In this review we are taking a look at Enermax's new hybrid ATX12VO and ATX 3.1 power supply, the first of its kind worldwide. This 1200 W unit promises Platinum-level efficiency and comes loaded with features. Let’s find out if it lives up to the high expectations of enthusiasts.
It's not often that we get innovation in the power supply industry. While more and more ATX 3.1 supplies are being released, Lian Li is also proposing form factor improvements with their EDGE PSU series, enabling cleaner dual-chamber chassis setups.
Today we're looking at Montech's latest Titan Gold series PSU. With 1000 W of power, 12VHPWR, 80 Plus Gold-rated efficiency, an attractive price point, and internals produced by CWT it has all the right ingredients for a very appealing PSU for very demanding machines.
The Enermax REVOLUTION D.F. X 1200 W power supply offers plenty of capacity for all workloads, featuring RGB lighting, ATX 3.0 compatibility, and two 12VHPWR cables. Backed by a generous 10-year warranty, it presents a compelling value proposition at a competitive price of $110.
Behold the Seasonic Prime TX-1600: a juggernaut amongst its peers. With excellent performance and a stellar 12-year warranty, it's a true investment in reliability. Running silently at up to 800W with its passive design, it ensures peace in your setup, but it's not the most budget-friendly option.
Atmos is Chieftec's latest 80PLUS Gold-rated power supply series built to support the ATX 3.0 specification, aimed at the price-conscious but quality-seeking buyer. Today we're testing out the capabilities of the 850 W unit.
The NZXT C1200 Gold is a high-performance power supply, meeting the strict ATX v3.0 and PCIe 5.0 requirements. It has a 600 W 12VHPWR connector, which makes it compatible with any current or upcoming GPU. Thanks to the Channel Well platform, performance is good, too.
The Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 1650 W is the only PSU on the market that offers two 12VHPWR connectors, each capable of 600 W. This unit can support two NVIDIA RTX 4090s with their power limits set to max, along with a powerful CPU and other power-hungry components.
The be quiet! System Power 10 750 is among the worst affordable, branded PSUs I have evaluated. The competition is way ahead in this category, offering higher performance, quality, and universal voltage compatibility (100-240 V input) at about the same price.
The Thermaltake Toughpower GF3 with 1000W max power is ATX v3.0 and PCIe 5.0 ready and offers good performance for its $200 price point. It has high build quality and excellent voltage regulation. Thanks to a fully modular design that PSU will be a breeze to install, and the 10-year warranty will give you peace of mind for a long time.
The Thermaltake GF3 with 750 W max power is an ATX v3.0 and PCIe 5.0 ready PSU, meaning that you won't need to use the dreadful 12+4 16-pin adapters since it has a native 12VHPWR cable, rated at 600 W. The PSU's performance is high, and it also has a quiet operation.
The MSI MEG Ai1000P has high build quality and achieves top performance in all tested sections. It has the best regulation of all PSUs we ever tested! Moreover, it is among the few 1000W PSUs tested so far offering both ATX v3.0 and PCIe 5.0 compatibility.
The Corsair HX1500i has good performance and top-notch build quality. Designed with extended functionality through Corsair's iCUE software, you can monitor and control some of the PSU's vital functions. Lets see how the PSU fares through our comprehensive review!
The Corsair CX450M is an affordable PSU with good overall performance and build quality, suitable for non-demanding systems. The semi-modular cable design and compact dimensions will make your life easier during installation.
The first ATX 3.0 compatible SFX power supply falls into our hands, and we don't miss the opportunity to evaluate it thoroughly. The Channel Well Technology CSX 850M-G offers high performance, coming with a single 12+4 pin PCIe connector.
The Corsair CX-M Series 650 W is one best available budget PSUs. It performed very well in our tests and runs reasonably quiet. Given the affordable positioning it shouldn't be an issue that it lacks the 12+4 pin PCIe connector for future GPUs, most budget PSUs won't meet the strict ATX 3.0 requirements anyway.
The Gigabyte UD750GM uses a better version of the platform used in the P750GM, with vastly improved protection features. Overall performance is also higher, but still needs more work to be competitive. A lower price might help since the Corsair RM750x—the king of this category—only costs $10 more.
The Cougar Polar 1200 is the best Cougar power supply I have tested so far. Its build quality is high, and performance competes with the ASUS ROG Thor flagship using a modified Seasonic Prime Platinum platform. The Cougar Polar not only performs as well overall, but it's also very quiet.
The Gigabyte UD850GM is a decent choice at around $110. It lacks a bit in overall performance, but has fully working protection features, compact dimensions, and won't force you to wear earplugs as long as it isn't pushed hard. I expect an upgraded version with a 12VHPWR connector for future GPUs soon.
The Gigabyte UD1000GM PG5 is the first available PSU with a 16-pin PCI-Express 5.0 connector. The only graphics card requiring such a connector is the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090 Ti, which also comes with an adapter, but the upcoming 4000 series will need it as well, so it is good to be ready.
The Seasonic Core GX-500 performs well and is silent under normal operating conditions. Its fully modular cable design and compact dimensions are great, too. If only you could find it at a lower price.
Available for $65 and with great performance per dollar, the Raijintek Ermis 550B does manage to attract attention, especially as there currently aren't many budget-oriented SFX offerings available.
There are very few desktop PSUs with 2 kW or more maximum power output. The Cooler Master M2000 Platinum is one. While a good performer and very efficient at even full load, it is very expensive, only has 200–240 V input, and isn't ATX v3.0 ready.
The be quiet! Pure Power 11 FM 1000 W costs less than the Corsair RM1000x and EVGA 1000 G5, which makes it a good price/performance pick. This is the best platform I have seen from HEC, but is it good enough to meet the competition eye-to-eye?
The Seasonic Focus SPX-750 offers good overall performance, but is struggling to compete with the Corsair SF750 Platinum in most areas. Its fan-speed profile and over-temperature protection also require further tuning.
The AQIRYS Pulsar LS White 750 W has a nice exterior, matching white, fixed cables, and a cool model name. However, is that enough to make it stand out of the crowd in the 750 W 80 PLUS Bronze category where it has to face units like the Corsair CX750M, XPG Pylon 750, and Thermaltake Smart BM2 of similar capacity?
The be quiet! Pure Power 11 FM 850 W is a good PSU, but the competition is tough. Some changes are required to increase performance and more effectively meet the competition from Corsair, EVGA, ASUS, and Seasonic. A price drop would also help, especially in the US.
The 1st Player SFX 750 W is competitively priced, which ensures a high performance per dollar ratio. Build quality of this fully modular PSU is good, making this compact power supply a decent product at a fair price overall. The included seven-year warranty also ensures peace of mind.
The DeepCool PQ1000M is a decent recommendation, based on a Seasonic design, pairing high capacity with low-noise operation. However, its strongest competitor is the Corsair RM1000x, which costs less and performs better due to its modern CWT platform.
If you need a PSU with high build quality and don't care about the semi-modular cable design, or top-performance in all areas, the TX750M fits the bill. It uses better parts than the RM750 and is sold at about the same price. However, the RM750 provides notably higher overall performance, and all of its cables are fully modular.
If you don't want to pay considerably more to get a Corsair, Seasonic, or Cooler Master PSU of similar capacity, the Steampunk 850 W is a very good choice at $90, especially if 1st Player keeps using the Japanese caps on the secondary side, which are difficult to find nowadays.
The Seasonic Prime Fanless 700 W certainly isn't cheap, priced at $265, but offers the unique capability of a completely noise-free operation thanks to a passive design. With over 93% efficiency, it is among the best we've ever seen, but there are also some issues.
The InWin P125 isn't bad or even mediocre, but needs more to compete in this tough category. It needs better transient response and over temperature protection, and a more relaxed fan-speed profile would also be an excellent addition.
The HELA 2050 has enough output power to start a truck and comes with a 12-pin PCIe connector for support of the next-generation graphics cards releasing in 2022. Currently, it is the strongest desktop PSU money can buy, and build quality is also topnotch. However, it is priced accordingly.
The Chieftronic SteelPower 750 W is built on a new Channel Well Technology platform that performs well. However, pricing has to be be more competitive because it's currently being sold for €100, which is more than the more efficient, better-performing Chieftec Polaris 750 W.
The Sony PlayStation 5 uses a power supply by Delta Electronics. There is no data on the performance of this PSU, so we got curious and fully evaluated it to give you an idea of how the console's PSU performs. Similar to PCs, the quality of the PSU plays a huge role with consoles, too.
The MIFCOM Performance 450 W is priced very competitively at only €43 and features DC-DC converters to generate the minor rails. It achieves decent performance, and the protection features are working properly. However, it is only available in selected markets and only supports 230 V input.
The EVGA 1000 G6 is worthy of your attention if you seek a powerful, compact power supply for a potent gaming system. It uses a proven Seasonic platform that received some upgrades to match the competition. With a better price, it will give competing offerings in this category a hard time.
At €125, the Chieftec Polaris 1050 is a good deal, offering high efficiency levels and decent performance. For those in need of a strong PSU, there aren't many options in this price range. If you don't mind the short warranty of only two years, you should consider this product.
The FSP Dagger Pro 850 is one of the strongest SFX PSUs available today. It uses quality components, including a double ball bearing fan and Japanese electrolytic caps from good lines, and promises high performance. It costs a lot, especially in the US, but the smaller and stronger the PSU, the higher its price tag.
Lian Li enters the SFX market with the high-performance SP750 capable of supporting strong gaming systems with graphics cards that need three PCIe connectors and high-end mainboards with two EPS sockets. At US$140, it is among the most affordable 750 W SFX units in today's market.
The be quiet! Dark Power 12 850 W performs incredibly well and keeps noise output low even under tough operating conditions. FSP, the OEM, used a modern platform to achieve such high performance. The strongest competitor is the similarly priced Corsair AX850.
The new be quiet! Pure Power 11 FM PSU line looks great! Besides low noise output, it also offers high performance and good build quality. The Pure Power 11 FM 650 faces strong competition from the new Corsair RM650x with ML fan, Seasonic GX-650, and XPG Core Reactor 650, though.
The be quiet! Pure Power 11 FM 750 W is a high-performance power supply that is sold at a fair price for its feature set. On top of that, it isn't noisy under even tough operating conditions. However, how does it fare against the Corsair RM750x and XPG Core Reactor 750?
The new Corsair RM850x uses topnotch parts, including Japanese caps and a magnetic levitation fan. It is also one of only two PSUs with three EPS connectors! The cherry on top is the high performance, among the best in this category, and the silent operation as long as you keep the load on the minor rails at normal levels.
The Kolink Classic with 400 W peak power output is a low-capacity PSU with good overall performance, sold at a price that won't empty your wallet. It looks like a great bargain, so is there a catch? Read the review to find out whether it is worth buying this Kolink PSU instead of paying a bit more and getting a Corsair CX450 or an XPG Pylon 450.
