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Very Impressive Efficiency!
Review Summary
The Silverstone Hela 850R Platinum is a high-performance, efficient power supply unit that stands out with its adherence to the latest ATX 3.1 specifications. It features the new 12V-2×6 GPU connector, improving safety and reliability. In our tests, the PSU delivered impressive results, showcasing excellent voltage regulation, high efficiency (up to 94.23%), and exceptional voltage ripple performance. The PSU’s robust build includes top-quality Japanese capacitors and efficient cooling, meaning quiet operation even under load.
Hours Tested: 13
Overall
-
Performance - 9.2/10
9.2/10
-
Build Quality - 8.9/10
8.9/10
-
Efficiency - 9.4/10
9.4/10
-
Value - 8.5/10
8.5/10
Pros
- Extremely efficient.
- Silent operation.
- Very good voltage ripple performance
Cons
- Expensive
- 850W not adequate for high-end builds
I don’t expect our readers to be older than 30, but those who are and have been into building computers will surely remember Silverstone for their super weird & innovative product lineups ranging from excessively feature-packed PC Cases, Fan Speed Controller bays, PSU Acoustic Covers (for reducing PSU fan noise), External Cooling Fan brackets (for mounting fans outside of the case) and even a AA battery powered Emergency Power Bank, to name just a few!
So, for the company that has an “I got everything that you don’t even need” attitude, you really don’t expect them not to make the best PSUs. And that’s exactly what Silverstone has been doing lately for almost all of their PSU lineups, making them among very few top-rated brands who are targeting every PSU segment, ranging from 80 Plus White to 80 Plus Platinum along with full ATX & SFX PSUs.
Until now, we have tested Silverstone’s Hela 1200R Platinum and SFX Extreme 850R, and they both performed really well in our tests, especially their SFX Extreme for their tiny but efficient platform. We expect the same level of performance from Hela 850R.
Key Takeaways
- The Silverstone Hela 850R Platinum is a top-tier, efficient power supply that runs quietly and is built to meet the latest ATX 3.1 standards, making it perfect for high-performance PC builds.
- You should buy the SilverStone HELA 850R Platinum if you plan to build a mid-range PC and want to squeeze every bit of performance out of it.
- You should not buy the SilverStone HELA 850R Platinum if your power requirements exceed 850W. To check, you can use our in-house PSU watts calculator tool.
Here are the specifications:
| Color | Black (lead-free paint) |
| Max. DC Output | 850W |
| Power density | 439W per liter |
| Combined +3.3V & +5V | 120W |
| Combined +12V | 849.6W |
| Input Voltage | 90 ~ 264 Vrms |
| Input Frequency Range | 47Hz ~ 63Hz |
| PFC | Active PFC (PF>0.9 at full load) |
| Efficiency | ≥89% & <91% overall efficiency |
| MTBF | 100,000 hrs |
| Operating temperature | 0°C ~ 50°C |
| Protection | OCP, OPP, OVP, OTP, SCP, UVP |
| Cooling System | Silent 135mm FDB fan |
| Noise Level | 0 dBA minimum |
| Certification | Cybenetics Platinum |
| Form factor | ATX (PS2) |
| Dimension | 150 mm (W) x 86 mm (H) x 150 mm (D) |
| Weight | 2.56 kg |
We actually received Silverstone Hela 850R quite a while ago, and unfortunately, it couldn’t survive during our initial testing phase. Silverstone was kind enough to send us another unit, which now comes with the latest ATX 3.1 specs (compared to the previous unit we received which was ATX 3.0 compliant).
– Arsalan Shakil
Packaging & Unboxing
The front of the box has a big ATX3.1 Compatible logo alongside 12V-2×6 Ready and Cybernetics Platinum logos. There is a picture of the power supply unit itself, showcasing its front and modular side.
At the back, you will find the power specifications, some efficiency graphs, pictures of the different included connectors, and more.
