Aresgame caught lying about 80+ rating by Gamers Nexus

[Spotty]

Gamers Nexus latest video tested the Aresgame AGS850 power supply, one of the highest rated power supplies listed on Amazon, and found that the products claims of 80+ Gold certification were false. The unit tested by Gamers Nexus unit only managed to meet 80+ Standard certification, which is the lowest tier.

 

 

Aresgame have responded and admitted that the samples they tested internally also did not meet the 80+ Gold standard. They've removed the 80+ Gold claim from their website and the Amazon product page, however they are still selling through existing stock which falsely bears the 80+ Gold logo on the box and power supply.

 

The power supply was originally certified as 80+ Gold by Clear Result (the company that provides 80+ ratings) and the report is displayed on their website (attached as a pdf below), however supposedly there were changes made to the power supply due to COVID-19 supply constraints that have resulted in the change and lower efficiency, though in my opinion this is likely just an excuse for bait-and-switching to cheaper components after receiving its initial 80+ Gold rating.

 

The Amazon page has been updated to state "80+ Certified" without any rank listed, however since the PSU has undergone changes and no longer meets its original 80+ Gold rating this should be removed completely as it the PSU has undergone changes and is not the same as what received that certification. Aresgame should resubmit it to be tested and then only claim 80+ Certification once it has received a new certification.

 

Gamers Nexus only tested the 850W "AGS" model, however it is likely the same story with other AGS models and the 80+ ratings from other Aresgame power supplies should also be questioned.

 

After Gamers Nexus testing of the Gigabyte PGM 80+ Gold power supplies this is another good example of why "It's 80+ Gold so it must be good" is not a good way to choose a power supply.

 

 

ARESGAME _AGS850 _850W_SOCE 6340_Report 2-16-21.pdf

[doubleflower]

1 minute ago, Spotty said:

Gamers Nexus latest video tested the Aresgame AGS850 power supply, one of the highest rated power supplies listed on Amaazon, and found that the products claims of 80+ Gold certification were false. The unit tested by Gamers Nexus unit only managed to meet 80+ Standard certification, which is the lowest tier.

 

 

Aresgame have responded and admitted that the samples they tested internally also did not meet the 80+ Gold standard. They've removed the 80+ Gold claim from their website and the Amazon product page, however they are still selling through existing stock which falsely bears the 80+ Gold logo on the box and power supply.

 

The power supply was originally certified as 80+ Gold by Clear Result (the company that provides 80+ ratings) and the report is displayed on their website (attached as a pdf below), however supposedly there were changes made to the power supply due to COVID-19 supply constraints that have resulted in the change and lower efficiency, though in my opinion this is likely just an excuse for bait-and-switching to cheaper components after receiving its initial 80+ Gold rating.

 

The Amazon page has been updated to state "80+ Certified" without any rank listed, however since the PSU has undergone changes and no longer meets its original 80+ Gold rating this should be removed completely as it the PSU has undergone changes and is not the same as what received that certification. Aresgame should resubmit it to be tested and then only claim 80+ Certification once it has received a new certification.

 

Gamers Nexus only tested the 850W "AGS" model, however it is likely the same story with other AGS models and the 80+ ratings from other Aresgame power supplies should also be questioned.

 

After Gamers Nexus testing of the Gigabyte PGM 80+ Gold power supplies this is another good example of why "It's 80+ so it must be good" is not a good way to choose a power supply.

ARESGAME _AGS850 _850W_SOCE 6340_Report 2-16-21.pdf 290.52 kB · 0 downloads

So the manufacturer is doing a bait and switch...

 

Might be better to downgrade the unit to Tier E if that's the case

[lewdicrous]

At this point, you can't trust any PSU. Time to bring back the hamster wheel! /s

[Bombastinator]

I read the headline as “aresgame caught lying about 80+ rating by spotty” my reaction was

 

0.0   GOooo  spotty!  

[Spotty]

9 minutes ago, doubleflower said:

So the manufacturer is doing a bait and switch...

 

Might be better to downgrade the unit to Tier E if that's the case

Appears it is currently in Tier C - Low Priority on the forums tier list, meaning that it is a speculative ranking pending available reviews. After this video from Gamers Nexus I'm sure they'll be reviewing it's placement. @Juular

I'm not entirely up to date on the tier list ranking criteria, but I believe Tier E is reserved for stuff that is considered dangerous. While this does not meet the claims that were made it hasn't been shown to be dangerous... Though I certainly wouldn't want to use one after this.

