Verdict:

A solid performer, but the rails aren't suited to every PC.

Seventeam might sound more like a magazine for teenage girls but its actually a large Taiwanese PSU manufacturer that, until recently, was more focused on the OEM and system builder markets than it was in making retail branded PSUs for enthusiasts.

The ST-620PAF represents Seventeam's first major attempt at an enthusiast PSU. Its 620W rating is derived from two 12V rails, with 12V1 rated at 18A and 12V2 at a much more powerful 30A. This is a curious arrangement, as 12V1 feeds the two power-hungry 6-pin PCI-E connectors and CPU, while 12V2 powers the far less power-hungry motherboard and disk drives.

The tiny 140mm-long interior means that the ST-620PAF will fit in any case. It's cooled by a reasonably quiet 120mm fan, while all the cables are hard-wired into the PSU.

The compact ST-620PAF was able to output a stable voltage from all of its rails, and was more efficient than you'd expect, given its budget price. For example, at full load, it proved to be 84 per cent efficient, drawing 737W from the mains to produce 616W. This could save you money in the long run, and helps to explain the ST-620PAF's cool and quiet operation.

While the ST-620PAF is a solid performer and has perfectly stable rails, we aren't convinced by the configuration of the 12V rails. Despite its low price, 12V1 is underpowered given that it powers the CPU, so the ST-620PAF isn't suitable for a PC with a heavily overclocked processor. However, it could be a good choice for a media PC or file server with a lot of disk drives.

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