The Decathlon comes packaged in plenty of soft foam surrounding the power supply and cushioning it inside the box.


The DA700 comes with all of the modular cables pre-attached. There is a nylon bag to store any that you disconnect or are not needed. The DA700 also comes with a user manual, power cord, some mounting screws and a pair of zip ties. The user manual details each of the cable pinouts and what each one is used for, as well as the specifications for the particular model.


The DA700 seems large for a 700W power supply, measuring just over seven inches long. No doubt some of this extra length comes as a result of the modular connections. On the bottom panel there is a single 120mm cooling fan and a diagram indicating which port is for each kind of connection. The top side has the SilverStone name and logo imprinted in the metal.


The side label shows that the DA700 is rated for 24A +3.3v, 30A +5v and 58A on the +12v rails. The UL model number E313296 points right back to SilverStone as the manufacturer, which doesn't give us any clue if a specific OEM produces the Decathlon series for them. The rear of the power supply has a very open mesh back, with only a small on/off switch and standard IEC power plug connector to inhibit flow.


With the cables disconnected, we see that SilverStone makes use of a 24-pin connector for the primary ATX. There are four 6-pin connectors, not for PCIe connections as you may think, but for SATA and IDE cables. Another four 8-pin connectors share the duty of PCIe cables and the auxiliary +12v power for the motherboard. All the cables have plenty of length - no problems using these in a full tower case.

Next up, installation and testing.