be quiet! Dark Power Pro 10 850W CM Review

Ryan Martin / 11 years ago

Final Thoughts

Pricing

be quiet!’s Dark Power Pro 10 850W CM power supply is still sparsely available in the USA but we found it at NCIX for $229.99. In Europe it sells for about €220 and in the UK we found it for £175.

Conclusion

Straight away we can see that no this product is not cheap at all. It is hugely expensive for a power supply of its wattage though considering its 80 Plus Platinum certification it is actually competitive with other rival products like the Corsair AX860i which also costs about £180/$230. The Be Quiet Dark Power Pro 10 850W CM of course offers a lot for the money with its feature set extending beyond what we see from a typical power supply. First of all the performance is exceptional and voltage regulation (except on the obsolete -12v rail) was well under 2.5% variance consistently at all load scenarios. The ripple and noise suppression was also exceptional showing the quality of the Seasonic platform this unit is based on. Efficiency was also right where we would expect it to be, at the 80 Plus Platinum level which is immensely impressive. That was also reflected in the acoustic performance which was top-class as the fan did not spin faster than 1070 RPM even at 100% load. At 1000 RPM you’d struggle to notice it is even on! What’s more the whole unit just oozes quality with its integrated rubber pads, extensive cable offerings with abundant connectors, fan control functionality, the nifty OCK and an impressive 5 year warranty.

What’s not so hot about the Be Quiet Dark Power Pro 10 850W CM power supply? Well aside from the fact it will cost you a pretty penny I think Be Quiet still have room for improvement in terms of their cable quality. They’ve got everything else spot on yet the product is still let down somewhat by cables that are not fully sleeved to the end, sleeving that isn’t thick enough, bright white fan cables and multi-coloured cabling on the OCK switch bracket. I doubt it would take much to make their cables fully sleeved or of the flat black design and I think it would go a long way to making customers that bit happier – especially considering how much they are paying for this power supply!

Pros

Excellent voltage regulation
Tight noise and ripple suppression
Totally silent
80 Plus Platinum efficiency – meets the requirements
Integrated anti-vibration pads
Extensive cabling options
OCK Switch
5 year warranty
Fan control cables and functionality
Sleek aesthetics

Cons

Expensive
Not all cabling is fully sleeved

“Be Quiet have done it yet again and the Dark Power Pro 10 850W CM power supply is just an absolutely top-level power supply product. It’s got style, performance, silence, quality, reliability, stability and more functionality than you’d get on most high-end power supplies. Be Quiet have created a near-perfect power supply that is sure to satisfy even the most demanding consumer or enthusiast. If you’re in the market for a premium high-wattage power supply then the Dark Power Pro 10 series should definitely be near the top of your list!”