Club 3D B.V. announces the introduction of the 1200 Watt Switching Power Supply CSP-X1200CS as the new top of the line of its award winning Switching Power Supply Series. The new Club 3D 1200 Watt Switching Power Supply CSP-X1200CS is a real powerhouse and allows you to combine all lately introduced hardware in your high end system and play the most powerful games without risking any lack of power.

The new CSP-X1200CS gives you the power you need with the efficiency that is required on today's PC thanks to its 80-Plus Silver Certification and an ultra-quiet-135 mm fan.

Corsair, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced it has updated the Builder Series with new CX V2 models. The Builder Series CX V2 is the successor to the current CX family of PSUs, offering 80 PLUS certification and European Commission Energy-Related Product (ErP) directive compliance for guaranteed efficiency and low standby power consumption. The warranty on the CX V2 PSUs has been increased to three year s, one year longer than the original Builder Series models.

Builder Series CX V2 power supplies are designed for entry-level to midrange home system builds and desktop PC upgrades, providing a great value along with low noise and dependable, continuous power delivery.

OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) and power supplies for computing devices and systems, today announced the appointment of Steve Lee as Senior Vice President of Product Management and BU General Manager for power supplies.

"We are pleased to announce Steve Lee's new position as he is an expert in the power management field and an excellent addition to our executive team," said Ryan Petersen, CEO of OCZ Technology Group. "Steve's extensive experience in power supply design and product management will help OCZ to enhance our position and expand the company's PSU product offerings in both the consumer and commercial markets."

Gigabyte is readying a series of more inexpensive variants of PowerRock mainstream PSUs, the PowerRock EX. Available in similar models of 300W, 350W, 400W, 450W and 500W, the PowerRock EX lacks 80 Plus compliance and sleeved cabling found with the original PowerRock series. The new PSUs are ATX v2.0 compliant, use Taiwan-made capacitors, feature dual 12V rail design for the 450W and 500W models, and single 12V rail design for the 300W, 350W, and 400W ones. OVP, OCP, UVP, and short-circuit protections come standard. The PSUs are cooled by a 120 mm fan, and have a rated MTBF of 100,000 hours. Gigabyte did not give out pricing or availability details.

Power supply units (PSUs) are perhaps the least understood components when buying or building a PC. Very often, buyers don't look beyond the output power rating, and connectors provided. Slightly more discerning buyers look for efficiency rating, but that's about it. TechPowerUp's new PSU reviewer crmaris wrote an expansive article about the workings of a PSU, its various components, to give you a much more informed idea about what to look for when buying a PSU.READ: A Detailed Look Into PSUs

Cubitek Co. Ltd., a Taiwan-based manufacturer of uniquely designed computer cases, today released their new mid-tower M4 and M4 Silencer computer chassis. Designed to look fantastic while silencing PC components, these cases can house the latest in hardware and come at a price-point that gamers, power-users, and enthusiasts can all afford. Both the M4 and M4 Silencer come with innovative features like a CD/DVD storage compartment, on the front-panel, and a Mini USB cable (plus a Micro USB adapter), on the top-panel, to connect devices like mobile phones and cameras for easy uploading, syncing, and internet tethering. The all-black powder-coating finish coupled with the unique front-panel design give Cubitek's M4 and M4 Silencer the look and feel of quality.

Chieftec unveiled its latest creation, a line of high-wattage PSUs with 80 Plus Silver compliance, the Nitro 88+. Available in 650W, 750W, 850W, and 1000W models, these PSUs feature totally modular cabling, and single +12V rail design. The PSUs are compliant with ATX 12V 2.3 specification, and feature active power-factor correction (PFC). The unit is kept cool by a 140 mm PWM fan, and offers mean time before failure (MTBF) of 100,000 hours. The 650W, 750W, 850W and 1000W models are priced at €112.05, €120.61, €158.87 and €198.97, respectively, and available for pre-order.

Ecomaster is readying new LEPA-branded power supply units (PSUs), targeting mainstream system integrators and gamers. LEPA's new products are branched into N-series, targeting system integrators, and W-series, targeting gaming PCs. Both lines consist of non-modular PSUs that are compliant with the latest PSU standards, including EU ErP Lot 6 2010 standby power draw requirements.

