Deepcool PQ1000M - powerful silent PSU review

In its top-end power supplies, DeepCool uses the Seasonic Focus Gold OEM platform, whose brand has become synonymous with high quality and excellent performance. And these are not empty words: Japanese components are used at the heart of the power supply, in particular the famous Japanese brown Nippon capacitors, and durability is confirmed by the fact: the manufacturer gives a 10-year warranty on its power supply.

But an inquisitive reader will say that we have already seen all this before, for example, in the DQ series (see the DeepCool DQ850-M-V2L review), and in general they will be right, except for one important detail - the hybrid mode of operation. Yes, the Seasonic GX platform has the ability to work with passive cooling at a power consumption of up to 300 watts. Previously, it was implemented in the NZXT PSU (see our review of the NZXT C750), and for many users it became the determining factor when buying a device. DeepCool could not ignore such a useful option for a long time, and finally it is implemented in the PQ series.

Technically, there is no magic in making the power supply work with passive cooling under low load: well, judge for yourself - the efficiency of models with 80 Plus Gold certificates is about 92%, and although this parameter is about 80% in the range from 30 to 150 watts, in absolute terms, power losses are 30-40 watts. About as much is spent on heating the air with radiators on diode assemblies. This is not a lot at all, and when using high-temperature components, it is quite possible not to be afraid of an early failure of the device.

When the trigger threshold is exceeded, the fan turns on at the minimum speed and increases it as the load increases. Thus, the power supply is ready to assemble an absolutely silent HEDT class computer with gaming graphics cards and a top-end processor. At least you won't have any complaints about the noise of the PSU.

If your PC is operated in difficult conditions, you can always turn off this silent mode, and the fan will work for you constantly - for this there is a corresponding button on the device case.

OK, we have sorted out the main feature of the DeepCool PQ series, and now we will move on to the general description of the design. We are testing the kilowatt model PQ1000M, in which first of all we note the compactness inherent in conventional ATX power supplies: this model has dimensions of 140x150x86 mm, and will fit into any ATX standard case.

For ease of installation, all cables are pluggable, that is, the power supply is fully modular. However, the cables themselves do not represent anything interesting: there are completely ordinary simple connectors and AWG18 wires with black insulation. There are few connectors for connecting video cards: only 3 x 6+2 pin PCI-E, this amount would be enough for an 850-Watt model, but I would like more from a kilowatt.

The length of the 24-pin cable to the motherboard is as much as 60 centimeters, and the ATX12V is 65 centimeters. There will be no problems when mounting from below in Tower-type enclosures.

Previously, DeepCool supplied a small bag with power supplies to store cables, and now there is no such thing. However, one of the nice bonuses was an adapter for turning on the power supply without connecting to a PC, in case you need to have a high-quality 12-Volt output at hand, for example for miners, chargers or telecommunications equipment. You can usually turn on the ATX power supply by shorting the green and black wiring on the 24-pin connector to the motherboard, for which you should use an unbent paper clip. But aesthetes now have an original certified Deepcool accessory. Well, that's another thing.

Externally, the design of the PQ series is unremarkable: in the DQ series, the company used bright turquoise stickers emphasizing brand identity, and the outer grille with DeepCool logos looked interesting, giving the computer some charm, even if the PSU is hidden from the observer's eyes, as is now done in most cases. But now in the PQ series, the power supplies have become faceless, with square grids, stamping over the fan, and this power supply looks the same as the fiercest Chinese. But again, if the PSU is installed in a closed casing in the case, its aesthetics are unlikely to worry you.

Internals

As in all models on the Seasonic Ocz Gold platform, a 120 mm HA1225H12F-Z fan from Hong Hua company is used here with an impeller rotation speed of 2000 RPM. Due to the fact that a hydrodynamic bearing with a resource of 50,000 hours is used in the rotor suspension, we can talk about the high reliability of the device. The angle of attack of the blades is designed mainly to create high pressure, and half of the working surface is closed so that the airflow is better distributed over the space of the power supply and cools its radiators.

Brown Japanese Nippon Chemi-Con capacitors of the KZE series do not need any introduction: everyone knows them, and today they have become synonymous with high quality and durability, so every manufacturer in recent years has emphasized their use as much as possible in the characteristics and photos on the website. These capacitors have a temperature coefficient of 2000 hours at 105 degrees Celsius, which is expressed in about 12 years of operation in normal mode, without overheating.

A complete filter is soldered at the AC input, in which two chokes are installed on the main board, and the capacitors are on a separate input board. A varistor is also used here, protecting the power supply from an increased voltage at the input (OverVoltage Protection). A pair of diode bridges is located on one common radiator. DC-DC converters +5 and +3.3 V are installed on the daughter board and have one common aluminum radiator. The quality of the choice of components is characterized, among other things, by the fact that even on the ferrite rings around which the filters are wound, there is a manufacturer's marking, that is, the power supply is downright brand-name, it is in everything here.

The connectors for connecting cables are located on a separate daughter board, and here the manufacturer did not skimp on RF interference filters: one electrolytic and 13 Nichicom solid-state capacitors.

Testing

When testing, the first thing we do is check the voltage output on the tires beyond the nominal value at various loads.

No one doubted that the deviations were within acceptable limits.

The results can't be called anything but ideal. There is nothing to add or subtract.

Technical specifications

Pay attention to the warranty period - 10 years! A huge period by today's standards.

The scope of delivery is minimal: in addition to the power supply itself and cables, you will receive a connector for turning on the PSU without a computer and three Velcro ties.

Conclusions

DeepCool PQ1000M is the choice for those who are looking for high quality. The ability to work in a completely fanless mode is a big plus, which the series lacked before. The appearance is not very good, but this is the only thing you can find fault with here.

Given the excellent technical characteristics, voltage deviation indicators according to tests and a 10-year warranty, we can say that the DeepCool PQ1000M is the optimal PSU that you need to take right now if you want to build a computer for the next 10 years.

Michael Degtyarev (aka LIKE OFF)
14/03.2022