The XPG Pylon 750 achieves 80 PLUS Bronze and Cybenetics Silver efficiency, where it also manages the Standard+ certification in noise output. It offers decent performance levels and uses a solid CWT platform equipped with quality parts, including an FDB fan.
The Chieftronic PowerUp 850 W is an affordable model, considering current market situations. While the capacitors are not top-grade, probably for cost reasons, overall performance is still satisfactory, and the power supply runs whisper-quiet.
The FSP Hydro PTM Pro 1200 W is very quiet and of high build quality. This makes it an excellent candidate for a power-hungry current-generation GPU from NVIDIA or AMD. Can it compete with the offerings from ASUS, Seasonic and Corsair?
The Gigabyte GP-P750GM makes lots of promises, but fails to deliver. Its platform features a modern design, but the parts used are of mediocre to low quality, and to make matters worse, the protection features are not working correctly.
The Super Flower Leadex III ARGB Gold 650 W offers good performance, low noise output, and RGB lighting. It comes in two flavors, black and white, so you can match it to your case's color. If only the white version had white cables, too.
The be quiet! Dark Power Pro 12 with 1500 W maximum power output peforms very well overall and is super silent under light and moderate loads. However, can it take the lead from the formidable Corsair AX1600i, which has thus far been the best power supply money can buy?
Corsair brings RGB lighting to mid-level PSUs with the new CX-F line. The CX750F is the strongest member, achieving satisfactory overall performance. It features a fully modular cable design and comes in two flavors, black or white, accompanied by matching modular cables.
If you are after a highly affordable power supply, choices are limited. The Thermaltake Smart RGB 500 W doesn't set any performance records, that's for sure, but you get what you pay for, and it managed to survive all of our (very tough) tests.
The Chieftronic PowerPlay 750 W uses a good CWT platform that is also utilized by Corsair's RM line. Build quality is high and overall performance satisfactory. There is only one EPS connector, though, which can result in compatibility issues with several high-end mainboards requiring more juice for the CPU VRM.
The Super Flower Leadex III ARGB Gold 750 W performs well, is of high build quality, has an RGB fan, and RGB-lit, cube-shaped modular connectors. The good news is that you might even find it in the US soon since Super Flower products are now listed on Newegg and Amazon.
The ADATA XPG Core Reactor 850 W is a fine power supply, offering high efficiency, good overall performance, and excellent build quality. The warranty is also long enough, and pricing is reasonable, but could be a bit lower.
The XPG Core Reactor 750 W is compact at only 140 mm deep, achieves high performance in all areas, and is whisper quiet under normal operating conditions. XPG has a strong first entry for the PSU market in the XPG Core Reactor—we are anxious to see more from this brand.
This guide will help you find the best power supply for your gaming system, productivity PC, or workstation. We look at eight categories in total for PSU recommendations. As expected, Corsair and Seasonic are at the top of our list. We'll update this post regularly.
The Chieftronic PowerPlay 1050 W uses a semi-digital CWT platform that features good build quality and offers high performance. It is sold at a fair price, so you will save some money over other popular choices in this wattage category; however, most of those choices are also covered by a longer warranty.
The Chieftec Polaris 750 W has excellent ripple suppression and is tolerant to increased operating temperatures. However, is that enough to compete with units like the Corsair RM750x and Seasonic Focus Plus Gold?
Seasonic's Connect power supply is the first of its kind, a PSU with a backplane containing all the modular sockets. The backplane also has the DC-DC converters that generate minor rails. Installation is easy, and airflow inside the case is improved notably.
The flagship in Antec's Signature line achieves very high performance while running very quietly at the same time. How does it compare to competing high-end offerings from Corsair and Seasonic of similar capacity? Is the Antec Signature Titanium 1000 W worth its $280 price tag?
The Super Flower Leadex III ARGB Gold 550 W offers high performance and is very efficient. The RGB lighting and crystal cube connectors of its fully modular cables look nice. However, is it worth paying an additional €24 to get it over the non-RGB Leadex III model of similar capacity?
Wentai is making an impressive entry into the PSU market with the digital Aidain line, going right up against the Corsair AX1600i. The Aidan T1616 uses a cutting-edge platform with many similarities to the AX1600i. Is the Aidan T1616 able to take the lead from Corsair's AX1600i, though?
The Super Flower Leadex III ARGB Gold with 850 W maximum power output performs well and operates quietly. If you are after an RGB-lit power supply and don't mind the price premium, you should include this PSU in your list. Super Flower will bring this model to the US soon.
The PassMark Inline PSU tester lets you perform in-depth testing of power supplies, beyond what a simple multimeter can do. It's also compact enough to carry with you in the field. We cross-verified its readings against our professional lab equipment with surprisingly good results.
The Nidus 500 is the first power supply from Pichau Gaming. It might use an old platform, but build quality and overall performance are satisfactory. This is a budget-oriented product, and thanks to its reliable parts, it will easily outlive the short warranty supporting it.
The Steampunk PS-750SP performs decently overall, despite the strange name. Efficiency is good, and the warranty is generous at seven years. Priced around $90 we take a closer look to see if it can challenge the offerings from EVGA, Seasonic and Corsair.
The Thermaltake Toughpower PF1 ARGB 1200 W is a high-performance power supply equipped with numerous connectors and RGB lighting. Its main downsides are the high price and aggressive fan speed profile under even mid-level loads.
The 650 W FSP Dagger Pro cannot compare to the SFX competition because its performance is not on par with the EVGA 650 GM, which is also based on an FSP platform and costs the same as the Dagger. As such, you should only buy the Dagger if you need two EPS connectors since the EVGA 650 GM only has one.
The Fractal Design Ion+ 760P is a very quiet high-performance power supply of fine build quality. Its highly flexible cables, which lack in-line caps, make cable routing and management considerably easier. Costing about as much as PSUs with lower efficiency certifications, it also won't drain your wallet.
The Cooler Master V750 Gold sports excellent transient response at +12V, which is what matters the most with real-life applications. However, it costs more than its competitors, and availability in the US market is restricted due to Trump's recent tariffs on all products made in China.
The Kolink Enclave with a capacity of 700 W is an affordable, yet decently performing power supply. You won't easily find something better featuring a fully modular cable design in this price range. The cherry on top is the quiet operation due to the well-optimized fan-speed profile.
The Corsair RM750 only costs slightly less than the RM750x, and the latter comes with the topnotch NR135L fan and Japanese caps. That said, the RM750 has jaw-dropping efficiency at very light and light loads and is compatible with the new Modern Standby mode in Windows 10, meaning it can wake up the system within five seconds.
The FSP Hydro G Pro 850 W is of terrific build quality and uses a modern platform, but something in its final recipe didn't turn out as planned. Overall performance isn't as good as with the competition, and the HG2-850 costs more than the popular Corsair RM850x or Seasonic Focus Plus Gold of similar capacity.
The Super Flower Leadex III with 650 W performs very well in all areas: load regulation, ripple suppression, efficiency, and transient response. On top of that, it is one of the quietest PSUs money can buy today and has two EPS connectors for power hungry CPUs and mainboards.
The Thermaltake Toughpower GF1 ARGB is the ideal PSU for users fancying lots of RGB lighting options. On top of that, its performance is great, and it comes with lots of cables and connectors for a potent gaming system. The only downsides are its increased noise output under harsh operating conditions and limited availability in the US.
At just $55, the Corsair VS650 is very affordable and performs well enough to be your next power supply if you are on a tight budget and your system is not all that power hungry. It aced our tough tests, and comes with 80 PLUS and Cybenetics ratings.
The new Leadex III unit with 850 W capacity has excellent performance and enough cables and connectors to power a potent gaming system. The cherry on top is the silent operation under even tough conditions. While Super Flower continues the good tradition of the Leadex name, it'll be hard to find their product in the US.
With 750 Watts, the Corsair SF750 is the strongest SFX power supply money can buy today. We saw great performance in almost all tests, and it operates quietly. Thanks to the included SFX-to-ATX adapter, you'll be able to pair it with a standard sized system, too.
At $240, the Corsair AX1000 is certainly not cheap, but it is the best PSU we ever tested. Being built on a Seasonic platform, only top-notch components are used, making this one of the most recommended 1000 W PSUs you can get today, if your system needs much power.
The FSP Hydro PTM 650 W is a power-efficient design that's reasonably priced and looks nice. However, competition in this segment is strong and includes the Corsair RM650x and Seasonic Focus Plus Platinum and Gold.
The Enermax RevoBron TGA 700 W features a rich bundle, but is spending 100 bucks on a 80 PLUS Bronze (and ETA-A-) power supply nowadays worth it?
The NZXT E Series 650 W is a modified and slightly more expensive version of the Seasonic SSR-650FX. It features digital monitoring and limited controls, as well as an interesting look. Read the review to figure out whether it is worth spending about $10 more on over Seasonic's offering.
The Mistel MX650 comes from a fairly unknown brand in the PSU market, but packs lots of interesting features, including passive design, RGB lighting, and super compact dimensions. Is it worthy of its high price tag, though?
We test the strongest member of Cougar's new GX-F line - the model with a capacity of 750 W. The GX-F750 is fully modular, uses a quality fan, and has good overall performance.
The AG-850M is made by Solytech and belongs to Apextechusa's new Apexgaming PSU line. It has a capacity of 850W, a fully modular cable design, and is backed by a ten-year warranty. On paper, everything looks good; however, in real life, things are not always at their best.
Simply put, the Corsair AX1600i is the best PSU money can buy today. Because of its huge capacity and price tag, it only addresses a small portion of users; those only satisfied with having the best of the best.
The FSP Hydro PTM 750 W is a high-end PSU featuring good overall performance, a silent operation, and a truckload of connectors, including a pair of EPS and six PCIe connectors. This makes it a prime choice for a strong gaming system equipped with an AMD Ryzen Threadripper CPU.
The BitFenix Formula Gold 750 W is one of the quietest PSUs in the sub-$100 category, and it performs very well in all other areas. Its fixed cables are the only compromise - you clearly cannot have it all at such an affordable price.
Aerocool collaborated with TPU in order to build an ultra-reliable high-performance PSU. The P7-650W Platinum is one of the best power supplies we ever tested, featuring full modularity, high efficiency, and a dead-silent operation even under tough conditions. It is also equipped with Japanese caps and a quality fan.
The Leadex II platform has been available for quite some time now, offering smaller dimensions and better performance than its predecessor. The SF-750F14EG will be our test subject today. Besides a fully modular cable design with LED-lit connectors, it offers amazing performance levels and a pretty quiet operation.
Kolink is Caseking's house brand and offers a variety of budget-oriented products. Its flagship PSU model is the Continuum 1200 W. This unit is based on an older Sirfa platform that is, however, capable of performing quite well, especially considering the attractive pricing.
