Power supply units - 51 articles
It's the box that makes your PC light up, its an important part so read about them here.
When it comes to PSUs, for years now the ATX unit has taken centre stage with little thought going into producing a different form factor. However, Antec have changed all this and decided that it is time for a revamp. Their new form factor, christened the CPX, is a lot bigger so as to allow more room for the guts and allow a less restrictive airflow. Electrically, it’s just an ATX power supply ...
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Enermax, Corsair, Coolermaster, Thermaltake; all big names in the power supply industry and are known performers. The units from these bigger brand names tend to come at a price but is that price really justified compared to other units especially when we know that many smaller companies produce OEM units for the bigger ones. For example, Seventeam - a unit of who’s we will be looking at today - ...
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Power supplies are neither the most glamorous nor the most exciting part of a computer but they are essential to every rig. In recent times they have developed into being much more than just the power provider and in a time where looks are everything, style is a big factor not to mention noise and most importantly in the credit crunch, pricing. Rasurbo, which I must admit to not having heard of ...
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Choosing a power supply gives endless choice with seemingly hundreds of units to choose from; with different watts, colours, sizes and styles. But, it all boils down to two things – stable rails and efficiency. With poor performance in these two areas, no matter how glamorous or how quiet the unit may be, it’s not really up to scratch. At XSReviews today, we have a 770W unit that comes from a ...
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With high emphasis on high wattage and the most ‘bang for your buck’ in recent times, is it time we took a step back and looked at much lower wattage units in order to help the environment and become a little greener? Today at XSReviews we have a small, mid priced unit to put to the test, let’s see if it can persuade any of you to swap to a less electricity munching unit.
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With the extremes having being recently reviewed here on XSReviews, from 1000w to 450W, today we have a PSU that is somewhere in the middle with a wattage of 650. The manufacturer Tuniq has a reputation for producing high quality units so let’s hope the Potency 650 is no different. Only one way to find out.
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When Enermax contacted us regarding reviewing a power supply for them, we were pleasantly surprised. With such a prime range of PSUs, it’s difficult to see why Enermax would release yet another series of units. However this was made clearer after doing some research…price. All of Enermax’s units top the £60 bracket, but the Pro 82+ series is aimed more so at the low-mid range and the price ...
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Power Supplies are one of the more mundane upgrades to a PC as all it really does is make sure everything else runs properly. It's important but not exciting. That's why it's always nice to test something from a relatively new manufacturer on the scene. Today we're looking at the AXP Supernova units in 800w and 1000w. Let's see how they get on.
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There are many PSU companies out there, from well known ones like Coolermaster, Corsair, Hiper and Enermax, to some more obscure ones like Ikonik, Silver Power and InWin; here at XSR we've reviewed units from all of them. Today I'm checking out one from another relatively unknown company, Be Quiet. Being closely knit with gaming peripheral makers Revoltec gave these guys a good head start in our ...
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Having previously reviewed the InWin Commander 750w, and being very impressed, the guys at InWin thought I should have a look at their bigger, badder version, the 1200w. Let's see if this can stand up to the already sterling reputation of the 750w version.
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When it comes to cases, Coolermaster are one of the big name manufacturers that most see going hand in hand with quality. In recent years they've extended their reach in the hardware world to many different markets, but one of the biggest ones has to be their range of PSUs. Today I have the chunky UCP 1100w unit. Let's see how it compares to the myriad of PSUs we've looked at recently.
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Many of the PSUs we've reviewed recently have been mid-range units, and I think it's time we upped the game. Thankfully Ikonik have been kind enough to send through their latest Vulcan PSU. It comes with a host of connectors, and a large 1200w capacity. Let's see how it compares to the lesser watted units we've reviewed recently.
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Another addition to the PSU Roundup which we’re currently going through is the X-Spice Kira CS. This power supply comes in 3 available wattages: 430W, 530W and 630W. We’ll be reviewing the 530W unit, which for today’s standards, is quite a low output. Let’s see how it holds up to some of the pricier, higher wattage power supplies.
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Continuing what appears to be "PSU Week" here at XSReviews, we have the Silver Power SP-SS500, a 500w PSU. It's one of the more low output ones that we've reviewed recently, but that shouldn't stop it from taking up the challenge of our test rig. Let's see how it holds up to some more expensive, and higher wattage units.
