NEWS - Surse - Page 57

Firefox · 13.11.2012, 13:25

Thortech Thunderbolt Plus 1200W PSU Review - Kitguru

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The Thortech Thunderbolt Plus 1200W has been named to instill imagery of a hammer wielding Norse God showering down lightning on his enemies. However in the real world it is a decent, well built power supply. We also like the small physical size, which means it will fit into a variety of systems without problem.
The inclusion of the iPower meter device is a talking point, and if you are the kind of person who likes to play with gadgets then it is certainly worth installing into a drive bay at the front of a case. Just don’t be expecting to read close to real results, as it proved highly inaccurate during our testing.
On a positive note the supply managed to deliver over 1,300 watts and did so without a problem, but there are some issues under the hood.
The Thortech Thunderbolt Plus 1200W technically is a fairly good unit, although there are areas of weakness which mean it won’t be winning one of our top awards today. Voltage regulation is decent for a 1,200w power supply although there is quite a drop on the +12V and +3.3V output, especially when tasked with an intensive cross loading test.
Noise/ripple suppression is below average, and we recorded 75mV on the +12V output at full load which while within rated tolerance parameters, is higher than we would like from such a high end unit.
Noise emissions are also higher than I would have expected. At full load, the large fan spins very fast which subsequently produces a significant level of noise. Granted, there will be few instances when you are pulling 1,200watts from the socket, but even at 800Watts, the Thortech Thunderbolt Plus 1200W is clearly heard.
The balance of hard wired to modular cables also disappoints me. There are too many hardwired cables and moving some of these to the modular panel would have helped improve cable routing in a wider cross section of system builds.
Overall, we think this is definitely worthy of a shortlist, however with the Seasonic Platinum 1000W Modular, BeQuiet! Dark Pro 10 1200W and Corsair Professional Series AX1200i currently available it is difficult to wholeheartedly recommend.
Pricing in the UK is around the £230 inc vat mark. With the Corsair Professional Series AX1200i available for only £10 extra, we see no reason to buy the Thortech Thunderbolt Plus 1200W. If it dropped to under £200 then it would make for a more viable purchasing decision.
Pros:

Small physical size is practical.
good build quality.
delivered over 1,300watts
iPower meter is a cool addition.

Cons:

better units available for close to same price from Seasonic, Corsair and BeQuiet!
can get noisy
ripple suppression isn’t the greatest.
iPower readings are inaccurate.

Firefox · 14.11.2012, 21:20

Seasonic Platinum Series Fanless 520W Review - TPU

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The Seasonic Platinum Series Fanless 520 W has an MSRP of $149.90

Delivered 110% load at 43C with 92.5% efficiency
Superb ripple-suppression
Tight voltage-regulation
Highly efficient
Fanless
Japanese (electrolytic) caps are used everywhere
Fully modular
Seven-year warranty

Only two PCIe connectors
OTP triggering point could be a little higher

This is not the first time that a Seasonic product manages to amaze me and it surely won't be the last! The new fanless Platinum 520 W unit is a great performer with ultra-stable rails that deliver very clean outputs. It is highly efficient under severe conditions, utilizes a fully modular cabling system, and its protection features, especially OTP (Over Temperature Protection), work well, which will save the unit from damage if you surpass its limits. Seasonic also made sure to include an extra-long warranty, which is pretty special because the SS-520FL is a fanless unit that will, compared to normal PSUs, operate at increased internal temperatures. The only downside of this unit is that it only comes with two PCIe connectors, which is a weird choice since it could easily handle two additional connectors to support up to two VGAs with double PCIe sockets each. But its modular design does allow for such a problem to be remedied easily with the use of cables that feature two PCIe connectors. Seasonic should look into this matter soon, and they will hopefully realize that having no more than two PCIe connectors greatly restricts this fine PSU's usability.

Your choices are pretty limited if you are looking for a fanless PSU, especially if you seek a Platinum efficiency one. The Seasonic SS-520FL's platform easily allows this unit to confront and eclipse its competition by providing top performance for a price that beats every other fanless Platinum PSU out there, which makes its purchase a no-brainer.

BeQuiet Straight Power 580W Review - XSReviews

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This is a great looking package that is more than capable of powering your setup. We can also confirm it’ll do so safely as it has no problems with noise/ripple. However, we’d still urge you to check out some other reviews to make sure it’s nice and efficient – that said, the 80+ gold rating isn’t thrown around that much, so if it’s been certified you should be ok.
I’m also happy to report that this unit was practically silent throughout all testing. The only time it ever became mildly audible was during heavy loud and even then you’d need to be near it to hear much.
The only real note of consideration beyond the test is price. At £70 this isn’t an unreasonably expensive unit and you get what you pay for. Some colour coding, braided modular cables and a good looking unit. You can pay less with other companies, but you’ll get an overall poorer product in general.
Pros

Passes noise/ripple test
Quiet
Good looking packaging and product

Cons

Not the cheapest out there
Wattage is a bit low for monster setups

Firefox · 15.11.2012, 17:53

Super Flower Unveils 530W Overclock Version PSU

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Originally Posted by techpowerup
PSU specialist Super Flower unveiled the "Ice Butterfly" 530W Overclock Version. The 80 Plus Platinum-compliant PSU features active PFC with LLC half-bridge, synchronous rectifiers, DC-DC switching, dual-forward switching, Japanese-made capacitors, and German-made MOSFETs. The PSU features fixed cabling, with sufficient cabling for single graphics card high-end builds (we imagine no more than two 6+2 pin PCIe connectors). The unit is cooled by a 140 mm temperature-controlled fan. It is backed by a 5-year warranty. Pricing and availability details are awaited.

