Thoughts
Concerning noise and thermals, the Booster X3's twin 40mm cooling fans aren't the quietest when spinning at maximum speed, definitely adding to the aural profile of the system when under heavy load. However the efficient PSU core in the Booster X3, donated in large part by an LCD TV core developed by FSP, doesn't loose too much power as heat. Indeed, we measured it to be around 90% efficient when asked to supply nearly 22A (~260W), and the unit was barely warm to the touch and air being exhausted was tepid at best.All that means that the fans didn't spin up to maximum that often, despite hotter than normal ambient temperatures during testing in our labs. We'd imagine any increase in ambient temperature inside your chassis should be a degree or two at most. FSP recommend you install the Booster X3 at the top of your chassis for thermal reasons, which appears logical and worth heeding.
To sum up, the Booster X3 does a fine job of running your graphics subsystem, and for enthusiast users that could mean extra performance, even if you think your current PSU is up to the job. We proved that even with something good, the Booster X3 allowed for extra frequency on CPU and GPUs.
What catches FSP out somewhat is the price. You have to weigh up if £65 is worth it for what you'll need it for. For the kind of systems we tested with, we'd argue that it deserves some consideration, especially if you were pondering swapping out your current unit for something more powerful in order to run high-end SLI or Crossfire.
However for the user on more of a budget, FSP's plan that you augment a Booster X3 to a mid-range or low-end system in order to drive a new PCI Express graphics card purchase is pretty much dashed by the price. You can pick up something like the tested Tagan TG420-U02, in the 400-550W range, that'll run a mid-range single or multi-GPU system just fine, for less than the Booster X3 will cost.
That's your better bet when running such a PC, really. So for the overclocker or high-end system user it's worth thinking about, but otherwise it misses the boat due to cost for pretty much everyone else. To our minds, the Booster X3 would be good value for money at half the current price or thereabouts.
We'd prefer it to look a little nicer, without that protruding plastic cover if possible, but it does the job, and is easy to fit and integrate should your chassis allow.
We like, but it could definitely be improved upon in a number of areas, which would better justify the price. A nice innovation in system power supply from FSP, but the first attempt has some flaws. We look forward to any revised model to see if it improves.
