PSU tier list 2.0

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I'd sure like to see the Thermaltake TR2 units go back into tier 4 or 5, until such time as we see a review with conclusive data proving it belongs elsewhere. Considering the history of that particular model and the high failure rate we see with them, I can't bring myself to believe it's improved substantially without seeing the proof and I'm seeing a lot of them cropping up again.
 
HardOCP's final remark on the CWT-produced Cooler Master G550M:
"There quite simply is no reason that users should be paying the same price for this Cooler Master G550M PSU as they are for those far and away better options."

Or, as I prefer to say, "friends don't let friends buy Cooler Master." It did pass, so it looks like Tier-3 to me.
 
I've got a choice of 2 PSU's that aren't listed here(the one's that are,are way too expensive here).My choice is Zalman ZM-500 GLX 80+(cert.) vs. Thermaltake Smart SE Modular 530W.They both have an efficiency of 87%.The price difference is 3$(thermaltake costs more).Side note:Zalamn was made(or still is?) by FSP,so maybe it's not that bad?
 
Efficiency has nothing whatsoever to do with quality or reliability, or it's ability to output its rated capacity. So just get the idea that the efficiency rating has anything to do with being a good unit, right out of your head. Neither the Zalman nor the Smart series units are worth beans. There are probably Corsair units available in your region, I don't know of any regions where there are not, and a CX or RM Corsair unit would be better than either of those you mentioned even though we don't normally recommend them for gaming rigs.
 


Yeah we have corsair units, but they are like 70-80$,while these two are about 50-55$,and I'm already over budget. My pc specs will be :AMD FX-6300,MSI GTX960 2GB OC, WD caviar blue 1tb,and 8GB Kingston HyperX RAM. This all takes about 342W.Edit:There's also a corsair vs series unit in my price range.
 




I don't think that is a different model (of course its 400W instead of 500W). And it also justifies why it's the same price as the Thermaltake


 
If only because of the different wattage, we know it must be a different model. The platform may be the same. The fact the the reviewed unit had been well-used likely shows the effect of capacitor aging, but I think a new one needs to be used in order to "get it right."
 
If it's made by Seasonic, even their worst model is going to probably be better than any Zalman or Thermaltake smart series units. There are some Zalman units that are unreviewed as of yet, but I wouldn't put much faith in them given the quality of their units historically.
 
I do believe those Seasonic units are the same, very old OEM platform. Surprisingly it looks like it's still in production. At least RealHardTechX is still showing it as current. I would guess it's only available in certain regions. I would probably be with chimera201 on this one and avoid the Seasonic just based on the platform being from 2008 or earlier.

Corsair VS is likely better. The Zalman is a Sirtec made unit that is probably decent and the Thermaltake is a CWT made unit only rated at 35C so I might avoid it.

 
Zalman ZM500-GLX
• OEM: Sirfa (Dong Guan) Electronic Co., Ltd.
• maximum combined +12 Volt continuous current rating: 40 Amps
• two 150-Watt (6+2)-pin PCI Express supplementary power connectors
• Ambient Temperature Maximum (i.e. without derating): 40°C
• Modular Output Cables: No
• Meets Official Intel Haswell Compliance: No
• 80 PLUS Standard Efficiency Certification
• 2 Year Limited Warranty

Thermaltake Smart SE 530 (SPS-530M)
• OEM: CWT
• maximum combined +12 Volt continuous current rating: 41 Amps
• two 150-Watt (6+2)-pin PCI Express supplementary power connectors
• Ambient Temperature Maximum (i.e. without derating): 35°C
• Semi-Modular Output Cables: Yes
• Meets Official Intel Haswell Compliance: No
• No 80 PLUS Efficiency Certification
• 3 Year Limited Warranty

Corsair VS550 (SKU# 75-001836 / CP-9020097)
• OEM: CWT
• maximum combined +12 Volt continuous current rating: 42 Amps
• two 150-Watt (6+2)-pin PCI Express supplementary power connectors
• Ambient Temperature Maximum (i.e. without derating): 40°C
• Modular Output Cables: No
• Meets Official Intel Haswell Compliance: No
• 80 PLUS Standard 230V EU Efficiency Certification
• 3 Year Limited Warranty

Seasonic SS-500ET Active PFC T3
• OEM: Sea Sonic Electronics Co., Ltd.
• maximum combined +12 Volt continuous current rating: 34 Amps
• one 75-Watt 6-pin and one 150-Watt (6+2)-pin PCI Express supplementary power connectors
• Ambient Temperature Maximum (i.e. without derating): 40°C (The rated power will derate from 100% to 80% from 40°C to 50°C Linearly)
• Modular Output Cables: No
• Meets Official Intel Haswell Compliance: No
• 80 PLUS BRONZE Efficiency Certification
• 3 Year Limited Warranty

The Seasonic SS-500ET has the weakest combined +12 Volt continuous current rating which explains the combination of PCI Express supplementary power connectors.
 
The Seasonic is obviously weaker, however given who the others' OEMs are, I would still expect it to be more reliable and last longer. If it is strong enough, it is still the one I'd choose. If not, the Corsair would be a distant second.
 
By how much is the corsair a distant second? I'm asking because my friends at game-debate recommended me the corsair over the SeaSonic... And they like SeaSonic over there as well...
 
Was the Corsair recommended because the Seasonic doesn't have enough +12V amperage for your system?
In the above-referenced tests, a years-old, similar-model Seasonic was found to go a little out of spec. That's not great, but is not atypical in cases where the capacitors have aged, particularly in a unit that may have been run at high percentages of its capacity for extended periods. Regardless of model number, a PSU built [years] before 2008 will almost certainly have had component upgrades due to availability changes (and/or product experiences) since then. The number of current CWT offerings that have been dinged for poor capacitors does not inspire confidence. In your place, I would not choose CWT, even if it meant I had to save a little more money over a week or two to get a better unit.
 

I have no idea what their motivation was,but they all said:"Corsair!".Anyway,the shop got some tech deliveries,and I got some more choices...the SilverStone Strider Essential - 80Plus 500W,and the SeaSonic M12II-520 EVO 520W.They are a bit pricier,but not much.Any thoughts?
Edit:I might have just found the winner,I think I'll get the SeaSonic M12,it's got Japanese caps :)
 

Yeah,the second I saw Japanese electrolyte caps,I was sold 😀
Thanks for all the help guys 😉
 
Might be worth including the Antec ECO 520/620w units in the list, Which is basically just a rebadge of the S12II platform.

(Also seems to fail to include a power cable in most cases, but those can easily bought for cheap.)
 
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