Introduction

We would like to thank FSP for supplying the review sample.

After releasing the high-end Hydro G line, FSP has now introduced more affordable units that are more appealing to those on a tight budget. The fresh Hydro X line consists of three members featuring low- to mid-level capacities in the range of 450 W to 650 W. All Hydro X models are 80 PLUS Gold certified and use Japanese electrolytic caps for better reliability, especially under tough operating conditions. A quick look at their specifications shows the only compromise to be the lack of modular cables, which are usually the first to go when production costs need to be kept low. The lack of modular cables also isn't as dramatic with low capacity units because they don't feature as many cables as stronger PSUs.



In this review, we will take a good look at the HGX550 of the Hydro X family. This PSU can support a strong gaming system with two NVIDIA GTX970 VGAs because it has a total of four PCIe connectors on two PCIe cables. The most brave of you could also use it in a SLI configuration with two GTX980s and a powerful CPU, but such a setup would have it operate at its limit, which would kill any headroom for overclocking the GPUs or the CPU. The better choice would be to figure out your system's power consumption to then pick a PSU that provides at least 20% more wattage than is required. This will avoid situations in which the PSU is put under full load, where efficiency is lower than with smaller loads.

Specifications

Efficiency meets the requirements of the 80 PLUS Gold certification, and the maximum temperature at which this PSU can deliver its full power continuously is 40 °C even though the ATX specification recommends at least 50 °C. The unit is Haswell Ready, and FSP says it to have all the necessary protection features, including OTP (Over Temperature Protection). The unit's cooling is taken care of by a double ball-bearing fan with a diameter of 120 mm, and the PSU is 150 mm deep. At five years, the warranty is pretty long for a unit of this category, and while its MSRP is stiff, its retail price will probably be significantly lower. The Hydro G models also had very high MSRPs initially, but their retail prices dropped after only a few weeks, which had them go for as much as similar units by the competition.

The minor rails are strong enough to support every modern system imaginable, and the +12V rail is capable of delivering almost 46 amperes. The 5VSB rail is as strong as is the norm for a modern PSU with a moderate capacity.

Cables & Connectors, Power Distribution

With four PCIe and six SATA connectors, which is enough for a strong gaming system, there are enough connectors for a 550 W unit. Some of you might want more than two 4-pin Molex connectors, though. As for the single EPS connector, there is no need for another in a PSU of this capacity since two of these and four PCIe connectors would be overkill. Lastly, all connectors use 18-gauge wires, which is as the ATX specification recommends.

We do not have anything to comment on when it comes to the PSU's power distribution because it only features one +12V rail.

Packaging

At the face of the small box is a photo of the PSU with its native cables meticulously hidden or photoshopped away. The icons in the bottom left-hand corner are for the 80 PLUS Gold efficiency, DC-DC converters that generate the minor rails, Japanese electrolytic caps, and flat cables. Two icons on the other side are for the five year warranty and Skylake support (C6 and C7 sleep states).


Turn the box and you will come across a list of all the cables and connectors and the bundled AC power cord. The other side contains the power specifications table and two graphs for the efficiency and fan-noise curves. The most interesting part at the top is the QR code for FSP's power app that is compatible with Android devices. It includes some interesting features, like a PSU calculator and tip finder.


Turn to the rear and you will be greeted by another photo of the PSU without its cables and a ton of information on the product. There are, for starters, a pretty long features list and four small photographs of the components that play a significant role in how this PSU performs. The Hotcore Fan Control Design feature where the thermistor that provides temperature information to the fan-control circuit is attached to the primary transformer caught our attention. This thermistor usually monitors the temperature of the secondary side and those components that regulate the +12V rail. We don't know whether monitoring the main transformer's temperature is a good idea, but will figure it out in our tests.

Contents

Inside the box, only a piece of cardboard covers the PSU, which isn't enough to protect it well.


The bundle includes the user's guide, a set of fixing bolts, a single Velcro strap, and the AC power cord.