Power Supply Roundup: Part II

[Movieman420]

Not 100% sure if I have the same model PSU...mine is the PC P&C S61EPS 610W and looks identical with the same specs as well.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Prod [...] 6817703005

With this in the description: The Silencer 610 EPS12V provides 610 W of continuous power supply and a peak supply of 670 W. It incorporates a unique ultra-quiet cooling design, with no obstruction at the fan inlet and a noise suppression air gap. Dunno if it's the same as the 'silencer' or not. Either way I can say I never hear my psu over my case and cpu fans (all 120mm Scythe Slipstreams). I'm a bit let down that the internal components and build quality weren't taken into account. No matter, I'm very content nonetheless. I bought mine from newegg about a month ago for $68 after 20% off promo code from an email and a MIR as well...that plus free shipping to boot, it was an easy decision. On a side note I could really care less about a few % difference in efficiency, I'm more interested in internal build quality and long term reliability.

 

[wastral]

90% of computer time is spent at idle/standby or low power and yet they recommend all PwrSpply that all get horrid efficiency. What a BS review. As if not having an extra cable in your computer helps in any way. Modular cables, are real cute... you get a pretty award... Yea, girls lets go play dolls now.

 

[Movieman420]

Why so big on efficiency? You never notice the effect of a drop of 4 or 5% power efficiency from a single appliance in your home on your electric. I'm more interested in my system having a solid, dependable PSU delivering clean power to all my components. I'll pay the extra .10 a month on the elec bill...lol

 

[Proximon]

This series of articles was as good as it gets for the type. Sadly, it's just not good enough. Seems there are only a few people with the knowledge and equipment to test these power supplies correctly.

The author did everything in his power to produce good reviews, and I applaud that. It would be better for us all however, if these reviews were left to the experts.

 

[JonnyDough]

The problem I find with most PSU reviews is that they only test one unit. Ideally, you'd test at least ten of the same exact PSU to see how good it really is. Every individual PSU could potentially be a bit different.

 

[randomizer]

[citation][nom]JonnyDough[/nom]The problem I find with most PSU reviews is that they only test one unit. Ideally, you'd test at least ten of the same exact PSU to see how good it really is. Every individual PSU could potentially be a bit different.[/citation]
Blame the manufacturer for not sending more units. Stingy lot they are

 

[Movieman420]

The reviewed psus should have at least been opened up to see the quality of the workmanship inside...esp the capacitor quality and layout. 'RoundUp' type reviews should really only be used as a starting point when your in the market for a new component...it's also good to see what peeps are recommending on the o/cing forums too. Then it's time to find a good thorough review on the specific model in mind. Heh...believe it or not, after years of buying thru NeggEgg, I found that their egg rating system can be a good barometer..esp items that have won the customer choice award one or twice, you can also read customer reviews/feedback if you have the patience..lol

 

[nebun]

again nothing from ULTRA, wtf? i am beginning get the impression that tom's does not ULTRA products

 

[nebun]

again nothing from ULTRA, wtf? i am begining to think that tom's does not like Ultra products

 

[nebun]

again nothing from ULTRA, wtf? i am beginning to think that tom's does not like Ultra products

 

[JonnyDough]

[citation][nom]randomizer[/nom]Blame the manufacturer for not sending more units. Stingy lot they are[/citation]

Funny thing too is how many manufacturers "pretest" units to make sure they're working correctly before shipping them off for review. I mean, how fair is that to us actual consumers? It isn't really representative at all, which kind of defeats the purpose of said reviews.

 

[howiejcee]

I don't mean to bash the author but efficiency is not everything. For the average user, wattage, price, and efficiency is probably adequate (just buy a cheap & reliable PS).

However, being an electrical engineer, I think it's very important to view things from the perspective of an overclocker/enthusiast. A quick google search will lead to some decent guides (try techrepublic).

Some important parameters for stability and load issues (besides manufacturer reputation for reliability and quality and features such as many connectors) are:

Full load rating at a specific temperature.
Load regulation.
Voltage ripple.
Single vs. multi voltage rail (depends on your power needs, SLI? safety?).

 

[dark41]

I'd probably critisize the reveiw if I didn't agree with the results, but they came to the same conclusion that I did. Corsair is the best bang for the buck PSU on the market today, bar none. We've used VX450, HX520, and have HX620 in our own systems.

Silent, easy to set up, great warranty, and still haven't seen 1 fail under the worst of conditions.

I can't say the same for any series of Antec. I've kept 1 failed Neo, 1 True Power, and 1 True Control as paper weights and reminders that Antec is no more dependable than any other brand of PSU. They sit right beside the ToughPower 600 which wasn't so tough, and the broken Enermax Modu82+ 525.

 

[siliq]

The voltagle and efficiency are included in this roudup. However, it would be better if the author include other metrics such as acostic comparison. Most users want a silent PSU when they are working or playing a game. It matters more.

 

[arkoe310]

[citation][nom]bobbknight[/nom]Yep just about as informative as the first part, IE. not very.Unless you put the thing under load and oscilloscope the outputs for ripple and open it up to see the type of parts used and the construction quality. reviews of this type are next to meaningless.[/citation]
Ditto...sorry tom but this review blows you out of the water.
http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/503/1
this team actually pushed 720 watts/118% load/82% efficiency out of this PSU...The power supply, however, couldn’t work constantly at these specs...which is why its call max load specs.

i have this PSU and ive had no probs with it. it has 5year warrany. and instead of just frying...it shuts off when it get to a certain temp.