As most technology enthusiasts already know, the number of the actual power supply unit (PSU) manufacturers is far smaller than the number of the companies that ship PSUs. Most companies use their own engineering teams to improve/modify an existing platform originally developed by the Original Design Manufacturer (ODM). The modifications that such companies perform on the original platform can sometimes be significant, but the changes are more often limited to aesthetic adjustments, essentially copying the original unit in everything but the form (or even just color).

Nowadays, most ODMs have their own retail divisions as well, with the most prominent examples being Seasonic and FSP Group. We frequently review both retail units made by Seasonic and units based on Seasonic’s platforms, but we rarely review retail units made by FSP Group as their releases are very few and far apart. The last time we reviewed one of their premium platforms was nearly eight years ago, in the form of the Aurum PT 1200W PSU.

Today we are taking a look at FSP’s current top-tier platform as implemented in the Hydro PTM Pro 1200W PSU. At first sight, the new platform does not look to be much different than the eight-year old Aurum PT, as they both share the same power output and an 80Plus Platinum efficiency certification. But looks can be deceiving, and as we'll see, the Hydro PTM Pro brings a significant number of upgrades that we will examine in this review.  

Packaging and Bundle

FSP supplies the Hydro PTM Pro 1200W PSU in a very large and sturdy cardboard box that hints at the dimensions of the power supply. It features a very striking, colorful aesthetic design, with numerous icons at the front of the box and plentiful information printed on its sides and back. Inside the box, the PSU itself is sandwiched between two thick pieces of protective foam.

Inside the box we found a very basic bundle, especially considering this is a flagship-level PSU. The company supplies only a simple AC power cable, four mounting screws, and a basic manual. There are also two sets of side stickers, one green, and one red. The blue set is already glued to the unit. These stickers are permanent and cannot be removed without damaging them.

The FSP Hydro PTM Pro 1200W PSU is a fully modular design, allowing for the removal of every DC power cable, including the 24-pin ATX connector. All of the cables are black, ribbon-like, with black connectors. An odd observation is that there are three EPS connectors – or at least a cable with two connectors and another cable with one connector on it. The two cable bundles are held by reusable cable straps.

The FSP Hydro PTM Pro 1200W PSU

External Appearance

What has the Hydro PTM Pro 1200W PSU visually standing out next to most modern PSUs is its sheer size. The chassis of the unit is 190 mm long, significantly longer than typical ATX units, which can cause compatibility problems with certain ATX case designs.

FSP also sprayed the chassis with textured paint, which is aesthetically appealing and practically immune to fingerprints. Instead of a separate fan finger cover, the designer machined it onto the chassis itself for a better aesthetic result.

The sticker with the unit’s electrical certifications and specifications covers about half the top side of the PSU. Decorative blue-themed stickers are pre-applied on the sides of the unit, which can be replaced with the red or green stickers that FSP includes in the package. The downside here is that the stickers will be destroyed once removed, making any choice technically permanent.

A typical on/off switch can be seen at the rear side of the unit, beside the power connector. Another small switch right next to it controls the “ECO Mode” of the cooling fan. When activated, the cooling fan will shut off while the load is low. The front side of the unit is home to the numerous connectors for the modular cables. A very subtle legend is printed right next to each connector, sprayed directly onto the chassis.

Internal Design

FSP entrusted the cooling of their PSU to Protechnic Electric, whose MGA13512XF-A25 fan can be found underneath the finger cover of the PSU. The 135 mm fan has a fluid-dynamic bearing (FDB) engine and a very high maximum rotational speed of 2100 RPM.

As we mentioned above, FSP is both the designer and the manufacturer of the Hydro PTM Pro. The design appears to be a little outdated, with two main transformers, but nonetheless it's based on widely used and proven topologies. It seems that the company is very confident about the reliability of their design, as the heatsinks are dreadfully small for a unit with that high a power output.

The layout is very clean and the circuitry components are grouped nicely together. A significant amount of hot glue is keeping all connectors and parts that might be somehow freed fastened in place. The filtering stage is pretty basic and begins on the rear of the AC switch, with four Y capacitors, three X capacitors, and two filtering inductors. The filtering stage leads to two large rectifying bridges, which are placed on their own heatsink.

The passive components of the APFC circuitry are two large 450V/560μF APFC capacitors made by Rubycon, followed by a large filtering coil. The active APFC components are on a long heatsink across the edge of the PCB. Four transistors form a full-bridge inversion topology at the primary side of the unit. The outputs of both transformers are connected to eight power MOSFETs that generate a single 12V rail.

The 3.3V and 5V lines are being generated via the DC-to-DC conversion circuits found on a large vertical PCB that covers most of the unit’s left side. All of the secondary capacitors, electrolytic and polymer alike, are made by Rubycon and Nippon Chemi-Con.

