Chieftec SFX 500GD-C 500w Power Supply Review

Introduction & Packaging

Compact systems are becoming increasingly popular, with many chassis now being so small, that they no longer support the common ATX PSU standard. This is where smaller form factor power supplies, such as the Chieftec SFX 500GD-C we have on the test bench today, come into play. The smaller form factor makes them perfect for compact system builds and with 500W of power on offer, this tiny PSU still has more than enough juice to power a decent gaming system, making it a prime choice for those building a small LAN gaming system, HTPC style gaming system, or even just those who have limited room for a desktop rig/workstation.

In terms of hardware, the GD-C ticks all the right boxes, with a powerful 40A +12V rail, modular cables for easy installation and cable management, 80 Plus Gold efficiency and all the safety features we have come to expect from a modern unit. Of course, the real big, or should I say little, feature is that it’s all housed in a tiny little unit.

Packaging & Accessories

The box is nothing too fancy, but it does have a nice image of the PSU on the front, which shows off the modular cable design.

There’s very little in the box, so little that you’ll only find a user manual beside the PSU and modular cables. Annoyingly, there wasn’t even an AC mains cable. Fortunately, we have a few of those lying around, so that’s no going to cause issues with our testing.