As far as protection goes, SilverStone has got your back. The PSU is tucked away in black foam, which means any rattling or shaking during shipment won’t do any damage. You’re greeted with a multilingual manual, and the connectors come in a separate box.
Design
I personally really love the design of the fan grill. The wintery styling gives a very different vibe from the more aggressively themed PSUs I usually test.
At the power side, there is the typical on/off button as well as the Semi Fanless Switch, turning this switch on will keep the fans off until a set temperature is met, so you don’t get any fan noise when the PC is idling or at low loads.
The other side of the PSU has the standard PSU branding as well as a big Cybenetics Platinum logo. At the back, you’ll find all the power specifications, model information, and more specs.
Cable & Connectors
There are no missing cables, and the length is adequate. The modular connectivity makes the PSU easy to cable manage as you don’t have to plug in all the cables. Here is the list of all connectors:
| Cable Type | Quantity |
|---|---|
| 24 / 20-Pin motherboard connector | 1 |
| 8 / 4-Pin EPS / ATX 12V connectors | 2 |
| 12+4-Pin 12VHPWR connector | 1 |
| 8 / 6-Pin PCIe connectors | 5 |
| SATA connectors | 8 |
| 4-Pin Peripheral connectors | 6 |
| 4-Pin Floppy connectors | 2 |
As per the latest ATX 3.1 specs, PSU manufacturers are required to use an improved version of the 12VHPWR GPU connector, now referred to as 12V-2×6. This greatly reduces the chances of a burnt GPU connector when the cable is not fully inserted due to user error. It’s good to see Silverstone actually making this important change instead of just pasting an ATX 3.1 sticker on the box and calling it a day.
Teardown & Component Analysis
As we stated before, this is the 2nd Hela 850R that we have received, and even though it’s now of the latest ATX 3.1 compliant PSU, we don’t see any change in the platform design whatsoever compared to the one we received earlier.
That’s because all of the ATX 3.0 PSUs automatically fit to receive ATX 3.1 compliance due to ATX 3.1 being a slight downgrade, especially during the hold-up time. The only major change in this latest specification is the use of a new and improved 12VHPWR GPU connector, which is now referred to as a 12V-2×6 connector, which the Silverstone Hela 850R now comes equipped with.
Unlike Silverstone Hela 1200R which uses CWT’s latest ATX 3.X platform, Hela 850R is using a different OEM, High Power. Though CWT and High Power share many similarities in terms of design, a stand alone Primary Transformer without its vertical MOSFETs daughter board gives us a clear indication for it being not from the CWT.
Though the design seems to be quite conventional, High Power has tuned this platform so well that having only an Active PFC, Full-Bridge + LLC topology (which is mostly found in Gold-rated PSUs) makes this a Platinum-rated PSU. It’s really good seeing different OEMs trying to up their game in order to compete in the latest spec PSU market.
Silverstone has opted for more than adequate heatsinks for a mere 850W platform, using separate aluminum heatsinks for Bridge Rectifiers, APFC, and Half-Bridge MOSFETs. This approach, coupled with Platinum efficiency, should help maintain better temperatures and quieter operation.
Unlike most of the platforms we have seen from CWT, where the primary Transformer is directly soldered to a vertical PCB that houses 12V rail MOSFETs for reduced power losses, High Power’s design due to Hela 850R lower rated wattage, using all the 12V rail MOSFETs on the back of the PCB. Two small heatsinks are mounted near the Transformer to dissipate the heat generated from those MOSFETs soldered on the back. This may or may not add up to a slight decrease in voltage regulation and increase voltage ripple, we will see it in our test later.
Just like Silverstone Hela 1200R, Hela 850R also uses top-of-the-line Japanese Electrolytic as well as Polymer capacitors from Rubycon & FP-CAP, respectively. Silverstone has gone to a different OEM, but they are still not compromising on the quality.
The fan is 135mm Fluid Dynamic Bearing from Globe Fan. Silverstone Hela 850R does offer Semi-Hybrid Fan mode, where the fan only spins when a decent amount of load is extracted from the PSU.