Source: Expreview

Seasonic X-1250 1250W Power Supply Review - HardOCP

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Overall, the build quality of the Seasonic X-1250 is excellent and we have no real room for complaints as much as has been the case for the X-Series units that have preceded this unit. Externally, this unit is identical to the Platinum-1000 save for the accent color. With today’s unit being certified for 80 Plus Gold, the accent color has been changed to gold. When we move to the interior of the unit we see that we are left with almost an identical power supply to what we saw with the XFX ProSeries 1250W. The biggest change is the return to the Sanyo Denki 120mm ball bearing fan that we saw in the Platinum-1000 and the change in capacitor suppliers. Today’s unit comes stocked with Hitachi and Nippon Chemi-con standard electrolytics along with Enesol solid capacitors. This is all backed up by documentation that has taken a bit of a turn for the worse and a 5 year warranty.
The Transient Load Tests results for the Seasonic X-1250 are actually good, which is a real change for this platform and for modern designs in general. When directly loaded, the 12v rail showed a peak change of ~270mV and when directly loaded the 5v rail had a peak change of ~70mV. The unloaded 5v peak change was ~60mV during the 12v load. These results smoke all of the recent competition including units like the Corsair AX1200i, Enermax Platimax 1200W, the XFX ProSeries 1250W, etc.

The Seasonic X-1250 is quite simply an excellent power supply and an excellent value. Are we supposed to draw that out longer? Ok, let’s go with this. When we look at what this unit does well in regards to actual load testing performance (not efficiency), it typically matches or bests the other quality 1200W units we have reviewed. The one area where anyone soundly beats this unit is the ripple/noise values but the one unit that does a really solid job besting it there trails this unit in almost all of our other metrics. So what we are looking at here today is a unit that features truly excellent build quality, voltage regulation, noise profile, transient load results, and, to a slightly lesser degree, DC output quality.

Super Flower Golden Silent Fanless 500W - lab501

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Fiind prima sursa racita pasiv pe care am testat-o, nu prea exista termen de comparatie pentru sursa Golden Silent Fanless. In privinta nivelului de zgomot nu exista niciun dubiu ca va satisface urechea oricarui pasionat de silent-computing iar performantele sunt excelente si o recomanda pentru utilizarea in sistemul de daily-use.
Stabilitatea voltajelor a fost foarte buna pe toate rail-urile masurate de noi, tensiunile ramanand in permanenta deasupra valorilor nominale chiar si in momentele in care sursa livra cu mai bine de 200W mai mult decat specifica eticheta. Ca tot a venit vorba de putere, nu mai incape dubiu dupa ce am vazut astazi ca cei 600W garantati de Super Flower sunt mai mult decat suficienti pentru un sistem de daily-use, fie el si dual-GPU. Combinatia i7 3960X + doua HD7970 este una gurmanda iar sursa Golden Silent a putut sa ii tina piept cu brio.
Tot ce tine de aceasta sursa pare sa exclame “high-end” – constructia, materialele folosite, selectia componentelor, performantele electrice si mai ales zgomotul inexistent. Daca sunteti in cautarea unei surse cat mai silentioase pentru sistemul de daily-use nu exista o solutie mai potrivita in acest moment, dar pretul si disponibilitatea ar putea fi o problema. Cu alte cuvinte, daca sursa se incadreaza in buget si o gasiti la magazin atunci nu exista niciun motiv pentru care sa nu o cumparati.

Firefox · 20.11.2012, 22:37

Thermaltake Toughpower XT Platinum 1275W 80 PLUS Platinum Power Supply Review - Tweaktown

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Thermaltake's Toughpower XT Platinum 1275W is the third power supply we have taken a look at to date that is rated for both 80 PLUS Platinum efficiency and more than 1000W. The other two have been the Corsair AX1200i and the PC Power & Cooling Silencer Mk III 1200W. Performance for the Toughpower XT Platinum 1275W is just what you would expect from this enthusiast grade power supply.
All voltages are within 2%, it has great DC output quality, and Platinum level efficiency just as advertised. This makes it very hard to distinguish the power supply from the competition as all of these power supplies have performed extremely well and with very minimal differences in the test results.
When you start looking at some of the features and specification, we find the ability to start to differentiate the three. We find that the Corsair AX1200i is by far the most feature-rich with the integration into the Corsair Link software and the PC Power & Cooling Silencer Mk III 1200W brings a massive single 12V rail while the Thermaltake has dual 12V rails. All three units feature seven year warranties as well.

