The FSP Hydro G Pro 1000W ATX 3.0 PSU Review: Solid and Affordable ATX 3.0

Power Supply Quality

As part of our testing, we also check output parameters are within specifications, as well as voltage ripple and line noise.

The electrical performance of the FSP Hydro G Pro 1000W PSU is very good, but there is a small catch. The company advertises voltage regulation as “under 1%”, however we found that to be incorrect, as the voltage regulation across the nominal load is at about 1.2%. And this ends up being the case on all three voltage lines.

Still, while this technically puts the PSU out of compliance with FSP's claims, it's hard to get too worked up; 1.2% is very good for a modern PSU. Filtering is very good as well, with a maximum of 38 mV on the 12 V line and 26 mV on the 3.3V/5V lines. Overall, these are very good power quality figures, especially considering the class and power output of the Hydro G Pro.

As part of our standard benchmarking, we also test the primary protections of all PSUs we review (Over Current, Over Voltage, Over Power, and Short Circuit). The FSP Hydro G Pro 1000W ATX 3.0 unit successfully passed all of the tests, generally reacting timely when needed and shutting down to protect itself and the components it is powering. Perhaps even a bit too quickly for an ATX 3.0 unit, as the OCP protection kicks in almost immediately at just 108% of the unit’s rated ampacity, suggesting that FSP’s engineers managed to create an exceptional control circuit that can very quickly discern between a power excursion and an actual electrical fault.

Conclusion

The Hydro G Pro series marks the first addition of FSP to the list of ATX 3.0 compliant PSUs. FSP tactically decided to release a product with good overall power delivery characteristics, but also making sure to accomplish this at reasonable price tag, tackling the competition in terms of value. And if that's not enough, the company also plans to cover the top-tier market with an ATX 3.0 compliant 80Plus Platinum PSU series that is coming out this month.

From an engineering point of view, the Hydro G Pro is not particularly advanced by today’s standards. If not for the DC-to-DC circuitry, this platform could very well have been released from 10-15 years ago. Nevertheless, the layout is cleverly designed and the components are of superb quality. FSP’s engineers clearly chose to go with a highly proven configuration and readily available components deliberately, ensuring the seamless production of a reliable product.

The overall performance of the Hydro G Pro 1000W ATX 3.0 PSU is good. It certainly does not break any performance record, but it will not disappoint most users. The highlight of its performance is its high and stable efficiency across the entire nominal load range, as well as the above-average efficiency at very low loads. Even though its voltage regulation is a little worse than advertised, the quality of its output power is very good, with the Hydro G Pro proving that it can deliver excellent power quality even when stressed under adverse ambient conditions. The powerful cooling fan will dishearten users that want a PSU capable of staying relatively quiet when heavily loaded, but it does keep the Hydro G Pro running at low temperatures for a unit with that kind of efficiency.

Overall, the FSP Hydro G Pro 1000W ATX 3.0 has been built using a tried and true recipe for success. It is a product designed with long-term reliability in mind, efficient, and with good overall performance. Furthermore, its retail price is very reasonable – with an MSRP of $199, it can compare to and compete favorably with existing ATX 2.x units. All of which gives users currently in the market for a powerful PSU an avenue to pick up an ATX 3.0-compliant product without spending significantly more. However, even though it currently has little to no competition, the nemesis of the Hydro G Pro ATX 3.0 unit is its own availability. FSP clearly cannot keep up with demand, as we've found the Hydro G Pro to be out of stock more often than not.