Is there a winner, Rys?
There are winners, yes. Note the plural. Like, say, the graphics card market, or processors, the PSU market has artificially divided itself into market sections with rough price-points at each. I'll go through the usual low-end and mid-range, before presenting what I'd call high-end and enthusiast-level supplies.Hopefully the overriding thing that the testing shows you is that there's a multitude of competent PSUs to choose from from good vendors. Akasa, Tagan, OCZ, FSP, Thermaltake and Silverstone all produce supplies worthy of your consideration.
It's nice to see vendors push towards more expensive components inside their PSUs, to increase efficiency, reduce heat and introduce even more reliability. A PC PSU is an investment, almost as important as the keyboard, monitor and mouse, devices which stand as the single most important parts of a PC system you can ever spend money on. So stop hoarding the pennies with your PSU and make sure you get something of quality, that'll outlast a whole bunch of upgrades.
The article remit permits me to choose a few of my favourites.
Low-end supplies
I use the term low-end in the financial sense, which leads on to output limits and connector choices. Don't think of it in the "it's rubbish" sense. The supply that stood out for me in the low-end was the FSP Group FSP300-60GNF. Fanless with high efficiency, its only downsides are the relative lack of 4-pin connectors - although Y-splitters would help you out there - and a higher price than something with a fan and less complex internals. The benefits the design affords you make up for that.Q-Technologies' QTechnology QT-03350G was another I was impressed with. A PEG connector, lots of SATA and good efficiency saw to that. Recommended.
FSP Group FSP300-60GNF
QTechnology QT-03350G
QTechnology QT-03350G
Mid-range supplies
The Akasa AK-P400FG BKEUV3 sits as my mid-range pick. Lots of connectors, good efficiency, two +12V outputs and SSI make for a fine all-rounder at a good price.
Akasa AK-P400FG BKEUV3
High-end and Enthusiast-level supplies
The high-end/enthusiast-level is where I have my hardest choice. For example Tagan's TG480-U01, especially the latest revision, which has served me well for over a year now in its various incarnations, remains a solid supply backed by a good warranty, performance, looks and decent price. Other high-end supplies such as the OCZ Modstream 520 and their Powerstream 600 are popular with the enthusiast, and for good reason. Both serve their users well with solid rails, good connectivity, modular cabling in the case of the Modstream, and designs based on those that Tagan use.Then there's the two yet-to-be-certified Akasa supplies, AK-P550FF BK and AK-P650FF BK. Both are SLI and Crossfire ready, look great, offer loads of connectors, perform well and aren't incredibly expensive. The SSM Technology EVP-5007-00 is great for server user and Silverstone's Zeus 650W is godlike for the high-end workstation and enthusiast market, that supply carrying two PEG connectors for high-end graphics.
Finally, AOpen's 700W engineering sample shows the future of the high-end with amazing internals that are able to give out all 700W on the output side at high efficiency and without much wasted as heat. Combined with a good chassis and connector options to suit, a supply based around its four independent +12V rails would be quite something. Indeed, FSP have recently committed to selling those internals in a supply called the Epsilon FSP700-80GL, which you should have spotted notes on a couple of pages back. We look forward to a full retail review in due course.
My personal pick is the Akasa AK-P550FF BK, the supply that I'd upgrade to should I find my personal Tagan TG480-U01 lacking for whatever reason. OCZ's Modstream 520W takes second place due to modular cabling and heroic +12V current draw from a single rail. ATX1.3 still has some life in it with supplies like that.
Akasa AK-P650FF BK
OCZ OCZ-520 U12
HEXUS Right2Reply
HEXUS invites the manufacturers of reviewed hardware to comment on our articles. Many of the companies mentioned have been contacted for a right2reply comment and as soon as they arrive, we'll publish them verbatim.HEXUS Where2Buy
HEXUS.thanks
Our thanks to QuietPC for providing samples of the Zalman, Elan and Q-Technologies PSUs. Thanks to Casetech for supplying the QTec PSU.