Once we take price into consideration, we find a huge difference between the three and this is most certainly where the Thermaltake Toughpower XT 1275W power supply shines. At a price of about $270 after shipping, that makes it at least $30 less than the competition, and $80 less when compared to the Corsair PSU. That's a good chunk of change that can be dumped elsewhere into a system to gain more performance.

So, unless you demand the monitoring features of the Corsair or the single 12V rail of the PC Power & Cooling, the Thermaltake currently represents the best value for an 80 PLUS Platinum power supply that is capable of more than 1000W.

Silverstone Zeus 1350W Review - TPU

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The Silverstone Zeus 1350 W has an MSRP of $349 for the US market and an MSRP of 305€ for the EU market. You will find it in US stores within the first week of December, and it will be available around the beginning of the new year in EU-specific stores.

Delivered full power at 47°C
Good voltage regulation at +12V
Excellent ripple suppression
Fully modular
Ability to adjust the voltages of the major rails
User selectable multi-rail or single +12V rail mode
5-year warranty

High price
Very noisy fan
Huge footprint
Not ErP Lot 6 2010 compliant
Low efficiency at loads <80W and at 5VSB

Silverstone's new flagship PSU, the Zeus ZM1350, is based on a high performance platform that offers high power output at very high ambient temperatures, excellent ripple suppression, good voltage regulation, the ability to, for the enthusiast user, adjust the voltage of the three main rails, and, on top of that, merge the six +12V rails into a powerful single rail through the flip of a switch. Its fully modular design, the large amount of available cables and connectors, and the high-quality finish complete the picture of Silverstone's new Zeus, and because nothing is perfect in this world, the ZM1350 has some weaknesses as well. For starters, it is equipped with a very noisy fan that struggles to move the heat out of the enclosure once the ambient exceeds 40°C. Even at lower loads, the fan profile is really aggressive, which makes the fan spin near its maximum speed most of the time. Moreover, the PSU's length is enormous, so there will most likely be compatibility issues with a lot of cases. Finally, efficiency at very low loads is disappointing, and the PSU is not ErP Lot 6 2010 compliant.

To sum up, and this is for sure, the new ZM1350 is not a PSU that addresses the average Joe or your average system. On the contrary, enthusiast users and, more specifically, hard-core overclockers will highly appreciate its features, especially the ultra-low ripple, its stable outputs, and the ability to easily adjust the voltages of the major rails. Its high operating noise will probably be less of an issue to its specific target audience since such users are used to high noise devices due to the number of noisy fans they already use to cool various components. None of them will even notice the ZM1350's low efficiency on benchmark-specific breaks. This PSU will meet the competition head-on if Silverstone manages to offer the unit for a price closer to the $300 mark.

Corsair Professional Series AX760 and AX860 Review - Kitguru

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The Corsair Professional Series AX760 and AX860 power supplies are both excellent units which exhibit no weaknesses. They are beautifully constructed and based around an exceptional Seasonic based 80 Plus Platinum internal design.
These units are ideal for the discerning enthusiast user who would like to save a little over the recently released Digital ‘i’ supplies which feature the Corsair LINK interface module and proprietary software. The AX760 and AX860 are around £20 less expensive than the equal wattage ‘i’ series units. All models feature exemplary build quality and deep paint work which proves resilient against fingerprints and ham fisted handling.
As our testing has highlighted, both units when pushed hard will deliver much more wattage than their rating suggests. The Corsair AX860 managed to hold a 1000W load for quite some time which highlights that the internal design is pleasingly over specified.
Noise suppression and load regulation are admirable, and both units sailed through the intensive cross loading test without even a minor hiccup. On a technical level there is little to fault from both supplies, in fact finding a closing argument against a purchase proves rather difficult.
There are certainly cheaper options on the market, but in this case you certainly get what you pay for.
The pure modular design will prove popular with a wide audience of case modders who want to fine tune their cabling for ultimate appearance. The high grade 120mm Sanyo Denki fan is very quiet, even when dealing with a very high, active load.
The ‘hybrid’ mode will be well suited for the best part of the intended audience, especially enthusiast users wishing to build a system with minimal noise. The fan in both AX760 and AX860 won’t spin until the supply is facing at least a 50% load, dependent on the ambient temperature of the system chassis and surrounding environment.
These are excellent power supplies, but to be perfectly honest we expect this now from Corsair, their overall standards in a wide cross section of sectors have been without reproach this year. Both AX760 and AX860 ship with a seven year warranty and they are clearly confident that these units are built to last.
You can pick up the Corsair AX760 and AX860 from Scan for £140 and £152 including vat, respectively.
Pros:

Rock solid.
great build quality.
7 year warranty.
low noise.
ripple suppression.
load regulation.
pure modular.
quiet.

Cons:

They aren’t cheap.