The FSP Twins 500 W is a digital redundant server-type PSU that can be housed inside a normal ATX chassis. It offers the hot-swap and redundancy features, but comes at a very high price, and with increased output noise.
The Super Flower Platinum King is a highly efficient, very affordable mid-capacity PSU, priced at €89. This 80PLUS Platinum rated unit delivered good overall performance in our testing and features a single +12V rail and non-modular cable design.
Bitfenix has been working on its second PSU line, the Whisper series, for a while now. As the names implies, these PSUs promise to be very quiet, all while offering high performance and reliability. The flagship of the Whisper line with a capacity of 850 W will be put to the test today.
We evaluate Seasonic's Prime 750 unit, which boasts amazing performance, including 80 PLUS Titanium efficiency, a set of interesting features, and a unique look. Seasonic has an impressive Titanium entry on their hands that will make other OEMs feel uncomfortable because it raises the performance bar incredibly high.
The Cougar GX-S550 is an affordable PSU with decent performance, ultra-compact dimensions, and a silent operation under normal ambient temperatures. The only compromise is the lack of modular cables.
The Cougar LX600 is a budget-centric PSU with some interesting features, including a fully modular cabling design, compact dimensions, and a HDB fan that promises to last for a very long time.
The Hydro X line consists of three members with capacities ranging from 450 W to 650 W. All feature Gold-certified efficiency and Japanese electrolytic caps, but aren't equipped with modular cables in an effort to reduce cost. The 550 W Hydro X model will be put to the test today.
The RM650i is a high-end PSU from Corsair with a digital interface, amazing performance, and silent operation. The cherry on top is the ten year warranty, which is now provided with all Corsair AXi, HXi, RMi, and RMx models.
SAMA is a Chinese PSU manufacturer which, for the moment at least, doesn't seem terribly interested in retail markets outside of Asia. However, this isn't the case for companies looking to find new OEMs for their products. Today, we will look at SAMA's flagship, the Forza Titanium, with a capacity of 800W.
The Cooler Master V650 is a high-grade PSU with ultra compact dimensions and a fully modular cabling design. It uses nothing but Japanese caps and a quality fan, and CM backs it with a pretty long warranty. The only downside so far looks to be its price.
The Dark Power Pro 11 line is be quiet!'s high-end PSU line with six Platinum-certified members that offer great, silent performance. Today we will test the second-strongest member of the line with a capacity of 1 kW.
We have on our test bench today EVGA's flagship PSU with an enormous capacity and Titanium efficiency. We expect it to preform incredibly well because it uses Super Flower's high-end Leadex platform and comes with some formidable specs.
FSP recently released a new line dubbed Hydro G for gamers and modders who are after a nice-looking PSU. The features of this line include a fully modular design, semi-passive operation, and a set of exchangeable side stickers.
Cooler Master added three low-capacity members featuring a fully modular cabling design and Silencio fan to their V series. Today, we will take a look at the smallest V model with 550 W capacity, which is among the most efficient PSUs at light loads.
Corsair adds to its portfolio with yet another PSU line, the RMx series - the RMi line without the digital interface or an FDB fan in order to reduce cost. Today, we will test and compare the RM1000x to the competition in its category.
Zalman just released a new PSU series with 80 PLUS Gold certified models. The ZM1000-EBT we test today is based on a Sirfa platform and promises good performance, along with reliable operation.
EVGA recently added units featuring 550 W and 650 W capacities to their SuperNOVA G2 lineup. Today, we will take a detailed look at the 650 G2 promising high performance and silent operation; a highly desired combination of features for most users.
EVGA's SuperNOVA 650 GS unit is made by Seasonic and features 80 PLUS Gold efficiency and a fully modular cabling design. This model looks to be ideal for anyone who wants a well-performing mid-capacity PSU.
Seasonic recently released another Snow Silent unit, this time with less capacity to address a wider range of users. The Snow Silent 750 W is smaller than its big brother, but comes with many of its features like low noise and high quality capacitors.
Corsair introduced the RMi series at Computex 2015, and it offers some major upgrades compared to the previous RM line. Today, we will evaluate the strongest RMi unit with 1 kW capacity in order to figure out how it does against its predecessor and all other competing offers in its category.
Today, we will evaluate LEPA's flagship PSU with a capacity of 1.7 kW and efficiency levels that its official specs say to surpass 80 PLUS Platinum requirements. This unit is only compatible with 230 VAC mains, so you won't find it in the United States.
Super Flower meant to rock the boat and has without a doubt done so with the Leadex Platinum 2 kW that is only compatible with 230 VAC mains since a normal 115 VAC socket cannot deliver the amperes the unit requires at full load.
After the release of the 1200 Platinum unit, Andyson has now also put a Titanium unit with four models into their portfolio. We will take a look at the N700 today: It features a semi-modular cabling design to keep its price down and promises to perform incredibly well.
Xigmatek released the Maverick S line consisting of three rather compact, Bronze-certified PSUs a while ago. We will evaluate the line's 500 W member today; it features a semi-modular design and interesting looks. This unit's strongest point is its incredibly low price; however, you currently won't find it anywhere in the US.
Seasonic released a special version of their Platinum offering with 1050 W capacity; it comes with a while paint job and is equipped with an FDB fan and a relaxed fan profile for less noise output, which will thrill users looking for a quiet high-performance PSU.
Fractal Design has for the first time worked with Seasonic, and the outcome is the Edison Modular series. Today, we will take a detailed look at the Edison M with 650 W capacity, the second-strongest unit of the series. It features Gold-certified efficiency, a semi-modular cabling design, and an FDB fan.
We had the chance to evaluate many Seasonic products within the last couple months. Today, we will take a look at their 1050 W Gold-certified X series unit. Like its big brother, the X-1250 XM2 we tested recently, we expect it to perform incredibly well.
Antec recently released a fresh mid-capacity series for enthusiast users. The EDGE unit with 650 W will be evaluated today. All EDGE units use a fully modular cabling design and are 80 Plus Gold certified, and Seasonic is their OEM, so we expect great things from them.
XFX teamed with Seasonic to introduce the new XTS line of PSUs. In this review, we will test the flagship of the series with 1 kW capacity, Platinum efficiency, a fully modular cabling design and hybrid-fan-mode operation for as little noise output as possible at light loads.
After the flagship HX1000i unit, the time has now come to evaluate the smaller member of this series, the HX750i. Like its big brother, this one is fully modular and 80 Plus Platinum certified. It is also fully compatible with the Corsair Link system because of the digital monitoring circuit it is equipped with.
Thermaltake delves even deeper into the digital PSU era with the fresh DPS G lineup. Today, we will test the flagship of the series, which not only features software monitoring and 1050 W of power, but also comes with a fully modular cabling design and a unique look.
We evaluated the flagship Seasonic unit SS-1200XP3 some time ago. In this review, we will check on the second-strongest model of the series with 1050 W capacity, the SS-1050XP3. It comes with the same features - Platinum efficiency and a fully modular design, for instance. Like its big brother, it also delivers top-notch performance.
Be quiet! is well known for their low-noise products. Today we will test a member of their fresh Straight Power 10 series. It is nearly inaudible thanks to its SilentWings fan, can deliver up to 800 W of power, and features a semi-modular cabling design in which only the main ATX cable is fixed.
FSP recently launched the Aurum PT series, which currently only consists of a 1200 W member with the Platinum efficiency certification. The PT-1200FM uses only Japanese caps and exploits a fully modular cabling design. FSP also says the unit to be for hardcore overclockers and gamers with multiple VGAs.
It was nigh time to test a small PSU with less than 500 W since such units are among the most popular. The smallest member of Enermax's Revolution X't line will be our test subject today. This small fellow comes with Gold-certified efficiency, a semi-modular cabling design, and, like every modern PSU, support for the sleep states Intel’s Haswell CPUs introduced.
Rosewill's portfolio includes the Fortress line, a Platinum PSU series for users who look for high efficiency and reliability, but are on a tight budget. We are testing the 750W model today, which features a non-modular cabling design to save on cost and comes with a hefty seven-year warranty. The cherry on top is its silent operation.
Corsair just introduced the new HXi series, comprised of members with Platinum efficiency and full compatibility with the Corsair Link software. Today, we will take a look at the second-strongest unit of the line with 1 kW capacity, ideal for a power-hungry system with up to four VGAs.
EVGA recently introduced their new flagship SuperNOVA unit with 1600 W capacity and 80 Plus Gold efficiency. According to their description, this PSU is the ultimate tool for any highly overclocked system, and in this review, we plan to push it beyond its limits to see how it fares.
Corsair's RM series includes some of the quietest PSUs available on the market. Today, we take a detailed look at the strongest member of this series, the RM1000. It promises good performance and ultra-silent operation, a rare feature for a 1 kW unit.
Along with their Platinum units, Seasonic also revamped their Gold-certified line-up, and the fresh X-1050 and X-1250 now get to add "XM2" to their model numbers. In this review, we will evaluate the X-1250 -- its promise is to deliver high efficiency and top performance at an honest price.
Cooler Master decided to upgrade their VS(M) series and added a new model with 750 W capacity and nothing but Japanese capacitors, which play a key role in its increased reliability. Today, the VSM750 will be put to the test to prove it is worthy of your money.
Another member joined EVGA’s SuperNOVA family. The new P2-1200 with a capacity of 1200 W and Platinum efficiency promises up to 94% efficiency with 220 V input and features a fully modular design with Japanese capacitors to ensure it is incredibly reliable and stable.
Seasonic recently added a new high-end model to their arsenal, a 1200 W unit with Platinum efficiency, extraordinary performance, semi-passive operation, and a fully modular cabling design. This PSU is one of the best we ever tested and teaches manufacturers a lesson in how to push analog circuits to their limits.
Rosewill built up a solid reputation over the last few years, especially for PSUs, where things are tough because of the strong competition. In this review, we will evaluate the Capstone series' flagship model. It features 1 kW capacity, a semi-modular design, and a nice price tag. Our expectations are high because the unit is based on a Super Flower platform.
Silverstone has been offering fanless PSUs for quite some time; however, they hadn’t released a relevant product for some years now, which changed recently as their Nightjar fanless series now includes the NJ520 with Platinum efficiency, a fully modular cabling design, and a promise of total silence.
We are testing the smallest member of the Antec HCP family with 850 W capacity and Platinum efficiency. The unit promises very high build quality, top-notch performance, and high efficiency, so stay tuned to find out more.
Another high-end Platinum PSU, this time by Deepcool, the DQ Series 1250 W unit uses a high-end platform with incredible performance, Platinum efficiency, and low noise output. Especially the latter is something not often seen in such a strong PSU, so stay tuned if you want to learn more about this product.
We already tested its smaller brother, and it performed incredibly well, so it is nigh time for the SuperNOVA G2-850 to be put to the test, to show what EVGA has in store for this very hot market segment. Like all other G2 units, this one is based on Super Flower's Leadex platform, offers Gold efficiency, and comes with a fully modular cabling design.
