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BFG is a privately held US based company best known for their NVIDIA graphics cards, and as one might expect, they are a gamer focused company (their slogan is “The Gamer’s Choice!”). Graphic cards are not their only product however, as BFG carries product lines ranging from mousepads to motherboards, and in a place in between, they even carry power supplies like the one we have today - the BFG ES-800 watt power supply.
We reviewed the BFG Tech 800 watt unit just a few weeks back and were wondering why BFG decided to add another 800 watt offering to their lineup when they already had a decent one. BFG assured us that the ES Series is a big departure from their other PSUs. In fact, they feel so confident of the ES-800, they give it a lifetime (and we do mean lifetime) warranty and are opening the retail for it at a commanding $230 USD.
Well, this sounds serious. Time to crank the FAST-AUTO load system to 11.
Contents and Features
The ES-800 package comes with the typical goodies plus a pack of Velcro straps. You get mounting screws, the main power cable, a rather detailed manual, and of course, the unit itself. No adapters or extenders - hopefully a sign that none are needed.
The first thing that stands out with the BFG ES-800 is the finish. We've only reviewed one other unit that we think can compete with the ES-800's aesthetics (a Hiper RII). We can only describe it as “black chrome” or “titanium mirror,” or more succinctly, "sexy!" Pictures can't do it justice. And yes, it's a fingerprint magnet, but they polish off easily enough. This unit is certainly not dressed up to be a wall flower - you'll want to show it off. Of course, there is more to a PSU than a fancy finish, but hey, it makes a good first impression.
Looking at the specification panel, something else caught our attention. The 3.3V + 5V combined wattage is typical, so it wasn't that (although, they are each rated for a pretty hefty 30A). It was the massive 12V rail set that set us to thinking. The 12V1 and 12V2 can pump out 22A each - which is respectable. The 12V3 and 12V4 are rated on the panel at 36A each. That’s big. Moreover, the combined 12V rail wattage is 780 watts. You don't see that kind of combined wattage output on most 800 watt supplies. No, you see it on 900 watt+ units. Color us impressed.
Cables, Connections, Dimensions
The BFG ES-800 is not a modular power supply. That said, all of the wire harnesses are sleeved tip-to-toe and between connectors in black nylon mesh. That, along with the provided Velcro straps, will make for a good cable management experience. BFG didn't stop there either. They labeled the harnesses so you could tell which 12V rail powered which set of connectors. This is a nice bonus (especially if you test power supplies).
| Harness | Connectors and Lengths |
| 1 | ATX 24/20 Pin mainboard connector. 19" long. |
| 2 | SATA power cable with connectors at 19”, 25” and 31". |
| 3 | SATA power cable with connectors at 19”, 25" and 31". |
| 4 | Peripheral power cable with 4 pin molex connectors at 19”, 25", 31" and floppy at 37". |
| 5 | Peripheral power cable with 4 pin molex connectors at 19”, 25", 31" and floppy at 37". |
| 6 | PCI-E 6/8 pin connector at 19" and PCI-E 6 pin at 24". |
| 7 | PCI-E 6/8 pin connector at 19" and PCI-E 6 pin at 24". |
| 8 | EPS/12V 8 pin CPU power connector at 19" w/ 4 pin connector at 24" |
Connector wise, BFG has all the bases covered and then some. There are enough connectors on this power supply for just about any configuration. Each of the two PCI-E harnesses has a 6/8 pin PCI-E connector AND an additional 6 pin connector. This means the PSU could conceivably power a four video card system - if you could find one to put it in. The 12V/P4 harness sports both a 4 pin and 8 pin plug (not simply a break away, both plugs). The mainboard connector is a 20/24 pin convertible. You really shouldn't need any adapters for this PSU; if you do, send us a picture! You will have extra connectors around (to tempt you into going overboard with added fans).
Cable lengths are adequate, so extenders are out of the picture as well. It's all there ready to go in the ES-800. Nice set up BFG!
The dimensions of the ES-800 watt are 3.4” tall, 5.9” wide, and 6.5” deep. That's close to the ATX v2.2 physical specification, but a tad deeper (or longer) than the 5.75” called for. We know why large PSUs need this extra length - they need the space. What we don't know is why companies keep saying they adhere to the ATX 12V form factor specification when they don't exactly. As we have said before, BFG is far from alone in this “mistake”. To BFG’s credit, the ES-800 dimensions are clearly printed on the box and available online. BFG isn't hiding anything. Just don't assume that because it says “ATX” on the box (of any PSU) that it will fit in your system. As we find ourselves saying in many of our PSU reviews, make sure you measure your case (and add a bit of extra room for cabling).