Firefox · 21.11.2012, 19:15

Be Quiet! Announces System Power S7 Series PSUs

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Originally Posted by techpowerup
Be quiet!, market leader for power supplies in Germany for six years in a row, announced today the release of its new power supply line for system builders. The new System Power S7 series consists of seven models ranging from 300 Watts up to 700 Watts and is therefore perfectly suited for the needs of all professional PC system integrators (SIs) whether it's a high-end workstation or a low price entry level system. The S7 series now offers both improved power efficiency with the 80 PLUS Silver certification on most models and more stable voltages thanks to new Active Clamp topology.
In today's aggressive PC computing environment SIs need to have a competitive advantage . Their customers demand the best price-performance-ratio available along with a list of important features. be quiet! has designed this new line to meet that demand and offers a wide variety of power levels and features to help the system builder tailor a system to every customer's needs. be quiet! also leads the way in delivering the newest technology to this market by bringing the 80PLUS Silver certification and Active Clamp topology down to a practical price range.

System Power S7 offers rock-solid voltages including a full 96% of rated power level available for 12 Volt consumption insuring worry-free compatibility. Additionally the German company has included the up-to-date safety and regulatory standards you'd expect to find in a state-of-the-art power supply. The custom 120 millimeter is in keeping with the be quiet! name and makes the PSU whisper quiet; another advantage for SIs.

"We are excited to be able to offer high-end features like the new Active Clamp topology and best in class efficiency up to 80PLUS Silver certification to professional system builders. More and more customers are demanding eco-friendly systems with good energy efficiency. Now these SIs have the tools to meet these requirements along with our legendary reputation for making silent PCs possible." said Scott Richards, Global Brand Director for be quiet!.

System Power S7 will roll out on November 21st and will be available in 300, 350, 400 Watt models with 80 Plus Bronze certification. The 450, 500, 600 and 700 Watt versions provide 80 Plus Silver certification. For more information, refer to the data sheet.

Firefox · 22.11.2012, 21:35

Kingwin Power Force 850W Power Supply Review - ThinkComputers

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Not everyone has over $200 to spend on a power supply and Kingwin knows this. That is why the Power Force PF-850 is a great fit for the mainstream. It still has everything you would want in a power supply. Since you have modular cables you only use the cables you need. This cuts down on cable clutter inside your case, which makes for better airflow. All of the modular cables are easy to install and are color-coded so you know where to install them. The 140mm cooling fan keeps the unit nice and cool and is not that loud at all.
When it comes to performance the Power Force 850 does a great job. All of the rails did not fluctuate over the 5% that we like to see and actually all of them were around 1%. So you are going to have very stable power delivery for your system. This power supply also is 80PLUS Bronze certified. That means it is 85% efficient at 50% load and 82% efficient at 100% load.
With this power supply you get 6x molex power connectors, 8x SATA power connectors, 4x 8pin (6+2pin) PCIe connectors and 2x 4pin floppy connectors. So you connect quite a lot of components. Kingwin provides a nice carry bag for your modular cables, something we normally only see with high-end power supplies. Kingwin also backs this power supply with a 5 year warranty.
Pros:
- Modular cables
- Good performance
- 80PLUS Bronze certified
- 5 year warranty
- Price
Cons:
- None that I found

AeroCool Strike-X 800W PSU Review - Kitguru

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The AeroCool Strike-X 800W power supply is not one that we can recommend. While the appearance of the unit is eye catching, there are technical issues which we feel could be problematic.
First impressions were less than positive. The lack of user manual and low quality cardboard storage box for the modular cables points to a budget, value oriented supply. The power supply itself looks quite attractive from the outside, and the bright red paint and ‘X’ logos will surely split opinion with the potential user base. It would look quite attractive in a colour coordinated chassis with some red LED lighting closeby.
A pure modular design would help a little with routing, although most of the hardwired cables would be needed for even the most basic system build.
The paintwork looks great, but sadly the quality of finish is lacking, our unit chipped and marked quite easily and compares badly to lower cost models in the Corsair or Seasonic range.
The Andyson design delivers decent load regulation and it dealt with our cross loading test without falling over, although we have seen much better from other units recently. The fan performed well, however it has to spin quite fast in the last 30% of power output and is clearly audible even over several chassis fans. At full load it generates a noticeable noise emission.
The unit failed the ripple suppression test, peaking at 65mV on the +5V output. The other rails held within the official tolerance guidelines, although they were all a little higher than we would like to see.
The unit didn’t fail in our ‘real world’ testing this week, but we would have some concerns with the overall noise suppression capabilities, especially if the end user was pushing the supply hard, particularly when overclocked with expensive, high drain partnering equipment. I wouldn’t trust this unit long term with a high end system build.
The efficiency of the AeroCool Strike-X 800W was also disappointing, especially at lower wattage demands.
You can buy the Aerocool Strike-X 800W power supply from CCL for £87.98 inc vat. If you need an 800W supply then we would recommend the higher quality Corsair Gaming Series 800W (Channel Well design) and keep the extra £5 in your pocket. We reviewed it in June this year. If you don’t really need an 800W unit (and few do believe it or not) for only £10 more, you can pick up the 80 Plus Gold Certified Seasonic G Series 650W.
Pros:

Looks quite attractive, if you like bold and loud design.
decent load regulation.

