Review of the Proton Line Representative: Power Supply Unit Chieftec BDF-750C

Introduction

It’s not a surprise for anyone that Chieftec is one of the most popular brands of power supply units. The company began to suggest products for the demanding users and enthusiasts. The units of Navitas line are more suitable for the professional using, while less strict users can be satisfied with a wide range of various models, which differ from each other by the circuit engineering, the form of the case, the size of the fan and by the presence of the power cables’ module access.

Every year the company extends the model range, and the last innovation is Proton line, which is characterized by the independent stabilization of the compliance voltage.

There are 7 power supply units in the new line, three of which (S models) have the capacity of 400 – 600 W and four of them (С models) have the capacity of 650 – 1000 W and the module access. Moreover, junior devices are cooled by 120-mm fan, and their case is only 140mm deep. More powerful devices have 135-mm fan and the case is 20mm longer. All the models without exception correspond to 80 Plus Bronze certificate.

Today we are talking about Power Supply Unit Chieftec BDF-750C and with its help we will get acquainted with the Proton model family.

Design

You find the device in the absolute black box with the logo of Proton and nothing more. Inside there is a list of equipment as laconic as the packaging: an instruction, a set of pilot nails, a network cable and a flat cable (шлейф). In whole, everything is usual for the Chieftec design.

The set of cables is not big, nothing extra, only the necessary minimum:

• One cable for the mother board supply;
• One cable with 8-contact connectors (4+4) for processing unit supply (56cm);
• Two cables with two 8-contact connectors (6+2) for the video card supply PCI-E (55cm);
• Two cables with three connectors for SATA-devices’ supply (45+16+16cm);
• One cable with three connectors for IDE-devices’ supply (45+15+15).

All the flat cables have tabulate form, which recently has become popular. Only the cable for the mother board is hold in nylon casing.
As it was mentioned earlier, the depth of the case is 160mm, what is to be mentioned while choosing the power supply unit for this or that system.

On the inner wall there are all the necessary connectors for the flat cables. The settled size for each type, the key and the lettering allow avoiding the confusion while connecting.

Main Characteristics

Specification: ATX 12V 2.3
Form factor: PS II
Efficiency: > 85%
Dimension (DxWxH): 160 mm x 150 mm x 87 mm
PFC: Active PFC (0,9)
Fan: 140mm silent fan
Warranty: 24 Month

There is the whole list of the necessary protections:
• Increased voltage output protection (OVP);
• Lowered voltage output protection (UPV);
• Short-circuit protection (SCP);
• Overload Power Protection (OPP);
• Overload Current Protection (OCP);
• Over- temperature Protection (OTP)

Due to its capacity the Proton 750W corresponds to the modern demands, when the entire load is given to the 12W line. It can reach up to 62,5A, what corresponds to the device maximum output.

Developers also don’t stretch finances on the radiators for cooling the module APFC elements and power keys. The same large fan is applied to the out diodes.
But the diode bridge comes with a small radiator, fortunately supplied by tiny ribs for increasing of the heat dissipating area.
There are several polymer tanks in the output filter including the card for detachable cables.

For the power supply unit cooling the 135-mm fan S1352512HH by Globe Fan is used. It is based on the slide bearing which is marked by the combination of low price and reliability if to compare with the roller bearing and the hydro-dynamical one. It is got connected by the double-contact cable.
Also there is a transparent plate to optimize the airstream inside the device.

During the system downtime or game it spins with the frequency about 900rpm and reminds about itself by small noise which gets louder when the load increases to the maximum, in this case the speed reaches 1430rpm.

The air takeover is carried out through the portable grate, and being hot it is got out by the slots in the shape of bee’s cells on the back panel. Here is also the input power connector, the start button and the sticker with impressed voltage parameters. The compact size (140 x 150 x 87mm) allows putting the newcomer to any ATX-computer case without problems.

Chieftec BDF-750C +3.3V +5V +12V1 –12V +5Vsb
Maximum Load, А 22 22 62,5 0,3 2,5
Combined Output, W 120 750 3,6 12,5
Total Maximum Output, W 750

Conclusion

• A good level of efficiency ( 80 PLUS Bronze certificate);
• Superior margin of power (up to +30%);
• Modern circuit engineering with the using of DС-DС- convectors;
• Good condition of voltage pattern on the supply lines +12B, +5B, +3,3B;
• Absence of voltage drop while connecting to the powerful configuration;
• Very low surging;
• Presence of all kinds of protection;
• Possibility to work in the broad range of supply voltage;
• Low energy consumption in the sleep mode or turn-off mode;
• Accessible cables in the shape of flat cables;
• Effective and quite calm cooling system;
• Active method of reactive power compensation.

Proton BDF-750C can be recommended to those for whom the stability and the quality of power supply unit implementation are more important than noise characteristics. The newcomer’s price is about €55.