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INTERIOR
Seasonic has changed the internal circuit design for their II-series S12s and
M12s. It's not clear what changes have been made — it's still a dual forward
converter design — but a few changes to circuit topography are evident.
Ultimately, we're not terribly interested in the technical nitty-gritty so long
as it performs well — and if the
S12-II is any indication, it will.
Greatly reduced heatsinks make for a much more open design.
The most obvious change is the size of the heatsinks: They've shrunk and they're
painted black. Seasonic's characteristic block-toothed design has been scaled
back so that the "teeth" are now short and stubby, leaving the circuit
board underneath much more open to the direct airflow from the fan. A third
heatsink has been added, which should mean that the main heat sources (typically
diodes) are now spread out more diffusely.
The heatsinks have short, stubby teeth.
The other change we noticed was the thermal ratings on the capacitors. Seasonic
has always paid attention to capacitor quality; they've been using Japanese
capacitors for a while, and the M12-II is no different. What's changed is the
capacitor grade: all capacitors are now rated for 105°C rather than the
standard 85°C. Is this necessary? Probably not, but it helps with peace
of mind, and that's important if you're paying top dollar for a power supply.
105°C input capacitor...
...and 105°C output capacitors.
FAN
The fan is nothing we haven't seen before: It's the usual medium-speed Adda
model that's been used in Seasonic models (and many other power supplies) for
years. These ball bearing fans are durable and heat-resistant, but sound surprisingly
smooth at low speeds.
A clear plastic baffle helps direct airflow.
What's new is a clear plastic baffle that blocks about a quarter of the fan's
area. It's designed to shield off the area near the exhaust vent, creating a
low pressure zone by the vent that draws air from the far reaches of the power
supply. This is an improvement; it will mean better airflow across all components
and less "short-circuited" air that flows directly from the fan out
of the exhaust vent.
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