Cons:

poor noise suppression.
expensive for what you get.
can get loud.
didn’t reach 80 Plus Silver Certification.
finish is lacking.

Firefox · 29.11.2012, 19:09

Rosewill HERCULES 1600 W Power Supply

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Rosewill, the recipient of multiple awards for their innovative power supplies, has decided to hold nothing back and has just unleashed a new member of their 80 Plus certified power supplies, and it's a monster. Joining the Rosewill power supply family such as Tachyon, FORTRESS, CAPSTONE, HIVE and SilentNight, Rosewill is proud to present, HERCULES, 1600 W of raw power. The most powerful power supply Rosewill has released and it's built ready to power the biggest, toughest, and most Extreme Ultimate PC Gaming Enthusiast machine. The HERCULES is packaged in a deluxe silver casing, and with 1600 W, it's built ready to carry your computer gaming energy needs to the next level. The 80 Plus Silver certified HERCULES 1600 W power supply adopts a 135 mm silent fan which features an auto fan control to regulate the fan speed to keep it cool while also incorporating a Turbo button to rev the fan to maximum performance. HERCULES features 16 6+2 pin PCI-E connectors, 16!, to support power hungry top high end motherboards requiring multiple 6 or 8 pin PCI-E connectors and also power a 4 way SLI or Crossfire for the highest-end GPU PC Gaming setup. Also included are an attached 8-pin EPS, 4+4 pin EPS, and 24-pin ATX, and support for sleeved modular cabling with up to 16 SATA power connectors.
With an efficiency rating up to 89%, you'll get the maximum performance from each HERCULES power supply which will be available only in a 1600 W rating. The 80 Plus Silver rating translates into cooler temperatures providing the opportunity to use a silent 135 mm fan. Equipped with a dual 12V rail providing 110A and 50A and bundled with 16 6+2 pin PCI-e connectors, HERCULES is here to serve the PC Gaming Enthusiast who is looking for the power supply to bring the computer gaming energy needs to the next level.

source:guru3d

Firefox · 04.12.2012, 17:57

FSP Aurum 92+ 650W Power Supply Review - Hardwaresecrets

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The FSP Aurum 92+ 650 W performed well on our tests, with efficiency between 88.5% and 92.4%, low noise and ripple tests, and, for the most part, very good voltage regulation. During our full-load test, however, the +3.3 V output was at the bottom of the allowed range.
The main competitors for the FSP Aurum 92+ 650 W (USD 130) are the Antec EarthWatts Platinum 650 W (USD 120) and the Rosewill FORTRESS-650 (USD 110). The main advantage of this model from FSP is the presence of a modular cabling system. The performance of the FSP Aurum 92+ 650 W is comparable to that of the Antec EarthWatts Platinum 650 W, with a tiny advantage over the Rosewill FORTRESS-650. Internally, all three make use of Japanese capacitors, but the Antec EarthWatts Platinum 650 W has a few Taiwanese caps. The model from FSP and Antec use a four +12V rail configuration, while the model from Rosewill uses a single-rail design.
We believe the FSP Aurum 92+ 650 W is priced right and is a good option if you are looking for a 650 W power supply with modular cabling system, four +12 V rails, the 80 Plus Platinum certification, and Japanese capacitors.

Rosewill Tachyon 1000W PSU Review - TPU

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The Rosewill Tachyon 1000 W retails for $219.99

Delivered full power at 45°C
Good price/performance ratio
Highly efficient
Excellent ripple suppression
Tight voltage regulation
Good response in dynamic loads
Semi-fanless mode
Uses nothing but Japan-made capacitors
Five-year warranty

Small hold-up time
Weird fan profile
No MOV in the transient filter
Weak 5VSB rail (for the unit's category)
Fan quality

The fresh Tachyon 1000 W includes all the necessary features for a successful presence on the market. For starters, it is based on Super Flower's top platform, something that grants it extra-high efficiency, tight voltage-regulation, excellent ripple-suppression, and a very good response to dynamic loads, which will be its daily routine in real-life scenarios. It, on top of that, uses nothing but Japan-made caps, which tend to last much longer than Chinese caps. They also age much slower, and that allows them to maintain the same level of performance for much longer. The PSU also operates in fanless mode at low loads – outputting almost no noise. Finally, the five-year warranty that Rosewill provides will ensure that the future buyer doesn't have to worry about the PSU for a fairly long time.

Its downsides, as far as I was able to spot them, are its small hold-up time, which is much lower than the minimum allowed by ATX spec, the absence of an MOV from the transient filtering stage, which means that you should use this PSU along with a surge protector in order to be fully protected, and the fan profile that will need some tuning. Actually, the fan circuit acts as an on/off circuit in my sample since the fan suddenly kicked into full speed from low RPM once I increased the temperatures inside my hotbox. Its speed increase should be linear and not so sharp.

To sum up, the Tachyon 1000 W is a high-performance PSU that manages to register a fairly good price/performance ratio thanks to its decent pricing scheme. This unit should be on the top of your list if you need such power and want the highest efficiency money can buy in this category along with top performance.