Starting at €34.90, the N-series includes 400W, 500W, and 600W models. The N-series boxes feature active PFC, a single 12V rail design; Over Power, Over Voltage, Over Current, Short-Circuit, and Brown Out protection mechanisms; and are cooled by a 120 mm PWM-controlled fan. The W-series, on the other hand, starts at €59.90, and includes 450W, 500W, and 600W models with higher-grade components, are 80 Plus (std.) compliant, single 12V rail design, and all the protective mechanisms available with the N-series.

GeIL brand Thortech showed off its high-wattage PSU bearing the coveted 80 PLUS Platinum efficiency rating, the Thortech Platinum Plus 850W. The PSU gives out 850W of continuous power, complemented by over 92% efficiency. It makes use of a single large 100A +12V rail design, backed by high-grade components. While the PSU features a suite of powerprotection mechanisms, it also features a native hardware monitoring heads-up display like its 80 Plus Gold compliant cousins. The display sits into a 5.25" drive bay, displays various PSU parameters, and also gives a bit of control. Thortech's PSU is modular, and packs enough PCI-E cables to power a system with up to three graphics cards.

Enermax is ready with a high-wattage power supply unit (PSU) model that boasts of 80 Plus Platinum efficiency rating, which the company will launch at the CeBIT event. Known as EXX900, the 900W modular PSU will be able to deliver at least 91.07% efficiency at 20% load; 92.51% at 50% load; and 90.12% at 100% load, qualifying for the coveted Platinum rating, making it ideal for high-end PCs with 2~3 graphics cards. Following CeBIT, Enermax' new EXX900 should reach stores.

Corsair, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced the Enthusiast Series TX V2 power supplies. The Enthusiast Series TX V2 is the successor to the award-winning Enthusiast Series TX power supplies, which have won dozens of awards worldwide and received widespread critical and customer acclaim. The TX V2 PSUs offer improved energy efficiency, with 80 PLUS Bronze certification and European Commission Energy-Related Product (ErP) directive compliance.

The improved efficiency results in lower noise levels than the original TX PSUs under typical usage conditions, and a new DC-to-DC converter design provides tighter voltage regulation, with measurably lower ripple and noise. Features carried over from the acclaimed TX PSUs include the use of Japanese capacitors, enthusiast-grade performance, and a comprehensive fixed cable set that accomodates tall PC chassis and multiple-GPU installations.

EcoMaster launched the LEPA series high efficiency modular PSUs. The series includes 500W, 700W, and 900W models, all boasting of 80 Plus Gold efficiency certification. The PSUs bear sleeved modular cables, with only the bare essential cables (such as ATX, EPS) being fixed to the unit. The PSUs use a multi 12V rail design, with the top model featuring as many as four 12V rails. Active Power-Factor Correction (PFC), and 140 mm temperature-controlled fan make for the rest of the offer. The 500W, 700W, and 900W models of the EcoMaster LEPA are priced at $119, $159 and $189, respectively. Parallel to this, EcoMaster also launched a LEPA 80 Plus Bronze 850W model that costs $139.

Thermaltake Technology, leading DIY computer components and power supply brand, today announced the latest addition to the popular and award winning Toughpower Grand line of high-end PC power supply units, the Toughpower Grand in 850W, 1050W and 1200W versions. With this expansion into higher wattage segments, Thermaltake's flagship power supplies are now also catering to power-users and demanding eSports athletes whose gaming rigs are typically equipped with multiple graphics cards and multi-core CPUs.

To run even up to quadruple-SLI/CrossFireX setups, the Toughpower Grand 1050W and 1200W units utilize two massive +12V rails, thereby effectively avoiding any potential voltage fluctuation and maximizing overall system stability in a mission-critical environment. Being 80 PLUS Gold certified users don't just get a guaranteed eco-friendly PSU with more than 93% efficiency at 50% load and a 0.95 active power factor correction (PFC), but the electricity bill will noticeably drop as well.

Japanese cooling specialist Scythe announces the availability of the new Gouriki 3 power supply series. These power supplies are now available with an output of 500 W, 600 W and 700 W both as a plug-in version with cable management for comfort, as well as a standard version with sleeved mesh cables.

The Gouriki 3 power supplies meet the 80Plus Bronze certification and reaches an efficiency of 82 to 89% at 20/50/100% load. As usual for Scythe, all components are designed for long life in accordance with Japanese standards. In addition, the Gouriki 3 series was equipped with an improved dual 12V rail, which ensures stable and interference-free operation. The 45 to 55 cm long cable strands of the plug-in, as well as the standard version are completely encased in durable, black mesh tube.

