Sparkle Gold Class (GW-EPS1250DA) 1250 Watt Power Supply Review

Introduction

Now that we have taken a look at a power supply on the lower end of the Wattage spectrum with the Kingwin LZP-550, we are going to take a look at something capable of more than doubling that out. The unit that we have sitting on the bench today is from Sparkle Computer Corp. We have taken a look at several of their power supplies in the past with the SCC-750AF and SCC-850AF. Both units scored really well and we are expecting the very same out of what we are testing today.

The unit that we are testing today is the GW-EPS1250DA power supply. It is the third model in their Gold Class line of power supplies that we have managed to test to date and is manufactured by Great Wall, just as the others have been. This unit offers enough power for up to three graphics cards and still has plenty of power to spare for additional peripherals. The unit looks quite impressive on paper featuring six 12V rails, 100% continuous output at 50C and more.

Let's look a little deeper and see what the unit has to offer.

Specifications, Availability and Pricing

The sextuple 12V rails dominate the I/O specifications table for the Sparkle Gold Class 1250W power supply. While each of the rails is rated for 20A each, they have a combined maximum output of 104.2A or 1250W. The Gold Class 1250W power supply also features two rather beefy power minor rails. Both the 3.3V and 5V rails are rated for 30A of power each with a combined maximum output of 170W.

Sparkle's Gold Class 1250W power supply has almost a complete list of features. It has native and modular cables, full sleeving and 80Plus Gold certification. The power supply also has a nearly complete list of protections, with over power, over voltage, under voltage, short circuit and over temperature protections. Oddly enough, it doesn't have over current protection and we'll get into that a little bit later.

Sparkle still doesn't have very deep market penetration as we have seen from the likes of Antec or Thermaltake. Nevertheless, the unit can still be found at Newegg and Amazon. Both places list the unit for $279.99 with free shipping. Those concerned about the warranty will be glad to know that the Sparkle Gold Class 1250W power supply comes with a 5-year warranty, one of the highest in the industry.