Aerocool project 7 p7

The Taiwanese brand Aerocool recently presented its Project 7 range of products, with the motto "Exploring the Unknown". Its focus is on offering top quality components with a strong commitment to good aesthetics, for those who are willing to pay for high-end products.

In addition to chairs, boxes, fans and liquid coolers, the project includes power supplies. Today we will take a look at its high-end source Project 7 650W, an 80 Plus Platinum model where RGB lighting and strong efforts in the external aspect are not lacking.

Will it meet the high quality standards required? The beautiful is on the outside… and on the inside? In this Review we will see it. Let's start!

We thank Aerocool for their trust in sending us this Project 7 for analysis.

Technical Specifications P7-650W

External analysis

From the moment we see the box, we begin to notice Aerocool's efforts to offer a Premium product. The front summarizes several of its benefits:

We have the 80 Plus Platinum and Cybenetics ETA A efficiency certifications (their ratings were recently updated, so it is no longer ETA-B as the box indicates). Surprisingly, this source reaches a peak of 94% efficiency using the European electricity grid (230V). The LAMBDA A ++ loudness certification suggests that its operation will be ultra quiet.

The source is " RGB Ready ", that is to say, that your fan has RGB LEDs, but to work they have to use an external controller such as the Project 7 Hub1, or that of the motherboard itself (with ASUS Aura support).

The back seeks to impress us with more external photos. It also shows that we are facing a source with a single 12V rail. We would like to see multi-rail options for the more powerful versions, as it is a safer system by incorporating overcurrent protection on each 12V rail.

We also see the number of connectors supplied. Then we will talk about it in depth.

The upper part summarizes the characteristics announced by the brand. We are interested in the fan curve, where they show that the fan does not turn on until it reaches 60% load (390W) at 25ºC, and then it starts operating at less than 400rpm. If this is confirmed, we would be facing one of the quietest sources on the market.

We open the box and we find a magnificent presentation. It is not only 'premium' for the bags that protect the source and cables, it is also for the excellent protection: we have a super generous amount of foam or 'foam' that will ensure that you get home safely.

The external appearance will not leave anyone indifferent. Aerocool is looking for something new in what is usually nothing more than a flat black box…

The honeycomb design of the upper part extends along the sides, giving it a very special touch.

Of course, this is a 100% modular font. We also leave you a wiring diagram, which is 100% flat.

The connectors are configured in a very functional way, for several reasons:

• The generous distribution of SATA and MOLEX in many strips. Other sources unite the Molex with the SATA which is not very preferable in assemblies where they will not be used. Many current graphics do not include more than 1 8-pin PCIe connector, so Aerocool includes each one in individual cable strips, instead of use two cables for the 4 connectors of 6 + 2 pins. We have 2 EPS connectors of 8 pins, one of 4 + 4 and the other directly of 8. Perfect for those who mount CPUs from the Threadripper or X299 platform, for example.

We like to see this configuration, which takes into account the different possibilities of PC configurations.

Let's take a look at the RGB LEDs, which in our case we checked with a generic controller.

Testing @AEROCOOL_ RGB lighting? pic.twitter.com/6dVrQJURa5

- Professional Review (@ProfesionalRev) January 21, 2018

For those who want to take advantage of this functionality, and considering the price, it seems wrong to us that no type of controller is included. However, having RGB lighting in a source is not strictly necessary, even if you care about its aesthetics, since without lights this model also impresses.

Let's see if the interior surprises us as much as the exterior…

Internal analisis

Opening a power supply carries physical risks and voids the warranty. It is unlikely to harm you, but for security we do not recommend opening it.

This fountain is manufactured by Taiwanese Andyson, which covers production lines of all qualities. In this case, they have put all the meat on the grill based on their highest quality Platinum R internal design for this Project 7.

As you can see, this design does not have (almost) cables but rather the electrical connections are made from the PCB. This helps improve airflow, efficiency, and even safety.

We have, unsurprisingly, DC-DC converters on the secondary side for stable voltage regulation, and an 'LLC' circuit on the primary side for increased efficiency.

The primary filter does not lack anything, with 2 X capacitors, 4 Y capacitors and 2 EMI coils. These components are responsible for filtering and reducing electromagnetic interference from the electrical network. For protection tasks we have an MOV (combat network fluctuations), an NTC and a relay (reduce damaging current spikes that occur when turning on the source)

The primary capacitors are a pair of Nippon Chemi-Con KMR, 420V voltage, 330uF capacity (660uF combined), at 105ºC temperature. Excellent numbers, and what we would like to see.

The secondary side also houses entirely Japanese capacitors, many of them solid ( metal ones with a blue stripe ), that is, they do not have any liquid inside, which improves durability. The providers are Nippon Chemi-Con and Nichicon.

