Seasonic PRIME SSR-1600TR2 Power Supply Noctua Edition Review

https://youtu.be/sE7CJFC1ClQ The Seasonic PRIME TX-1600 Noctua Edition is the ultimate expression of collaboration between two industry titans, Seasonic and Noctua, specifically targeting the high-end PC enthusiast and serious gamer market, as well as those with a fat wallet, as this is the final boss of enthusiast PSU design. This power supply unit (PSU) is designed for use in the most power-hungry, flagship gaming and workstation systems, requiring an uncompromising 1600W output while simultaneously demanding near-silent operation. For those with the absolute best hardware, and even multi-GPU systems. It's built on Seasonic’s award-winning 80 PLUS Titanium certified platform. This special edition PSU is expected to deliver class-leading performance, exceptional power efficiency, and a reduction in operational noise that sets a new benchmark for premium components thanks to its glow-up from the cooling and acoustic masters at Noctua. The PRIME TX-1600 Noctua Edition revolves entirely around acoustic optimisation and compatibility with next-generation hardware. The core feature is the substitution of the standard fan with Noctua’s renowned NF-A12x25 120mm model, one of the absolute best PC cooling fans ever created. Coupled with a custom-designed, highly optimised fan grill to minimise turbulence and noise. This collaboration results in the unit running approximately 8–10dB(A) quieter than the already silent standard model, earning an upgraded Cybenetics Lambda A++ sound level rating. Furthermore, the PSU ensures future-proofing by natively supporting the latest ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5.1 standards, including two dedicated 12V-2x6 connectors for safely powering modern, high-TDP gaming graphics cards like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 and any of the flagship workstation GPUs used for heavy computation and AI. Key Features Acoustic Performance: Cybenetics Lambda A++ certification, operating typically 8–10dB(A) quieter than the regular model. Cooling Fan: Features the iconic Noctua NF-A12x25 120mm fan for superior airflow and acoustic properties. Aero-dynamic Design: Custom-designed, acoustically optimised fan grill for reduced turbulence and lower noise emission. Efficiency Standard: 80 PLUS Titanium certified, achieving up to 94% efficiency at 50% system load. Cabling/Modularity: Fully modular cabling with an aesthetic Noctua brown and black colour scheme. Compliance: Fully compliant with the updated ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5.1 standards. Voltage Regulation: Features Micro Tolerance Load Regulation (MTLR) for ultra-tight output stability (under 0.5% load regulation). Fan Control: Digital Hybrid Fan Control with a semi-passive mode, allowing fully passive operation up to around 50% load. Specifications The technical specifications confirm this unit’s status as a top-tier enthusiast component, designed for both power and reliability. With a robust continuous total output of 1600W, delivered across a single, 12V rail rated at 133.3A, the PSU is ready to handle extreme loads from multiple high-end GPUs and CPUs simultaneously. At 210mm in length, it's a large power supply, but still a competitive form factor given the overall power out, to ensure relatively broad case compatibility. Seasonic’s confidence in the build quality is demonstrated by a substantial 12-year manufacturer’s warranty, underlining its use of high-grade components like 105°C-rated Japanese electrolytic capacitors and comprehensive protection features including OCP, OPP, OTP, OVP, SCP, and UVP. Model Name: Seasonic PRIME TX-1600 Noctua Edition Form Factor: ATX/EPS Total Continuous Power: 1600 W (1300 W @ 100V AC Input) Efficiency Rating: 80 PLUS® Titanium / Cybenetics ETA Titanium Noise Rating: Cybenetics Lambda A++ Dimensions (L x W x H): 210 mm x 150 mm x 86 mm Fan Size: 120 mm (Noctua NF-A12x25) Fan Control: Digital Hybrid (Semi-passive mode) Warranty: 12 Years Protection Features: OCP, OPP, OTP, OVP, SCP, UVP DC Output Rails: +12V: 133.3 A (1600 W) +3.3V & +5V Combined: 125 W In the box, you'll find a nice bundle, with a 990-degree 24-pin adaptor with a testing button and LED indicator, as well as a plethora of individually sleeved fully modular cables, cable combs, and plenty of cable ties too. You can check out the official product page here. A Closer Look The Seasonic PRIME TX-1600 Noctua Edition presents a distinctive Noctua-flavoured visual statement, merging Seasonic’s premium chassis design with