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ASRock Steel Legend SL-1000G Power Supply Review
ASRock, a prominent name in PC hardware, has recently extended its product portfolio into the power supply unit (PSU) market. As a company whose philosophy revolves around reliability, ASRock aims to provide robust and aesthetically appealing PSUs for high-performance gaming PCs and workstations. The company released four PSU series almost simultaneously – the Taichi, Phantom Gaming, Steel Legend, and Challenger – with the Steel Legend series being the most affordable modular PSUs that the company currently offers.
We examine the Steel Legend SL-1000G, a 1000W power supply designed to meet modern ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5.1 specifications. This PSU balances efficiency and performance and could be a notable contender to some of the best power supplies in the market. With 80Plus Gold and Cybenetics Platinum certifications, the Steel Legend SL-1000G delivers modern features, aesthetics, and value.
Specifications and Design
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| RAIL | +3.3V | +5V | +12V | +5Vsb | -12V |
| MAX OUTPUT | 20A | 20A | 83.4A | 3A | 0.3A |
| 120W | 120W | 1000W | 15W | 3.6W | |
| TOTAL | 1000W | 1000W | 1000W | 1000W | 1000W |
| AC INPUT | 100 – 240 VAC, 50 – 60 Hz | 100 – 240 VAC, 50 – 60 Hz | 100 – 240 VAC, 50 – 60 Hz | 100 – 240 VAC, 50 – 60 Hz | 100 – 240 VAC, 50 – 60 Hz |
| PRICE | $160 | Row 5 – Cell 2 | Row 5 – Cell 3 | Row 5 – Cell 4 | Row 5 – Cell 5 |
In the Box
The ASRock Steel Legend SL-1000G arrives in durable and well-designed packaging, featuring a brushed metal artistic theme consistent with the Steel Legend branding. The PSU is securely placed inside a nylon pouch and reinforced with foam inserts to ensure safe transit.
ASRock provides a generous bundle of accessories, including mounting screws, an AC power cable, a jump-starting connector for PSU testing, a few cable ties, and several cable straps, catering to users who appreciate a complete installation package.
The Steel Legend SL-1000G includes all-black, individually sleeved cables with flexible, soft wiring for easy management. Notably, the 12+4 pin PCIe 5.0 connectors are partially green, ensuring proper installation by signaling improper connections. The PSU is equipped with three 6+2 pin PCI Express connectors, offering a conservative but functional setup for a 1000W unit.
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| Connector type | Hardwired | Modular |
|---|---|---|
| ATX 24 Pin | – | 1 |
| EPS 4+4 Pin | – | 2 |
| EPS 8 Pin | – | – |
| PCI-E 5.0 | – | 1 |
| PCI-E 8 Pin | – | 3 |
| SATA | – | 9 |
| Molex | – | 3 |
| Floppy | – | – |
External Appearance
Measuring 150 mm in length, the ASRock Steel Legend SL-1000G is slightly larger than the standard ATX PSU but the unit should remain compatible with all ATX-compliant tower cases. Only very small HTPC cases or special design may not have enough room for a 150 mm PSU. The SL-1000G boasts an aesthetically striking design. Encased in a matte black chassis, the PSU features decorative embossments and stickers on its sides that add texture and visual appeal. The ASRock and Steel Legend logos are prominently displayed.
Rounded corners and a distinctive mesh-style fan grille integrated directly into the chassis further enhance the unit’s visual appeal. The integrated fan guard covers the entire bottom panel.
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The rear panel includes the standard AC input socket, an on/off power switch, and a button for toggling the intelligent fan mode. This mode enables semi-passive operation, where the fan remains idle under lighter loads. Disabling intelligent mode forces the fan to start regardless of load but does not override thermal control, keeping the fan at minimal speeds under low-load conditions. One core difference of this implementation is that the switch activates some sort of offset, forcing the fan to operate continuously under lower loads, but also makes the fan operate at a higher speed than it would with the intelligent mode disabled, sacrificing acoustics in favor of thermal performance across the entire load range. The modular cable connectors are located on the front panel, with clearly marked legends to simplify the installation process.
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Internal Design
The ASRock Steel Legend SL-1000G features a 135mm RL4Z S1352512EH-3M fan, likely manufactured by Globe but rebranded with ASRock’s logo. This fan employs a fluid dynamic bearing (FDB), balancing reliability, longevity, and low-noise operation.