A look at the DC-DC converters and the modular connector board, which also houses a few more capacitors.

In the welding section we can find a very good job, without any problems. Andyson has manufactured this product on one of its best production lines.

It is surprising the large 'thermal pad' that helps to cool some transistors, making thermal contact with the chassis, which works as one more heatsink.

We also find here the supervisory chip of the protections, a good Sillicon Touch PS223.

The fan is from Yijin Electronics, a manufacturer we've never seen before, and the bearing is supposedly a top-quality 'Fluid Dynamic Bearing'. However, it will rarely light up so we are not very concerned about its quality.

Test bench and performance tests

We have carried out tests to regulate the voltages, consumption and speed of the fan. To do this, we have used the following equipment, which charges the source to approximately half its capacity:

TESTING BENCH
Processor:	Intel Core i5-4690K
Base plate:	Asus Maximus VII HERO.
Memory:	8GB DDR4
Heatsink	Cooler Master Hyper 212 EVO
HDD	Samsung 850 EVO SSD. Seagate Barracuda HDD
Graphic card	Sapphire R9 380X
Power supply	Antec Earthwatts Gold Pro 650W

The measurement of voltages is real, since it is not extracted from Software but from a UNI-T UT210E multimeter. For consumption we have a Brennenstuhl meter and a laser tachometer for fan speed.

Test scenarios

The tests are divided into several scenarios, in order from lowest to highest consumption.

	CPU load	GPU charging	Actual consumption (approx)
Scenario 1	None (at rest)	~ 70W
Scenario 2	Prime95	None	~ 120W
Scenario 3	None	FurMark	~ 285W
Scenario 4	Prime95	FurMark	~ 340W

For this Review we have updated our tests, performing them from another system and with a different methodology, to improve their rigor.

Voltage regulation

Consumption

So far, our test results show good performance. The same occurs in the most advanced Cybenetics tests, where we see magnificent voltage stability and high efficiency.

Fan speed

The fan never had to run… even after hours of stress

As we mentioned, this source has a semi-passive mode that only activates the fan when necessary. In our case, never. That is, we are facing a magnificent fan control for those seeking absolute silence.

From Aerocool they know that if the fan is kept constantly on and off, in the end it will be worse for silence and longevity than having it always on. We have not seen a great heating of the source (thanks to its high efficiency) , not even coil whine. We are before a genuinely silent source, bravo.

Final words and conclusion about Aerocool Project 7 650W

We have been very surprised with this fountain since, in addition to the exterior beauty, inside it is one of the best creations of the manufacturer Andyson. We have not missed any component, its dimensioning is correct and the construction is of quality.

Not even the cable distribution has been spared, as it is one of the most functional and generous we have seen in a 650W source, and the impressions that the flat type wiring leaves us are magnificent. The individual separation of the PCIe connectors, the large number of SATA strips and the 2 8-pin CPU connectors allow for almost any mounting and even enable multi-GPU configurations without problems.

Although our test equipment is modest, no semi-passive power source we've tested to date has kept its fan turned off during all tests. This has been a different case: the noise from the source is completely non-existent, the fan has never had to turn on. And if you had to, due to high ambient temperatures and very high loads, with the FDB bearing and 400rpm starting speed, you shouldn't be listening. What's more, with its high efficiency and generous dissipation the fountain hardly heats up.

We recommend reading our guide to the best power sources

Regarding RGB functions, please note that a controller is not included, although an RGB cable divided into two to connect another device is included. We do not see the use of LEDs in a PSU, for us the beauty is inside. But of course, both inside and out, the construction is magnificent. Chapó!

This source can be found for around 140 euros (PCComponentes) for the 650W model, 145 euros (Amazon) for the 750W model and 180 euros (Amazon) for the 850W model. A high price for most users. For less money you can find other quality fonts, but if you go for something 'premium' where nothing is missing, consider choosing this font.

Let us summarize the main advantages and disadvantages:

ADVANTAGE	DISADVANTAGES
- VERY VERSATILE AND FUNCTIONAL MODULAR WIRING	- RGB DOES NOT WORK WITHOUT A CONTROLLER NOT INCLUDED
- INTERNAL ELITE DESIGN, WELL BUILT AND WITHOUT INTERNAL CABLES	- HIGH PRICE FOR MOST USERS
- ONE OF THE MOST SILENT ON THE MARKET
- SPECIAL WORK IN AESTHETICS

The Professional Review team awards you the platinum medal and recommended product:

Aerocool P7-650

Internal quality - 96%

Loudness - 96%

Wiring management - 96%

Protection systems - 88%

Price - 82%

92%

If you can afford its 'premium' price and you care about aesthetics, this font also offers you spectacular internal quality and hyper-quiet operation.