Straight Power 12, from manufacturer Be Quiet!, is a 1200W power Supply from their latest Straight Power line. Designed to provide PC builders with the raw power needed for the latest and future GPUs and CPUs without the fuss of extra configuring feature set tweaking, The Straight Power 12 is a powerhouse.

ATX 3.0 ready, the Straight Power 12 is a well-crafted and solid piece of equipment. Built for long-term service, the Straight Power 12 hosts an impressive selection of premium parts and design features. With 80 PLUS Platinum certification and a 10-year manufacturer’s warranty, it’s the peak in set-it-and-forget-it technology.

The Straight Power 12 is focused on providing unparalleled power efficiency for high-end rigs while still offering power options for next-gen support. With PCIe 5.0 support and two 12VHPWR connection options, Be Quiet! Has designed the Straight Power 12 to handle any power needs you might have (more on this later).

Equipped with Be Quiet!’s Silent Wings Fans, the Straight Power 12 not only delivers a power-ready experience but a quiet one at that. Optimized for better airflow, the funnel-shaped fan inlet is specifically designed down to the micrometre to reduce noise and airflow drag along the grill. The result is a quieter, cooler PSU. 

As for the fan motor, Be Quiet! leverages a 6-pole fan design. This brushless direct current motor (BLDC) eliminates the need for traditional carbon brushes. These carbon brushes historically acted as the energy transfer system as the motor rotated. While they worked, the result was more noise and increased wear and tear on the power supply.

“Optimized for better airflow, the funnel-shaped fan inlet is specifically designed down to the micrometre to reduce noise and airflow drag along the grill.”

BLDC motors, on the other hand, rely on copper spools that act as magnets when electrically charged. As the motor rotates, these spools attract and repulse six poles inside the motor chamber, resulting in the transfer of power and reducing overall friction on the unit. As there is less friction, there is less vibration and an overall quieter, more efficient system. In testing, the power supply is incredibly quiet. Even during heavy usage like video rendering or 4K gaming, the Straight Power 12 hasn’t made any noticeable noise.

Continuing on the theme of stability and longevity, the Straight Power 12 comes with full bridge LLC. In layman’s terms, this essentially means that Be Quiet! Has equipped the Straight Power 12 with four transistors (known as MOSEFT) to help generate and maintain high-frequency alternating voltage. The number of transistors is important as the more you have, the more energy efficient the system becomes, with four MOSEFT being the maximum amount that can be put into a power supply. The result is a highly efficient system that also produces unparalleled stability over the lifespan of the unit.

“Equipped with Be Quiet!’s Silent Wings Fans, the Straight Power 12 not only delivers a power-ready experience but a quiet one at that.”

Speaking of stability, the Straight Power 12 also comes with high-temperature rated capacitors. Rated for 105℃, these Japanese capacitors were specifically chosen for the Straight Power Series of power supplies to offer superior stability, reliability and longevity to the unit. These three terms, stability, reliability and longevity, are the central themes of the Straight Power 12. Every element, from design to component choice, speaks to that desire to build a power supply that can withstand anything thrown at it for the next several years to come.

As for connection compatibility, this is where the Straight Power 12 really shines. With full PCI 5.0 support, the power supply comes equipped with two 12VHPWR connectors as well as four PCIe 6+2 pin connectors for current generation GPUs. The former 12VHPWR connectors are essential to not only power the new PCIe 5.0 next-gen GPUs coming down the pipeline but are also mandatory for ATX 3.0 support.

This becomes important when you understand the difference in design between an ATX 2.4 power supply and an ATX 3.0 power supply. The main difference between the two is how well they can handle power load peaks caused but power spikes generated by the combined GPU and other components in the PC. While ATX 2.4 can handle spikes in power, there is no maximum defined value to how much of a power spike they can withstand. This leads to manufacturers trying to tweak and adjust their PSUs to accommodate newer GPU hardware.

ATX 3.0, however, for the first time, clearly defines what those values can be above the nominal power levels. In layman’s terms, this means that it can safely be known how much of a power spike the power supply can handle at peak times. With ATX 3.0 power supplies, they must be rated to handle load changes up to three times the power consumption. This translates to a more consistent power delivery while also creating a power supply that can handle power spikes above the nominal power rating.    

Circling back to the 12VHPWR connectors, these cables really are a new innovation in connection management. They are equipped with what is called sense lines that act as a communication bridge between the power supply and the cards they are connected to. While GPUs traditionally don’t receive any data from the power supply, these new sense pins circumvent that issue and can communicate their maximum power load to the GPU in real-time.

While GPUs that support 12VHPWR are now just starting to be released it is a technology that will become the standard in next-generation cards. For those concerned about compatibility, thankfully all of these features are optional, so you can still expect to get full support from the Straight Power 12, even with current or past-generation components.

“Priced at USD $279.99, the Straight Power 12 is worth considering.”

Functionally the Straight Power 12 is easy to install and set up. With its very modular design, connecting components is easy. Be Quiet! offers a host of cable options for you to work with, so you’ll have no shortage of cables while performing the install. While the Straight Power 12 boasts 100cm sleeved cables, I did note that the MB cable was a bit tight in my build. Everything still connected fine but cable management was a bit snug as there wasn’t as much cable to feed around in the cable trays as I would have liked. 

The Straight Power 12 power supply from manufacturer Be Quiet! is a sleek, well-designed PSU built for stability, reliability and longevity. Packed with future-proofing components and features it really has it all. ATX 3.0 and PCIe 5.0 support mean you’ll have no problem upgrading in the future, and a 10-year warranty makes it the ultimate in set-it-and-forget-it technology. Priced at USD $279.99, the Straight Power 12 is worth considering.