Noctua’s unmistakable aesthetic of beige and brown, of which I'm very much a fan! The outer shell is built from high-quality materials, ensuring an exceptional level of build quality that is expected of a flagship-tier power supply. But not only does it feel well-made, it looks it too, and the aesthetic levels are off the charts here. The weight isn't far behind either. This is by far one of the heaviest power supplies I've had the pleasure of working with, and it's genuinely difficult to try and pick it up with one hand. The cabling system is fully modular, a welcome feature for clean cable management, but Seasonic and Noctua elevate this with a custom touch, as all cables are individually sleeved in the distinctive Noctua brown and black colour scheme. This aesthetic choice not only facilitates a tidy, clutter-free installation but also visually complements other Noctua components in the system, and reflects the premium price tag of the PSU too. Or should I say, is reflected by the premium price tag? From a connectivity standpoint, the PSU is thoroughly modern and prepared for future hardware. It features a comprehensive set of connectors, notably including two native 12V-2x6 cables. making it ideal for graphics cards such as the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5000 series, all while delivering a monstrous 1600W of continuous power output for sustained workloads. The core of the unit’s acoustic performance lies in its cooling hardware. The fan is the renowned Noctua NF-A12x25 120mm fan, replacing the standard model Seasonic were using (which was also a great quality fan, but this is a step up). This is paired with a custom-designed, acoustically optimised fan grill, which minimises air turbulence and noise. This collaborative approach ensures the PSU delivers silent operation even under extreme power output and high load conditions. A Closer Look - Interior The interior construction is founded on Seasonic's critically acclaimed PRIME TX platform. This is one of the most technologically advanced platforms on the market, known for its cutting-edge circuitry and exceptional electrical performance. The design philosophy focuses on stability and longevity, earning its reputation as an industry benchmark. Normally, that's what every PSU maker says about every PSU, but the hardware is here to prove it in this case. Power stability is a non-negotiable feature for a unit of this capacity, and the component selection reflects this. The PSU is packed with only top-tier components, specifically using 105°C-rated Japanese electrolytic capacitors. These high-grade capacitors are essential for ensuring longevity, reliability, and stability under demanding, sustained use. The highly advanced electrical design incorporates Micro Tolerance Load Regulation (MTLR), which is crucial for maintaining ultra-tight voltage regulation. The superior cooling performance is achieved through a multi-faceted approach. The high-efficiency Titanium platform itself is key, as it generates minimal waste heat. The airflow is expertly managed by the large 120mm Noctua fan, which operates under a sophisticated Digital Hybrid Fan Control system. This system allows for a semi-passive mode of operation, meaning the fan can switch off completely up to approximately 50% load. There's a plethora of heatsinks, far more than it likely needs to keep cool given its efficiency, but it also allows it to draw significant power loads without needing much input from the fan, if any. This meticulous design is what allows the unit to maintain safe operating temperatures while proudly achieving the ultra-quiet Cybenetics Lambda A++ noise rating. There's enough hardware in here to call it two PSUs, there are two massive transformers, there are three massive bulk capacitors, and everything is just superbly over-engineered. Overkill? Perhaps, but it's nice to have nice things. Methodology & Testing At eTeknix we take the power supply testing procedure very seriously and have invested a lot of resources into acquiring the appropriate testing equipment. For all power supply reviews, we test the power supplies with dedicated power supply testing equipment. This means we can get the most accurate results from our testing as opposed to using software benchmarks (such as OCCT) or multi-meter readouts which are broadly inaccurate. Testing Hardware Sunmoon SM-8800 Active Load Tester Stingray DS1M12 USB Oscilloscope Voltcraft DT-10L laser tachometer What the eTeknix Test Procedure Involves Testing each power supply at 20/40/60/80/100% load (with load balanced