Deepcool DQ850-M-V2L 850 W PSU review Introduction
Deepcool DQ850-M-V2L 850 W PSU review Introduction
We’re putting the new Deepcool DQ850-M-V2L power supply on our test bench today. It received 80 Plus certification already in December 2019 and appeared on the manufacturer’s website in April. We reviewed its predecessor (a version with lower wattage) at the end of 2018 (Deepcool Gamer Storm DQ750-M). This time, it’s an 850 Watt model (in black, rather than white), with an 80 PLUS? Gold certificate again, which means that it’s 90% efficient at 50% load @ 115 V, and even 92% efficient @ 230 V.
This is important because the energy consumed does not go to waste (at least not in a significant amount), and that affects your energy bill. The Deepcool DQ850-M-V2L is an ATX power supply; a rather typical one (and without a semi-passive mode, unfortunately). This time there’s only one +12 V line (which is good) instead of four that were applicable in the DQ750-M. It’s a fully modular PSU with a flat cable design. Even the motherboard connectors are not attached permanently to the housing, but you still have to use most of them anyway. Nearly all cases have a power supply shroud now (at least ATX-sized ones do, so the unit and the cables will be hidden in most part.
There is also a 750 W and 650 W variant available. Both should be more than enough for most users. So, there’s nothing left to be desired in the department of wattage choice. The fan is a 120 mm one with a rifle bearing (that’s a downgrade comparing to the predecessor). This is not the most reliable kind, but it’s still better than the sleeve type, which is actually very similar but less durable. We’d rather see a fluid bearing here, like in the previous model. Some might argue that a rifle bearing is better (at the early stage of a device’s life cycle), but an FDB will still outperform it in most situations. The DQ850-M-V2L is built with 100% high-quality Japanese capacitors that provide enhanced reliability and durability, as well as a high-grade Japanese 105℃ PFC boost capacitor. There’s also full-bridge PFC + LLC resonant converter used here, so we’ll see what that brings to the table in the practical part.
The main unit itself is quite typical given the provided wattage, measuring 150 mm x 85 mm x 160 mm. Deepcool’s DQ850-M-V2L is backed by a 10-year warranty. This is great news, as it finally matches the offer of the likes of Corsair and Seasonic. Good job Deepcool in that department, it’s a significant improvement! When we reviewed the predecessor it had a 5-year warranty, but then it was extended. The MTBF for DQ850-M-V2L is 100,000 hours (for comparison, the recently reviewed Seasonic Connect offered 150,000) so it’s not so impressive on the other side. As for the price, it’s 129.99 USD, which sounds rather reasonable. Ok, let’s check out this PSU from Deepcool, next page.
Deepcool markets the DQ850-M-V2L (and the whole DQ-M-V2L) series as their 80 Plus Gold power supplies. Certification is performed by an organization called 80 PLUS. But what does this mean “on paper”? It’s a program that was introduced in 2004 and is intended to promote efficient energy use in computer power supply units (PSUs). Only products that offer more than 80% efficiency at 20, 50, and 100% load, and a power factor of 0.9 or more, are eligible. This means that the PSU will waste 20% or less electric energy as heat, reducing power consumption and bills as compared with less efficient designs.
As you can see above, there are 80 Plus, Bronze, Silver, Gold (these three are from 2008), Platinum (2009), and Titanium (2012) certificates. Nowadays, most computers with a single GPU don’t need more than a 600-650 W PSU, as power consumption has dropped over the years. The PSU tested today is the most efficient at 50% load (375 W), but the differences above and below this threshold are not significant. You don’t need to keep it exactly at half load, but for better noise performance, longevity, etc., it’s best to stay below the maximum wattage. The reviewed sample is 80 PLUS Gold certified – up to ~90% efficiency @ 115 V (at 20~100% loads) – and has active PFC with a power factor of up to 0.99. It consumes < 0.3 W in its off-mode, complying with the ERP standard. If you want to check the Deepcool DQ850-M-V2L’s measurements taken by the 80 Plus organization, you can have a look at them here.