Firefox · 07.12.2012, 17:03

Cougar CMX V2 700W Power Supply Review - Hardwaresecrets

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Cougar really fixed the huge voltage regulation problems we detected with its CMX 700 W with this new “V2” revised version, which passed our tests with flying colors. It is always terrific to see a manufacturer using our reviews to improve their products. Therefore, we recommend the CMX V2 700 W.
Although based on the same platform as its problematic sister, on the CMX V2 700 W, the manufacturer changed its cable configuration, added thicker wires on the main motherboard cable, and changed the configuration of the +12 V rails.
The only “problem” with this power supply is that “V2” is not written anywhere on it. So, you won’t know if you are looking at an older, problematic unit or the new, revised “V2” unit when buying this power supply. However, you can easily identify which version it is by looking at the cables of the modular cabling system. If they use nylon sleeves painted orange, white, and black, you are facing an older, problematic version, which you should not buy. You must buy the model with the flat modular cables.

Xigmatek Tauro 500 Watt PSU Review - OCInside

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The Xigmatek Tauro 500W power supply is not modular, but has a low price for its power class, achieved a good energy efficiency at low load and can thus be used well in low- to mid-range PCs. All output cables are mounted fixed at the Xigmatek Tauro power supply, so you have to place all cables inside the PC, even if they are not needed. Of course this save costs for additional power connector systems and may possibly even be advantageous for some users who often have problems to find their equipment. Thanks to the additional mesh plastic sleeves all power cables act cleaned up in the PC and can be installed comfortably within the PC case. All cables are high quality build and even the often criticized SATA plugs have no weaknesses. It would be favourable for the durability of the PSU, when only 105°C capacitors are used, which was unfortunately not the case inside of this Xigmatek Tauro 500 Watt power supply. All in all, the Xigmatek 500W Tauro is a very inexpensive available 80Plus Bronze certified power supply, which can be quite a good choice for non-modular PSU fans. Who wants to spend a little bit more money, the recently tested Centauro Xigmatek PSU with modular design and better energy efficency would be an alternative choice. You can compare the power consumption and price depending on daily usage easily with the interactive power calculator and will see if it is worth for your daily usage to buy a 80 Plus Bronze, Silver, Gold or 80Plus Platinum PSU.

Firefox · 09.12.2012, 09:09

XFX ProSeries 850W XXX Edition Power Supply Video Review

XFX Pro 850w XXX Edition PSU Power Supply Review - YouTube

Firefox · 10.12.2012, 19:42

EVGA SuperNOVA NEX750G 750W Review - TPU

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The EVGA SuperNOVA NEX750G retails for $139.99 in the US, while in the EU its price is 93.90€. Both prices don't include VAT.

Delivered full power at 45°C
Efficient
Good ripple suppression at +12V, 5V and 5VSB
Great amount of cables/connectors
Only uses Japanese caps
Excellent voltage regulation at 5V
5-year warranty

Price
Loose voltage regulation on all rails except for the 5V rail
Crossload test results
3.3V rail failed on the second Advanced Transient Response test
Noisy fan (at high speed)

Although the middle capacity NEX750G promises a lot and belongs to the high-end SuperNOVA series, the platform it is based on doesn't provide enough room for modifications that would allow it to meet the competition eye to eye. So, although it uses nothing but Japanese caps that manage to provide very good ripple suppression on all rails, voltage regulation is far from perfect, especially if the unit's disappointing performance on crossload tests is taken into account. We completely understand that EVGA wants to keep the cost as low as possible in order to provide this unit at a fair price, but its $140 price-tag is still too high for what this PSU has to offer. Strangely enough, its EU price-tag looks good in comparison to the competition, but hardware is much more affordable in the US, and the competition in America is tough; others may not provide eight PCIe connectors, but they do offer better performance and higher efficiency.

To wind up, the NEX750G comes with some really nice features including a ton of connectors, a unique design, the exclusive use of Japanese caps, and the five-year warranty, but its performance is limited by the platform it utilizes (the same applies to the FSP Aurum PSUs), and its high price doesn't help at all in achieving a high price/performance ratio. I think that a price close to $100 would significantly boost this unit's competitiveness by definitively helping it survive in a tough category where the competition offers products based on more sophisticated platforms that, inevitably, perform better.

Firefox · 11.12.2012, 19:41

Corsair AX860 Power Supply Review - HardwareHeaven

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As far as build quality and design go it is always a great start to see a company like Corsair base their unit around a Seasonic design and they clearly have faith in the unit, offering a 7-year warranty. Externally the simple chassis will look good in pretty much any system and the red/silver highlights may well fit in nicely with the likes of ASUS Maximus boards and Corsairs Red Vengeance memory... or maybe a set of their platinum modules. Inside the good quality continues with some nice soldering, minimal clutter, tidy wiring and quality branded components.
We also think that Corsair made a great move in going with six PCIe connectors on this unit. That decision means we can run three cards in SLI, or at least have that as a future upgrade option without needing convertors.
For performance the 12, 3.3 and 5v results were all good with efficiency easily meeting the Platinum spec. Temperatures were good too with impressive AC Ripple readings also. The highlight is of however the unit's ability to run fanless up to 60% load which means for the majority of systems it will offer silent operation for the majority of tasks

Corsair AX760 Power Supply Review - Hardwaresecrets

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The Corsair AX760 presented outstanding performance on our tests, and is one of the best power supplies we’ve ever reviewed. Its efficiency perfectly matched the numbers promised by the 80 Plus Platinum certification, noise and ripple levels were very low, and voltage regulation was outstanding, with the main positive voltages (+12 V, +5 V, and +3.3 V) within 1% of their nominal values. The ATX12V specification allows a 5% deviation, and we usually consider units with 3% voltage regulation as “flawless.”

