The Montech Century Gold 650W PSU Review: The New Kid Starts Out Strong

Cold Test Results (~24°C Ambient)

For the testing of PSUs, we are using high precision electronic loads with a maximum power draw of 2700 Watts, a Rigol DS5042M 40 MHz oscilloscope, an Extech 380803 power analyzer, two high precision UNI-T UT-325 digital thermometers, an Extech HD600 SPL meter, a self-designed hotbox and various other bits and parts. For a thorough explanation of our testing methodology and more details on our equipment, please refer to our How We Test PSUs - 2014 Pipeline post.

The 80Plus certification requirements are stricter when the device is powered from a 230 VAC source, so most manufacturers only work towards meeting the requirements with a 115 VAC input. This is not the case here, as the Montech Century Gold 650W unit is exceptionally efficient regardless of the input voltage, easily meeting the 80Plus Gold requirements in either case. The average nominal load range (20% to 100% of the unit's capacity) efficiency of the Montech Century Gold 650W unit is 91.7% when powered from a 230 VAC source, or 90.9% when powered from a 115 VAC source.

Montech kept things simple with the Century Gold unit, including the thermal control circuitry. It is not capable of stopping the fan entirely and only controls its speed in relation to the internal temperature of the unit. Although the fan immediately starts when the PSU is powered on, it maintains a very low running speed across most of the load range. It is audible only from a very short distance while the load is below 400 Watts and it never becomes intolerably loud, not even with the PSU operating at maximum capacity.