be quiet! Straight Power E9 680w Overview

[section_title title=”Conclusion”]Conclusion

Being limited in terms of testing, it is always a goal to have an ATE load tester to do these reviews but of course rail fluctuation is still a very important factor on a power supply and the testing with the be quiet Straight Power E9 680w power supply is complete.  With an already saturated market for power supplies, is there a market for the E9 and with efficiency being a key factor in people’s decisions, is the 80 PLUS Gold rating enough to at least sway my decision?  Let’s find out…

The performance of the Straight Power E9 680w was very good overall and I was more than impressed with the low levels of fluctuations on the different rails.  All the results were well within the regulated values and the 12V was a particular highlight; even with the power supply at over 85% load.  Another thing I want to touch on is just how quiet the Straight Power E9 is and to be honest, it was inaudible meaning the SilentWing fan clearly lives up to its name; another excellent showing for be quiet!.

Cable quality is particularly good and although the plastic braiding is pretty standard, the included cables are of ample length for all but the most monolithic of cases such as the Corsair 900D.  With that being said, the colour coded connectors do give that extra bit of added details which will surely go along way with end users and consumers.

In terms of design, I have to say I love the fan intake grill and feel it is probably one of the best I have experienced on the market so far; I do love the little bits of detail because these can shape a product for the better.  The cables as mentioned are pretty ample but do the job very well in my opinion.  The cable connectors as previously mentioned do add to the score and I feel even a novice end user would have no problems telling which ports each cable is meant for on the Straight Power E9.

Touching on the price, the be quiet! Straight Power E9 680w power supply can be had for around £102 at Scan Computers which is very reasonable given the quality of the rails and of course the 80 Plus Gold rating.  be quiet! are far from one of the most affordable brands in terms of power supplies and there will be no value awards given today but the overall package is certainly an option and if you are looking specifically for a FSP OEM power supply, there are cheaper alternatives; not to say that the be quiet! isn’t worth every extra little bit of money spent, especially for the 3 year warranty which is included.

Overall the be quiet! Straight Power E9 680w power supply has left quite a mark on me as I’m generally not a user of be quiet! products.  Is this set to change?  You can bet for sure be quiet! will be a company I purchase products from in the future and here is why.  The Straight Power E9 has all the fundamentals required to be a solid purchase including great performance, inaudible at load (this sample at least) and provides that ever needed SLI/CF compatibility.  If you are in the market for an all-black power supply and want a top performing option which won’t require you to re-mortgage your house, then make sure the Straight Power E9 range is on your list.

A big thanks to be quiet! for sending in the Straight Power E9 680w power supply in for review and I look forward to seeing more in the near future.