We evaluate the XTR-650 of XFX’s fully modular XTR series in today's review. This PSU is Haswell compatible and comes with Gold-certified efficiency, and its hybrid fan operation has it operate quietly. Using quality components, it also promises to perform incredibly well while being very reliable.
Corsair is first to release an 80 Plus Titanium-certified PSU, which is the flagship of their top-notch AXi line. The AX1500i is the best PSU we ever tested, and at 1.5 kW, it is strong enough for an incredibly powerful system with a four-way SLI or Crossfire configuration.
Seasonic decided to silently update their G-550 model to add Haswell support. The company did not change the model number, but did add a Haswell-ready badge to the box. The G-550 is an affordable product for users on a tight budget who, want a reliable PSU with great performance for a mid-level system.
Cooler Master decided to unleash a big beast onto the PSU market by again teaming up with Seasonic and releasing their V series flagship, the V1200. It not only comes with a high capacity, but also sports Platinum efficiency, a fully modular design, and a hybrid fan mode option that turns this unit into a silent beast at low loads.
Bitfenix decided to enter the PSU market, and today, we have the chance to look at the flagship of their Fury series. It has a capacity of 750 W, is 80 Plus Gold certified, and features individually sleeved cables of high quality and stunning looks.
SilentiumPC is a fresh Polish company that was established in 2007. Today, we will take a look at their first Platinum PSU, the Supremo M1-700 with high efficiency, semi-passive operation for lower noise output, and a semi-modular cabling design.
EVGA is expanding their high-end SuperNOVA G2 series by releasing two mid-capacity units with 750 W and 850 W maximum output power. Today, we will evaluate the G2-750 with Gold efficiency, a fully modular cabling design, and selectable semi-passive operation, which renders it totally inaudible at lower loads.
The Leadex Platinum 1200 W will hit our test bench today. It features 80 Plus Platinum efficiency, a fully modular cabling design, and promises to perform wonderfully while producing hardly any noise by utilizing an excellent platform and a semi-passive operation user can swap to by flipping a switch.
Seasonic is one of the best PSU OEMs and has lately been trying to improve its presence in the mainstream and lower-end segments by releasing affordable products. Today, we will evaluate the S12G 450 W which is essentially a G series PSU without modular cables.
Silverstone offers many different PSUs and has lately enriched its portfolio with several new units, including two Strider Essential ones. We will put the ST60F-ESB to the test: It, in an effort to be as affordable as possible, is 80 Plus Bronze certified and comes with nothing but native cables that have mostly been left unsleeved.
be quiet! has gained a good reputation among noise-sensitive users who also treasure reliability and high performance. We will review the Power Zone 850 W: It is the second strongest of its line, offers a fully modular design, and sports Bronze efficiency. This PSU is also equipped with a high quality SilentWings fan.
Antec, a major player when it comes to PSUs, recently reinforced its flagship High Current Pro series with a new unit, the HCP-1300. The Bitcoin mining craze probably contributed to the release of this 1300 W PSU that is Platinum certified, fully modular, and backed by a seven year warranty.
Super Flower is hammering the PSU market with incredibly interesting products, and they have now sent us a mid-capacity unit based on the excellent Leadex platform. The Leadex Gold 750 W unit features Gold efficiency, a fully modular cabling design with the crystal-cube connectors particular to the series, and the option for a semi-passive operation.
It has taken Xigmatek some time to release their fresh Vector P line, having two members with Platinum efficiency. Today, we will take a look at the P700: It features a semi-modular cabling design, promises ultra-silent operation, and exploits the Reverse Thrust Fan technology to avoid internal dust build up.
Today we are taking a look at Antec's TruePower Classic 750 W unit. The strongest of the series, its efficiency is Gold-certified. It also utilizes a non-modular cabling design to be as affordable as possible.
Silverstone has a rich portfolio of PSU offerings and recently released a new line, the Strider Gold S series, which includes the world’s smallest fully modular ATX PSUs. We will take a look at the ST75F-GS unit, having Gold efficiency and Silverstone's great look.
Super Flower raised the bar even higher than before with their new Platinum and Gold Leadex PSUs. We will take a look at their strongest PSU offering, the Leadex Gold 1300 W. This unit features a fully modular cabling design with LED lit connectors, a single +12V rail, and a selectable semi-passive operation for completely silent operation at low loads.
Today, we will test the strongest member of be quiet!’s latest series, the Power Zone line. With 1000 W capacity and six PCIe connectors, it will easily handle a high-end gaming system. The PSU can even power and thermally control up to three case fans, which contributes to the quiet operation of your entire system.
Corsair recently added another line, the CS-M, to their rich portfolio. Today, we will evaluate the CS650M: it features compact dimensions and a semi-modular cabling design. The PSU is also 80 Plus Gold certified and has a single +12V rail that can deliver up to 51 A of current.
Besides the SuperNOVA series, which includes high-end and mid-level PSUs, EVGA also rolled out the Bronze series addressing budget-oriented users. Today, we will take a look at the 600B unit with 600 W capacity, a single +12V rail, and a non-modular cabling system which contributes greatly to its low price.
Cooler Master has lately been revamping their PSU lines with units that feature innovative platforms and killer price/performance ratios. Today, we will take a look at the G550M PSU, a mid-level product that, although its affordable price promises high performance, comes with a five year warranty!
Corsair is doing their best to dominate the PSU market by constantly releasing new PSU lines, covering all needs and every price range. The RM line addresses users looking for an inaudible PSU at a good price. Today, we will test the RM650: It is 80 Plus Gold certified and features a fully modular cabling system.
Fractal Design has three PSU lines, but their flagship is the NEWTON series. Today, we will test the 800 W member of the aforementioned line; it is 80 Plus Platinum certified and is, according to its maker, the ultimate choice for demanding high-end gaming systems or ultra-quiet media PCs.
Enermax is well-known for their PSU products, and they have, over all these years, maintained a successful presence in this market segment, although the competition is fierce. We will now take a look at their new Revolution X't PSU with 630 W capacity. It is 80 Plus Gold compliant and features a semi-modular cabling design.
Thermaltake decided to have their own digital power supply Series with the Toughpower DPS. Today, we will test the 850 W model which, according to Thermaltake, transforms into an intelligent platform via the DPSApp software.
EVGA shook the PSU market with top-performing G2 units and is doing it again with the SuperNOVA P2 1000 W model released recently. Many features in common with the G2s, it uses the same Super Flower platform, but comes with extras, like Platinum efficiency and a selectable semi-passive operation.
OCZ revamped their Fatal1ty PSU series with two new models. Today, we will take a look at the smaller 550 W unit featuring a fully modular cabling design and an LED fan. This unit can, according to OCZ, deliver its full power continuously at up to 45°C and is ideal for Haswell gaming rings.
NZXT refreshed their budget-oriented HALE82 line with two new fully modular and 80 Plus Bronze certified units. Today, we are going to take a look at the HALE82 V2 700 W. It costs just 100 bucks and looks great thanks to its white color theme.
Several months ago, we reviewed the Cooler Master V1000, which amazed us with its performance. Now, it is time for its smaller brother, the V850. Sharing the same platform with the V1000, it has the same features, including a fully modular cabling design, 80 Plus Gold efficiency, Japanese caps, and a silent, high-quality fan.
We recently tested one of Corsair's RM PSUs and today have the chance to check out the 750 W model. Like all RM units it comes with Gold efficiency, low operational noise, and a fully modular cabling design.
Cougar revamped their CMX series, and today, we take a close look at the CMX 850 W unit slotting in behind the 1 kW and 1.2 kW models of the series. It is Bronze certified, but achieves, according to Cougar, up to 89% efficiency, which is noteworthy for a unit of the bronze efficiency class.
With six PSU series, Corsair decided that there was room in their portfolio for another one! Today, we will take a look at the fresh RM Series, or, more specifically, the RM850. It offers Gold efficiency and comes with a fully modular design, and, on top of that, a very quiet operation.
Cooler Master is taking big strides in the right direction lately, at least in terms of PSUs. They initially released the V series offering great performance at affordable prices and have now added the VS series to their arsenal. Today, we will take a look at the V550S unit with Enhance's new 3D circuit design.
Rosewill’s current high-end PSU series, Tachyon, includes Platinum members made by Super Flower. In this review, we will evaluate the second-strongest Tachyon PSU with 750 W capacity to see if it has what it needs to defeat the competition in this category.
Rosewill craves to establish themselves as a top name in the PSU market, so they keep on releasing high-end models. Their top of the line PSU is the Hercules-1600, which we will have the chance to test today. With 1600 W of max power, things are going to be very interesting.
EVGA introduced the 500B, a mainstream unit featuring a non-modular design, compact dimensions, Bronze efficiency, and a very nice price tag of only $50, right at the same time as their new SuperNOVA units. We will put it through its paces to find out how it performs.
EVGA is hitting the PSU market and the competition hard with their latest PSU offerings. The new SuperNOVA G2 1300 W delivers exceptionally good performance at a very nice price, which actually has the unit compete with its 1000 W capacity sibling since the price difference is minimal.
In Win is very sensitive to environmental issues, and the GreenMe series is clear proof of this, since they donate $1 for every GreenMe PSU they sell to the WWF. Today, we will take a look at the GreenMe 750 W unit; it is the strongest unit of the lineup.
Super Flower hits the competition really hard with their new Leadex series units utilizing a fresh platform, promising Titanium efficiency levels with 230 VAC input. Today, we will test the Leadex Platinum 1000 W unit. How will it perform against the high-end competition?
Today, we will have the chance to test a High Power retail product for the first time. The Astro GD 750 W utilizes both analog and digital components to deliver very good performance and is also equipped with a power meter.
We previously evaluated the Antec HCG-750M, and it left us with a good impression. We will now review its bigger brother, the HCG-850M. Sharing the same features with the aforementioned unit and having been made by the same OEM, Seasonic, we have pretty high expectations, too.
EVGA decided to dive deeper into the PSU market by recently releasing some new models, including the Super NOVA G2 1000W, which we will test today. The SuperNOVA G2 1000 W can easily be classified as a high-end unit, and considering its features, its price also looks very good.
Be Quiet! recently revamped their Pure Power line with several new additions. They released six new non-modular units, and we will test the new 500W unit today. It promises a high price/performance ratio along with ultra-quiet and reliable operation.
Antec added new models to their High Current Gamer series of PSUs, which feature interesting characteristics and good performance. Today, we will evaluate the fresh HCG-750M, that is 80 PLUS Bronze certified and comes with a five-year warranty.
Antec released many new PSUs, including the VP550F we will test in today’s review. The unit belongs to the mainstream category and is made by Delta, so we have high expectations of it considering that the older VP550 we tested a while ago, managed to score a good high price/performance ratio.
