Last year, ASRock entered the PSU segment with a diverse range that caters to all kinds of PC users. The entrance into the PSU lineup was a bit of a surprise but not entirely unexpected given that the manufacturer was expanding its component lineup such as gaming monitors and Mini PCs and as we always say, the more the competition and options in the PC industry, the better for consumers.
So today, we will be taking a look at one of the several models featured in the ASRock PSU lineup, and it falls in the Steel Legend "Mainstream Durable" tier. Our review unit includes the SL-1200GW, which is a 1200W design. This is a slightly higher-end model than the SL-1000G which we tested earlier this year.
ASRock SL-1200G 1200W 80 PLUS GOLD PSU Specifications
The ASRock Steel Legend PSUs are designed for mainstream enthusiasts and come in four flavors which include wattages of 650W, 750W, 850W,1000W, and up to 1200W. ASRock's full lineup goes up to 1650 Watts with premium Taichi & Phantom Gaming flavors. Our unit was the top 1200W unit and like all the other Steel Legend PSUs, it comes in a fully modular design.
Coming to the specifications, the ASRock SL-1200GW PSU unit we got offers a maximum DC output of 1200 Watts and an active PFC. It's an 80 PLUS Gold unit (Cybenetrics Platinum / A rating) with efficiency rated at over 90%. The PSU is fully compliant with Intel's C6 & C7 power states and has an operating temp of 0-50C. Some of the main features include:
- 80 PLUS GOLD Certified
- Cybenetics PLATINUM and LAMBDA A Certified
- ATX3.1 & PCIe5.1 Ready
- Fully Modular Cable Design
- Native 12V-2x6 Connector Dual Color Design
- 100% Highly Reliable Japanese Capacitors
- 135mm Striped Axial FDB Fan
- iCool Intelligent Fan Control Mode
- Built-in 5V BOOST function
Some protection features that you get on the ASRock Steel Legend series PSUs include:
- Over Voltage Protection
- Under Voltage Protection
- Over Power Protection
- Over Temperature Protection
- Over Current Protection
- Short Circuit Protection
As for the design of the PSU unit, it comes in an ATX form factor and measures 150 x 86 x 150 mm. The cooling is provided by a top-mounted 135mm fan, which features semi-passive fan operation that can be controlled by the iCool Intelligent Fan Control software. The smaller ATX form factor is a plus along with the option to go with either black or white looks depending on your PC build. The PSU comes with a 10-year warranty and is priced at $179.99 US.
Some main features of the ASRock SL-1200GW include:
- 80 PLUS GOLD Certified
- Cybenetics PLATINUM and LAMBDA A Certified
- ATX3.1 & PCIe5.1 Ready
- Fully Modular Cable Design
- Native 12V-2x6 Connector Dual Color Design
- 100% Highly Reliable Japanese Capacitors
- 135mm Striped Axial FDB Fan
- iCool Intelligent Fan Control Mode
- Built-in 5V BOOST function
- Remarkable 10-Year Warranty
ASRock SL-1200G 1200W 80 PLUS Gold PSU Unboxing & Close-Up
The unit we received comes in a large black colored package with a picture of the PSU on the front. The front also lists down several features such as its 80 Plus Gold, Cybenetics Platinum / A ratings, 100% Japanese Capacitors, ATX 3.1/PCIe 5.1 Ready design, iCool Fan, and a 10-Year warranty.
The back side also offers a list of features, which we have detailed above and we will get to more details in our teardown in a bit.
The unit is held within foam packaging, which is great for durability.
There's a Quick Installation Guide that tells you how to install the PSU inside your PC and how to connect the 12V-2x6 connector, either using adapters or directly to the GPU.
The PSU itself is packaged in a plastic cover.
On the back, you can see the power plug, the power switch, the iCool mode switch, and a large mesh panel that acts as an exhaust vent.
Now, depending on how you use the PSU, the bottom panel reads the specifications and power ratings. The PSU is rated to output a maximum of 100A and 1200W through the 12V rails.
The sides of the PSU have nice ASRock and Steel Legend logos.
Coming to the connectors, there are five 8-pin connectors (for CPU/PCIe), 2 PCIe 12+4 (12V-2x6), an ATX 24-pin (14+10 pin) ATX connector, & three 6-pin connectors for peripherals.
The cables within the packaging pouch include the ATX 20+4 pin, a Gen5 (12V-2x6) connector cable, two EPS 12V (1x 4+4 / 1x 8-pin) CPU connector cables, two PCIe 6+2 connector cables, 9 SATA connector cables, a single 6+2-pin PCIe connector cable and 3 Peripheral connector cables.
The ASRock Steel Legend series comes with a built-in 5V compensation mechanism which helps boost the +5V voltage by 200mV to maintain optimal performance. In the case that there's no voltage drop, the PSU will regulate the +5V rail to approximately +5.2V.
The PSU comes with a dual-tone 12V-2x6 power connector, which helps ensure that it is connected properly to the PSU and the GPU. If the green color is visible, it means that the connector isn't fully plugged in. The cable itself is also very high-quality, making use of 16 AWG UL4411/UL3266 wires & thermal resistance of up to 105W. The cable also comes with Over-Temperature protection, though this feature is only applicable to the higher-end Taichi and Phantom Gaming series.
The iCool button is on the backside of the PSU.
ASRock is using a 135mm FDB "RL4Z S1352512EG-3M" fan which is a 12V DC design with a max power of 0.50A.
The SL-1200GW is an HEC (OEM) PSU. It's APFC makes sue of 3x Infineon IPA60R099P7 FETs alongwith a single IDH 10G65C6 diode. All bulk capacitors are of Noppon Chemi-con, while the APFC controller is a Champion CM6500UNX unit. The soldering quality of the main board is adequate for this PSU.
ASRock SL-1200GW 1200W 80 PLUS GOLD PSU Final Impressions
ASRock's foray into the PSU segment is very recent, and the company is pushing out some quality products. Even the mainstream products, such as the Steel Legend PSU, that we tested a very high-end units built with premium components and conform to the latest standards such as PCIe 5.1 and ATX 3.1.
Having dual 12V-2x6 power connectors is great for AI workstations where one might be using two high-end GPUs for their computing needs. Or, you can plug your card into the second connector if something goes wrong with the other one (such as melting which the RTX 50 series are prone to). The new white PSU designs also look great, and the 135mm fan not only matches it, but provides under 50C temps and runs silent.
The $179.99 US pricing puts the SL-1200GW on par with other 1200W ATX 3.1 options out there in the market. It is one of the only two options at this price point that offers two 12V-2x6 connectors, and both are priced the same. The 1000-1200W PSU range is perfect for high-end PC builds, and ASRock offers a good solution for such usecases.
About the author: A Software Engineer by training and a PC enthusiast by passion, Hassan Mujtaba serves as Wccftech's Senior Editor for hardware section. With years of experience in the industry, he specializes in deep-dive technical analysis of next-generation CPU and GPU architectures, motherboards, and cooling solutions. His work involves not only breaking news on upcoming technologies but also extensive hands-on reviews and benchmarking.
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