 

I should also include that the 80+ efficiency was not the only problem found with the Aresgame power supply in Gamers Nexus' testing. The ripple was very high with 5V, 3.3V, and 5VSB exceeding Intel's (very generous) specifications, and the +12V ripple was very high with peak-to-peak of 98mV ripple. (Ripple test starting 21:30 in GN video)

 

Also at 24:30 GN goes in to OCP testing, and while the OCP worked within an acceptable limit (tripping at 110% load) they showed the 12V voltage was at 9.7V! It wasn't discussed in the video but this is incredibly low, especially for only 110% of the PSUs rated output.

 

The fan used in the power supply was claimed to by a hydraulic bearing fan however when disassembled it appeared to be a much cheaper sleeve bearing fan.

 

It seems that the cost cutting measures have severely hurt the performance of the power supply.

Edited August 30, 2021 by Spotty

[Spotty]

2 minutes ago, Bombastinator said:

I read the headline as “aresgame caught lying about 80+ rating by spotty” my reaction was

 

0.0   GOooo  spotty!  

LOL! Not intentional. I've added "By Gamers Nexus" to the title xD

[doubleflower]

3 minutes ago, Spotty said:

Appears it is currently in Tier C - Low Priority on the forums tier list, meaning that it is a speculative ranking pending available reviews. After this video from Gamers Nexus I'm sure they'll be reviewing it's placement. @Juular

I'm not entirely up to date on the tier list ranking criteria, but I believe Tier E is reserved for stuff that is considered dangerous.

 

I should also include that the 80+ efficiency was not the only problem found with the Aresgame power supply in Gamers Nexus' testing. The ripple was very high with 5V, 3.3V, and 5VSB exceeding Intel's (very generous) specifications, and the +12V ripple was very high with peak-to-peak of 98mV ripple. (Ripple test starting 21:30 in GN video)

 

Also at 24:30 GN goes in to OCP testing, and while the OCP worked within an acceptable limit (tripping at 110% load) they showed the 12V voltage was at 9.7V! It wasn't discussed in the video but this is incredibly low, especially for only 110% of the PSUs rated output.

 

 

It seems that the cost cutting measures have severely hurt the performance of the power supply.

...this is also a textbook example on why people should never buy PSUs based on 80+ rating alone - there are plenty of lower efficiency units that perform way better than this  

[jaslion]

I've basically always treated the stickers they put on the psu with all their specifications just like well stickers. Something anyone can put on anything. Unless tested well I will simply ignore any claims made by the manufacturer because of how many flat out lie and deceive.

[Stahlmann]

4 minutes ago, Spotty said:

I should also include that the 80+ efficiency was not the only problem found with the Aresgame power supply in Gamers Nexus' testing. The ripple was very high with 5V, 3.3V, and 5VSB exceeding Intel's (very generous) specifications, and the +12V ripple was very high with peak-to-peak of 98mV ripple. (Ripple test starting 21:30 in GN video)

Did i misunderstand the video? From what i understood it did pass Intel's (by todays standards insuficcient, but still enforced) standard. It just didn't pass the "internal standard" GN introduced. (Basically what they like to see from a modern PSU) 

[IIIIIIIIII]

[Stahlmann]

The funniest part is that Aresgame completely threw them off with their cooperation. GN fully expected to go toe-to-toe with the next brand, which is why they needed to redo the script after the email came in.  

[Juular]

1 minute ago, Spotty said:

It seems that the cost cutting measures have severely hurt the performance of the power supply.

Well, we don't have a baseline for before the components swap so i'd just treat is a very cheap PSU, nothing more. And while the components swap sounds alarming, it's not like they've let out a bunch of review samples out to paint a good picture about their products first (customer feedback on retailers doesn't count) and then made a silent components downgrade. In addition to that, at least what they claim is, it's because of components shortages. Corsair for example does that too as Jon said numerous times, they're just reviewing their changes and if anything - are trying to change components for the best. In the case of Aresgame, again, we don't have a baseline so i just can't say that it's a downgrade, chances are it's just a cheap PSU with lackluster performance, as it was from the start.

But yeah, i'll move it to tier D LP.