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In the past, overclockers had a core set of components they needed to focus on to guarantee stability and performance: CPU, motherboard, memory and GPU. One often overlooked aspect of the intrepid system builder was the PSU. However, as products have become more high powered, with GPUs especially needing hundreds of watts just on their own, PSUs have become far more important. With that in mind, ...
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There are certain products in the PC hardware world that are completely dominated by big brand names like graphics cards and of course, CPUs. On the other hand, there are others that are more open and you often see little known companies popping up. One of these was kind enough to send me one of their power supplies was XSpice. The one they sent through is the Croon, and it's got a large 750w ...
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Most of the products sent through for us to review come from top brand manufacturers that everyone has heard of and knows well in advance on what their products are probably capable of. However, now and again something shows up on the XSR doorstep from someone a little less well known, something with more to prove. To whit, enter "e"/Andyson's QPower PSU, a 1050W beast with a host of connectors. ...
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With the need for a steady and stable supply of power to fuel the most power hungry of PCs nowadays, we are starting to see an increasing number of power supplies with high wattages that claim stability and silence as well. One such product is the Tuniq Miniplant, which boasts an impressive 950W of power and was for a time the highest wattage PSU in the 80+ category of standard PS2 sized units. ...
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Coolermaster have, at times, been considered the kings of top of the line case manufacturing; thanks in part, to their popular Stacker range of chassis. In recent years though, Coolermaster have branched out into other areas, and attempted to apply their industry defining style and panache to other product types. Today I'll be testing 3 of CM's top of the line Real Power modular PSUs; lets see if ...
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With the ever growing technologies such as quad SLI and quad core CPU’s; the need for more power also grows. However, not only have PSU manufacturers got the task of creating a power supply which pumps out plenty of watts, they’ve also got the task of making their units silent and aesthetically pleasing – to compete with similar models on the market. One such power supply that boasts to do all ...
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Over the last few years, a lot more attention has been paid to power supplies, and their ever important role of giving our prized possessions the juice they need to run as pain free as possible. However, not only have companies been tempting our wallets with excellent rail stability and high efficiencies, they’ve also touted the low noise levels of their units. The PSU I have with me today sports ...
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The last time we got out mitts on Jeantech property, the power supply ended up being used in our test rig for months afterward thanks to its fully modular design.
Today I have a slightly more powerful model – the Absolute 1000W which promises a semi-modular design, low noise output and stable rails. Let’s see if it’s ready to give our twin Ultra’s the required oomph.
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As the need for PC juice increases, so does the size of the PSUs providing the needed power. Fortunately, there are a few companies who aren’t willing to extend the chassis of their power providers, and instead stick faithfully to the compact size that we’ve come to expect.
Once such company is FSP who have created the Everest PSU which is capable of sending (just) over 1000W of energy to your ...
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With the recent addition of triple SLI and multi GPU gaming rather than single powerful cards, power supplies with quadruple figure watt values are being recommended more and more by manufacturers. Whether it’s due to actual necessity or the want to sell more, high power PSU’s are now more common than ever.
Today I have the Tuniq Ensemble which will be pitted against a couple of 8800 Ultra’s ...
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1000W used to only be for kettles or heaters, but now your PC can be supplied with a kilowatt of energy. Several manufactures have had a go at the 1000W supply, and I’ve yet to see one that really stands out from the crowd. Today I have the SilverStone Strider which builds on the success of their many other power supplies. Have they got it right?
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Kingwin. Would you buy a Kingwin power supply? For that matter, would you buy anything from Kingwin? In the PC component industry, a lesser known manufacturer has to seriously outperform the current market leaders. Hopefully this modular, LED equipped and 520W packing power supply does just that.
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OCZ produce some of the world's best loved enthusiast components. High end memory, mice, graphics cards and power supplies. Speaking of which, fancy seeing what their 700w GameXstream model can do? You do? read on.
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Silence is something that many require when it comes to PSUs and many companies have begun to cash in on it with buzz words like "Silent" and "Whisper Quiet" being placed all over packaging. Today however, I have a company that has "silence" in their name, well, sort of. Here with me is the Xilence Power 600w Gaming Edition. Well, let's see if its Xilent and if it games well; to the test bed!
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Over the last couple of years OCZ have been gradually spreading their influence throughout the hardware market. Beginning at memory they moved into the cooler and PSU game and now even graphics cards with OCZ branding have found their way into our stores. Today though I am testing one of their hefty PSUs, the GamXstream 1010w; lets give it a go.
