades are designed to reduce air turbulence and noise. The fan is rated for 0.45A at 12 VDC. The AGD-1200 features a smart fan speed control, which automatically switches between two operating modes: silent mode and cooling mode. Unlike some other power supplies that keep the fan turned off during low output, the AGD-1200 fan spins all the time. Personally, I like having the fan spinning at all times just to keep a little air moving. The Smart Fan Control adjusts the fan operation mode automatically according to the system loading and ambient temperature for quiet operation. The fan speed starts out slow and quiet and gradually ramps up as the load increases. The PSU also incorporates an off-delay fan feature that keeps the fan spinning for a few seconds after the system is turned off.

The front panel includes fifteen color-coded connectors for the modular cables, all nicely arranged into groups and labeled.

The High Power Astro GD 1200W power supply comes with a good assortment of fifteen fully modular cables for easy installation and clean builds. All of the cables are the flat ribbon-style except for the main 24-pin ATX power cable, which is covered with black plastic braiding.

(Courtesy of High Power)

Here are a few pictures showing the layout and components inside Astro GD 1200W power supply.  High Power is once again using Sirfa as the OEM for the Astro GD Series. The layout and build quality appear to be very good.

The AGD-1200F uses a modern topology to help increase efficiency along with two DC-to-DC converters on the secondary to produce the +3.3V and +5V minor rails from the +12V main section.

All of the capacitors used inside the new Astro GD Series are high-quality Japanese made electrolytics rated for 105°C operation and solid polymer caps. The PSU incorporates two primary capacitors made by Nippon Chemi-Con rated for 470uF, 400V and 105°C. The overall component layout is clean, leaves room for good airflow and the soldering appears very good, which is nice to see from Sirfa.