MSI X38 Platinum (BIOS 1.3)
intel Core2 Quad Q6600 @ 3 GHz
VisionTek Radeon HD3870 OverClocked Edition
OCZ Reaper 2x1GB PC3-10666 6-6-6-20
WD 74GB Raptor (10K), WD 500GB CaviarSE16 (7.2K)
Lite-On 20x DVD±R/W SATA
Thermaltake ProWater 850i
Lian-Li PC-A77
Windows Vista Ultimate x64
USB Powered Components:
Razer Lachesis mouse
Logitech G15 keyboard
Logitech QuickCam webcam
Pretty impressive results from the LS 680W here: rock solid 3.3V and 5V lines, with only a little variation on that 12V rail. Throughout all testing, the PSU remained inaudible over other components. While the 12V rail was a little high, it was certainly within spec, and such a bump is pretty average for power supplies these days.
Conclusions
There are a lot of budget power supplies in the 680W range out there today, all competing for the average builder's attention. It's hard to break out of the pack while still keeping the price down, and it's hard to get noticed. I was definitely just expecting the average Joe of power supplies when I opened the box on the LS 680W, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that this was not the case.
The LS 680W excels in a few places where almost all other PSUs are content with mediocrity. The first place I noticed this was with the Velcro cable ties, which are a great touch, and, in my eyes, add a lot of value to the PSU. While it's true that these ties only cost a few cents each, that's an investment most manufacturers aren't willing to make. The cables also had a few nice features. Many of the cables were designed very well, like the 6+2-pin PCI-e connectors and the 4+4-pin CPU connector. Also, all of the cables had great reach. My case installs the PSU into the bottom, and the CPU connector had plenty of slack going to the top corner of the motherboard, while the SATA cables had no trouble reaching the top of the full-tower case. My only complaints include that the included power cable was, but those are a dime a dozen, and that the motherboard power connector did not click all the way on. While it was sturdy, I wouldn't go around taking this rig to LANs just yet. Force did nothing to solve the problem, and I see this causing concern for other builders out there.
Performance on the LS 680W was also top notch for a budget power supply, leaving very little to be desired. Even with so many nice included features and generous cable reach, the LS 680W will only run you about $120.00 USD at a popular online reseller, which is on the low side for similarly rated PSUs.
In a market with such fierce competition and so many similar products, the BFG LS 680W certainly stands out from the rest with its performance and features, and earns the OCIA.net Seal of Approval.
