ASUS ROG LOKI 850W Platinum SFX PSU Review

How Much Does it Cost?

There’s no way to sugarcoat this one, so I’ll just tell you the Asus 850W ROG LOKI SFX-L Platinum PSU is £244.99. That’s a kick in the butt for sure, but when you consider that smaller PSUs with higher wattages simply cost more than their full-size ATX counterparts, that goes some way to explain the price. However, the higher the efficiency, again that puts the price up, and this is Platinum-rated yet actually runs at near Titanium efficiency levels. Then there’s the fact that this has by far, the nicest and most custom-looking cables I’ve seen on a PSU, add more money for those. Then we get to the addressable AURA RGB fan, the mirror effect sides, the CNC-cut aluminium top plate, the ARGB on the logos, and well… you get what you pay for.

Overview

The Asus 850W ROG LOKI SFX-L Platinum PSU is far from cheap, but it’s far from just a bog standard PSU either. It’s an extremely high-quality product in every regard. From the cables to the fan, to the general build quality and aesthetics, money and time have been lavished to make this a power supply you will want to showcase in your next gaming PC… not one you’ll simply hide under a PSU shroud.

Can you get big wattages in a small form factor for less? Absolutely, you are 100% paying a premium here for the design and the ASUS name, and it’s wholly up to you if that’s something you’re willing to splash out on. If you want something 80 Plus gold and similar wattage, you can save yourself over £100 on something like the Cooler Master V850, a good PSU, but aesthetically it looks like a potato compared to the sparkling diamond that is the ASUS ROG LOKI. And the ASUS one will outperform the Cooler Master in absolutely any of the tests we’ve done today. The saying goes, you get what you pay for, just be sure you’re only paying for what you really want or need.

When it comes to performance, it’s an absolute beast. The efficiency is superb, meaning it wastes less juice from the wall to power your system, which is great. The fan is quiet, and the design generally has good airflow for its size, so the PSU never felt like it was getting more than a bit warm even at extended high loads. That’s likely because our tests show it’s capable of putting nearly 60% above its rated 850W, it’s totally overbuilt, and that bodes well for those planning to run a high-end gaming PC off of this unit.

Should I Buy One?

It’s small, it’s expensive, but it’s by far one of the most interesting power supplies I’ve ever had in the office. From the build quality on the inside to the exquisite craftsmanship of the exterior, and even the cables, everything about this power supply is premium. However, it’s not all just for show, as when it’s put through its paces, it delivers performance that can rival many high-end ATX PSUs, which is impressive given its more compact form factor.