across all rails) and measuring PFC (power factor correction), efficiency (actual power divided by power "pulled at the wall") which also uses a 50% load test, and voltage regulation (deviance from expected voltages of 3.3/5/12 on the main rails). Measuring ripple with an oscilloscope at 20/40/60/80/100% load. Transient loads taken with an oscilloscope are taken from 0% to 100% on the 12v raid, 3.3v rail, and then both combined. Measuring fan speed after a stabilisation period of five minutes at each loading scenario using the Voltcraft DT-10L laser tachometer and a reflective strip on the fan. Testing each power supply's OPP (Over Power Protection) mechanism and seeing how many watts each power supply can deliver before shutting down. Any deviation from this will be explained per review as appropriate on the respective testing pages, but this methodology page will remain unchanged. Other Things to Consider We recognise that a single 12-volt cable can provide only 6 Amps before overheating (which corrupts voltage regulation and efficiency) so we used an adequate number of cables for each power supply to ensure there is no efficiency loss from poor cable selection. If there is more than one 12VHPWR on a PSU, all will be used to test their combined loads. We use the same time scale and horizontal millivolt scale on our oscilloscope for all ripple tests, that is a 20ms T/DIV (horizontal) and a 0.02 V/DIV (vertical) meaning the scale is from -80mV to +80mV, ATX spec dictates that the 12v rail must fall within 150mv of ripple and the 3.3/5 within 50mv so that scale allows us to include both 150 and 50mV peaks. (Some older PSU reviews use different scales which were later ditched as the visual representation they give is inadequate, in these reviews written measurements are provided only). Deviance is the terminology used to represent the way voltages diverge from the expected values Voltage Regulation To test voltage regulation we load the power supply to five different load scenarios that give an equal spread of load across every single rail. So that means 20% on all rails, 40% on all rails and so on. We then calculate the average deviation of each rail from its expected voltage. Ideally, anything of +/- 2% regulation is seen as a very good result. Power Efficiency Power efficiency is measured by calculating the supplied wattage divided by the wattage drawn at the wall/plug, multiplied by 100 to give a percentage. We then compare that to the particular 80 Plus certification the company claims to see if it meets that. You can see the 80 Plus certifications below, we always test power supplies at 230v. Transient Loads Power Factor Correction Power Factor Correction is the ratio of the real power flowing to the load, to the apparent power in the circuit. PFC aims to make the load circuitry that is power factor corrected appear purely resistive (apparent power equal to real power). In this case, the voltage and current are in phase and the reactive power consumption is zero. The closer the number to one the better as this allows the most efficient delivery of electrical power (Source - Wikipedia). Ripple An oscilloscope can easily measure noise and Ripple. These show how much voltage fluctuation there is on a particular rail. We tested the rail stability of the 3.3-volt, 5-volt and 12-volt rails using an identical time and millivolt scale for all graphs. Millivolt ripple is measured by the peak-to-peak size of the voltage curve. The latest ATX 12-volt version 2.3 specifications state that ripple from peak to peak must be no higher than 50 millivolts for the 3.3-volt and 5-volt rails, while the 12-volt rail is allowed up to 120 millivolts peak to peak to stay within specifications. Millivolt figures are stated to the closest increment of 5 given their variability. OPP Power supplies are often quoted as having various protection mechanisms and the most important of these is Over Power Protection. In our testing, we crank up the power draw until the power supply either shuts down (meaning the OPP mechanism is present and working) or blows up (meaning it is either not present or not working). We then note the maximum power consumption before the power supply shut down, or before it blew up. Fan Speed When testing in a power supply laboratory, it is difficult to take fan noise readings as the noise from the Sunmoon test equipment and air conditioning corrupts everything. The next best thing in our circumstances was reading off the fan speed with a tachometer to get an idea of the noise. The ambient temperature during testing is