Enermax introduced its NAXN series of mainstream PSUs for gaming PCs. Available in a wide range of capacities including NAXN 80+ 350W, 450W, 500W, and 600W non-modular 80 Plus certified models; and NAXN 82+ 750W, 850W modular 80 Plus Bronze certified ones. Depending on the models, these PSUs come with a variety of cable configurations. Higher-wattage models make use of a dual 12V rail design. Efficiency certification aside, NAXN PSUs feature PFC (power factor correction), and a variety of over/under-voltage protection mechanisms. The HeatGuard feature keeps the 120 mm fan spinning for up to a minute even after system shutdown. The NAXN 80+ 350W, 450W, 500W, and 600W are priced at US $44, $49, $64, $74, respectively; the NAXN 82+ 750W is priced at $134, the 850W model is yet to be priced.

In its 25th anniversary year, Antec, Inc., the global leader in high-performance computer components and accessories for the gaming, PC upgrade and Do-It-Yourself markets, today introduced the next-generation of the popular P183, P193, Nine Hundred Two and Twelve Hundred models, expanding the Performance One and Gaming Case series' portfolios, respectively, by adding new convenience options and performance features for PC enthusiasts, gamers and high-performance users.

Antec has taken the fundamentals of its previous P183, P193, Nine Hundred Two and Twelve Hundred enclosures and enhanced them to accommodate the newest component standards with the new P183 V3, P193 V3, Nine Hundred Two V3 and Twelve Hundred V3 models.

OCZ Technology Group, Inc., a leading provider of high-performance solid-state drives (SSDs) and power supplies for computing devices and systems, has launched the ZX Series power supply series to answer consumer demand for a robust high-wattage solution that is also highly-efficient. The ZX Series is designed for best-in-class performance, reliability and also features 100% modular design for the ultimate customization for today's high-end gaming systems and professional workstations.

"The new OCZ ZX Series delivers on all levels with exceptional performance and efficiency as well as a sleek modular cable design that allows customers quick and easy configuration with just the cables they need," said Charlie McMenomey , PSU Product Manager at OCZ Technology. "The fully modular design makes installation a breeze as well as helps improve airflow in systems loaded up with high performance components, and for the ultimate stability this premium PSU comes with a large diameter ultra-quiet fan design so consumers can focus on their games and applications without the distraction of fan noise."

Renowned overclocker Duck set a new record 3DMark Vantage. The record was set at an event apparently conducted by Galaxy Tech. The record now stands at P75324 points. Duck used four Galaxy GeForce GTX 580 graphics cards in 4-way SLI to achieve the feat. It appears as if at least one, if not all, use an ASUS BIOS, perhaps to avail the VoltageTweak feature. Apart from the graphics cards, Duck's bench consisted of two Intel Xeon E5680 Westmere-EP 6-core/12-thread processors clocked at 5368 MHz, EVGA Classified SR-2 dual-LGA1366 motherboard, 6x 2 GB Corsair DDR3-2000 MHz CL7 memory, multiple 1200W PSUs (Corsair AX1200W + SilverStone Strider Gold SST-ST1200G), and Intel X25-M 80 GB SSD. In the cooling department, there are Duck's own JCA Water Bear Pot WB02A and K|ngp|n F1 cooling the two processors, K|ngp|n Tek9 4 and 5.0 cooling the GPUs, a custom heatsink cluster cooling the GPU VRM, and gobs of insulation.

THORTECH announces the launch of the all new Thunderbolt & Thunderbolt PLUS Series high efficiency gaming performance power supply. The Thunderbolt PLUS Series is equipped with the patented innovative iPower Meter interactive PSU control panel which allows the user to monitor the actual efficiency, wattage, temperature and control the fan speed mode of the PSU, just to name a few. Thunderbolt & Thunderbolt PLUS Series are 80 Plus Gold and NVIDIA SLI certified, as well as compliance with the latest Intel and AMD CPU.

As people nowadays care more about our environment, GreenMax, the new lineup of GIGABYTE power supply, is built for energy saving and performance. It strikes a perfect balance between environmental caring and your expectations for a high performance power supply.

GreenMax power supply features 80 Plus Bronze Certification with 87% efficiency at best. The efficient circuit design not only reduces power loss but also enhances the performance of the power supply, which makes GreenMax the best supporting component for your PC system. Meanwhile, the Japan made main capacitor, which costs much higher than the ordinary ones, prolongs the product life of each GreenMax power supply unit and provides a more steady output.