[Spotty]

Just now, jaslion said:

I've basically always treated the stickers they put on the psu with all their specifications just like well stickers. Something anyone can put on anything. Unless tested well I will simply ignore any claims made by the manufacturer because of how many flat out lie and deceive.

Companies putting fake 80+ logos on their power supplies is a thing. Clear Result publish the 80+ test reports on their website. You can always verify the 80+ rating of a power supply by checking their website. https://www.clearesult.com/80plus/

Cybenetics is relatively new but is also providing efficiency testing for power supplies and you can check their reports online as well, however they have not published reports for the Aresgame units (most likely have not been submitted for testing). You can check for other units there though. https://www.cybenetics.com/index.php?option=power-supplies

 

The problem in this case was that the initial unit they submitted for testing does not match up with the units being sold at retail. So likely a bait-and-switch, or if you are willing to give them the benefit of the doubt supply issues caused them to make changes to the power supply which meant that it no longer meets the standard - Though this should have resulted in a new SKU or resubmitting for testing.

[Spotty]

10 minutes ago, Stahlmann said:

Did i misunderstand the video? From what i understood it did pass Intel's (by todays standards insuficcient, but still enforced) standard. It just didn't pass the "internal standard" GN introduced. (Basically what they like to see from a modern PSU) 

It was within spec for the +12V rail which requires less than 120mV peak to peak by Intel's standards, however the 5V, 3.3V, and 5VSB were outside of spec (50mV allowed by Intel).

 

8 minutes ago, Juular said:

Well, we don't have a baseline for before the components swap so i'd just treat is a very cheap PSU, nothing more. And while the components swap sounds alarming, it's not like they've let out a bunch of review samples out to paint a good picture about their products first (customer feedback on retailers doesn't count) and then made a silent components downgrade. In addition to that, at least what they claim is, it's because of components shortages. Corsair for example does that too as Jon said numerous times, they're just reviewing their changes and if anything - are trying to change components for the best. In the case of Aresgame, again, we don't have a baseline so i just can't say that it's a downgrade, chances are it's just a cheap PSU with lackluster performance, as it was from the start.

But yeah, i'll move it to tier D LP.

True. It is normal for PSUs to make component changes depending on supply constraints - however those should be with equivalent parts. If the PSU originally submitted achieved 80+ Gold and the current PSUs achieve only 80+ Standard then there's been some significant changes with parts that may not have been equivalent to what they were originally using.

For example a brand such as Corsair might not have supply of 105°C Rubycon capacitors so they switch to 105°C Nippon Chemicon... But not to 85°C CapXon or Lelon. Substituting for equivalent parts is fine and is needed in order to maintain supply.

 

Without information on the original units available it's difficult to say what changes were made and if they were indeed just supply related changes to maintain production, cost cutting changes, or a blatant bait-and-switch for 80+ testing (submitting a completely different PSU that was not what they ended up producing under that SKU).

Edited August 30, 2021 by Spotty

[jaslion]

4 minutes ago, Spotty said:

Companies putting fake 80+ logos on their power supplies is a thing. Clear Result publish the 80+ test reports on their website. You can always verify the 80+ rating of a power supply by checking their website. https://www.clearesult.com/80plus/

Cybenetics is relatively new but is also providing efficiency testing for power supplies and you can check their reports online as well, however they have not published reports for the Aresgame units (most likely have not been submitted for testing). You can check for other units there though. https://www.cybenetics.com/index.php?option=power-supplies

Oh yes I'm aware of that it's a good resource to bs check them real quick :p.

 

4 minutes ago, Spotty said:

The problem in this case was that the initial unit they submitted for testing does not match up with the units being sold at retail. So likely a bait-and-switch, or if you are willing to give them the benefit of the doubt supply issues caused them to make changes to the power supply which meant that it no longer meets the standard - Though this should have resulted in a new SKU or resubmitting for testing.

The thing is they HAVE to know they are doing it. Someone designs these lesser units on purpose hard to do accidentally.

 

I'm mainly of that mentality since I get so many Logon, chieftec, insert random name here,... psu's with stickers of 80+ whatever (one even did 80+ blue like whats that even mean?) and these are just not tested units thus false stickers on them.

 

I am aware some companies just buy a bulk order of stuff slap their sticker on it and sell it on so they won't know how bad/good something is because they never tested it but that really should not be an excuse.