held constant at 22 degrees, with 1 degree of variation. Each power supply had a consistent period of 5 minutes to stabilise between each load scenario. In my experience, the following general relationships apply between noise levels and fan speeds, though it can vary greatly between the type of fan used. Below 800 RPM - Inaudible/Silent 800 to 1000 RPM - Barely audible 1000 - 1200 RPM - Audible but still quiet 1200 - 1400 RPM - Moderately noisy 1400 - 1800 RPM - Noisy 1800 - 2000 RPM or above - Intolerable Internal Components This is just an example of what you can expect to see on a PSU interior. Efficiency At an 80 Plus Titanium rating, and from such a trusted manufacturer as Seasonic, I was expecting nothing but excellence from this PSU, and it certainly delivers. The efficiency graph looks damn near a straight line, which is quite rare. Often, we see more of a drop off at lower loads and higher loads, with a bit of a sweet spot around 60-80% load, but largely, this PSU hits around 95% efficiency and largely stays there. PFC (Power Factor Correction) The quality of the components, and the platform design being as modern as it is, the PFC is near perfect, with very little correction; there's even less power wasted, less heat generated, and this can all result in both cleaner power delivery and a cooler, quieter power supply as a result. Voltage Regulation Anything under 3% is typically regarded as acceptable and very good when it comes to voltage regulation, being within a good average of the target voltage, with no particularly hot or cold rails at any particular load. However, this PSU is incredibly tight on tolerances, and that really shows here; the 12v in particular is as good as I've seen. Admittedly, many PSUs on the market have improved in this area in the last few years, but that doesn't detract from how good this result is. Ripple The ATX certification standards for ripple are starting to feel out of date, as the 12v rail must fall within 150mv of ripple and within 50mv on the other rails. This is obviously so far within that, I think it's fair to say that ripple is very low. There is some variance on this depending on your mains power supply, and mine happens to be pretty low in ripple before it gets to the PSU, but even then, this is still a solid result. 3.3V 5V 12V Over Power Protection and Max Wattage 1600W is a lot of power, but with three main bulk capacitors on the interior, I suspected that the PRIME would easily be able to exceed this. The easiest way to deliver better efficiency and stability at such high wattages (1600W) is to build the PSU robust enough to be able to exceed that. At a staggering 2145, it's easily one of the highest peak powers I've ever seen on our load tester. Over 2000W is massive, and while the PSU is designed for less than that, if there are any drastic transient power spikes, the PRIME will soak them up easily. Of course, if the load is too high, or for too long, we can confirm the OPP will kick in and power off the PSU to protect its components. Fan Speed At lower loads, the PRIME runs completely silent in its hybrid fan mode. While you can leave the fan permanently on, it'll idle at around 500 RPM and is still completely silent even in that mode. However, with massive heatsinks and its focus on silence, I'd be happy to leave it in hybrid mode, as it feels more like its intended function. Even at full load, it topped out just over 1400 RPM. Although the fan is capable of 2400 RPM, it'll only ramp up to that if the PSU 1600W load is exceeded and the PSU gets hotter, like if you spend all day doing multi-GPU rendering on a hot summer's day. How Much Does it Cost? The Seasonic PRIME TX-1600 Noctua Edition Fully Modular 1600W 80 PLUS Titanium ATX 3.1 power supply is available now from most major retailers. It's currently on Amazon for £429. That is a lot of money, but it's not even the most expensive 1600W Titanium power supply on Amazon right now. The MSI MEG Ai1600T is currently £599.99, although the excellent Dark Power Pro 13 is just £352.92 and is a solid contender, and be quiet! is well known for its acoustic performance too. Corsair AX1600i is around £490, and the ASUS ROG Thor III is a wallet-busting £769.99. However, Seasonic and Noctua are a pretty solid team effort, and there are fans of both that would pay the premium for it. I don't think it's overpriced for what it is, given the flagships of other brands are either broadly similar, with the exception of ASUS, who still love to price all their stuff way above that of their rivals. Overview The Seasonic PRIME