PSU OEM Super Flower became the first to market an 80 Plus Platinum certified modular power supply unit (PSU), the SF-550P14PE. An 80 Plus Platinum certified PSU delivers power with 92% of typical efficiency. Further, its fan controller is programmed to run the fan only if the internal temperatures cross 65~70°C. If temperatures are below that, the fan stays off. The company displayed a 550W model, a 650W model (SF-650P14PE) is also in the works.

The PSU makes use of a single 12V rail design, with a single 45.5A rail. The PSU is ATX v2.3 & EPS12V v2.92 compliant, and features modular cabling. The 24-pin ATX, 4+4 pin EPS, and two PCI-E (6 pin and 8 pin) are fixed, two additional PCI-E power connectors (6 pin and 8 pin) can be connected, apart from a number of SATA, Molex, and Floppy connectors. Key connectors such as PCI-E have REMI-cores to reduce EMI. The company has just started marketing these in Eastern markets, it remains to be seen when and if these will make it to Europe and US.

FSP Group, a channel brand distributor of reputed PC and server power supply manufacturer Fortron, unveiled its latest line of high-efficiency PSUs for PC enthusiasts. Named FSP Aurum (Latin for Gold), the PSUs are 80Plus Gold certified, with over 90 percent efficiency at all times. The first wave of Aurum series will consist of 400W, 500W, 600W, and 700W models. The PSUs use granite-touch casing which is starting to get common with high-end PSUs from manufacturers such as Enermax, Cougar, Cooler Master, etc.

The 400W and 500W models feature a double "Hybrid Synergy" 12V rail design, while the 600W and 700W ones feature a quad-rail design. A "Multiple Intelligence Ability" (MIA) chip keeps control over various performance and protection functions. The PSUs use high-grade Japanese capacitors to contribute to the efficiency. The PSUs are ATX12V v2.3 & EPS12V v2.92 compliant. A 120 mm fluid dynamic bearing fan keeps the units cool. The PSUs will be backed by a 5-year warranty. The FSP Aurum series will be officially released at the upcoming CeBIT event in early March.

Antec, Inc., the global leader in high-performance computer components and accessories for the gaming, PC upgrade and Do-It-Yourself markets, has again achieved the lowest failure return rate for its power supply units (PSUs), based on the release of an independent comparative study on PSU failure return rates from Hardware.fr. The study, carried out by Hardware.fr, a leading French web site dedicated to providing the latest independent hardware information for consumers, placed Antec in the forefront of the competition for achieving the lowest overall failure rates of power supplies with consumers.

The comparison study utilized a calculation base of the number of power supplies sold between October 1, 2009 and April 1, 2010. The study parameters required the PSUs to have been active for six months to one year, and the failure rates of the PSUs measured were taken from a major French e-tailer. The statistics "per brand" were based on a minimum of 500 PSUs sold and the statistics "per model" were based on a minimum of 100 PSUs sold. For statistics "per brand", Antec earned a rating of 0.61 percent, securing its number one spot for having the lowest rate of power supply returns. The figure below displays the statistics "per brand" comparison results.

Huntkey Enterprise Group announces that Huntkey 500W rated power supply has been certified by 80PLUS PLATINUM, which stands for that Huntkey 80PLUS line-up products finished from standard 80PLUS certification to the highest level of 80PLUS certification -- PLATINUM.

80PLUS certification has been well-known by most of end-users. On October 2009, 80PLUS organization had added specification for Platinum efficiency level as its highest level for efficiency. For the higher certification levels, the requirement of 0.9 or better power factor was extended to apply to 20% and 50% load levels, as well as at 100% load. The Platinum level requires 0.95 or better power factor for servers.

Corsair, a worldwide designer and supplier of high-performance components to the PC gaming hardware market, today announced that it is previewing its new Corsair Link technology at the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show in the Las Vegas Convention Center, Booth 35864. Corsair Link allows multiple Corsair products to be connected to the Corsair Link Controller, providing measurement and control capabilities that are unsurpassed by other solutions.

Corsair products that includes a Corsair Link connector can be linked to the Controller and report key parametric data, such as temperature, fan speed, pump speed, voltage, power consumption, etc. which can then be used to provide visual data tracking as well as refined control (where appropriate) of these same parameters. As more Corsair components are connected, more data and more control are available to the user. A system consisting of all Corsair components connected via Corsair Link will provide an unprecedented level of feedback and control to the user.