[doubleflower]

7 minutes ago, Juular said:

Well, we don't have a baseline for before the components swap so i'd just treat is a very cheap PSU, nothing more. And while the components swap sounds alarming, it's not like they've let out a bunch of review samples out to paint a good picture about their products first (customer feedback on retailers doesn't count) and then made a silent components downgrade. In addition to that, at least what they claim is, it's because of components shortages. Corsair for example does that too as Jon said numerous times, they're just reviewing their changes and if anything - are trying to change components for the best. In the case of Aresgame, again, we don't have a baseline so i just can't say that it's a downgrade, chances are it's just a cheap PSU with lackluster performance, as it was from the start.

But yeah, i'll move it to tier D LP.

Also can you identify the OEM based on the teardown Gamers Nexus provided? 

[IIIIIIIIII]

9 minutes ago, Spotty said:

True. It is normal for PSUs to make component changes depending on supply constraints - however those should be with equivalent parts. If the PSU originally submitted achieved 80+ Gold and the current PSUs achieve only 80+ Standard then there's been some significant changes with parts that may not have been equivalent to what they were originally using.

Looking inside it, I doubt it was even 80plus Gold in the first place. I think they replaced the unit itself, not the parts.

Edited August 30, 2021 by IIIIIIIIII

[Juular]

4 minutes ago, doubleflower said:

Also can you identify the OEM based on the teardown Gamers Nexus provided? 

I mean, i would hardly call that a teardown, i'll be honest, this 'review' looks unusually half-assed for GN, but i guess it wasn't a goal to make a full-fledged review, just to show that other PSUs, even cheap ones don't blow-up like Gigabyte one did. But it looks like the OEM is the same as for AGT for which Aresgame has said to Luke that it's Jiumeng. First time i hear about it, and in retrospect i've seen a few units which it seems have been made by this OEM as well but they're all very cheap too, and well, there were very few of them. Overall, the Aresgame AGT is the only PSU from Aresgame or that OEM i'd consider buying so far, and even then, there are zero actual professional reviews on it yet.

[f14]

some factory in china bought a design platform or PCB.  and they just assembled then sell it . so hard to talk about who is OEM
btw look at this!. 
 

[Chiyawa]

Well, at least it doesn't blow up like a certain PSU. Still, out right lying is pretty much not the way to go. We must punish these manufacturers.

[Tyderas]

I have this exact PSU however my serial number falls just before the ones that are supposedly being recalled, I've never dealt with an RMA with Gigabyte and I have heard a few negative things. Does anyone have experience with them If I were to spend my time RMA would they just send me another PSU or would I get a refund, after this I don't quite feel comfortable with a Gigabye PSU and am considering purchasing a new one from a different brand to be on the safe side.

[Spotty]

1 minute ago, Tyderas said:

I have this exact PSU however my serial number falls just before the ones that are supposedly being recalled, I've never dealt with an RMA with Gigabyte and I have heard a few negative things. Does anyone have experience with them If I were to spend my time RMA would they just send me another PSU or would I get a refund, after this I don't quite feel comfortable with a Gigabye PSU and am considering purchasing a new one from a different brand to be on the safe side.

Wrong thread mate. This thread is about the Aresgame brand power supply. For the Gigabyte power supplies check this post:

 

You can also make a new thread in the Power Supplies section if you would like help picking a new PSU to replace the Gigabyte one you have, if that is what you want to do.

[Elisis]

So they say they switch out an LLC design for a double foward one that had no chance of reaching Gold and act as if this is expected due to component shortages? At this point I wish GN's review was actually... thorough, instead of covering pretty much solely other stuff. It's hard enough to discern what the hell this unit it. 

[Guest]

On 8/30/2021 at 4:37 AM, doubleflower said:

...this is also a textbook example on why people should never buy PSUs based on 80+ rating alone - there are plenty of lower efficiency units that perform way better than this  

Probably half the 80 PLUS ratings are fake.  That whole organization needs to go away.  Time to adopt Cybenetics ratings instead.

 

[Bombastinator]

1 minute ago, jonnyGURU said:

Probably half the 80 PLUS ratings are fake.  That whole organization needs to go away.  Time to adopt Cybenetics ratings instead.

 

What I would most like to see is not horribly expensive hardware that could test such things. FTM relying on things like GN seems to be the only option.