Before Making a Thread About Buying a PSU....

[docinthebox]

I still don't see the Antec True550-EPS12V on your list. This is the top of the line PSU from Antec - the only one with 36A on the 12V rail. I don't understand why it's not on the list.

You should differentiate this PSU From the ATX12V version of the True550 and the 550W TruControl, both of which only have 24A on the 12V rail. The True550-EPS12V is vastly more superior than its two siblings. I hope you'll add that to the list to make it truly useful for others.

http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-103-918&depa=0

Also, in your list, the Sparkle FSP550-60PLG is listed twice, once under the mid-high end list with price $99, and another time under the high end list with price $106. The true price of this PSU at Newegg is $99 + $7 shipping = $106 shipped. I think it's kind of confusing to list it twice, once with the nominal price and another time with the shipped price.

 

[computerpro3]

The Ultra X Connect, like all other Ultras I've seen, was a Wintech made unit last time I checked - not the best PSU manufacturer around, but not quite Powmax levels. May I ask how Powmax came up?

I agree with you they aren't that great though once you get past the looks - SPCR did a review of one and I was less than impressed. Looks great, but only average performance IMO. Some folks have had issues with the special connectors being too big or awkward to manage with certain cases/mainboards/peripherals. Still not sure how these hold up over time.

http://www.silentpcreview.com/article193-page1.html

Ice Czar, the moderator on hardforums of the psu section, said this. So did Kain over there.

docinthebox, for some reason I thought I had it listed already. I'll go double check and add it if I didn't.

IMOG ya, SPCR is one of the best psu review sites out there, one of only a few that are properly equipped/qualified to do a real review.

 

[Neutraleyes1337]

Also, in your list, the Sparkle FSP550-60PLG is listed twice, once under the mid-high end list with price $99, and another time under the high end list with price $106. The true price of this PSU at Newegg is $99 + $7 shipping = $106 shipped. I think it's kind of confusing to list it twice, once with the nominal price and another time with the shipped price.

If you are willing to order someplace other than Newegg, the FSP550-60PLG is $87 shipped from GameVE. I'd say that places it squarely in the under-$100 category.

 

[Oklahoma Wolf]

After doing some more research, I am unable to verify a connection between the Ultra X-Connect and both Wintech and Powmax. Not even a UL file number on this one - since Ultra does have the number printed on other models, it worries me they didn't put one on the X-Connect. For now, I'll have to defer to SPCR's well rounded review on that unit as an indicator of power output, but the build quality doesn't fill me with confidence and I'll continue to leave it out of my recommendations.

Not sure if you have Turbolink on the do not buy list yet, but some time back they went to Deer and Real Power Enterprise Co. for their units, both of which are awful (I see over at hardforums you've had your run-ins with Deer ). The RPE units don't seem to have the fireworks effect Deer does, but they tend to give out well before the ratings on the label.

SPCR is one of the few sites that does good PSU reviews, though they don't often test PSUs they don't think will be silent. Tom's used to be a close second with their homemade PSU load tester, but they haven't done a review with it in a while now. AMDMB/PCPer also has done some good reviews in the past, and is the only one of the three to use a scope, but their load tester can't max out each unit IIRC.

 

[computerpro3]

hehe here you go.

www.powmax.com

click on the power icon

 

[Oklahoma Wolf]

hehe here you go.

www.powmax.com

click on the power icon

Interesting... not sure I'd call it proof just yet the X-Connect comes from Leadman's factories (I've recently seen Topower made Raidmax units), but it certainly doesn't inspire me with confidence. Leadman/Powmax is only a very small step above Deer on the "likely to self destruct" scale.

 

[computerpro3]

Yes, I wouldn't feel safe with one in my rig.

Here's another link (again it doesn't totally prove it, but still)

http://store.yahoo.com/directron/xconnectbk.html

click on "refrences: manufacturer" and it points you to powmax

 

[Oklahoma Wolf]

The site also doesn't point you to AcBel for the Coolermaster PSUs though, or Channel Well Tech. for Antec, so they probably didn't do a whole lot of research into who the actual OEM supplier/manufacturer is. In this case I might actually have to get one in front of me to get any clues, and I'm not buying one

Even then, some PSU manufacturers leave their units totally devoid of identifying markings. Why Deer doesn't do that too I'll never know (mine not only gave itself away that way, it also gave away that it was misrepresented as a 250w when it's a 240w model).

