FSP Hydro X 450 Power Supply Review

[Guest]

After the Hydro G series, FSP decided to release a more affordable power supply called the Hydro X, which targets systems with lower energy needs. This PSU line consists of three units, and in this review we're testing the entry-level 450W model.

FSP Hydro X 450 Power Supply Review : Read more

 

[powernod]

Do Hydro PSUs work underwater?

Yeah, they have to work underwater in order to camouflage themselves from Corsair's (PSUs) who dominate the water's surface!!
Or to pass through the Seasonic wall !!:lol:

ONTOPIC: Decent PSU from FSP, but only just decent!!

 

[Aris_Mp]

it is hard to enter the US markets with Corsair and EVGA throwing one model after the other and in very competitive prices, however more variation is always welcome. If they lower significantly the price tags on these models then their marketing career will be easier.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

Hard to penetrate the EVGA lineups with their great prices on the higher end units. These need to be lowered to sell.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

Is there any reason the 3.3V rail shows strange behavior when crossloading? Not that it's bad or anything, but in CL1 with heavy load on the 3.3V rail, the voltage is about 0.10V higher than CL2, where the 3.3V rail has minimal load, and voltage is typically higher.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

Okay, just finished reading the review. Besides the disappointing transient response of this unit, and the failure to meet hold-up time, this is a good unit. But the price needs to drop to about $60 IMO if it wants to compete well. Currently it's priced the same as the Hydro G 650W, and the Hydro G is a no-brainer choice over this unit.

It also concerns me a bit that the 5V rail voltage goes to 4.79V in your second transient response test at 50% load. This is all around also a bit disappointing, but it's not a very realistic transient load (unlike 12V which happens always while gaming), but I like the Japanese capacitors, the load regulation is fine, the crossload graphs all show good results; sometimes a lot of units screw up on those. It's nice to be able to see those different load patterns, something other reviewers should try to adopt. Ripple was very nice.

 

[joz]

Hard to penetrate the EVGA lineups with their great prices on the higher end units. These need to be lowered to sell.

G2 is love, G2 is life. (G2 550W, about...eight of them....)

 

[basroil]

FSP almost had an excellent PSU until they screwed up big time on the transient response. Looks like the EVGA G2/ SuperFlower Leadex Gold is still king of the inexpensive PSUs

 

[Flying-Q]

Please stop referring to quality PSUs with low wattage as 'entry 'level' (in the article subtitle).

Entry Level (adjective)
(of a product) suitable for a beginner or first-time user; basic.
"entry-level computers"

'Entry level' usually implies smaller feature set. In this instance the feature set of each of the models is the same other than the power output. Current generation computers need less power due to greater efficiency inherent in more recent designs of components.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

FSP almost had an excellent PSU until they screwed up big time on the transient response. Looks like the EVGA G2/ SuperFlower Leadex Gold is still king of the inexpensive PSUs

I would like other testing sites to start adopting these tests, like Jonnyguru. I wonder how many units that normally pass stuff would fail.

Another funny thing is FSP just wrote a blog about the importance of transient response.

But also, a 3.3V transient response just doesn't happen in 2016, probably never will. A 5V one is also less common.

 

[basroil]

But also, a 3.3V transient response just doesn't happen in 2016, probably never will. A 5V one is also less common.

ATX loading specs state a 9A transient on 12V (and 5V might have been there). Considering most modern PSUs are 12V only and then DC-DC for 3.3 and 5V, 12V transients are going to end up affecting the 5v and 3.3V lines too.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

I'm not so sure if it'd be drastically affected by a 12V transient, I think it's primarily affected by the 5A on the 3.3V rail. Maybe Aris can provide input.

In a typical CL2 test, the 12V is low but the 5V and 3.3V are high, even though those rails are rectified directly from the 12V rail.

 

[f-14]

Hard to penetrate the EVGA lineups with their great prices on the higher end units. These need to be lowered to sell.

not just the prices and line ups but the PCI-E connectors and type 2 6+2(8pin) PCIE connectors 40 amps and 500W for $45 http://www.microcenter.com/product/457414/500_Watt_80_500_Watt_ATX_Power_Supply

or a 430W 34 amp with 1 6+2 (8pin) PCIE connector at $40

and a 3 year or better warranty for all of them why throw away money on more expensive units that had to be replaced anyways because they didn't support the new lower power requirements of haswell and skylake
that's $30-40 you could spend on a cpu cooler or more ram or a better cpu or a better gpu.
what do you bet the next intel cpu requires having a 24+12 pin power connector? or PCIE 12 or 14 pin power connector for VGA cards?PSU requirement for power and connectors change every what 6-8 years? we're due for a PSU connector change any new CPU now. atleast the modular systems have hope where you can just buy a new cable and the PSU already meets power spec.
for $70+ every PSU has to be modular.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

f-14, that EVGA PSU uses poor capacitors. I wouldn't buy it.

 

[takeshi7]

Can you please review the Raidmax Thunder V2 735W PSU? Model RX-735AP

 

[turkey3_scratch]

I doubt they will, reviewers are always hesitant to review units that'll likely be junk for fear of damaging their equipment.

 

[Archaic59]

Can you please review the Raidmax Thunder V2 735W PSU? Model RX-735AP

If the Raidmax Thunder V2 735W was a good unit I'm pretty confident we would already know about it. A quick google turns up zero reviews of it from any reputable site in the USA. A 2 year warranty is telling enough.

 

[turkey3_scratch]

The only Raidmax that has been tested to this date and is okay is the Vampire 1050W unit, if I recall correctly.

 

[Aris_Mp]

actually I currently have a Raidmax on the review samples pile, but it is a Titanium model so high-end

 

[turkey3_scratch]

actually I currently have a Raidmax on the review samples pile, but it is a Titanium model so high-end

Never knew they had one!

Aris, in the transient response tests, if there is only a transient on the 12V rail and not the 3.3V and 5V rails, will that transient cause the 3.3V and 5V rails to still drop, or does the drop only result from the transient on those specific rails themselves?

 

[Aris_Mp]

since the minor rails are independently regulated they will not be affected significantly. This relies however on the PWM controller (and other components) of the minors.

 

[basroil]

, in the transient response tests, if there is only a transient on the 12V rail and not the 3.3V and 5V rails, will that transient cause the 3.3V and 5V rails to still drop, or does the drop only result from the transient on those specific rails themselves?

Depends on the specific platform. If it's 12v DC-DC converted like most gold/platinum units are, then it certainly can affect them, though usually no more so than the 12V difference. For independent 5V like some older units and a lot of the low end stuff, it shouldn't really do anything

 

[turkey3_scratch]

Aris, you should review the XFX XT 450W unit.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

http://www.raidmax.com/power-supplies_rx-700at.html

http://www.orionpsudb.com/news/raidmax-preparing-their-first-80plus-titanium-psu-based-on-andysons-high-performance-design

http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story6&reid=423

 

[Aris_Mp]

yes this is the one.

No ties with XFX. Actually several years have passed till my last XFX review. They just don't send samples any more.