Power Supplies

Category >> Power Supplies

SilverStone Decathlon DA700 Power Supply 05-10-2008

SilverStone is a company that needs no introduction. Although they have only been in business since 2003, in that time they have produced some great case designs. In the tradition of the Zeus and Olympia power supplies, with their single, large +12v rail, SilverStone now introduces the next generation of power supply built especially for enthusiasts, the Decathlon.

Tuniq Miniplant 950W PSU 04-26-2008

Tuniq, a subsidiary of Sunbeamtech, really made their name known with their Tuniq Tower CPU air cooler. The Tuniq Tower was recognized as one of the best air coolers on the market for longer than a year. Since then, they have become increasingly popular for their cases, thermal accessories, and most recently, power supplies. One power supply that has been getting a lot of attention lately is the Tuniq Miniplant 950W which we have for review today.

Nesteq ECS 7001 700 Watt Power Supply 04-02-2008

Wouldn’t it be cool to be able to build your own cable? A modular-designed power cable, that allows you to use only the connectors you need, in the order that you need them? Nesteq has answered that call with their ECS series of power supplies. Today we will be looking at the Nesteq ECS 7001, a modular 700 watter that allows you to do just this.

Cooler Master Real Power Pro 1250 Watt Power Supply 03-24-2008

The Real Power Pro 1250 is one of 10 power supplies receiving nVidia's highest SLI rating, for three 8800 Ultras or 8800 GTXs. It also has an 80Plus certification, certified to maintain more than 80% efficiency. Actually, this power supply is rated up to 87% efficiency. What does that mean? A more efficient power supply uses less wall current than a less efficient one, which means less dollars out of your pocket.

Apevia Warlock Power 750 Watt Power Supply 03-10-2008

The case is aluminum, in a very shiny gunmetal color, that Apevia calls titanium. The spec label is on top of the case, and won't be visible when the PSU is installed. I've seen a lot of complaints about the specs label being on the visible side of a PSU, hiding the finish, so those people should be happy with this one.

Cooler Master Real Power Pro 750W 03-05-2008

Today I'm taking a closer look at the Cooler Master Real Power Pro 750W, which is a non-modular power supply with a 750W continuous load rating. Like all of the Real Power Pro line, the 750W carries a five year warranty, has an 80-plus efficiency certification and is SLI-ready with dual 6 and 8-pin PCIe configurations.

Thermaltake Toughpower QFan 650w Power Supply 02-09-2008

Thermaltake introduces their newest lineup of power supplies, the Toughpower QFan series. If you haven't guessed, the Q in QFan stands for Quiet, as Thermaltake advertises an ultra-low 17dBA noise rating at up to 50% load. There are two models available, the 650w and a 500w version. Today I'll be taking a closer look at the 650 model.

PC Power & Cooling Silencer Quad 750W 01-21-2008

Despite being named the Silencer Quad, this PSU uses just a single beefy 12V rail, running 60 amps! Seeing specs like those just makes you want to drool. High efficiency, just one silent fan, and single rail design, all of this is amazing… but is it too good to be true? Continue on as we find out.

Sirtec High Power 400w VGA Booster 01-08-2008

You just upgraded your PC, you got the latest motherboard and processor, several gigs of fast memory and a high-end video card so you can play that cool new game that just came out. You put the system together and get your OS loaded, only to see a warning that your video card performance will be degraded because it isn't getting enough power. Doh! You forgot to consider a power supply as part of your upgrade.

Thermaltake Toughpower 850W Power Supply 12-28-2007

Today I’m reviewing the Thermaltake Toughpower 850W Power Supply. Thermaltake is a name often associated with quality in any of their products, from cases and case fans to coolers and power supplies. This particular power supply boasts a variety of features, but at a price: it costs almost $260 at a popular online reseller.

