Be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 650w ATX PSU
Packaging
When it comes to PSU’s in the lower wattage ranges many manufacturers try and skimp on things such as packaging to keep the cost of the units as low as possible. The general consensus being that if you’re in the market for a sub-800w PSU, then you’re most likely looking for the best value available. However, often forgotten are the people that know they don’t need a 1kw PSU to power their single-GPU mid-range setup, but do indeed want a PSU that has the special touches of the high-end models.
It looks like Be Quiet! are catering for just those people…
The Dark Power PRO comes in a rather slim yet long box complete with a carrying handle. The overall theme of the packaging is simplistic and (would you believe it) dark with the predominant colour being black. The front of the outer-box keeps clutter to a minimum with the Be Quiet! logo being tucked away in the bottom left hand corner and a grey gradient stripe over to the right that features a set of glowing cat eyes and the wattage rating of the unit.
Around the back of the packaging is an extensive list of specifications including details of the unit in a total of four languages, a power output chart and a diagram that details the length of each modular cable included in the box. Below this we are also provided with a picture of the unit from two angles and a string of award logo’s from various international tech websites.
An easily missed feature of the packaging is the velcro flap at the front of the box that when lifted, gives a teasing view of the shiny PSU contained within.
Moving on to the inner-box, we can see that Be Quiet! has managed to keep things extremely tidy, using three small accessory boxes to keep sharp objects such as mains plugs separate from the PSU. However, while it would certainly take one hell of a rough delivery to cause any damage to the Dark Power Pro, I can’t help but feel that the unit should have maybe been placed inside a clear plastic bag to prevent any hairline scratches from the cardboard separators devirginizing its reflective paintwork.
Included in the box are the following items:
16x Modular cables
7x Velcro cable ties
4x Black thumbscrews
4x ATX Screws
6x Cable ties
1x Mains power cable
All things considered, not a bad bundle of extras, and certainly plenty of things to promote tidy cabling inside your PC.
Appearance
The appearance of the Dark Power PRO further enforces that Be Quiet! do not believe that their low-wattage units should be stripped of luxury’s. Featuring a very sexy black chrome electroplated finish that resembles a high quality paint job, the unit looks simply awesome. It’s just a shame that the unit wont be visible inside most peoples PC’s.
Being a PSU cooled by a 120mm fan, the Dark Power PRO is kitted out with a honeycomb grill at the back of the unit. The meshing is actually quite large and should allow heated air to exit the unit without any restrictions. Both the power plug and switch are neatly tucked into a corner, but there’s no sign of a status LED often found on the higher-end “flashy” PSU’s.
Rather than spoiling the sides of the unit with specification stickers, Be Quiet! has decided to place the sticker at the top. This has the advantage of not covering over the side of the power supply you are likely to see once it is installed inside a windowed PC case. As we can see from the image above, the side of the unit is also embossed with the Be Quiet! logo.
Around the front of the unit we can see the Dark Power PRO’s modular system with a total of 13 colour coded connectors. More information on the connectors and modular cabling system can be found over the next page…