 

[Fangs404]

great thread and great psu list there. i recommend a sticky!

 

[computerpro3]

thx bump

 

[orionlion82]

Thank You!
I can finally ditch my ~500W Aspire and ~350WDell in favor of something proper!
http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-104-934&depa=0
Wish there were more with 120MM cooling....

 

[JudgeDredd]

I work at Fry's Electronics selling PC components. The PSUs are one of the sections I'm in charge of setting, and with just general knowledge, most of which learned here, I'm probably the resident expert in our department. Always nice to find a thread like this to update my knowledge.

Of the PSUs listed that we carry, a pretty good amount I already knew were ****. Raidmax/Fudin especially, JustPC, PowMax, and MGE as well. I kind of agree about the Linkworlds, they're OK, but certainly never something I'd put in one of my machines. I've always suspected the Aspire PSUs, too cheap for 500W. Always thought the Allieds were decent, but I keep hearing they're made by Deer so I guess not.

One in particle you don't have listed, we carry a few PSUs made by a company, EZ Media, that I can pretty much tell are crap. One of their "high-end" models, a cheesy looking "480W" with clear-blue fans and crappy wire wrap. The thing is light as hell.

We don't carry a lot of good brands to tell you the truth. Only four Antecs, the SmartPower and Blue 350W, the TP480, and the TC550. An old "600W" Enermax that's on clearance, as well as two each of their Coolergiant "Gold" and Noisetaker series that I recommend a lot to customers. The Vantec 550W, and a Seasonic Super Silencer 400, Super Tornado 300, and I guess a Seasonic value series 300W.

There is one brand in particular that I'd like to know some people's experience on. We carry a bunch of models by a company called A+GPB which all seem to be pretty decent quality. A 500W especially, which is 24-pin/8-pin support, pretty good rails, and twisted power cables, so at least the wires don't seperate and such. I'm gonna see if I can talk to our buyers about Fortron Source/Sparkle. Supposedly, we carried Sparkle at one time, then stopped. It'd be nice to carry the OCZ and Zalman lines as well.

I have been using a 480W NeoPower for at least a month or two as well and have had no problems with it. Certainly worth the money IMO.

 

[Oklahoma Wolf]

A+GBP is ok, but doesn't strike me as really high end either... I would put them at about Sirtec/Thermaltake level. Then again, I've never used one and haven't seen many people with them on the forums.

 

[larrymoencurly]

A+GPB is made by JGE or JEE, the capacitor company, and the 350W model I saw at Fry's a long time ago had sheet aluminum heatsinks in place of an extruded ones. I've never seen those in any quality PSU rated above 200-250W, except maybe for the high voltage heatsink (some Seasonic or HEC/Heroichi)

 

[Sleepyone]

Ultra-X (yes, the pretty looking ones, they are really rebranded POWMAX !!!),

Mines seems to be working nicely. All the reviews said it was good. Been using it for folding for about two months now with no problems. Plus you cant beat the cables.

 

[computerpro3]

Ultra-X (yes, the pretty looking ones, they are really rebranded POWMAX !!!),

Mines seems to be working nicely. All the reviews said it was good. Been using it for folding for about two months now with no problems. Plus you cant beat the cables.

The cables are great and they def. look sweet, but you couldn't pay me to put one in my rig, and I would suggest that no one else does either. I'm sure you have heard of powmax before (cough *2nd worst psu manufacturer* cough). Look at this:

www.powmax.com

Click the "power" icon. What do you get? Ultra X modular psu. Depressing, huh.

And as for the reviews, I hate to say it but its a fact that hardly any reviews on the entire internet are qualified or capable of doing a proper psu review. Most reviews consist of taking the psu, commenting on packaging, looks, and wire length, and then throwing it in a machine, ensuring it boots, and taking voltage readings with software (TOTALLY INNACURATE) and in some cases a multimeter. A review comprised of that is crap. Total crap. All it tells you is that it looks pretty and starts up.