The ASRock Steel Legend SL-1000G is manufactured by HEC/Compucase, a well-established OEM with decades of experience in producing power supply units. HEC/Compucase is one of the oldest companies in the PSU industry, known for its wide-ranging capabilities that cover everything from entry-level to high-performance designs, although the company typically sticks to entry-to-medium platform designs. They introduced some platforms meant for performance gaming/workstation PCs over the past few years.
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Its input filtering stage consists of four Y capacitors, three X capacitors, and two filtering inductors, offering a configuration slightly above the typical for a 1000W unit. Following the filtering stage are two rectifying bridges mounted on a small heatsink. The Active Power Factor Correction (APFC) stage includes three Infineon 60R120P7 MOSFETs and a diode mounted on a large dedicated heatsink across the edge of the main PCB. A classic inductor and a single Nippon Chemi-Con 680 μF capacitor are the passive components.
The primary inversion stage utilizes two Infineon 70R099P7 MOSFETs configured in a half-bridge LLC topology. These transistors are mounted on a separate heatsink next to the primary transformer. On the secondary side, the PSU employs six MOSFETs to generate the primary 12V rail. These MOSFETs are cooled by a large, distinct heatsink next to the main transformer. The 3.3V and 5V lines are derived using DC-to-DC converters housed on a vertical daughterboard connected to the main PCB.
The capacitors used in the secondary stage are sourced from Nippon Chemi-Con and Rubycon, two highly regarded Japanese manufacturers known for their reliability and performance. These capacitors contribute to the unit’s stable electrical output and durability. Overall, the SL-1000G is entirely built using only top-quality components from reputable manufacturers.
Cold Test Results
Cold Test Results (25°C Ambient)
For testing the power supplies, we use high-precision electronic loads with a maximum power draw of 2700 Watts, a Rigol DS5042M 40 MHz oscilloscope, an Extech 380803 power analyzer, two high-precision UNI-T UT-325 digital thermometers, an Extech HD600 SPL meter, a self-designed hotbox, and various other bits and parts.
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During cold testing, the ASRock Steel Legend SL-1000G demonstrated an average nominal load efficiency of 90.8% at 115 VAC and 92.8% at 230 VAC. The PSU is 80Plus Gold certified by CLEAResult and Platinum certified by Cybenetics. The unit consistently met 80Plus Gold requirements across its load range and narrowly missed the 80Plus Platinum certification at full load. Efficiency peaked at approximately 40% load, and its performance across the 10-100% load range was within the thresholds for Cybenetics’ Platinum certification. At very low loads, the PSU maintained acceptably high efficiency levels, suggesting strong performance across various operational conditions.
The Steel Legend SL-1000G exhibited a good balance between thermal management and acoustics during cold testing. The fan remained off until the load exceeded 350 watts, after which it started at a low rotational speed. As the load increased, the fan speed rose incrementally, but it never reached its maximum rotational speed during cold testing conditions. Internal temperatures were well-regulated, with thermal performance aligning with expectations for its design and specifications. Despite the fan’s operation, noise levels were relatively low, ensuring quiet operation under typical loads.
Hot Test Results
Hot Test Results (~45°C Ambient)
The ASRock Steel Legend SL-1000G exhibited an average nominal load efficiency of 89.5% at 115 VAC and 91.5% at 230 VAC during hot testing. The higher ambient temperatures caused a measurable drop in efficiency compared to cold testing, with the most significant degradation occurring under high loads, suggesting thermal stress when the unit is left heavily loaded for prolonged periods of time.
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Thermal performance during hot testing showed an anticipated shift in fan behavior, with the fan starting at a load just below 300 watts. The fan speed increased more rapidly compared to cold testing, reaching its maximum rotational speed at approximately 900 watts. Internal temperatures obviously rise significantly higher but the PSU maintained a fairly good balance between cooling and noise output. The unit’s noise levels are moderate, with the SL-1000G managing to maintain very low figures for the first half of its operational range but noise levels rise sharply as the load increases beyond 600 watts.
PSU Quality and Bottom Line
Power Supply Quality
The ASRock Steel Legend SL-1000G demonstrated strong electrical performance in terms of voltage regulation and filtering. Voltage regulation was tight across all rails, with deviations of 0.8% on the 12V rail and 0.4% on both the 5V and 3.3V rails, indicating stable output under varying loads. Ripple suppression was effective, with the 12V rail exhibiting a maximum ripple of 54 mV, the 5V rail 20 mV, and the 3.3V rail 18 mV. While these ripple values are within acceptable limits for a high-performance PSU, they could have been lower, considering the unit’s market positioning.