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Tagan PSUs are not necessarily the most revered in the world of hardware enthusiasm but their flashy looks and LED fans have always drawn a crowd. Today I have with me the Silver Power 600w from them which promises excellent performance with good looks to boot. I wonder how it will do.
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When you think of high end performance memory, undoubtedly the name Corsair pops into your head, while names like Dominator and XMS jump onto the tip of the tongue. However RAM is not their only concern with cooling options and power supplies being part of their repertoire. Today I have with me their flagship model PSU, the HX620w; let's see how it does.
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ThermalTake have recently been extending their ToughPower range of power supplies, going all the way up to 2000w of power (recently announced). For most this is unnecessary, as is the 1200w version I have today to test, however more is usually better….
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Zalman have always been at the forefront of silent computing with their CNPS mark; accreditation for the quietest components. Today I have one of their modular power supplies, the ZM500-HP, which features a heatpipe fed heatsink.
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How many 12v rails should a PSU have? This has always been somewhat debatable, some entering the single rail camp, and others preferring the route of the dual or even quad rail units. Silverstone made their mark with the Zeus range of power supplies featuring a strong single 12v rail and they aim to continue this trend of stable, solo rail units with their Decathlon series.
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Chill Innovation is a Scandinavian company that has been doing the rounds in the background of the PSU market since 2002. Now attempting to break their way into the enthusiast market with style they have released their new 520w Super Silent model...
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Silverstone have been producing high end power supplies and chassis for years now. They are hoping to continue this run with their latest range of PSUs, the Olympias. Featuring a strong single 12v rail and a multitude of connectors and cables, can the OP650 model serve up what we are looking for? Read on to find out.
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Unless you subscribe to the theory of a second ice age, you’ll know that humans are slowly warming our planet up due to CO2 output. While computers – probably – play a small part in this global change, there is still an impact. Step in 80+ power supplies which promise above 80% efficiency throughout their output wattage range (20%, 50% and 100%). Today I have two such units, both rated @ ...
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Unless you subscribe to the theory of a second ice age, you’ll know that humans are slowly warming our planet up due to CO2 output. While computers – probably – play a small part in this global change, there is still an impact. Step in 80+ power supplies which promise above 80% efficiency throughout their output wattage range (20%, 50% and 100%). Today I have two such units, both rated @ ...
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Jeantech are quite well known in the PC enclosure market, but have recently begun trying to make a name for themselves in the Power Supply market. Well today I have the priveledge of reviewing their flagship PSU; the Storm 700w. Hopefully my first look at their products won’t disappoint…
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Spire is perhaps not the most well known company, but they have been making waves in the cooler and PSU market for a few years now and recently they sent me their new Spire Rocketeer III 500w PSU. Read on to find out how it stood up to our tests.
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After recently reviewing Silverstone’s high-end enthusiast PSU, the ST50EF, I now have in my hands the mid-range extreme gamer unit. Capable of supporting 600w of PC parts, the Strider is pretty much future proof…
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Silverstone. They make the widest range of PSU’s I have ever seen; from server redunate supplies to silent passively-cooled units. But today I test their Element ST50EF 500w supply, with the tag line ‘Power through efficiency’ which hopefully means it’ll be as groundbreaking as their other products.
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I’ve never really seen Coolermaster as a PSU manufacturer; but today I’m testing one of their new energy and money saving units that should help save the planet and your pennies. However, has this energy efficiency sacrificed stable rails and reliable output? I aim to find out…
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Over the last couple of years, PCs have become increasingly busy places. Dual core CPUs, twin graphics cards in SLI or Crossfire and soon we will all be looking to add a dedicated physics card to the mix. Added to this with have the increasingly common "Extreme" cooling solutions of water and phase change, plus the myriad of LCD displays, fan controllers and card readers that come standard with ...
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Anyone heard of them? I had never heard of them until this VERY shiny PSU arrived in my testing lab. I just hope that Spires first impression on me will be a good one…
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Although you may not have heard of Hiper, over the past few years they have produced some of the finest power supplies available to the mainstream user and enthusiast alike. However, their new TypeR range of PSUs is scheduled to blow competitors out of the water; with its huge 580W power output, and flashy looks. The particular model I will be reviewing is the Modular TypeR 580W model. ...
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