Performance Analysis

The ET750-HG has no trouble passing our suite of tests. Measurements of the critical 12V rail indicate very little deviation from the ideal – no more than one percent, in fact. This is also the rail from which we take ripple measurements, and the unit does a good job of suppressing this electrical noise. Even at maximum load, ripple was under 35mV.

Efficiency test results are about average for an 80 Plus Gold rated PSU. Peak efficiency is 90.6 percent, and this is maintained at both 400W and 600W. Even at very low loads like 20W and 40W, the SilverStone Essential Gold 750W is over 70 percent efficient, so it doesn’t drop off too drastically, although it could be better here.

The fan spins at all times, but it’s very quiet up until about 500W of load, which is when you’re most likely to start noticing it. After this point, it does get a tad noisy.

Conclusion

The clue, as they say, is in the name; the Essential Gold Series from SilverStone is clearly focussed on getting the essentials right. This is a no-frills and certainly no-thrills PSU that lacks unique features and eye-catching design, but not every PSU needs to be rainbow illuminated; if there’s any component that should be function over form, it’s this one.

Electrical performance is hard to fault, and the ET750-HG offers good efficiency for the price. The semi-modular design is a bonus, and the cable selection is decent too. It’s surely one of the blandest PSUs out there, but it’s reliable and gets the job done. Our main request would be a longer warranty, but the ET750-HG does just enough to earn itself a Recommended badge. If you’re looking for an inexpensive PSU that’ll be tucked away and hidden out of sight, it’ll serve you well, but make sure you don’t pay too much more than £80 for it.