Original Link: https://www.anandtech.com/show/5674/rosewill-hive-550w



Rosewill Hive 550W

Rosewill seems content to continue releasing average power supplies, and like the larger types, the Hive 550W comes with 80 Plus Bronze certification. Nevertheless there are some high-end PSUs as well (we will review them soon) . In fact this is the first time we test a PSU from this company, so it will be interesting to compare the model with other well known brands. Currently their products can be bought in the USA, Canada and some Asian countries only. Even so Rosewill is quite famous for their power supplies and PC peripherals.

According to the manufacturer's specifications, the Hive PSU uses a "single strong 12V rail" and a "mesh sleeving on all cables for easier cable routing and better ventilation". In addition, the power supply is able to work 24 hours a day at 40°C ambient temperature. The 80 Plus Bronze certificate is another feature. Product features include a 3-year warranty and a Japanese main capacitor as well. The whole PSU series is SLI and CrossFire Ready. Some cables are modular.



Delivery Contents, Power Rating and Fan

Rosewill comes with the usual assortment of extras. You get a standard power cable, four screws for installing the PSU, ten cable ties, a user manual and a seperate bag for all modular cables. The user manual has a few short instructions on how to install the device and shows some products details.

The maximum load for +3.3V and +5V is 22A each, which is enough for a modern PSU. Together, these outputs provide 130W. The Hive 550W has one +12V output, which can be loaded with 38A according to the manufacturer. As you can see the PSU is ErP-ready formerly known as EuP.

The fan is an RL4Z B1352512H from Globe Fan. This 135mm model is used in many power supplies that are manufactured by High Power. With a maximum of 1500RPM it has a moderate speed within the RLXX series, and it can reach a sound pressure level of approximately 29 dBA. However, since the fan output starts at 6V the noise levels are usually not that high. The fan uses 0.33A and consists of 11 fan blades with rough edges.



External Impressions and Cable Configuration

The power supply case is matte black and its depth is 160 mm. The ventilation holes an eye catcher, since they use no classic fan grill. The ventilation holes near the large power switch are honeycombed, as usual. Moreover the modular connectors don't protrude which is nice to see.

Cables and Connectors

Connector type (length)

Main 1x 24-pin (50cm) fixed
ATX12V/EPS12V 1x 4+4-pin (55cm) fixed
PCIe 1x 6/8-pin (45cm) modular
1x 6/8-pin (45cm) modular
Peripheral 4x SATA (ca. 45, 60, 75, 90cm) modular
4x SATA (ca. 45, 60, 75, 90cm) modular
3x Molex, 1x FDD (ca. 45, 60, 75, 90cm) modular
3x Molex, 1x FDD (ca. 45, 60, 75, 90cm) modular

Both the 24-pin and the 4+4-pin connector are fixed--a common solution. All peripheral cables are quite long while each of the two PCIe cables reach 45cm. Eight SATA connectors are not bad for a 550W power rating. In addition two FDD plugs can be found at the end of those Molex cable harnesses. With six molex connectors the  power supply is exceptionally well equipped.



Internals and Electronics

Sirtec (High Power) is the manufacturer of the Hive-series. There are two thin heatsinks and one remarkable yellow capacitor (top right), which are typical components for Sirtec power supplies. The PCB for the modular ports is isolated by a thin plastic sheet since it's very close to the main PCB. The mainboard consists of epoxy resin and laminated paper. This doesn't apply to the small PCB with the PWM/PFC control (CM6800TX). All capacitors are made by Teapo so the main cap is not a Japanse one. For +3.3V and +5V regulation this PSU uses a magamp. A safety IC from SITI (PS223) offers OVP, UVP, and 4-channel OCP. The EMI filtering includes all the important components.