Cold Test Results (~22°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 efficiency of the Hydro PTM Pro meets the 80Plus Platinum certification requirements when it is powered from an 115 VAC source. When powered by a 230 VAC input, the efficiency is increased by an average of 1.9%, yet that is not enough to reach the 80Plus Platinum efficiency requirements for 230 VAC devices. The average nominal load efficiency (20% to 100% of the unit's capacity) is 92.6% with the unit powered from a 230 VAC source, and drops down to 90.7% if the unit is powered by a 115 VAC source. What is interesting is the very low load efficiency, which seems to be rather poor.

We performed our thermal testing with the ECO mode disabled, meaning that the fan was always on, regardless of the load. Nevertheless, the noise output of the Protechnic Electric fan is very low while the load is below 500 Watts, ensuring that the PSU will remain quiet while the system is idling or performing menial tasks. Furthermore, the internal temperatures of the Hydro PTM Pro 1200W unit are relatively low, especially considering the small heatsinks of the unit.

Hot Test Results (~45°C Ambient)

The FSP Hydro PTM Pro 1200W PSU is made of quality components and is capable of withstanding high internal temperatures without measurable performance degradation. There is a more significant efficiency degradation when the load is above 1000 Watts though, suggesting some thermal stress, which could possibly be avoided should the designer would have used larger heatsinks. Still, the overall efficiency drop is reasonable, at 0.7% across the nominal load range.

Regardless of the 80Plus Platinum efficiency, the high power output of the FSP Hydro PTM Pro creates very significant thermal losses for its cooling system to deal with. The internal temperatures are slightly high while the unit was operating inside our hotbox, but do stay within reasonable operating parameters. As a matter of fact, the cooling profile is very aggressive and is trying to maintain very low component temperatures.

Due to the small heatsinks, most of the cooling work falls on the Protechnic Electric fan. Regardless of the high ambient temperatures, the fan does maintain relatively low noise levels while the load is below 500 Watts, but it almost instantly jumps to its maximum speed after that point and maintains that top speed up to the unit’s maximum capacity. The FSP Hydro PTM Pro is very loud with its fan running at maximum speed but stays operational without performance or reliability issues.

Power Supply Quality

As part of our testing, we also check output parameters are within specifications, as well as voltage ripple and line noise.

The electrical performance of the FSP Hydro PTM Pro 1200W PSU is excellent overall. Our instruments recorded a maximum ripple of 20 mV on the 12V line, a mere sixth of the 120 mV recommended design limit and an outstanding figure for a PSU with that kind of power output.

The filtering on the 3.3V and 5V lines is good, with a maximum of 28 mV and 16 mV on the 3.3V and 5V lines respectively. The unusual part here is that the filtering on the 5V line is significantly better than that of the 3.3V line, which is a reasonable design choice considering that the 3.3V line is barely used anymore, but it is not a typical design practice. Voltage regulation is very good on the 12V, holding at 1.0% across the nominal load range. The regulation of the 3.3V and 5V lines is slightly inferior, at about 1.6% across the load range.

Conclusion

FSP developed the Hydro PTM Pro as a successor to the Aurum PT, in an effort to compete with the newer, more advanced PSU platforms from other manufacturers. The 1200W unit that we tested today is the most powerful of the series but the company also has 1000W and 850W versions of the same platform available – all of which are just as large too. FSP also is the OEM behind the creation of the platform, therefore we expect to see the same base design filter down into other products as well.

It can be said without a doubt that FSP focused most of their design and marketing efforts on quality. Both externally and internally, the Hydro PTM Pro is built like a tank. FSP did not cut any corners and used only top-quality parts for the creation of the Hydro PTM Pro, down to secondary circuitry and components. This, of course, includes the cooling fan - the Protechnic Electric is a rare sight in commercial PSUs for a reason, and that reason is its very high cost. The assembly job is outstanding, with a very clean layout and every part that could be somehow dislodged glued down. Even its paint is very difficult to scratch, as if the designer was expecting the PSU to be installed in a moving contraption. FSP covers the Hydro PTM Pro with a ten-year long warranty, among the longest in the market at this time.

The overall performance of the Hydro PTM Pro is very good but, honestly, we expected a bit more, especially from a company whose platform releases are few and far between. The Hydro PTM Pro is not significantly better than its predecessor, the Aurum PT, which was first released nearly a decade ago. It does offer substantially better power quality and it runs cool but, compared to its predecessor, its energy conversion efficiency practically remains about the same and sustains the same massive external proportions. We cannot help but feel that FSP could have done better by either reducing the length of the unit or improving its overall efficiency, although we have to admit that getting an efficiency certification above 80Plus Platinum is a tremendously challenging task.

In summary, the Hydro PTM Pro is meant to be an upgrade of the Aurum PT, yet few things have changed. The power quality of the Hydro PTM Pro undeniably is better and the unit runs cooler but, on the other hand, it retains its long chassis, is about just as efficient as its predecessor was, and can be pretty loud when stressed. It currently retails for about $270, which pits it directly against some significant and very capable competition. Regardless, the Hydro PTM Pro 1200W PSU unquestionably is a very good product that can easily become attractive if the retail price drops during a sale.