Cougar A-Series 560 W Power Supply Review
Conclusions
Contents
This is the third power supply from Cougar in a row that fails our tests. It seems that they test and label their power supplies at 25° C, and they behave badly under higher temperatures. (We test power supplies between 45° C and 50° C, and semiconductors lose their ability to deliver current and power, and efficiency drops, with temperature.)
The A-Series 560 W presented decent efficiency between 83% and 84%, when we pulled between 20% and 60% of its labeled wattage (i.e., between 112 W and 336 W). At 80% load (448 W), efficiency dropped to 81%. At full load, however, efficiency dropped way below the 80% mark, at 77.8 percent. We wonder how this unit got the 80 Plus Bronze certification.
Also, this unit has a voltage regulation problem, with its +5VSB and +3.3 V getting outside the proper range as you approach the unit’s labeled power.
Because of these problems, we can’t recommend this product.