Voltage Regulation

+3.3V Regulation/Ripple and Noise
Load Voltage
5% +2.72% (5mV)
10% +2.72% (7mV)
20% +2.42% (11mV)
50% +2.12% (12mV)
80% +1.52% (13mV)
100% +1.52% (15mV)
110% +1.21% (19mV)
Crossload +12V max. +3.03%
Crossload +3.3V/+5V max. +0.30%

 

+5V Regulation/Ripple and Noise
Load Voltage
5% +3.40% (4mV)
10% +3.40% (3mV)
20% +3.40% (7mV)
50% +3.00% (10mV)
80% +2.60% (12mV)
100% +2.40% (14mV)
110% +2.00% (18mV)
Crossload +12V max. +3.20%
Crossload +3.3V/+5V max. -0.20%

 

+12V Regulation (Worst Ouput)/Ripple and Noise (Worst Output)
Load Voltage
5% +2.25% (7mV)
10% +2.08% (11mV)
20% +1.92% (29mV)
50% +1.58% (41mV)
80% +1.25% (52mV)
100% +0.92% (60mV)
110% +0.75% (64mV)
Crossload +12V max. +1.08%
Crossload +3.3V/+5V max. -0.17%

Noise Levels

Loudness (subjective)
Load Opinion
5% audible fan rotation
10% audible fan rotation
20% audible fan rotation
50% audible fan rotation and choke chirping
80% audible fan rotation and choke chirping
100% strong fan noise and choke chirping
110% strong fan noise and choke chirping

Efficiency and PFC

Efficiency and Power Factor 230 VAC
Load Efficiency PFC
5% 69.58% 0.862
10% 77.98% 0.924
20% 84.63% 0.948
50% 87.17% 0.959
80% 85.93% 0.965
100% 85.86% 0.967
110% 85.32% 0.968

 

Efficiency and Power Factor 115 VAC
Load Efficiency PFC
5% 67.21% 0.892
10% 76.57% 0.954
20% 84.23% 0.962
50% 85.90% 0.969
80% 83.76% 0.978
100% 82.92% 0.989
110% 82.58% 0.993

The +12V voltage regulation is acceptable, while the weaker ouputs start too high. Nevertheless, all of the voltages are well within the ATX specification. Moreover there is hardly any ripple or noise on the smaller outputs +5V and +3.3V. They're always under 20mV and there are no remarkable spikes or transients. There's definitely some nice work here. The power factor is satisfying as well, staying above 0.862.  Especially during low load efficiency could be much higher but that's OK for an 80Plus Bronze PSU.



Conclusion

The Hive 550W is the first product from Rosewill we've tested. It provides an acceptable voltage regulation and quality. We like the look more than the design from other Sirtec models, and even better is that the Hive 550W is available for about  $70. That's a decent value for a good all-around PSU, which is similar to most other solutions in this performance class.

The power supply uses a well known layout from Sirtec, and it's a cheaper design. The PSU is nothing special, corresponding to what we have seen in many other models. The EMI filtering is well equipped, and a varistor in the entrance is a good idea. All cables should be protected with heatshrinks, and while some of them are we would like to see the others protected as well. The relatively low-end Teapo capacitors on the secondary side are acceptable for a PSU in this range, while the fan is pretty low-end as well. Rosewill promised to use a Japanese main capacitor but this time they used Teapo.

As our test shows, the power supply can provide the rated output without any complications. The efficiency at 5% could be somewhat higher, but few will notice the loss of a few extra watts. The voltage regulation on our crossload test 1 (+3.20% at +5V) could also be better, but all results are still within ATX specification. The ripple and noise voltage is always low on +5V and +3.3V, and the power factor is high at all loads and input voltages.

The package includes all the important accessories for installation and a user guide. All the cables have lengths of 45cm or more, so this PSU will work well in most cases. It includes two PCIe connectors and 16 peripheral ones (8 SATA + 6 Molex + 2 FDD), plus a very long CPU cable. The black cable sleeving is quite cheap. Apart from that the black finish of the case and those unusual ventilation holes on the top look well.

All in all, the Rosewill Hive 550W is a decent mainstream PSU. It doesn't have any special features beyond respectable voltage quality and a remarkable case design. The Hive's strongest competition comes from XFX. The Core Edition PRO550W comes with Japanese capacitors but without modular cables. Furthermore Seasonic offers a very good PSU with 520W (M12II 520 Bronze) which is probably the best solution in this price range. Seasonic provides Japanese capacitors and modular connectors. However, the modular Rosewill Hive 550W is still an attractive offer when money is tight.

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