Fractal Design is making a strong entry into the PSU market with many interesting PSU offerings. Today, we are going to take a look at the Tesla R2 1000 W, a PSU with a non-modular design, but Gold efficiency and good overall performance.
The Enermax NAXN series is one of the few models Enermax doesn't produce themselves. This is done for cost-reduction reasons. In this review, we will check on the performance of the strongest member of the NAXN 82+ ADV line. It has a capacity of 650 W, features a non-modular design, and is 80 Plus Bronze certified.
Corsair decided to enrich their mainstream CX series with new units that feature modular cables. Today, we will test the fresh CX600M going for only a few more bucks than its non-modular CX600 counterpart. The "M" specification will most likely have many users pick the new unit over the non-modular version, despite the slight price increase.
Cooler Master teamed up with Seasonic to make a strong entry into the high-end category where it faces competition using the same OEM (Seasonic). The new V series consists of three models. Today, we will test the strongest one featuring a capacity of 1 kW, a fully modular cabling design, Gold efficiency, and a single +12V rail.
Silverstone has a rich variety of PSU offerings to cover all market segments and every user's needs. Today, we will take a look at one of their budget PSUs: the Strider Essential ST50F-ES promising good and reliable performance without any extra bells and whistles in order to be as affordable as it gets.
Today, we test our first Cougar PSU, the PowerX-550 that belongs to the mainstream category. It addresses the budget-oriented user looking for a reliable PSU that will get the job done. This unit doesn't include many bells and whistles, but promises a high price/performance ratio.
Enermax, one of the major power supply unit manufacturers, recently introduced their Thriathlor series consisting of mainstream budget-orientated units. This review will look at the entry level modular Thriathlor PSU with 550 W capacity to figure out how it performs against our load testers.
According to Silverstone, the Strider Gold series represents the perfect balance of performance, efficiency, and quality. We will take a look at the mid-level member of the series, the ST65F-G. It can deliver 650 W of power, utilizes a fully modular cabling design, and has an extra small footprint.
Seasonic upgraded their smaller fanless units with the new KM3 platform. Not only does it offer better performance than the KM2 platform, but it also offers the highly sought after Platinum efficiency certification. Today, we will take a look at the fresh fanless unit with 460 W capacity and Platinum efficiency.
NZXT released the successor of their flagship HALE90 series, the HALE90 V2. The latter includes three members that retain the same efficiency – Gold - while the competition has already jumped on the Platinum wagon, but it has many interesting features and looks great. In this review, we will look at the HALE90 V2 1000 W.
Today, we will look at Fractal Design's fresh Newton R3 1000 W power supply. The press loves their cases, but Fractal PSUs haven't knocked anyone's socks off yet. Can their first Platinum efficiency unit change things for the better?
Aerocool enters the high-end PSU market with their fresh GT-SG PSU series. It offers great looks, Gold efficiency, modular cables, and quiet operation. In this review, we will take a detailed look at the GT-SG unit with a capacity of 700 W - Aerocool's medium capactiy member of the series.
Silverstone has a rich portfolio of PSU products, which became even richer with the addition of the Strider Plus 600 W unit: one of the shortest ATX PSUs available on the market. This one exploits a fully modular design, which greatly simplifies the installation process, something many users will appreciate.
PC Power & Cooling decided to enrich their Silencer MK3 line with two new units of 750 W and 850 W capacity. Today, we will fully test the 750 W unit featuring a semi-modular cabling design, Gold efficiency, selectable hybrid fan operation and a nice white color.
Rosewill just introduced their first passive cooling PSU: the SilentNight 500 W made by Super Flower. It offers Platinum efficiency, high performance, and noise output at close to zero levels because of the absence of a cooling fan. This unit goes up against some strong competition, but has many interesting features.
Despite having new Platinum PSUs available, Seasonic decided to keep some Gold units in their arsenal to provide an alternative to users that want an affordable high-end PSU at competitive pricing. In this review, we will evaluate the Seasonic X-750 that utilizes the company's latest KM3 platform.
Corsair is hitting the high-end category hard with their excellent AXi and AX units. In a recent review we evaluated the AX760, which amazed us with its features and the performance it registered. Now, the time has come for its stronger sibling, the AX860, to prove its worth against our loaders.
Fractal Design is making a strong re-entry into the PSU market, and their fresh Integra R2 series addresses the budget-oriented users. In this review, we will evaluate the strongest Integra R2 unit; it manages to combine enough power with compact dimensions, since its length is restricted to 140 mm, so it will fit into an extra-small chassis.
After the super expensive NEX1500 Classified, EVGA caught us off-guard by enriching the SuperNOVA series with two budget oriented PSUs featuring Gold efficiency and a fully modular cabling design. Today, we will evaluate the NEX750G with half the capacity of the NEX1500 at a quarter of the price.
Rosewill recently introduced their flagship series named Tachyon, which lists four Platinum efficiency PSUs made by Super Flower. The Tachyon 1000 W is the strongest unit of the series and supports up to three high-end VGAs, thanks to its powerful +12V rail and to the six PCIe connectors it is equipped with.
Corsair's new AX power supplies bring a long awaited refresh to the series. The fresh Corsair AX860 and AX760 PSUs are based on Seasonic's Platinum platform, and we will evaluate the 760 W unit in this review.
A new PSU series, named Power Force, was just added to Kingwin's portfolio. It currently includes only one member with 850 W capacity. The PF-850 features a semi-modular cabling design and Bronze efficiency. With a price tag a little above 100 bucks, it targets the budget oriented user.
Silverstone decided to bring back their top of the line power supply series named after the "Father of Gods and men". The new Zeus ZM1350 is currently the flagship of Silverstone's PSU offerings, and it promises top of the line performance with 1350W continuous power at 50°C.
In Win recently released the third version of their combat PSUs, the Commander III. The new series consists of three members, and today we will take a look at the smallest of them whith 600 W capacity, Gold efficiency, a modular design, and a unique, tactile finish!
Seasonic has decided to upgrade the platforms of their smaller PSU models, which includes the fanless ones. The fresh SS-520FL features Platinum efficiency, increased capacity, and promises sky high efficiency. Read our review to find out how good this new Seasonic PSU is.
A couple of days ago we reviewed the Corsair AX760i, which impressed us with amazing performance. Today we'll evaluate its bigger brother, the AX860i, which should perform equally as good and offer the same features with a little higher capacity.
Corsair's new AX860i and AX760i promise to blow away the competition with their performance and digital (DSP) control. The smaller of the two will be the test subject of this review, and we are eager to see how it will perform on our test bench.
With the successful ST45SF counting more than two years in production, it was about time for Silverstone to release its successor, the ST45SF-G. The latter is the strongest SFX PSU and on top of that is the only one in its category that features Gold efficiency and a fully modular cabling.
Akasa enriched their Venom Power PSU series with two new models, featuring Gold efficiency. Today we will take a detailed look at the Venom 850 W which utilizes semi-modular cable design and has a strong +12V rail that can deliver up to 70 A of current, making it suitable for systems equipped with two high-end VGAs.
Recently Enermax enriched their high-end MAXREVO series with the addition of a 1500 W unit. The new MAXREVO 1500 W uses almost the same platform as the Platimax 1500 W and LEPA 1600 W PSUs, so it easily achieves high efficiency throughout all load range along with tremendous power levels.
In this review we will utilize our shiny new Chroma loaders and the Seasonic G-550 will have the honor to be the first PSU tested on them. The G-550 offers Gold efficiency, a semi-modular design, long warranty and promises very good performance. The best part is that all above won't cost you a fortune.
In Win's GreenMe 650 Watt power supply comes with 80PLUS Bronze certifcation and a white paint job. That's about all it offers in unique features, but it provides solid clean power at an extremely competitive price.
EVGA's new SuperNOVA NEX1500 power supply packs a great deal of features with the most fascinating being its enormous capacity, reaching 1500 W and up to 1650 W, when overclock mode is enabled. Combined with software monitoring and control, the fully modular design and the sleeved cables this is a PSU enthusiast's dream come true.
The FSP AURUM 92+ series was first revealed at CeBIT 2012 and is an update to the successful AURUM series, with the most noteworthy upgrade being the Platinum efficiency. Today we have in our hands the strongest of the AURUM 92+ line, which has 650 W capacity and features a semi-modular design with low profile flat cables.
Today we will test the strongest PSU of the newly enriched LEPA G Series, which has 850 W capacity and offers 80 Plus Gold efficiency. The G850-MAS also comes with DC-DC converters for the minor rails generation and uses only Japanese-made caps for enhanced reliability.
We are testing PC Power & Cooling's new flagship PSU, which promises insane performance even up to 50°C ambient temperatures and also features Platinum efficiency along with a semi-modular design, which utilizes heavy-duty modular connectors. All above are combined with a hefty 7 year warranty.
Dark Power Pro is Be Quiet's flagship series and today we will review the second strongest member which has 1000 W capacity. With its nine PCIe and two EPS connectors it can support up to four high-end VGAs and server mainboards. Moreover it features silent operation thanks to its special fan design.
The Cooler Master Silent Pro M2 850 W is a well priced mid-range PSU with enough juice to power a triple-GPU system. Besides that, it packs enough interesting features like silent operation, modular cables, 80 Plus Silver efficiency and five year warranty. All that is offered at a very good price, resulting in great price/performance ratio.
Today we are going to take a detailed look at the 80 Plus Gold certified Thermaltake Toughpower XT 1375 W. Its massive capacity will easily power any system you can imagine and thanks to the semi-passive operation you won't hear any noise when you're not gaming.
The Corsair AX1200i was launched today. Based on its specifications and features, it will easily carry on the legacy of its predecessor, the legendary AX1200 and Corsair has very high expectations, so do we.
The Corsair HX850 has been in production for many years. Its successor has many improvements to show, including Gold efficiency and a new look similar to the HX1050 unit. Fan noise is also under control, the unit will go passive at low loads.
Rosewill decided to join the Platinum party with a brand new PSU series, called Fortress. All units of this line use a non-modular cabling system, probably in an effort to restrict production cost thus making them more appealing to budget oriented users.
According to Corsair their Game Series PSUs are ideal price-performance solutions for gamers that want style along with high performance. The updated GS units, which keep the same naming scheme, feature a renovated design and upgraded efficiency. Today we will test the strongest member of the series, the GS800 and see how it performs and if it is worth your money.
Be Quiet's Dark Power Pro P10 850 W is based on an excellent Seasonic platform, which features Platinum efficiency. Be Quiet has enhanced it with a quieter fan and the ability to combine all rails into a single powerful one by an easy switch.
Today we are going to test Lepa's new 1600W beast, the GA1600-MA, which is based on the Enermax Platimax platform. It is 80 PLUS Gold certified and with its huge power it can easily feed every PC system out there. It not only offers outstanding power, but also comes at very attractive pricing, cheaper than many competing products in this category.