Sigma Shark SP-635 635 Watt Power Supply 12-14-2007

I mean, what is a power supply? A rectangular box with electrical stuff in it and wires coming from it (I do understand what the stuff inside does, but I know that most don’t). The box may be steel or aluminum; painted, plated, or anodized. The wires may be sleeved or not, modular or not. There will be a fan or two, they may have LEDs, or not. I guess that’s why I found it rather refreshing to review the Sigma Shark. No, it isn’t some kind of radical departure from the basic power supply, but it is a little different.

Ultra Power Partner 325 Watt 5 ¼” Power Supply 12-04-2007

The Ultra Power Partner is a 325 watt auxiliary power supply that fits into an optical drive bay. It works in addition to your current PSU, for example, if you have a 500 watt power supply, install the Power Partner, and now you have 825 watts, plenty enough extra juice to power that pair of 8800GTs. Is the Power Partner the answer to your power problems? Read on.

Rosewill Xtreme Series RS850-S-B 850 Watt Power Supply 11-07-2007

There are four PCI-E cables to accommodate a pair of 8800GTXs in SLI. Each cable is marked according to its rail, +12v1 and +12v2. This is quite cool, to ensure that each card will be on its own +12v rail. I personally have not seen a PSU labeled like this, though I’m sure there could be others out there. This is the kind of attention to detail I am talking about.

Ultra X3 800W Power Supply 10-18-2007

Marking the 3rd generation of Ultra's popular X-Connect line of power supplies, the latest X3 series combines all the great features of previous models, such as fully modular design and FlexForce cables, with high power outputs to satisfy the demands of today's multi-core CPU/GPU systems.

Kingwin ABT-800MA1S Mach 1 800 Watt Power Supply 09-12-2007

Kingwin, aka KWI Technology Inc, has been around since 1992, which makes them one of the oldest aftermarket hardware companies in the industry. They started out making CPU coolers and external HDD racks, and now are into liquid cooling, cases, high performance air cooling, power supplies and some pretty innovative storage solutions. They pioneered the use of aluminum in external storage enclosures, which led the way for its use in cases.

Ultra X3 600W Power Supply 09-03-2007

There are a lot of power supplies out there today boasting a variety of features. Between modular power supplies and super silent ones, it can be really hard to find exactly what you need. Ultra Products is trying to make this decision an easy one with their X3 Power Supplies. They really set their eyes on the prize when designing these power supplies, and it shows. The X3’s have all of the hottest features that everyone is looking for these days: a fully modular cable system, a silent 135mm fan, flex-force sleeved cables, and extreme (85%) efficiency. Today we’re going to have a look at the 600W flavor.

Ultra Products X3 1,000w Modular Power Supply 08-14-2007

Today we will be taking a look at a powerful unit from their newest line, named X3. Ultra has taken all of the best features from their previous models and packed them in the X3. On paper, this power supply looks to have everything a hardcore enthusiast could want, and more. But, will it be able to deliver on those promises?

OCZ Technology ModXStream 780w Power Supply 06-14-2007

The back of the unit uses a honeycomb style grill to allow plenty of hot air through. A power connector and on/off switch are also present on the rear of the unit.

OCZ StealthXStream 600w Power Supply 06-06-2007

Perhaps most well known for their various types of memory, they make a variety of hardware, from laser gaming mice to video cards to CPU coolers. Most importantly, at least for the purposes of this review, they make power supplies. OCZ sports many lines of power supplies, including gaming grade and modding friendly lines. On May 25th, OCZ announced their merger with PC Power and Cooling, showing how serious they really are about the power supply industry.

be quiet! 700w Straight Power Power Supply 05-23-2007

The power supply itself is finished in a high gloss gunmetal paint job which looks great. The right side (or left, depending on how you look at it) of the power supply displays the typical specs sticker found on all units. This unit has four 12v rails, each sporting 18A.

Ultra X-Pro & X-Finity 800w Power Supplies 04-16-2007

The X-Finity has the same number of connections so I won't go over that again. But, the cool thing with these cables is that they aren't rounded and sleeved like most you are used to. These cables are designed to lay flat, which means you can easily route them in your case.

