Out of the packaging, the be quiet! Dark Power 12 certainly seems to live up to its name with an impressively stark black representation with silver highlights to the product branding.
In terms of that branding, it is, generally speaking, quite understated. I mean, yes, it’s rather larger, but it fits in well with the overall ethos this power supply presents and be quiet! has even gone to the trouble of plastic protective stickers over it so it won’t be damaged/scratched during transit or installation.
The top of the power supply greets you with a huge vented area underneath which sits a be quiet! own SilentWings cooling fan. The vents are set in almost a grid pattern giving you a hint of what’s going on underneath while not actually revealing much that might offend the eye.
The only mild downside is that the vent gaps are so tight that you can barely make out the be quiet! logo to the center of the fan. From a visual standpoint, it would’ve perhaps have been better to set this logo onto the grid, but then again, that would’ve impeded airflow and, as we know by the listed features already, this design is built for efficiency and performance.
The main ventilation area of the power supply is fantastically set with practically the entire available area open for airflow. With the vertical bars as well, for an area of the power supply that’s usually a little boring, be quiet! has definitely put some effort into making this look exceptionally professional.
As a fully-modular power supply, the cable input bank can be found to the other side of the power supply. This is definitely a great design in terms of ease of use as all ports have been specifically itemized to ensure you put the right cable in the right hole!
When fully loaded, space is quite limited and you might find removing cables a little tricky, but overall, it’s neat, tidy, and certainly offers you some great options for cable management.
Every cable is itemized, like the input bank, to ensure that you connect it to the right component. In addition, with each cable coming with an individual Velcro strap, management and storage has been made vastly easier and tidier. Specifically, when compared to the plastic ties you usually find in most other PSU models.
Getting inside the be quiet! Dark Power 12, everything is well presented with all of the major components seemingly well organized and spaced. This should, be proxy, allow for good levels of airflow meaning that the fan doesn’t have to work as hard meaning lower-noise output.
A closer look at the capacitors would confirm be quiet!’s claim that the Dark Power 12 utilizes ‘100% Japanese’ designs with 105C rated models from ‘Nippon Chemi-con’ clearly visible (and also on the smaller capacitors). In terms of quality power supplies, put simply, this is without a doubt some of the best options around and, whenever you see these, you know a PSU has a fantastic chance of storming its tests!
Sleek, stylish, and professional. The be quiet! Dark Power 12 looks to be a fantastic design both internally and externally. There is though, and of course, the small matter of how this actually performs when operating. So, without further a do, let’s get this strapped onto our test bench and see how it does!
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