PSU Load Testing
12V & Minor Voltage Rails Regulation
| Load in % | 12V | 5V | 3.3V |
| 20% | 12.08V | 5.02V | 3.31V |
| 50% | 12.04V | 5.01V | 3.31V |
| 70% | 12.01V | 5.01V | 3.31V |
| 90% | 11.99V | 5.01V | 3.30V |
| 100% | 11.97V | 5.00V | 3.29V |
Voltage regulation is kept tight, and its performance is on par with that of similarly rated PSUs.
PSU Efficiency
| Load in % | Power Factor | Efficiency |
| 20% | 0.929 | 92.39% |
| 50% | 0.981 | 94.23% |
| 70% | 0.99 | 93.75% |
| 90% | 0.996 | 93.29% |
| 100% | 0.998 | 93.23% |
High Power has impressed me once again with its well-tuned platform. They have significantly reduced the cost of their platform by using conventional conversion topology but still manage to achieve a high level of efficiency. If High Power also keeps up with the same secret sauce for the platforms higher than 850W, we will be seeing a lot fewer PSUs using CWT platforms, especially when the brands are really looking to keep the cost down for their latest spec PSUs.
Voltage Ripple Performance
| Load in % | Voltage Ripple |
| 20% | 8.8mV |
| 50% | 9.6mV |
| 70% | 10.4mV |
| 90% | 12.8mV |
| 100% | 14.4mV |
I gotta be honest: I really didn’t have high hopes when I was performing this test on a High Power OEM platform because I have seen some really impressive Voltage Ripple performance from other major OEMs, especially from CWT, but oh boy, I did indeed underestimate High Power!
Hela 850R has exceptional voltage ripple performance results throughout different load variations. I am pretty sure we will most likely be seeing many other major brands going with High Power for their latest PSUs.
Temperatures
Thanks to its impressive efficiency, the PSU remained cooler throughout our testing, where the maximum hottest point was reported to reach only 40.8C.
The fan started to kick in when the load exceeded 370W. Users will have an absolute quieter experience with Hela 850R when they aren’t pushing the PSU while gaming or any other power demanding task.
Should You Buy it?
Buy It If
✅You are building a mid-range gaming PC: The Silverstone Hela 850R checks all the boxes for your next mid-range PC build.
✅You want to extract every bit of performance: Thanks to its impressive voltage regulation and ripple performance, users will have no issues in dialing up the OC to max.
Don’t Buy It If
❌You are concerned about future-proofing: 850W is no longer a sweet spot for the latest Gen systems. With the increasing power demands of current Gen and upcoming Processors and GPUs, a minimum of 1000W is becoming a recommended PSU these days.
My Thoughts
Silverstone Hela 850R, with its extremely high efficiency and overall performance paired with the most recent ATX 3.1 specs, can surely be the best pick for your mid-range Gaming PC.
Coming Next: Corsair RM850e Gold ATX 3.0 PSU Review
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[Errors Troubleshooting Expert]
Arsalan Shakil (aka GuyThatDoesEverything on YouTube) is a PC Tech Enthusiast and Electronic Geek. With over 10+ years of experience in Electronics, he then decided to explore Software Engineering to design embedded products and automate existing hardware solutions.
When he started tearing down old cameras to understand how they worked, he was shocked (literally, when he got zapped by a flash discharge capacitor), giving him the power (debatable) to fall in love with videography/photography. He also started making some fun videos that later became YouTube tech reviews.
Skills:
- 10+ years of experience in Electronics design, embedded solutions, and prototyping
- Majored in Software Engineering
- Research paper publication in IEEE for Embedded Military Uniform & LoRa WAN wireless technology
- Specialized in IoT Solutions
- PC Enthusiast & PC Modder
In his local region, he’s known to expose cheap PSU brands, often claiming fake certification or false claims on the box. He’s a true nerd and needed some friends in his life. Then he met some guys who work at Tech4Gamers, and they also came out to be equal nerds who suggested he join Tech4Gamers as a Hardware Expert.
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