
The Lian Li SP850 is an 850W, fully modular, SFX form factor ATX power supply that features a single hybrid fan mode. As of the publication date, it is priced at an average of $129.49 USD from various online retailers.
Despite its compact SFX design, tests on two units revealed major reliability issues. The first unit completed all tests, but sustained significant damage along the way, leading to a high voltage ripple in subsequent runs. The second unit shut down and failed partway through testing under non-demanding conditions. Although Lian Li has been contacted regarding these failures, there has been no update at the time of this writing.
Given these issues, the results presented are based on the first unit, but due to the unreliability of both units, we cannot recommend the SP850. Additionally, it's worth noting that the marketing materials failed to specify which version of the ATX standard this power supply conforms to.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW
THE GOOD
- Cables
The included cables are flexible and, in the white colorway, feature white connectors, offering a visually cohesive design.
- Efficiency
The PSU demonstrated efficiency levels closer to 80PLUS Platinum than its advertised Gold rating at low to medium loads.
THE BAD
- Failed Testing
Both units malfunctioned during and after testing, raising concerns about the reliability of the PSUs. Labs tested two samples, and both encountered issues during the testing phase.
THE REST
- Overall
We do not recommend this PSU. The first unit completed the tests but appears to have sustained damage. The second unit failed completely. We cannot guarantee the power supply’s performance under high loads or its potential impact on your system.
The Lian Li SP850 is a compact SFX form factor power supply, notably smaller than a typical ATX form factor unit. It is available in both White and Black colorways, with the white model featuring flexible white cables and connectors. In the Box, it includes minimal accessories, with only a fabric cable bag, and mounting screws.
Although it is not an ATX 3.0 power supply, Lian Li includes a 12VHPWR connector cable.
The power supply is cooled by a 92 mm hydraulic bearing fan, though it is unclear if a fluid dynamic bearing is used. Lian Li does not specify an Operating Temperature and we cannot verify this through testing.
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Front of the box.
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Power input side of the PSU.

Top of the PSU displaying the fan.

+12 V | +5 V | +3.3 V | +5 Vsb | -12 V | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
CURRENT | 70 A | 20 A | 20 A | 2.5 A | 0.3 A |
WATTAGE | 840 W | 100 W | 12.5 W | 3.6 W | |
850 W |
Please note that the above ratings are manufacturer advertised specifications.
The SP850 features a single hybrid fan mode, with the fan remaining off until the unit reaches approximately 340W (or 40% load). The power supply includes all standard protections and is backed by a 5-year warranty, which is shorter than average for power supplies of this class.
In terms of performance, the SP850 demonstrated average ripple for the 5V, 3.3V, and 5Vsb rails. However, the 12V rail showed a high voltage ripple compared to other power supplies tested, though still within ATX specifications.
Toward the end of testing, the output ripple became extremely noisy, and on retesting, the results were excessively high, particularly for the 115V input. The 12V rail's ripple noise reached 270 mV at full load, while the 5V rail hit 170 mV, and the 3.3V rail spiked at 370 mV. It's evident that something broke during testing, causing these anomalies. It demonstrated average load regulation, and if the samples did not malfunction or die, it would be an alright power supply.
While this power supply does not specify an ATX version, it is advertised to include a 12VHPWR connector cable. Therefore, we conducted tests as if it was an ATX 3.0 power supply. Unfortunately, it failed to perform well in power excursion testing, only passing a few excursions at the lowest load increases. For this reason, we do not recommend this power supply for high power or newer GPUs that tend to have load spikes.
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The SP850 is 80PLUS Gold certified but displayed efficiency closer to 80PLUS Platinum at low to medium loads. However, the efficiency dropped at higher loads for the 115V input, though this was balanced by the higher-than-expected efficiency at lower loads where most users would spend the majority of time.
In brownout tests, the power supply survived 10 ms brownouts at full load for both 115V and 230V inputs, a performance that is average but not ideal for systems prone to power interruptions.
OCP was satisfactory for the 12V rail, but was excessively high for other rails, including the 5V and 3.3V rails, which could pose issues. The 230V test on the 3.3V rail produced an unusual result, though this could have been due to another protection feature engaging or simply the power supply shutting down.