FSP is one of the key players on the PSU market, so every new product they release is of great interest. Their most recent PSU releases are the two fanless Aurum Xilense units, which come in 400W and 500W versions with modular or non-modular cabling design.
In today's review we are going to test one of the latest Xigmatek Centauro PSUs. More specific the strongest Centauro with 1000W capacity will be our test subject and on the test bench it will prove if it is worthy of the mythical name it carries.
Among their many PSU offerings Thermaltake includes the SMART series which includes PSUs that are intended for those who just want a power supply that will get the work done without carrying any extra bells and whistles that increase its price.
Be Quiet's Dark Power Pro 10 550 W is built on a completely new platform from FSP. It promises low noise, 80PLUS Gold efficiency and high build quality. A unique feature is an overclocking mode which lets users combine all 12V rails into a single more powerful one.
In today's review we are going to evaluate Huntkey's latest notebook adapter which features a highly reduced footprint, compared to normal power bricks and can deliver up to 90W of power. Also it is compatible with most notebooks on the market and includes also a 5V-2A USB charging port.
Xilence decided that it was high time to refresh their PSU offerings, so lately they enriched their XQ series with three new members, two with Platinum efficiency and the last one with Gold. In this review we will fully test the 850W model which besides the highest possible efficiency rating features a fully modular cabling design and a unique look which differentiates it from all other PSUs.
Today we have the Golden King with 650W capacity on our test bench. Like all other Golden King PSUs this one has platinum efficiency and features a semi-modular design along with semi-fanless operation. In our testing we see excellent stability at 12V and very low noise emitted.
Today we will test the newest PSU offering from Rosewill, Newegg's house brand. The Capstone Modular 750W features Gold efficiency and promises a really interesting review since the OEM behind the new modular Capstone units is Super Flower.
Enermax's latest line of PSUs is called Revolution87+, which consists of five members with capacities ranging from 550W to 1000W. All are 80 Plus certified, utilize a semi modular cabling design and are equipped with a twister bearing fan. Today we will evaluate the 850W model which can power up to three high-end VGAs along with other power hungry components.
Akasa's new Venom Power PSU has 550W capacity, utilizes a semi-modular cabling system and features a single +12V rail. With its affordable price it is one of the cheapest modular units in its segment, which will also help with price/performance.
Antec finally released a new flagship PSU: the High Current Pro Platinum 1000W. The previous generation HCP-1200 was the favorite PSU of most extreme users and overclockers. Its outstanding performance helped to breal many records. Now the new HCP-1000 has to carry on the tradition and prove its worth.
Today we are going to rigorously test another Super Flower product, the Golden King 500W; a non modular PSU which combines top performance, 80 Plus Platinum efficiency and an affordable price. The cherry on top is the super quiet operation. At low temperatures it can even go fanless.
OCZ decided to work with the famous gamer Johnathan "Fatal1ty" Wendel to develop a high-end PSU that will meet the specific needs of all gamers in performance, stability and ease of installation. The outcome was the Fatal1ty series 1000W PSU which differs from the rest of the bunch mainly because it features individually sleeved cables.
Kingwin's most recent Platinum PSU comes at only $99. Making it the most affordable choice out there if you want to power a typical system the green way, with little power wasted in the PSU. Thanks to a great component design we see record low power consumption, even at just 40W, which is important for systems that are lightly loaded all day.
Recently Cooler Master decided to update their Silent Pro M series and what better name to choose than Silent Pro M2! The new series includes six new semi-modular PSUs with capacities ranging from 420W to 1000W. All are made by CM's favorite OEM, Enhance electronics, feature a single +12V rail and come with a five year warranty. Today we will evaluate the strongest of the M2s with 1 kW capacity.
Kingwin is a company located in the U.S. with presence only in this region. Their product's portfolio includes many noteworthy PSUs with the flagship being the Lazer Platinum Series which consists of five units with Platinum efficiency and top notch performance. In today's review we will test the strongest member of this series, the LZP-1000 which like all LZPs is built by Super Flower, a company that continues to amaze us with their products.
The new Thermaltake SMART series is a value series so it consists of budget units that according to Thermaltake incorporate high-tech components with Eco-friendly credentials. The capacities of the SMART units range from 430W to 730W and in this review we will test the strongest model with 730W capacity.
In this review we will evaluate Thortech's Thunderbolt Plus 1000W which shares the same cable configuration with its big 1200 W brother, that we recently reviewed. This PSU features a unique aspect, a device called iPower which mounts in a 5.25" bay to display vital statistics like power, current, voltage and efficiency.
Antec recently added three new units to their High Current Gamer series. The main difference between these new PSUs and the older ones is that the first utilize a semi-modular cabling design, becoming this way the first members of this series to incorporate this feature. Today we will test the HCG-620M with 620W capacity.
Thortech's Thunderbolt Plus 1200W is a high-powered 80PLUS Gold certified power supply. One of its unique features is the inclusion of a little 5.25" bay device that displays voltage, power, current and efficiency among others. The unit also has compact dimensions for a 1200W PSU, which means it will fit in all cases.
Most of you probably know Spire from their cooling solutions and maybe their enclosures. However, the fact is that Spire actually has a rich portfolio of PSU products with capacities ranging from 400W to 1200W (RockIT II). Recently they released a new PSU series, called BlackDragon and they were kind enough to send us the 400W model for review.
Here we are again, testing another high-end Enermax unit from the Platimax series. The innovative platform of this unit offers huge power along with Platinum efficiency. Also we find top quality components used along with great build quality.
Antec finally decided to enter the Platinum efficiency club with the new EarthWatts Platinum series. These units address all users that just need a high efficiency PSU, with no bells and whistles. This new series creates a new mainstream class of PSUs and is placed between the EarthWatts Green and the High Current Gamer series.
Despite the name, the Super Flower Golden King PSUs are 80 Plus Platinum certified. Today we will test the 1000 W flagship model to find out if it has the potential to claim the throne for the best, high capacity, Platinum PSU and put the excellent Seasonic SS-1000XP in second place.
XFX is well known for their graphic cards but for quite some time they are also into the PSU market with two series called classic and Pro. Today we will test the flagship unit of the Pro series which with 1250W capacity will easily power even the most demanding systems.
Silverstone recently updated their PSU offerings with a new series, called Strider Gold Evolution. Besides the various internal component upgrades, which provide a small boost to efficiency and offer better performance, the new Striders are equipped with Silverstone's Air Penetrator fan which features increased cooling along with lower noise output.
Almost everybody knows Gigabyte from their VGA and motherboard products, but the company also makes power supplies. Their newest PSU series is called Sumo, which consists of two high power PSUs with 80 Plus Silver certification. Today we test the smaller one with 900W capacity and find out how it performs.
The fight for the top spot in the 80PLUS Platinum category is raging, especially now that many OEMs started offering platinum units with over 1 kW capacity. At this time Enermax probably has the most complete Platinum series, called Platimax. Today we will test its strongest model which features monstrous 1500W capacity.
Corsair's Professional Gold series consists of four PSUs with the most recent addition being the AX650, which as its name implies has 650W capacity. Since more and more users finally find out that they actually need a mid-wattage unit to power their systems, Corsair decided to offer a high quality PSU which addresses all the enthusiasts who defy cost and seek the best possible performance along with top efficiency.
Thermaltake recently added three new models to the Toughpower XT series. Today we are testing the 1275W model, which is the first Platinum unit that Thermaltake releases. With more and more Platinum certified models on the market, it will be interesting to see how Thermaltake's latest power supply manages.
Today we test the middle member of Coolermaster's fresh Silent Pro Hybrid series, which with its 1050W will easily power even the most power hungry systems and at the same time will save you some money from electricity bills, thanks to its Gold efficiency. This PSU will be loved by all silence fans out there since it goes fanless at low loads and on top of that you can control its fan speed.
After testing its bigger brother with 600W capacity, it's high time for the PC P&C Silencer MK3S400 to prove its worth. The new Silencer units pose a big change for PC Power & Cooling since they are the first ever modular PSUs that this company introduces to the market. Along with the top mounted 120 mm fan all PC P&C traditions are broken in these new units.
Till now NZXT had only one PSU series, HALE90, which included only Gold efficiency PSUs. However since Gold efficiency leads to higher prices, NZXT decided to release a new line of PSUs with lower efficiency and more affordable prices, targeting a wider range of users. The name of the new series is HALE82 and all of its members are 80 PLUS Bronze certified and feature a semi modular cabling design.
LEPA is a newcomer in the PSU market, behind which a major manufacturer is hiding: Enermax. Their products target mostly the mid-range market and are characterized in general by good price/performance ratio. Today we will test the G700-MA, a Gold efficiency 700W unit which will be of great interest to users who seek a high quality PSU of average capacity with many high-end features.
As technology advances necessarily some old designs and beliefs are left behind. Without any doubt in today’s highly competitive market only the companies who decide to adapt to the current user demands and needs will see their sales increasing. Apparently this is what PC Power & Cooling did with their new Silencer MK III PSUs in which the abandoned the non modular design and adopted a semi modular one.
Seasonic entered the Platinum party late since they wanted to make a big and well planned entrance. After many rumors, spy photos and lots of unconfirmed data Seasonic's Platinum series is finally released and is ready to fight for the crown. The stronger of the two fresh units, the Platinum-1000W, will be the test subject of today's review.
The first PSU line that NZXT released is HALE90 which consists of five members. All feature 80 PLUS Gold efficiency, modular design, have a single +12V rail and the 140 mm fan they are equipped with is really quiet even at high loads/ambient. Today we will test the HALE90 850W which is the second strongest unit of the series and see if besides looks it offers good performance too.
OCZ's new ZT series fills a gap between the ZX and ZS series. The ZT units feature a fully modular cabling design, 80 PLUS Bronze efficiency, five year warranty and an affordable price for what they have to offer, so the deal sounds sweet. But before we jump into early conclusions let's first see if the OCZ ZT 750W will manage to impress with its performance, too.
Recently Thermaltake has added three new models to the Toughpower series, which are intended for power hungry systems with triple or even four-way SLI or Crossfire configurations. Today our load testers will have some extra work to do since we are going to test a monstrous Toughpower unit with 1500W capacity.
Strictly power is Antec's primary slogan for the new members of their Basiq PSU series, the VPx50P units. As it seems only three things were the main concerns during the design/manufacturing of these PSUs: quality, performance and high price/performance ratio.
After the Maxrevo series Enermax hits again with the Platimax. The members of this series meet the 80 PLUS Platinum certification requirements so they are among the most efficient units on the market. In today's review we will take a detailed look at the Platimax 850W which, among others, uses a semi-modular cabling design and promises reliable performance even at 50°C ambient.
In Win's first Commander power supplies were built by Channel Well Technology. The second generation, which we are reviewing today, uses Andyson as OEM. Internally the Commander II uses a modern design based on DC-DC converters, which promises high efficiency and stable voltage supply.