During our thorough assessment, we evaluate the essential protection features of every power supply unit we review, including Over Current Protection (OCP), Over Voltage Protection (OVP), Over Power Protection (OPP), and Short Circuit Protection (SCP). All protection mechanisms were activated and functioned correctly during testing.
The SL-1000G’s protection features performed reliably, with Over Current Protection (OCP) limits set at 152% for the 3.3V rail, 150% for the 5V rail, and 134% for the 12V rail. Over Power Protection (OPP) was triggered at 136% during hot testing. The figures are a bit high but not unexpected for a premium ATX 3.1 design that is very likely to be facing massive power excursions.
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| Load (Watts) | 201.97 W | Row 0 – Cell 2 | 503.27 W | Row 0 – Cell 4 | 753.53 W | Row 0 – Cell 6 | 1001.61 W | Row 0 – Cell 8 |
| Load (Percent) | 20.2% | Row 1 – Cell 2 | 50.33% | Row 1 – Cell 4 | 75.35% | Row 1 – Cell 6 | 100.16% | Row 1 – Cell 8 |
| Amperes | Volts | Amperes | Volts | Amperes | Volts | Amperes | Volts | |
| 3.3 V | 1.85 | 3.38 | 4.61 | 3.37 | 6.92 | 3.36 | 9.23 | 3.36 |
| 5 V | 1.85 | 5.05 | 4.61 | 5.05 | 6.92 | 5.04 | 9.23 | 5.03 |
| 12 V | 15.39 | 12.11 | 38.48 | 12.07 | 57.71 | 12.05 | 76.95 | 12.01 |
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| Line | Regulation (20% to 100% load) | Voltage Ripple (mV) | Row 0 – Cell 3 | Row 0 – Cell 4 | Row 0 – Cell 5 | Row 0 – Cell 6 | Row 0 – Cell 7 |
| Row 1 – Cell 0 | Row 1 – Cell 1 | 20% Load | 50% Load | 75% Load | 100% Load | CL1 12V | CL2 3.3V + 5V |
| 3.3V | 0.4% | 10 | 12 | 14 | 18 | 14 | 18 |
| 5V | 0.4% | 12 | 12 | 16 | 20 | 16 | 18 |
| 12V | 0.8% | 18 | 28 | 32 | 54 | 50 | 24 |
Bottom Line
The ASRock Steel Legend SL-1000G is positioned as a mid-to-high-end power supply unit, targeting gamers and PC enthusiasts who require a modern PSU compliant with ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5.1 standards. At a price point of $160, it provides features such as modular cabling, 80Plus Gold and Cybenetics Platinum certifications, and native support for high-power GPUs. While reasonably priced for its specifications, the unit faces stiff competition in a crowded market, where established brands offer similar or better performance and efficiency at comparable costs.
The SL-1000G’s design and build quality align with ASRock’s Steel Legend branding, emphasizing durability and a distinctive aesthetic. The PSU’s matte black chassis, rounded edges, integrated fan grille, and embossed details give it a premium appearance. Internally, the PSU employs high-quality components, including Japanese Nippon Chemi-Con and Rubycon capacitors, paired with a robust platform from HEC/Compucase. Its compact 150mm form factor ensures compatibility with most ATX cases, with the slight increase in size over standard units affecting only very compact cases and custom builds.
Performance-wise, the SL-1000G delivers solid efficiency and reliable operation across a wide range of conditions. Cold testing revealed peak efficiency at moderate loads, meeting 80Plus Gold and Cybenetics Platinum certifications. Voltage regulation was tight across all rails, and ripple suppression was within acceptable limits. Hot testing showed a minor efficiency drop, consistent with thermal stress under high-load conditions, but the unit maintained stability. Thermal management and acoustics were balanced, with fan noise remaining moderate even under heavy loads. All protection features performed as expected.
In conclusion, the ASRock Steel Legend SL-1000G is a well-rounded PSU that offers modern compliance, decent efficiency, and robust protection features at a reasonable price. However, while it performs respectably, it does not distinguish itself significantly in a crowded market segment filled with alternatives that offer similar or slightly better performance for comparable prices. While its performance and build quality meet expectations for its class, the unit does not significantly outshine competitors in the same price range. It is a reliable choice for a 1000W PSU with a unique design and a complete accessory bundle. However, those who prioritize certain performance aspects or find another design more appealing may find alternative options more compelling.
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