Final Thoughts and Conclusions
The ST85F-PT power supply is a worthy addition to SilverStone’s Strider Platinum Series lineup, which currently includes four compact models ranging from 550W to 850W and is positioned near the top of their product offerings. One of the Platinum series most unique features is the compact chassis measuring only 140mm (5.5”) deep; not bad for a 850W ATX PSU. It also features all-modular cabling, incorporates a quiet cooling fan, and is capable of running in silent fanless mode at low power levels (less than 20% load).
Note: The Strider Platinum Series also contains two high-power models (1000W and 1200W) with all the same great features but without the compact chassis. The ST1000-PT and ST1200-PT chassis measures 180mm (7.1”) deep.
The voltage regulation delivered by the ST85F-PT is very good across the board. All of the main DC outputs stayed well within SilverStone’s claimed ±3% range with the three primary rails measuring ±2%. AC ripple and noise suppression is also very good. The power supply is silent at low power levels and remains very quiet through mid-power operation. Only at the full 100% load did the fan noise really become noticeable. The ST85F-PT comes with a good assortment of all-modular, ribbon-style cables with two ATX12V 4+4 pin/EPS 8-pin, and four PCI-E connectors for multiple graphic card support. However some users may be looking for six PCI-E connectors instead of the basic four that the 850W model offers.
Bottom line, the SilverStone Platinum Series power supply delivered very good performance from a compact ATX chassis. It deserves serious consideration if you need a lot of power but in a compact chassis for your next build.
MSRP for the SilverStone Platinum Series compact chassis power supplies:
• SilverStone ST55F-PT (550W): $109.99 USD
• SilverStone ST65F-PT (650W): $124.99 USD
• SilverStone ST75F-PT (750W): $144.99 USD
• SilverStone ST85F-PT (850W): $159.99 USD
Strengths:
• Up to 850W continuous DC output
• Compact enclosure measures only 140mm (5.5”) deep
• Very good efficiency (80 Plus Platinum certified)
• Very good voltage regulation (±2% confirmed)
• Clean DC outputs with low AC ripple/noise
• Very quiet operation below ~60% load
• All-modular cable design with flat ribbon-style cables
• Universal AC input with Active PFC
• 5-Year warranty
Weaknesses:
• Some users may be looking for six PCI-E connectors at this power level
SilverStone Strider Platinum Series 850W Power Supply
I would like to thank our friends at SilverStone for sending us the Platinum Series 850W PSU to review – thanks!
Did SilverStone send you the
Did SilverStone send you the PSU for review, or did you request it? If the latter, I’d say you missed an opportunity by going for the highest capacity one of the lineup. The 550W is far more interesting, as it’s one of the lowest capacity Platinum units out there, and a perfect fit for today’s high end GPUs.
The 850W model was sent to us
The 850W model was sent to us for review as SilverStone wanted to showcase the highest power in the smallest package. However, we may follow up with a review of the 550W unit. Its always nice to have the opportunity to check out more than one unit in a new series.
That would be great, hope you
That would be great, hope you are able to get one in for review.
Of course I see SilverStone’s point (850W Platinum in a smaller package than most 5-600W units is not bad at all), but high powered PSUs are less and less relevant in today’s PC builds. 3,5″ HDDs are slowly dying, multi-GPU was never really a big thing, and is quickly falling to the wayside, and >95W CPUs with actual performance to match are reserved for those with too much money to spend (although Zen might change that).
SilverStone should be lauded as one of the first PSU makers to make <700W Platinum units, but we still had a long way to go. I'm still waiting for something compact, modular and high efficiency in the 3-400W range. You can barely get 80+ Gold below 500W today.
It’s *possible* DX12 may
It’s *possible* DX12 may cause a resurgence in multi-GPU setups.. But agreed we need more gold/platinum small units.
My home (VM) server is running well with a Seasonic 360W 80plus Gold..
Sure, it’s possible, but
Sure, it’s possible, but still highly unlikely. After all, DX12 multi-GPU support is as reliant on developer support as DX11 ever was, just easier to implement (just not as reliant on driver profiles). And as always, it works on a game-to-game basis, with many lacking support. Not to mention that most PC gamers buy a single ~$200 GPU, and can’t afford multiple. Sure, the potential for improved scaling and efficiency is definitely there. I just don’t see multi-GPU having a significant resurgence.
Plus, you can easily run two GTX 1070s or RX 480s off a 600W PSU. Probably even less.
Also, there is no lack of 800W+ (heck, even 1200W+) PSUs with good efficiency today. That market is well provided for already. It’s time to provide better efficiency to the mass market.