[ Hardware ] The Gigabyte UD1000GM PG5 1000W PSU Review: Prelude to ATX 3.0

[Lexman.]

 

GIGABYTE is a company renowned for its extensive range of motherboards and graphics cards, myriads of which passed through our testing labs. Regardless, the massive volumes at which GIGABYTE is producing motherboards and graphics cards has not keep the company from making diversification efforts towards virtually every segment of the PC market, ranging from laptops and mini PCs to gaming keyboards and chairs.
 

GIGABYTE is not a stranger in the power and cooling business, shyly marketing their first few PC PSUs over fifteen years ago. The company’s PSU releases were few and far between, with GIGABYTE grabbing a little piece of the market share but never making a significant effort to overwhelm the competition.
 

In today’s review, we are having a look at the GIGABYTE UD1000GM PG5, a powerful 80Plus Gold certified PC PSU. What makes the UD1000GM PG5 stand out from the crowd is the new 12+4 pin connector (12VHPWR connector), which is required by the ATX 3.0 standard. GIGABYTE does not claim that the UD1000GM PG5 is ATX 3.0 compliant, but having the 12VHPWR connector allows for partial compatibility – and conceivably future-proofs the PSU against upcoming graphics card releases.

Packaging and Bundle
GIGABYTE supplies the UD1000GM PG5 in an aesthetically captivating but relatively small cardboard box, hinting at the compact dimensions of the PSU in relation to its power output. Inside the box, the PSU is encased inside thin packaging foam that offers partial protection from shipping damage.



There are virtually no items bundled alongside with the UD1000GM PG5, with GIGABYTE sticking to the absolute basics. Only four typical mounting screws and an AC power cable can be found inside the packaging.



The GIGABYTE UD1000GM PG5 1000W PSU is a fully modular design, allowing for the removal of every DC power cable, including the 24-pin ATX connector. Most of the cables are bare, ribbon-like, with black wires and black connectors. The only exception is the new PCIe 5.0 cable that is made of black wires and has black connectors but also has black sleeving covering it.


 

The new PCIe 5.0 cable is the highlight of this PSU. This connector is required by the new ATX 3.0 standard for any PC PSU that has an output greater than 450 Watts. Of course, the connector alone does not make the UD1000GM PG5 ATX 3.0 compliant, as the new standard brings numerous and significant changes to the market. However, it would help the UD1000GM PG5 to last longer.
 

Physically, these 16-pin connectors are not significantly larger than legacy 6/8-pin PCIe connectors, but they feature twelve pins plus four sensing pins. Out of the four sensing pins, two are mandatory and two are optional. The mandatory pins signal to the PCIe card the maximum power that the connector can handle, allowing the card to regulate its power draw. That makes the use of adapters on older PSUs tricky, as there is no way for the PSU to signal the card and their cables cannot handle a high current draw, so the preset output cannot be anywhere near 600 Watts. The only window for safely using adapters limits a passive adapter’s output to the minimum allowed by the new standard (150 Watts) or will require active adapters with multiple legacy connector inputs.


 

These new 12VHPWR connectors can deliver up to 600 Watts each. Depending on the PSU’s capability, the maximum wattage that it can provide is printed on the connector itself. The connector of the UD1000GM PG5 states that it can handle 600 Watts continuous, which is the maximum dictated by the ATX 3.0 standard.
 

The GIGABYTE UD1000GM PG5 1000W PSU
External Appearance
The GIGABYTE UD1000GM PG5 PSU is very compact for a 1 kW unit. Measuring just 86 mm × 150 mm × 140 mm (H × W × D), the UD1000GM PG5 manages to fully comply with ATX standard dimensional specifications, making it compatible with virtually any ATX-compliant case. The steel chassis is sprayed with a satin black paint and several parts of it have been embossed to create a futuristic design. The fan’s finger guard also is part of the chassis itself.