Antec's new Basiq series offers affordable power supplies that are engineered for 230VAC only, to maximize price/performance. While we don't see fancy colors, sleeved cables, modular connectors or LED lighting, the VP550P features great performance characteristics and good component selection like japanese capacitors.
In Win Glacier is a new modular PSU series which focuses on efficiency and reliability. The Glacier 900W is the first released model and provides up to seven PCIe power connectors for maximum expandability. Warranty is a whole seven years which shows the confidence In Win has in their product.
OCZ, having the value-oriented user in mind, recently released a new PSU series. According to OCZ the ZS series PSUs offer affordable power solutions to value-oriented gaming systems.
Be Quiet, as the name implies, specializes in the construction of silent PC components like CPU coolers, fans and power supplies. In this review we will test the Pure Power CM L8 730W, a modular PSU that targets the tight budget users since it features an affordable price, it is 80 PLUS Bronze certified and is equipped with four PCIe connectors. On top of that it promises quiet operation even at full load thanks to the SilentWings fan technology.
OCZ is very busy lately releasing new PSU models. Today we have the chance to test the OCZ ZS 650W. The main difference compared to the bigger ZS 750W, besides capacity, is the reduced number of available PCIe connectors, only two. Like all ZS units it has 80 PLUS Bronze efficiency, its OEM is Sirfa and it uses a non-modular cabling design.
The new Corsair TX M lineup is an evolutionary step forward from the Corsair TX V2 Series. It introduces modular connectors and a new fan grill design. Internally, the platform provider has been changed from Seasonic to Channel Well Technology. Overall the TX750M is a rock solid performer that comes at only a moderate price increase.
Today we have a chance to test the Super Flower Golden Silent SF-500P14FG, a fanless power supply with 500W capacity which can be overclocked to 600W. In order to achieve this, the PSU will drop a bit in effiency: from Platinum to Gold.
Thortech is GeIL's power supply brand which has 15 years of experience in designing PSUs for industrial use. Today we will test the Thunderbolt Plus 800W, a PSU with Gold efficiency and a shiny iPower Meter device. The iPower Meter displays voltages, power, current and efficiency on a small panel which mounts in a 5.25" bay and also lets you control the PSU's fan speed.
The Kingwin Stryker 500 W is an amazing little PSU. It is one of the few models that offers 80PLUS Platinum efficiency, which means well over 90%, even at low load. In addition to that the power supply is completely fanless, emitting no noise at all - great for a quiet office PC or media PC system.
FSP decided to enrich the successful Aurum series with three new models that feature more wattages and a semi modular cabling system. The latter will be of great interest to many, since nowadays more and more users seek a modular PSU in order to avoid the extra effort needed for cable management with non modular units.
Thermaltake recently decided to join the elite PSU category with high power units that feature equally high efficiency levels. One of the most recent additions in Thermaltake's arsenal is the ToughPower Grand 1200W, which currently is the company's most powerful PSU that meets the 80Plus Gold requirements.
The Enermax MaxRevo EMR1350EWT promises Gold efficiency, 1350W full power and up to 1620W peak power! We will test this PSU to its max to verify if the peak power claim holds and whether the new model can compete with Antec's and Corsair's high-end offerings.
ADATA's HM-650 PSU is built upon a proven platform by the OEM Channel Well Technology. It impressed us with good voltage regulation and great price/performance ratio. One unique aspect is the LED lit fan which changes color depending on the PSU load.
In today's review we will take a look at Antec's HCG-520 power supply, which addresses tight budget users with not so high power demands. The PSU is able to provide up to 40 A on its single 12 V rail which is plenty for up to two graphics cards.
Antec's High Current Pro HCP-1200 is famed as being one of the best high-end power supplies on the market. With 1200 W capacity it's a great choice for systems with three or four graphics cards. We took Antec's flagship for a spin with our upgraded, fully programmable, load tester. The $250 HCP-1200 powerhouse performed admirably, and we love it.
Most of you will probably know Scythe from its cooling products, but the company also has several power supplies in its arsenal. Today we will test the second strongest PSU from the Chouriki 2 Plug-In line, which has 850 W capacity and is 80 Plus Silver rated. All Chouriki 2 Plug-In PSUs use a semi-modular cabling design and are backed up by a five-year warranty.
At Computex 2011 Corsair revealed a new model for the Professional HX series, the HX1050 which will replace the successful HX1000. The OEM remained the same, Channel Well Technology, the capacity increased by 50 W and efficiency remained at 80 Plus Silver. It seems like this PSU has what it takes to be a cost-effective alternative to the Corsair AX1200.
Recently, Cooler Master released their new GX Gold Series. The two most significant improvements of the new models are the change of the OEM from Seventeam to Enhance and the upgraded efficiency from 80 Plus to 80 Plus Bronze. The test subject of today’s review will be the CM GX650W Bronze, which offers similar specs as the previous model but sports the popular 80Plus Bronze certification.
Be Quiet's Straight Power E8 400W is a non-modular power supply coming at a very aggressive price point. According to the manufacturer it boasts an impressive 89% efficiency, also the unit is very quiet - no surprise, given the company name.
Club 3D has recently entered the PSU market. Their new CSP-X1200CS is a high-end 1200 W model which addresses users with up to three graphics cards. Compared to the CSP-X1000CS the CSP-X1200CS, offers more power and better efficiency with its 80PLUS Silver certification.
The Kingwin Lazer Platinum LZP-550 is based on Super Flower's platinum platform (Golden King 550W) and according to the manufacturer achieves over 92% efficiency. The power supply's fan will only spin beyond a certain temperature, so the PSU will emit no noise at low loads. In our review we find that this power supply is the best model available in its power range at this time.
We are always thrilled to see new companies enter the PSU market because this leads to more choice for the end users and competition gets tougher, reducing prices. Today we will take a look at RASURBO's Real&Power 550 W, which is 80 PLUS certified, utilizes a semi modular cabling scheme and comes with attractive pricing.
Antec's High Current Pro 750 W is the smallest member of the High Current Pro Series which is Antec's flagship line of PSUs. The mighty HCP-1200 is well known for being one of the best power supplies on the market, so we wonder if the 750 W version can impress too.
OCZ recently introduced the new ZX PSU series, which consists of three Gold efficiency members with 850 W, 1000 W and 1250 W capacities. Today we have the 850 watt model on our testbench to check if it shows the same usability, quality and price/performance we saw on the 1250 W model that we reviewed a while ago.
Corsair has a wide range of products that address enthusiasts. However the company does not forget Average Joe who just wants to power his low end system. For these users Corsair offers the Builder Series which promises great price/performance ratio. The new Corsair Builder CX430 V2 will be the test subject of today's review.
NZXT made a big step into the PSU market with the HALE90 series of PSUs. With capacities ranging from 550W to 1000W these Gold efficiency units address the needs of every gamer that seeks for a strong, efficient and reliable PSU to feed his system. In today’s review we will test a HALE90 750W and see how it performs in our ultra tough tests.
Seasonic's X-460FL is one of the few fanless power supplies on the market. This zero-noise approach makes the unit a prime candidate for a quiet media PC, office or light gaming system. With 460 W of high-quality power it can easily handle a typical single graphics card system - without any added noise from the power supply.
Corsair's AX850 is an 80Plus Gold certified 850 watt power supply that aims to be the highest-quality model in its segment. It is fully modular and shows excellent performance characteristics in our demanding test suite. With a price of $180 it is not cheap but quality has its price.
The Strider Plus ST50F-P is a compact size, single rail and highly versatile PSU thanks to the fully modular design that it utilizes. On top of that is equipped with a quiet 120 mm fan and is 80PLUS Bronze certified. Without any doubt it will be an interesting product for users that want a PSU to power a single graphics card in a not so demanding system.
Chieftec recently made a new addition to their product series with the inclusion of the Nitro 88+ line. The new PSUs are 80PLUS Silver certified and promise efficiency that surpasses 88%. They also utilize a semi-modular design and their OEM is Channel Well (CWT), a respectable manufacturer.
It's a common truth that high wattage PSUs and low noise levels do not get along very well, so many users are forced to buy lower wattage PSUs that cannot support a powerful system with two or three hi-end VGAs. To address this, Zalman's ZM1000-HP Plus 1000 W uses heatpipes to lower the fan's RPMs and minimize noise.
Zalman, a company that is well known for its low-noise products, recently freshened up their PSU range with two new models, the ZM1000-HP Plus and the ZM850-HP Plus. Today we are testing the ZM850-HP Plus, which utilizes a dual heatpipe system to improve cooling of the internal components for reduced heat and noise levels.
PC Power & Cooling is a legendary company in the PSU market with many years of experience and plenty of innovations. Their products traditionally focus on industrial and professional power users and the Silencer 760 W that we test today is no exception. Silencer 760W is a non-modular PSU that can deliver 760 W continuously at 50°C and power two hi-end VGAs with up to 90% less noise per Watt.
Corsair's Gaming Series consists of three single rail PSUs that are made for gamers. Even more average users with a mid-range system will appreciate the reliable and cheap PSU from a company with a very good reputation. We test the 800 W model, which is the most powerful of the series and are impressed by its voltage regulation and efficiency.
OCZ recently released a new line of hi-end PSUs in order to keep up the pace with the competition, since the Z series counts many years in production. The new ZX series consists of three 80Plus Gold and fully modular PSUs that feature a single +12V rail and boast that they are designed with maximum performance in mind. The ZX 1250 will be the test subject of today’s review.
Corsair recently updated their modular enthusiast TX PSU series and presented the TX V2. With a quick look at the specifications the most noticeable difference between the old and the updated models is the efficiency upgrade, from plain 80Plus to 80Plus Bronze. Under the hood, we spotted an OEM change from CWT to Seasonic.
Club 3D is one more graphics card manufacturer that decided to follow the latest trend and present a PSU series. In this review we will evaluate their strongest model, which with its 1000 W is able to support up to three VGAs. Our only concern is that it's only 80Plus Bronze certified.
The High Current Gamer series, according to Antec, manages to combine high power and increased efficiency with low pricing. As the naming scheme reveals, HCG PSUs are intended for users that want to feed their precious PC with lots of power, but are on a tight budget.
In the last PSU review we tested the middle member of the BITWIN series. Now it’s high time for the smallest to confront our vicious load tester. Besides the BW-B430JL we will also present to you detailed information regarding the Multi Link feature, as we are going to link two BITWINs together and gather interesting data (e.g. efficiency at normal and low loads).
Jou Jye's new BITWIN Series is 80 PLUS certified and the models are specially designed for gaming and overclocking since they can work continuously at full load with ambient temperatures up to 40°C. A new and interesting feature is the multi-link connector which lets you install more than one PSU into the system and combine their power output.