Other highlights of the Corsair AX760 include the fully modular cabling system and the semi-passive mode of operation, where you can configure the power supply to turn on its fan only when you pull above 70% of its labeled wattage, thereby making the power supply silent when the computer is not demanding a lot of power.
Although not the cheapest power supply around, its price is on par with what it has to offer. Its price is similar to competing 750 W power supplies with the 80 Plus Platinum certification, however competing products don’t have the same performance level, making the Corsair AX760 a good buy if you are looking for a flawless power supply.

Firefox · 13.12.2012, 17:01

Be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 10 650W PSU Review - Legit Reviews

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Be Quiet! is planning what many European companies have tried in the past, to infiltrate the north American consumer market; a quite bold move, considering that most companies before them have failed to reach fruitful results. Be Quiet! however is not fooling around; the company already has a strong lineup of high quality and interesting products, as well as a good base market in Europe and Asia, therefore their odds of success are not bad. Today we had a look at their high performance power supply series and we have to admit that we found the craftsmanship and design superior to that of most comparable products available today. Aesthetically, the Dark Power Pro 10 has numerous little features and improvements which, although they are not important when examined individually, all of them combined turn an otherwise generic and uninteresting power supply to a classy and luxurious design. When it comes to performance, aside from it being one of the most quiet power supplies that money can currently buy, it also offers superb electrical performance with excellent ripple filtering, voltage regulation and very high efficiency (80Plus Platinum levels for US/Canada consumers and anyone else behind a 110V A/C grid).

The Dark Power Pro 10 650W power supply does have nearly all that it takes to draw the attention of enthusiasts and gamers; it is visually attractive and unique, built like a tank and its overall performance is astonishing. On the other hand however, the MSRP prices which the manufacturer supplied to us are exceedingly high, to the point that the 650W version of the Dark Power Pro 10 will be in the same pricing range with 800-1000W products from other manufacturers if the actual retail price is not significantly lower.

Seasonic Platinum Fanless 520W PSU Review - SilentPCReview

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The Seasonic Platinum Fanless 520W delivers the most exacting performance ever measured on SPCR PSU testing gear. Its voltage regulation is astonishing, especially on the 5V and 3.3V lines, which remained essentially unchanged from minimal 20W load to maximum 520W load. The 12V line, with a drop of 0.07V between minumum and maximum load, is merely excellent, but also unmatched by any other PSU tested. Noise and ripple were also superbly low, with the oddity of it being slightly higher at mid-power than maximum. Efficiency was the highest I've measured in any PSU thus far. The 95% efficiency seen at 400W load with 240VAC input means this PSU produces no more heat (21W) at that power level than many a low power optimized mobile CPU. The luxuriant packaging, excellent build and parts quality, 7-year warranty and Seasonic's long history of quality products all combine to affirm my own high expections of this remarkable product.

The fly in the ointment is that trace amount of high frequency whine in the first sample at certain loads on the 5V Standby line. Too low to be measured at 1m distance in an 11 dBA ambient anechoic chamber, but probably audible to users with highly sensitive hearing in very quiet rooms who want to place a small, near-silent PC on the desktop. This is the single biggest challenge for makers of fanless PSUs: The absence of masking broadband noise from a fan lays bare any trace of any other noise, while attracting the most aurally sensitive customers. It leaves Seasonic between a rock and a hard place.

The second sample did exhibit some trace tonal buzz, but at a much lower level than the whine of the original, and otherwise performed just as beautifully as the first. So while there's a bit of a question about which sample is exhibiting the more normal behavior, the latter is more likely, and this trace level of buzz is likely to be insignificant for the vast majority of users.

