In Win Commander II 1200W

Commander II: Only a Private First Class

We really appreciate that In Win tried to make something different by creating an unusual looking product with a military theme. However, we have to criticize some very important points. First, the power cord should be a 16A cable and not the typical 10A. We had the necessary 16A cable on hand, but most users are unlikely to have a spare 16A cable. Considering we were able to draw nearly 13A from the wall, a 10A cable rating is definitely too little. Second, the ripple and noise results are relatively high on all rails, especially +12V.

The package contents are standard fare, but the decision to include just eight SATA and six Molex connectors means the Commander II is badly equipped for a 1200W PSU. The Antec HCP-1200 for instance includes support for 12 SATA and nine Molex, and most modern systems will only need a few Molex with more SATA. Ten SATA plugs should be the minimum for a 1200W PSU, though eight 6/8-pin connectors for graphics cards is good. In contrast to the other high-end PSUs, the Commander II 1200W also has two FDD plugs which is just not necessary, as one is more than enough. The cable sleeving is fine and both CPU cables are very long (60cm); the PCIe cables could even be shorter (depending on the case and routing a user chooses).

In Win uses a crowded looking design from Andyson with one large transformer, two main caps from Panasonic, and a safety IC that offers OCP for all rails. We miss some parts in the EMI filtering such as a MOV or Thermistor. All capacitors in the secondary circuit are Taiwanese made. We feel it's better for a manufacturer to choose cheap ones for the primary and expensive ones for the secondary circuit, since the temperatures and currents are higher in the secondary, but the big primary caps tend to stand out more. In Win inserts DC-to-DC VRM as well as SR to increase efficiency. With this technology In Win is very close to 80 Plus Silver, as our measurements show.

In Win reached up to 87% efficiency on 115VAC with 81% at 10% load. These are very satisfying results for an 80 Plus Bronze PSU. Of course the efficiency is even higher at 230VAC while the power factor is lower on the European power grid. With noise of 19-22dBA on loads under 50%, this PSU is not very loud at low to moderate load; even so we wouldn't say it is silent. As expected, 100% load results in a loud fan. The noise level is very close to most competitors. Unfortunately, with more than 90mV ripple and noise on +12V, we really can't recommend this PSU as a good option for enthusiasts. Most PSUs are able to stay under 60mV on the critical 12V rails.

Finally, we'll conclude with a look at pricing. Here's where things get complicated, since the Commander II is relatively hard to get. Newegg currently lists the price at 225.99USD, and it may still drop, but Newegg is also out of stock. On the other hand, Antec offers a 1200W 80 Plus Silver PSU starting at just $200 online. You'd get more efficiency for less money, though given the 80mm fan the noise at higher loads is reportedly very high. The Corsair AX 1200W is more expensive but delivers great performance and 80 Plus Gold, with similar noise characteristics. There's also the OCZ ZX 1250W, with 80 Plus Gold rating and a similar price to the In Win 1200W. In the end, we wouldn't pay more than 200USD for the In Win Commander II. Hopefully the pricing will drop, but even at $200 this is merely an average 1200W offering.