be quiet! Dark Power 14 1200W PSU Review
Meet the be quiet Dark Power 14
Meet the Dark Power 14!
be quiet has updated its power supply range with new Dark Power 14 series models, which arrive with 850W, 1000W, and 1200W models. All models in this range are Titanium certified by 80+ and Cybenetics, boasting power efficiency above 94% under most operating conditions.
With the Dark Power 14 series, be quiet has improved cooling performance and enabled quieter power delivery. Today, we will be looking at the Dark Power 14’s 1200W version.
Be quiet claims that its new Dark Power 14 features “state-of-the-art technology,” which includes an “active rectifier with full bridge LLC”. Be quiet claims that these features help the Dark Power 14 deliver higher levels of efficiency, better voltage regulation, and lower ripple/noise. In other words, this PSU is more stable than its predecessors and delivers cleaner power.
Unlike this PSU’s 850W and 1000W counterparts, the Dark Power 14 features two PCIe 5.1 (12V-2×6) power outputs. The lower-end versions of this PSU only feature one of these power connectors.
New heatsink, low noise levels
When talking about this PSU, be quiet claims that its new Dark Power 14 series PSUs feature a “newly developed aluminium heatsink” to reinforce this PSU’s “semi-passive cooling concept”. This new heatsink enables this PSU to operate more quietly, achieving an A++ Lambda rating from Cybenetics. This rating is their best low-noise rating. Note that this rating requires PSUs to operate at an average noise level of below 15 dBA across their test range.
During our testing, we never heard this PSU make any noise. Sadly, our offices are not quiet enough for proper noise level testing. We like to keep things quiet, but even a “quiet” room is a difficult place to conduct noise level testing. Let’s say we never heard this thing, even when we were actively listening for it. There was always something louder to drown things out. PC fans, nearby traffic, people breathing. With this in mind, we believe Cybenetic’s rating here.
During their testing, Cybenetics gave the Dark Power 14 1200W an average noise output 14.79 dBA. This gave the PSU an A++ rating.
Ooo, what do those switches do?
Two neat tricks in the Dark Power 14 lineup are its user-configurable semi-passive fan mode and its “OCK” single-rail mode. Users can set the 0 RPM switch to off to keep the PSU’s fan running continuously. While unnecessary, it will give extra peace of mind for users who want their PSU to always be actively cooled.
Note that when 0 RPM fan mode is enabled, this PSU’s fans are only enabled when additional cooling is required. After cooling down, the PSU will keep its fans spinning for 2-5 minutes to prevent potentially noisy/annoying start/stop behaviour during borderline workloads.
This PSU’s “OCK” mode is for overclockers. Enabling this feature allows users to activate this PSU’s “single-rail” mode. By default, this PSU operates with multiple 12V rails. In single-rail mode, this PSU combines the rails into a single, more powerful 12V rail.
Out of the box, this PSU comes with several velcro ties to enable easier cable management inside your PC.
All cables on be quiet’s Dark Power 14 series PSUs are modular. All cables use black wires and have a sleeve covering most of their width. These cables do not feature individually sleeved cables.
As noted earlier, this PSU features two 12V-2×6 power connectors. As such, this PSU ships with two 12V-2×6 cables.
If you are wondering what length the PSUs’ supplied cables are, consult the chart below. These cables are more than long enough for standard PC setups. You’d need an incredibly large PC case to require longer cables than this.
Pricing
Sadly, be quiet has not given us the UK price of its Dark Power 14 1200W PSU. However, we know that the PSU will cost $309.90 in the US and €309.90 in Europe. This is a solid price for a Titanium-rated PSU with this power rating.