Xilence XQ Series 750W R4 – Test practic - Lab501

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Am inceput articolul prezentand Xilence drept un underdog, cel mai mic copil din curtea scolii care are ceva de spus. Mesajul l-am receptionat suficient de clar: it means business. Nu lasati eticheta sa va pacaleasca, sub carcasa pe care este lipita se ascunde o electronica de calitate, capabila sa alimenteze chiar si un sistem high-end triple-GPU in overclock moderat.
Sistemul de racire este o gaselnita interesanta a inginerilor de la Xilence, una care functioneaza foarte bine in practica. Temperaturile si nivelul de zgomot au ramas surprinzator de scazute in cazul unui consum de 1035W, iar din acest punct de vedere absolut nimic nu i se poate reprosa. Chiar si asa, consider ca rezerva de putere si valorile tensiunilor obtinute sub incarcare maxima reprezinta punctele forte ale acestei surse.
Dar pe cat de tare am crezut ca Xilence este underdog-ul capabil sa schimbe ceva pe piata surselor si sa ajunga bang-for-the-buck-ul pe care il cauta toata lumea, pe atat de tare ma contrazice pretul. In tara noastra, Xilence XQ Series 750W R4 se comercializeaza pentru aproximativ 850 de lei, ceea ce o plaseaza mult prea aproape de teritoriul baietilor cu renume. Daca nu ar fi acest minus, as fi putut recomanda oricui acest model, pretul nu ma lasa sa fac acest lucru insa. La acelasi pret puteti sa alegeti Seasonic Platinum 760W, de exemplu, sau daca vreti o sursa cu care sa alimentati ultimul urlet in materie de PC-uri, de ce sa nu optati pentru alta varianta de putere mai mare care sa va asigure ceva mai mult headroom pentru overclocking? Ca sa dau un exemplu rapid, pentru Cooler Master Silent Pro Gold 1000W trebuie sa scoateti inca 120 de lei din buzunar, iar HX1050 se gaseste pentru 50-70 de lei in plus fata de sursa Xilence.
In concluzie, inginerii de la Xilence au construit o sursa foarte buna folosind metode neconventionale. Din pacate, raportul pret/performanta va decide in final, iar in cazul modelului de fata acesta nu e deloc grozav. Pentru unul dintre cititorii nostri asta nu va fi o problema totusi, pentru ca aveti sansa sa castigati sursa folosita in cadrul testelor, mai multe detalii pe pagina urmatoare. Intelegeti de ce e mai bine ca nu am desfacut-o?

Firefox · 15.12.2012, 10:04

Fractal Design Integra R2 750W Review - TPU

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The Fractal Design Integra R2 750 W retails for $79.99

Delivered full power at 45°C
High price/performance ratio
Efficient at low to middle loads
Good ripple suppression on the +12V rail

The fan can be noisy
Very small distance amongst PCIe connectors
Only two 4-pin Molex connectors
3.3V rail performance on Advanced Transient Response tests
Cable-sleeving quality

Although the Integra R2 750 W didn't register ground-breaking performance, its decent price still helped it score a high price/performance ratio that resulted in the top spot on our relevant chart. This unit achieves very good efficiency levels with low to middle loads, and only at higher loads does efficiency take a significant hit while still meeting the 80 Plus Bronze requirements easily. I still think that a capacity of 750 W is very close to the limit of this platform; its full-load voltage readings dropped significantly on all rails and that led to overall loose voltage regulation. This PSU's performance would be much better if it was rated at around 600 to 650 W. Thankfully, ripple suppression on the +12V rail was very good and on all the other rails were decent, to say the least. Another thing that attracted my attention was the poor sleeving of its cables. They are generally rigid, which will probably cause problems during cable-management tasks. That said, we can't be too picky on such things at this price range, but they could easily provide more room between PCIe connectors; 7.5 cm is very little. A little bit of room would make the installation of nearby sockets an achievable task, contrary to what it is now. I can't help but wonder why they chose such a silly distance between those connectors! Finally, I think that the key feature of this unit is its extra-small length of only 140 mm, which makes it compatible with very small chassis, given their PSU choices are very limited.

To sum up, if you don't have a problem with non-modular PSUs and are planning on installing this PSU into a case with decent airflow, since its fan is quite noisy at high ambient, then its price is good for what it has to offer and that is clearly shown in our performance-per-dollar graph. The only problem is that, at least in the US, only Amazon had this PSU listed - with zero availability. Fractal Design will hopefully look into the availability matter soon since budget PSUs are of a high interest to many users in these economically tough times.

Firefox · 15.12.2012, 23:01

Seasonic X-Series 850W KM3 Power Supply Review - Kitguru

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The Seasonic X-Series 850W KM3 is right up there in the top 3% of high power units available on the market today. It really is as close to perfect as you are likely to see and will appeal to the high end audience who don’t mind paying a little extra for a top of the line supply.
Load regulation is class leading and we have yet to test a more capable unit in this regard. The intensive cross loading test barely phased the unit, with it holding onto nominal readings. Noise suppression is also close to perfect and reinforces the 850W KM3 standing as justifiably the finest power supply on the market today.
The addition of a new fan S2FC/S3FC selector switch and flat ribbon style modular cabling just enhances the overall appeal to the extremely demanding enthusiast audience.
The power supply is basically silent until just over 400W of output when the fan starts to spin up a little. Even at a 700W power demand the unit is whisper quiet. This is particularly appealing to gamers who have spent some time watercooling their system to reduce noise levels as much as possible.
The new KM3 is available in the United Kingdom for around the £150 inc vat mark. It is rather expensive, but when you consider the power characteristics and market leading design, we feel it is well worth the money.
Pros:

load regulation.
noise suppression.
very quiet.
80 Plus Gold+ efficiency levels.
can deliver over 1,000W output without falling over.
pure modular design.
fan switch.

Cons:

Price premium.

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