PSU tier list 2.0

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Wow, that's not just a can of worms that got opened, that's more like a 55 gallon drum. One article that has the potential to force reevaluation of not only the tier list itself, but the faith in product of any psu. Could this be the underlying reason why corsair CX in the US seem to have such lousy lifespans, yet still get a decent review from JG, because he actually got a real deal CX, and everyone else in the states gets a farmed out product? Is this why I see many doa claims for a Seasonic m12ii? Just how many others are outsourcing? I honestly wouldn't mind knowing if the Evga G2 550w I own is really SuperFlower or if it's SYT in disguise which is why it's only a 7 yr warranty vrs the 750's 10 yr warranty for the same exact design except smaller value components.

Gotta say, the arguments this article will engender are going to be interesting, if nothing else.
 
I'd like everybody to take a good hard look at the following statement from Jonny himself, which explains EXACTLY why we often say some units are NOT recommended even though one review site or another has spun a positive light on that particular model.


Reviews are a small sampling. It's not that any units are poorly engineered or anything, but if you have a high percentage of units with coil whine or a high percentage of DOAs, you're going to see that in end user reviews, forums, etc. Not reviews from review sites. -JonnyGuru
Click to expand...
 
@Karadjgne - CWT, FSP, Enhance, Compucase (HEC) and similar are really big - they are the companies that OTHER, smaller OEMs would want to outsource to.
Don't take it the wrong way, it's really not a big deal that a smaller OEM outsources while keeping standards in check. The lower end units don't need top-end soldering quality of the main factory, and that's fine to me.
 
FSP, CWT and Enhance, building EVGA B2 and other Golden green platform units, to me, is not ok. Not that I have any say in the matter, but it seems highly deceptive in a sense. When I, and others, avoid units from specific manufacturers because it seems everything they put out is problematic, I don't even remotely appreciate the knowledge that a manufacturer I have trusted and looked to as a staple is outsourcing to those same manufacturers, cheapening the platform with inferior build quality and QA. Just my opinion, and others may not agree, but this leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
 
I'd have to agree with you there, as when I look to those brands, I expect that they live up to the reputation, and when those aforementioned OEMs are building the units instead, I feel that I'm being cheated out of the unit I actually wanted and expected to get
 
Well now I'm just on the edge of my seat. I'm also really glad that I got my EVGA before they moved to a new mfg. Or at least I hope mine came direct from SuperFlower 🙁
 
Quick question for you Pro's.

I currently have a PC Power & Cooling MK III that's about 2 years old. It now is causing issues when I power down my system. Once everything powers down about 2 seconds later a surge of current will go through my system lighting up my leds on keyboard, mouse, and slightly move my case fans. I also get a high pitch buzz sound from my usb headphones. If i keep my system on 24/7 I have no issues, only when i shut it down.

Im upgrading to the new Skylake this week and Im hesitant to move my PSU over to the new build. Which is kind of upsetting since it was not cheap.
Also if it is a psu failing I don't feel comfortable sending it in and then using it as refurbished.

What are you thoughts on this? Should I just use a new PSU?

My current PSU
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817703038

Possible replacement. Are these any good?
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817438055
or
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817171094

Both are on sell locally for around the same price $70 for EVGA or $72 for Cooler Master
 
The RG and Hive units reviewed well. I would like to see the newest models reviewed though; I'm also concerned that, having relieved people's worries with the Superflower-built Capstones, they might be pulling a Corsair and slacking off.

I also agree with Darkbreeze. I want to know I'm getting the quality characteristic of a certain company, not some also-ran doing the work, unless I can be certain the quality is there. I think FSP may have platform vs. quality issues, so I'm not so worried if they're the builder, but I don't want CWT or HEC involved.
Is Seasonic the only one that's really safe?
 
I honestly never thought about just how many units Seasonic has. Between brand lines, pre-built OEM's like Dell and HP, aftermarket OEM's like Antec and XFX, their production must be staggering. Are all those units 100% Seasonic built? Or are some outsourced like SuperFlower seems to have done. Without definitive proof I've got no option but to assume that every OEM is suspect.

I'm not big on following the gossip posted in places like Amazon.com from registered buyers, but when every other post is stating they received a DOA Seasonic psu, I can't just chalk that up to 'the idiot had no clue how to install the new psu' theory, the numbers don't add up according to Seasonic's reliability and quality. And its not the older Semi-Modular 520w units, just the new fully modular 520w units. Swapping a hardwire solder joint for a plug is child's play. Only way any of that makes any sense to me is if the new units are not Seasonic built, but outsourced to a less reliable company like HEC or FSP, built under license from Seasonic.

That's all just speculation of course, but if it walks like a duck....
 

Quite possibly not. Earthwatts has gone through at least three iterations. The original ones, such as EA-380, were excellent budget units made by Seasonic. Then there were the "D" models, e.g. EA-380D, which were similar, but made by Delta (I'd consider them slightly better than the Seasonics). Some of them had green housings rather than flat grey, reflecting the "Green" name. Costs were cut on things like using unsleeved cables and cheap housings, but the internals were solid. I've used both of those, and never had one die or the PCs containing them experience the sort of glitches that might be attributable to power problems. I've also used both of the 500W models, with similar results. The only anomaly I found is that the Delta-built ones may not tolerate stepped-sinewave UPS units, seeing that waveform as "bad power" and shutting off.
 
With the possible exception of one or two of the Raider units, I don't think anything from FSP belongs below tier 3, but you need to read the fine print; sometimes their wattage listed is peak, and the actual continuous rating is 50W lower. Aurum may be on tier-2.
FSP's problem is there's no reason for "us" to buy them. The prices are similar to better units, like Seasonic or Delta. They've provided a lot of PSUs to Dell though (the 80+ bronze ones), so they're not pushing junk, and probably don't miss our money all that much. They do have some niche areas though, like SFX models; I'd buy one of those. Seasonic has a few TFX models, but only one SFX that I see, and it is only 300W.

 
SO, apparently NOBODY had EVER reviewed the LEPA G1200-MA 1200W. There are reviews for the 900w, 1000w and 1600w models, but nothing, anywhere, for the 1200w model. Since apparently there are some major differences between these models, as the 900w has an 8.5 JG rating while the 1600w has a 9.5 rating, and due to one singular reference to the fact that the 1200w has a 65mv ripple and poor voltage regulation, that I can't verify since there are no reviews, I can't trust that the reviews for these other models is similar to the build quality for this unit.

Anybody have ANYTHING on this unit? ko888, Onus, Anort, anyone? I'd really like to see some numbers on this as one of our members is purchasing a 5930k, dual Titan X build and is planning to trust this unit, which I can't get behind without seeing some facts. LEPA not being a traditionally excellent brand, as with most the Enermax units, I'd need something concrete to give it a thumbs up. Any help here is appreciated.
 
LEPA started out as a rebranded Enermax, but that may not be saying much anymore. It's a damn shame, because Enermax used to be a premier builder, then they built some lesser units themselves before turning their lesser lines over to CWT.
HardOCP has some of the other sizes' reviews, but not the 1.2KW one. According to http://www.realhardtechx.com/index_archivos/Page22979.htm that particular one is built by Enermax themselves. I'd reluctantly say that's a plus. It passed 80+ Gold, so the wheels probably weren't about to come off it at full load, even though it will likely be another 12C-17C warmer in actual use. HardOCP gave their Silver awards to the ones on either side (1KW & 1.6KW), and those are both also Enermax.
 
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