Mistel makes a fantastic entry into the PSU market with the MX650, the internals of which remind many of us of the Seasonic Focus platform. Even the dimensions of the chassis and PCB are identical, and internally, the same APFC and LLC resonant controllers are used, while the supervisor ICs and standby PWM controllers are of the same type as well. Some key parts are different, though, including the main switching FETs, which are provided by a Chinese manufacturer, and the same must be the case for the APFC's boost diode. However, all other parts are topnotch.

The MX650 is a passive PSU with high overall performance, and it features RGB lighting, for those who actually care about RGB. Since its platform looks to be a Focus Plus derivative (or copy), it also inherits some of its negatives and not just the positives; I am referring to the mediocre transient response on the 3.3V rail. While this rail isn't heavily utilized anymore, it still has to meet the requirements of the ATX specification.

Another downside of this really good PSU is the number of available EPS connectors. Seeing a high-end 650 W unit with only one EPS connector is a real shame because most good mainboards need more juice for the CPU socket area. This just cripples this fine PSU's usability by only making it an option for mainstream and mid-level mainboards, and also means that users seeking to build a silent multi-core Threadripper system won't be able to use the MX650. Mistel should provide a second EPS cable, which should be compatible with one of the PCIe sockets to avoid possible overloads by only allowing two EPS and two PCIe connectors to be connected at the same time. I would also like to see a better implementation of OTP because the sensor that reports the temperature is currently located too far away from the hot +12V FETs area. Finally, DC power sequencing needs fixing since the 3.3V rail had a higher voltage reading than the 5V rail for quite a while. This is Intel's requirement, so everyone has to comply.

If Mistel manages to make this PSU available in all regions as promised, I believe it will be a very interesting product for users who don't want to spend 200 bucks on a super-high-end Seasonic Prime Fanless model. The platform looks solid and performs really well; the only thing I am skeptical about are the Chinese primary FETs since I don't know how reliable these are over time. I just wish Mistel had used Infineons in this stage, along with a CREE boost diode. Hopefully, those parts won't damage the fine overall picture the MX650 managed to paint of itself.