This is how a real psu review should be done:

http://silentpcreview.com/article148-page1.html

See the difference? There are only maybe 5 sites qualified to do a proper review:

Silent PC Review
Pc Perspective
AMDMB (sometimes, depends on who does it)
Extreme Overclocking
one more that I forget ATM

All these sites use a scope, dedicated load testing equipment, controlled conditions, real multimeters, etc, etc.

Here's a SPRC review of the Powmax (Ultra) X-Connect
http://silentpcreview.com/article193-page1.html

Uninspiring, to say the least.

Ultra

pcp&c

See the difference? Theres hardly even anything in the powmax!

 

[Streifenkarl]

Or then again, you just dont make rocket science out it, spend 40 bucks on some no name 400W PSU (I dont even know the specs for the rails) and use it for more than a year without a single problem. I had no stuttering, no BSODs, no "flickering" and dead motherboards/CPUs or whatever. Uh and by the way, with all the overclocking i have done over the years i have never had an "exploding" PSU, or one that just failed me.

The only reason for getting a new one next week is because i want to see if it really DOES effect the overclocking potential of my rig. If it does i'll bow before your mighty opinions!

 

[computerpro3]

First off, your rig isn't very power hungry. Second, your psu may actually be a good one, manufactured by the FSP group (they are behind some no name psu's). Third, if it really IS a noname psu, it will have a difference. Check out this guy:

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=822240&page=2&pp=20

Start on page two. HE called me a jerk when I told him he needed a new psu, defended raidmax valiantly, made comments like "since you claim to be the pro, tell me just what you think i should buy so I can run it by my real techie friends. Don't be vague either...", and gave me an $8000 rig at his local store that has a "gerat" reputation being powered by a generic. Then, as you're doing, curiosity got the best of him and he bought an Antec 550

After he installed it:

$lipKnots monster gaming rig version 2.0

Asus P4C800-E Deluxe
P4 3.4c Northwood OC'd to 3.8
Coolermaster Jet 4 Cpu Cooler
BFG 6800 Gt OC'd to 405/1120
Audigy 2ZS Soundcard
2 80 gig Seagate Barracuda's
1 200 gig Western Digital Caviar Se
LiteOn 8x DVD+RW
Generic CompUsa 52x Cd Burner Dvd-Rom Combo drive
2 Vantec hard drive coolers
2 Antec blue led fans
1 60mm antec fan
1 Vantec 2xfan Blue led fan card blowing on my 6800Gt
1 gig or Geil Ultra platinum pc3200 DDr
2 blue cathode lights

and my new Antec True 550 thermally controlled dual fan PSU.

12,656 3dmark03
68K Aquamark03
steady 60fps in Doom3

You were right computerpro. My hat is off to you (giving you the middle finger for being right while takes off hat). I traded the Mge XG Vigor 500 and some other stuff for this Antec truepower550 and I have already noticed a huge difference in performance. I was able to overclock another 200 mhz and it is stable. My Bfg6800Gt Performs even better, my hard drives respond faster. Thanks for being a jerk computer pro and making me see the light. I wanted a pc power and cooling but I dont have the money for it. This will do fine im sure.

I still had a 350 watt raidmax last 3 years without exploding LMFAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! !!!!!!!!!!!!!

and

MY techie friends agreed with you. They thought the mge looked cool until they did some poking around after I mentioned it to them and showed it to them upon thinking about trading for the Antec.

**** man you got me paranoid I just upgraded this machine I am not trying to fry it out. thanks again you jerk. =)

I'm confident that if y our psu really is crappy then you'll see a similar difference. You may not, since your rig is much less power hungry than his, but he did, I did, and I'm pretty sure you will as well.

 

[Streifenkarl]

So you're comparing me to a guy who called other people jerks, who were just trying to help, made fun of them and rubbed his own opinion into their faces... well, thank you very much!

Naah, all i was saying was, that sometimes you dont have to spend more than 40 bucks and do alot of research in order to get a well performing PSU!

Edit: Even though i didnt put all the fans, lights and HDDs into my sig i know, that my system isnt a very power hungry one! So the first sentence in that (well written!) initial posting here should have been: Before buying a new PSU, think about what you and your system need and how much power will be used. <-- Or something like that in better English!

 

[Sentential]

STICKY!!!! <cuz im sooo f-ing tired of anwsering this very question >