Fan Noise
The fan speed of the MGE XG Vortec 550W can be controlled by the use of a small rotary knob on the backside of the PSU. Additionally, if the fan speed is too low at the current setting to keep the PSU cool, the fan speed will automatically increase. At the highest setting the PSU is VERY loud (62 dbA), maybe this could be used during some intense benchmarking. During our tests I saw no need to turn up the fan speed, since the fan control circuitry handles everything automatically anyway. The graph below shows the PSU fan noise at the "low" fan speed setting.
Value and Conclusion
- The MGE XG Vortec 500W is sold for around $60, which is quite a bargain for this PSU.
- PCI-E video card connector
- Stable 5V and 3.3V lines, 12V line is ok
- Rugged construction
- Fan speed can be controlled
- All cables are sleeved
- Nice blue finish, takes no fingerprints
- Windows
- Low efficiency
- Low Power Factor, no PFC
- Only one PCI-E power connector
MGE has built a great PSU with stable voltages, a unique design and lots of useful features. The included PCI-Express video card power connector is a feature which every new PSU should have today. I really liked that the PSU's blue finish does not take any fingerprints. For casemodders it is important to have all cabling sleeved, some other manufacturers try to save a few bucks here, sacrificing looks.
One weak point of this PSU is the lack of PFC, which doesn't really affect you as private user. More important is the rather low energy conversion efficiency of only 73%, other PSUs reach higher values here, so your overall power bill might be a few percent higher.
Last but not least, the MGE XG Vortec is coming at a very competitive price. Only $60 for a high-quality PSU will make sure that you have some extra money left for other system upgrades.