TX-1600 Noctua Edition is a fantastic collaboration between two industry titans, Seasonic and Noctua, targeting the high-end PC enthusiast gamer market, workstations, and AI system builders. For those requiring an uncompromising 1600W output while simultaneously demanding near-silent operation, vital in editing studios, or even just for those who like quiet but powerful PC builds (like myself). Built on Seasonic’s award-winning 80 PLUS Titanium certified platform, it's already building on an excellent foundation and taking it to the next level. Build Quality Built from high-quality materials, it's certainly one of the heaviest power supplies I've handled, it's a total beast. The internal construction is founded on Seasonic's critically acclaimed PRIME TX platform, which is known for its cutting-edge circuitry and superior electrical performance. The design focuses on stability and longevity, with the unit using only top-tier components, specifically 105°C-rated Japanese electrolytic capacitors throughout, as well as three massive bulk capacitors, it can deliver reliability under sustained use. Noctua The core of this collaboration is the focus on acoustic optimisation. The standard fan is substituted with Noctua’s renowned NF-A12x25 120mm model, which is one of the best PC cooling fans ever created. This is paired with a custom-designed, acoustically optimised fan grill to minimise air turbulence and noise, resulting in the unit running approximately 8–10 dB(A) quieter than the already very quiet standard model. The superior cooling performance is achieved partly through a sophisticated Digital Hybrid Fan Control system, which allows for a semi-passive mode where the fan can switch off completely up to approximately 50% load. Even at full load, the fan topped out at just over 1400 RPM, which is quiet, and far below its 2400 RPM capability. The colour-matched Notua themed braided cables just take things to the next level, and I love the mixture of Noctua browns and blacks too. Efficiency With an 80 Plus Titanium rating, the PSU delivers exceptional efficiency. Testing showed that the efficiency graph looks nearly like a straight line, with the unit largely hitting around 95% efficiency across the load range. The high-efficiency Titanium platform is essential for superior cooling, as it generates minimal waste heat. Furthermore, the quality of the components and modern platform design result in near-perfect Power Factor Correction (PFC), meaning very little power is wasted. This combination results in cleaner power delivery and a cooler, quieter power supply. Power Delivery The unit features a robust continuous total output of 1600W, delivered across a single 12V rail rated at 133.3A, which is ready to handle extreme loads from multiple high-end GPUs and CPUs simultaneously. The PSU’s robust construction is further demonstrated by its Over Power Protection (OPP) mechanism. During testing, the unit delivered a staggering peak power of 2145W before safely shutting down, confirming its ability to easily soak up drastic transient power spikes. Dual 12v-2x6 The PSU is thoroughly modern and prepared for future hardware by fully complying with the updated ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5.1 standards. The unit features a comprehensive set of connectors, notably including two native 12V-2x6 cables. These connectors are ideal for powering modern, high-TDP gaming graphics cards like the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 and any of the flagship workstation GPUs used for heavy computation and AI, all while delivering the monstrous 1600W at excellent efficiency, reducing power-hungry system operating costs. Should I Buy One? Priced at £429, the Seasonic PRIME TX-1600 Noctua Edition is a significant investment. However, considering its status as an enthusiast-tier, flagship power supply, this price is competitive when compared to other 1600W Titanium-rated power supplies, with some rivals like the MSI MEG Ai1600T and ASUS ROG Thor III costing considerably more. The unit offers class-leading efficiency, exceptional stability, and a relentless focus on acoustic performance thanks to the Noctua collaboration. For high-end users, gamers, or those with multi-GPU systems who prioritise both uncompromising power and whisper-quiet operation, and are willing to pay a premium for a truly over-engineered PSU, the Seasonic PRIME TX-1600 Noctua Edition is an excellent platform, and backed by a 12-year warranty, which only sweetens the deal.

Fan Speed

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