NZXT Precise 850w Power Supply 03-22-2007

A power switch is located on the rear of the unit, as well as a switch for the +12v rail which can be set to "split" or "combined". This is the first power supply I have seen that offers such a switch. There has been a lot of talk the past few years with the introduction of multiple 12v rails, and even more as of late with the jump back to single 12v rails.

SilverStone OP1000 Olympia 1000w Power Supply 03-06-2007

First, the OP1000 features a single +12v rail that is rated at 80A (88A peak). What does this mean exactly? Many other high end power supplies feature multiple (usually 2-4) +12v rails which average 20A per rail. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, it does mean that you will need to make use of multiple rails, as to not overload a single rail.

OCZ Technology ProXStream 1000w Power Supply 02-16-2007

One of the good things about the ProXStream that sets it apart from other 1kw power supplies is its small footprint. We measured the unit to be 5 1/2" in length. Most other 1kw units (and even some not as powerful) are much longer, which will cause problems with optical drives and in cases that use a top-mounted exhaust fan.

OCZ GameXStream 850w SLI-Ready Power Supply 12-29-2006

It's no secret that today's hardware is demanding more power than ever before. For instance, those interested in running two 8800GTX cards in SLI are looking at a bare minimum of 750 watts in the power supply department. Factor in your processor(s) demands, hard drive(s) and watercooling gear and that 750 watt minimum seems a little less inviting.

Etasis ET-850 850W PSU 12-22-2006

The ET-850 is certified to be SLI Ready by Nvidia, and even features four PCI-Express power leads for graphics cards. It is rated for over 80% efficiency with four independent +12V outputs, and has eight Serial ATA power connectors. With plenty of power and plenty of connections, it sounds like it's ready to take on anything available on the shelf from quad-core CPUs to SLI graphics cards with as many Serial ATA drives as you can fit in most cases.

Spire Rocketeer IV 600W Power Supply 11-28-2006

Voltage specifications are printed on the obligatory side panel sticker. From the listed UL number E130843 we can determine that the Rocketeer IV is made by Topower, a well-known, high-quality power supply manufacturer, who also happens to make power supplies for OCZ. The UL listing will often reveal the true manufacturer of a power supply if it is simply rebranded under another company name.

Apevia Iceberg 680W Light Color Power Supply 11-09-2006

With nearly a 700W rating this PSU looks ready to tackle the toughest of power requirements, and has some stunning good looks to match. There are also some pretty useful features you don't find on many other manufacturers power supplies, namely switchable illumination and see-through bottom, as well as a host of other handy gadgetry to keep your computer power needs well fed and easy to manage.

OCZ Technology EvoStream 600w Modular Power Supply 10-09-2006

It is easily the best looking unit I have seen in person to date. The reflection that the EvoStream gives off is amazing. But, like anything that is shiny, it picks up dirt and especially fingerprints very easily. I was careful in handling the unit during the photo shoot to minimize getting it dirty.

NZXT Precise PRC-650W Power Supply 10-05-2006

NZXT is a Taiwanese company that has built a name for themselves in the enthusiast community as a manufacturer of high-quality, low-cost innovative design computer cases. I recently had the opportunity to review one of these NZXT products, the Apollo mid-tower case, which received our seal of approval for its aesthetics, features and price. So when NZXT followed up with an invitation to check out their Precise 650 power supply my only question was, where do I sign?

Spire SP-600W Rocketeer IV Gaming Power Supply 06-23-2006

The SP-600W Rocketeer IV is being marketed as a "modular cable, SLI-ready, gaming PSU". As of this writing, if you look at the Rocketeer IV at Spire's site, it is advertised as being "darkgrey titanium colored" (this one is definitely black), and the advertised specs are somewhat different (lower) than the ones on this PSU.

SilverStone Zeus ST75ZF 750w Power Supply 06-16-2006

Late last year I had the opportunity to review SilverStone's 600w Strider power supply. The unit held its own very well and didn't even break a sweat, regardless of how far I pushed my hardware. It was clear that SilverStone had a winner on their hands with the 600w Strider, but we all know that you can't sit idle in the computer hardware industry or you will be left in the dust.

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