Amacrox's Free Earth 88PLUS AX600-88FE PSU boasts 80 Plus Silver efficiency and its name promises that it will save Earth. With a rated capacity of 600 W it will handle all single GPU systems just fine. Thanks to its reasonable pricing, the AX600-88FE is also interesting for budget users.
The Tagan SuperRock 680W is a great power supply for budget aware users who are looking for a cost effective way to power their system. With 680W it should be good for almost everything you can throw at it. During our testing we found out that the PSU is running very quiet which makes it a good candidate for a silent media PC system, too.
IKONIK's latest power supply comes with a whopping 1200W of output power. It offers six 6+2 PCI-Express connectors, which means it is able to handle any video card configuration you can throw at it. The efficiency of over 83% also makes it a viable choice for green computing.
The Hiper Type R Mk-II 680W is a unique power supply because it comes with an integrated 8-port USB hub. A ninth USB connector is dedicated to charging any USB based devices like your Iphone or Ipod, even while the PC is turned off. The PSU itself delivers excellent performance values in stability and fan noise. Efficiency is also high with 82%.
The Hiper Type M 780W is a great all-round power supply. It offers an exceptionally stable 12V line and is sufficiently quiet to not annoy you during every day PC use. Also it supports SLI or CrossFire with a high efficiency of over 83%. With a price of around $125 it is also cheaper than similar products from bigger brand names.
Cooler Master's new Ultimate Circuit Protection power supply is among the first to receive the prestigious 80plus Silver certificate for an efficiency of above 85%. With 900W of output power this PSU can easily handle every rig that you put it into. During our testing we saw very stable voltages, especially 3.3V and 5V delivered great results.
Even though X-Spice is not a very well known brand name, they achieved what nobody else could do: building an extremely quiet power supply that is stable and affordable. We are testing the 530W model today and found that it could easily handle a Quad CrossFireX rig, and produced less fan noise under load than most other power supplies in idle.
The ES-800 from BFG is an 800W power supply that comes with everything an enthusiast might want. It has support for up to four PCI-Express power consumers and features an unorthodox internal layout. In our testing we saw an amazing efficiency of 84.9%.
Cooler Master's Real Power M850 power supply is one of the first power supplies that has six 12V rails. This should be enough power for all your SLI or CrossFire needs. Like many other PSUs today, the M850 comes with a high gloss reflective case and a large number of connectors.
Mushkin's new XP-800AP power supply offers enough power for even the most demanding rigs. The shiny black paint looks great and the connectors are numerous. One special feature is Rail Fusion which lets the user select if the whole PSU should run with one big rail or in Quad Rail mode.
Xigmatek's new NRP-HC1201 power supply offers 1200W of power with support for up to six VGA power connectors. Juice is delivered over four 12V rails with up to 36A per rail. Of course the usual features like long and fully sleeved cables and 80+ high efficiency are present as well.
Xigmatek's new NRP-MC851 power supply offers 850W of power on four 12V rails. The cable management has been optimized in a way that the most often used connectors are fixed to the unit and additional cables are optional.
Zalman's new ZM1000-HP power supply has been designed with fan noise in mind. The heatpipe experts from Zalman have stuck two of these inside their PSU and added a slow running 140 mm fan on top of that. This winning combination results in one of the quietest PSUs we ever tested, especially considering it delivers up to 1000W of power via six independant 12V rails.
Sunbeam's Mini Plant is a wolf in sheep's clothing. The PSU comes in an ATX standard sized casing but offers up to 950W of power. With most other manufacturers this means that the PSU fan will be very loud, not with the Mini Plant. Actually the fan is the quietest we ever tested in the 900W+ segment, you can almost not hear it, even under load.
The Tuniq Ensemble is Sunbeam's latest high-end PSU offering. It comes in at a whooping 1200 Watts with a large number of connectors included. For all your SLI/CrossFire needs you have two PCI-E 6-pin and two PCI-E 8-pin connectors available. Sunbeam has focused on making this a stable and efficient power supply and did a great job, the efficiency rating during our testing is well above 83%.
The SuperNova 600W power supply from AXP (in Europe) and Xion (in the US) is designed to be a cost effective solution for people who do not use things like CrossFire and SLI in their system. Another important feature of this modular power supply is that it has a number of LEDs placed in vital spots to give that PSU a really pretty outward appearance.
Sirtec's new RockSolid 1000W PSU is engineered to deliver high quality stable power to your components. Its modular approach lets you start small and attach just the cables you need as your power requirements grow. For a price of only $200 you get a solid PSU that has up to six PCI-Express VGA connectors.
GIGABYTE's Odin GT line of power supplies is the world's first PSU series that allows software control and monitoring. From within the GIGABYTE P-Tuner software you can adjust voltage levels, fan speed and get detailed monitoring info about your PSU like power draw. In addition to that we found out that the unit also has a very high efficiency of over 84% and good voltage stability.
Akasa's new PowerMax Family of power supplies offers power for demanding gamers and enthusiasts. We test the 1000W version today which has a large number of connectors on extremely long cables in an ATX standard sized case. The unit boasts a high efficiency of over 82% which may even help you save some money on your electricity bill.
Zalman's new ZM850-HP PSU uses two heatpipes to transfer heat away from the hot components on the PCB to the rear of the unit. The hot air is then exhaust by a slow running 140 mm fan. This design allows Zalman to run their fan much slower than the competition. In the end this results in one of the quietest PSUs we have ever used, especially if you consider the 850W maximum load.
Corsair's brand new VX450W power supply comes with a maximum load of 450W. While this may not sound much it is absolutely sufficient to power most of today's systems. The PSU has a very high efficiency of over 83% which allows the fan to run slower because there is not so much excess heat to get rid of. In our fan noise testing this extremely silent unit leads by a large margin over all other PSUs tested so far.
PC Power and Cooling is without doubt one of the best power supply manufacturers out there. Recently they have been bought by OCZ and we are now seeing the first products which are geared for the masses. The Silencer 750W Quad CF comes with an ATI CrossFire certification and boasts four PCI-E power connectors. In our testing we saw excellent regulation qualities and very high efficiency of up to 82%.
The Silverstone Strider 850W is a power supply designed with gamers in mind. It comes with a modularity feature and allows up to eight PCI-Express video card connectors to be used. As fan a 135mm variant is employed, together with the high efficiency of 80%+ it allows the unit to be very quiet, considering the maximum power output of 850W.
The Thermaltake Toughpower 1200W is a massive power supply that can deliver power to any system you could build or dream of. With a total of 99 amps (!) on four 12V rails it easily exceeds any specifications and should be a good choice for a high-performance system with multiple video cards.
While Mushkin is traditionally a high performance memory manufacturer they also have several power supplies in their lineup. Today we take a look at the Mushkin HP-580AP which offers 580W of power output as the name suggests. For a sub $100 price you get sleeved cables, a modular design and Rail Fusion which keeps your system stable, even if you go beyond the rated maximum load.
OCZ's ProXStream is an extremely capable power supply that offers up to 1000 Watts of output. As you would expect it comes with four PCI-E power connectors and is CrossFire/SLI ready. In our testing we come to the conclusion that this PSU will be able to power any system you could think of while still maintaining stable output voltages at all times.
The be Quiet! Dark Power Pro 750W is a PSU of the next generation. It has four independant 12V rails which can supply 20 Amps each. You can connect up to four PCI-E video card connectors which makes this a great PSU for a GeForce 8800 GTX SLI rig. The power supply uses a modular concept which is a great way to keep the cable mess in your case at a minimum level. With over 30 connectors available this PSU will be able to power all peripherals you may have.
The OCZ EvoStream 600W is a powerful PSU that comes with modular connectors to help you reduce the cable mess in your case. On top of that you get four independent 12V rails that can supply all the power your video cards may ever need. In our testing on a Crossfire system the 12V line was exceptionally stable, making this unit a great choice for overclockers.
The Thermaltake Power Express 250W is a video card power supply specifically designed for the needs of current high-end video cards. When you have an older PSU you may not be able to run Crossfire or SLI because the PSU can not supply enough power for the video cards to run stable. When installed, the Power Express will supply 12V to your video card(s), taking a lot of strain off your main power supply.
The be Quiet Straightpower 700W is a high-quality power supply for power hungry gamers and overclockers. It sports features like two PCI-Express power connectors and an 8-pin CPU power connector. A temperature controlled fan helps keep the system noise level at a minimum. During testing we found out that this PSU's inside is identical to an OCZ PSU.
OCZ is well known for their great overclocking memory. But they also had a PSU product a long time ago. Now the power supply line of products gets a refresh with new products. The first of them is the OCZ GameXStream 700W which is designed with gamers in mind. It is SLI Ready and certified by ATI for use with Crossfire.
The chinese manufacturer Sansun isn't too well known yet, because they are a rather new company. If they continue delivering such solid products, I'm sure that this will change in no time.
For a price for which you often get only a plain and unsleeved power supply, Sansun is giving you dual 12V rails and a modularity feature which is usually found only on much more expensive PSUs. All cables are sleeved as well which helps keep your case look clean. Also the important qualities of a PSU like voltage stability and fan noise look good.
The Thermaltake ToughPower offers 550 watts to satisfy all your power needs. Two 6-pin PCI-Express connectors are available for SLI or Crossfire. On top of that you have four SATA and eight 5.25" connector. Two independent 12V rails can supply a total of 38A. During our testing we saw impressive voltage stability and very small ripple.
MGE targets the extreme gamer/modder niche and the build-your-own mainstream market of PC enthusiasts with this power supply. It features a unique blue anodized design with side windows in the PSU case. A PCI-Express video card connector is available, all cables are sleeved. During our testing we found that the PSU can supply stable clean voltage. Another plus is that the retail price of $60 is quite competitive.
Cooler Master has engineered a great PSU which has a PCI-Express Power connector and can supply 12V from three rails. Most PSUs have only one or two. For the visual aspect there is a Watt Viewer which goes into a drive bay and automatically displays the current power consumption of your computer - without the need of additional software.
Sirtec may not be one of the known big players of the PSU industry, but in fact they are a huge OEM producer of power supplies, for example for Thermaltake and Chieftec. We test Sirtec's 410W unit which offers a beautiful chrome finish and a low-noise fan at a very competitive price.
Thermaltake has put together a nice package consisting of a PSU with modular cables, a 5.25" drive bay real-time Watts Viewer and an additional 120mm case fan.
Today we have a very special PSU on the test bench - it is completely passive. Fortron trusts their design so much that they say a backup fan is not needed.
I was surprised to see the Fortron Sparkle ZEN power our demanding test platform without any load problems. While the electrical noises were definitely annoying, they are only noticable on higher power systems.
Silent and powerful? Is the included CPU HSF worth it?
The 5V and 3.3V lines are exceptionally stable. The 12V line tends to fluctuate a bit, but stayed above 12V at all times. All lines are well within the limits set by the ATX Specification.
