eTeknix » Power Supplies

Thortech Thunderbolt Plus 800W Power Supply Unit Review

Jake Sedge — Mon, 23 Jan 2012 22:52:48 +0000

Thortech is a brand that I’m sure no one has heard of before and for good reason. Until recently, the Thortech team has been part of GeIL and has handled the R&D for their PSUs for over 15 years, however it is only recently that GeIL has taken the decision to launch a new series of PSUs under the subsidiary of Thortech. I am expecting this change in branding is a PR move that signifies a higher level of performance than what GeIL power supplies were offering. Being as this is a brand new series of power supply being launched under a new brand, we’re not quite sure what to expect from Thortech!

We recently took a look at Thortech’s standard unit- the Thortech Thunderbolt 1000W and found it to be a very stable and high quality unit aimed primarily at gamers. Their higher end series, the Thunderbolt Plus is targeted at the same audience and has more advanced features than the standard version. The question is, will gamers find these additional features useful enough to give this unit an edge over it’s competition? The only real fault we found with the standard unit is that it’s pricing was not competitive enough, but for only a marginal increase in price the Plus version offers a significant difference in spec and features.

The Thunderbolt Plus series is Thortech’s second line of PSUs designed for the same market as the standard Thunderbolt units but with a few improvements and added features designed to give it that edge which the standard version doesn’t really have.

Enermax MaxRevo 1350W Fully Modular Power Supply Review

Jake Sedge — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 00:42:04 +0000

Enermax is my personal favourite PSU manufacturer- and with good reason. Enermax uses the right kind of design approach which keeps them extremely popular with enthusiasts and professionals, with the focus primarily on quality while building useful features and a good aesthetic design around it. They have created some very different PSUs over the years, ranging from cheaper models such as the NAXN to the MaxRevo we will be looking at today. But take the price point as low as you like, you will still receive the quality which has gained Enermax such acclaim from reviewers and enthusiasts alike.

As we have seen in the past, Enermax consistently produce high quality power supplies, however every now and again when Secunda and Masser align on a blue moon the engineers at Enermax decide to design something outstanding. The MaxRevo is the result of some of the best PSU designers in the world creating a power supply that is designed to be the best, with little consideration for silly things like money. To review something like this always makes me smile as it is a breath of fresh air from generic high-performance PSUs which are generally very similar- I’m sure that Enermax will be bringing something new to the table with this unit.

The MaxRevo is Enermax’s flagship unit and comes in three versions- 1200W, 1350W and 1500W which says a lot about the target user! This unit is clearly targeted towards professionals and true enthusiasts wanting the very best from their rigs which only the power and quality of such a PSU could provide.

Corsair TX750M 750W Modular Power Supply Review

Jake Sedge — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 13:49:56 +0000

Corsair are widely renowned for their top-quality components ranging from RAM to cases that cater for the enthusiast market. One area where Corsair has always delivered are power supplies- Corsair has always provided high-quality units ranging from their budget Builder series all the way up the enthusiast AX-series.

In terms of power supplies, Corsair are famed for providing high-quality units for the enthusiast market, especially in the 1Kw+ range, which means that quite often Corsair units are chosen purely for the performance while price is put aside. However, the unit I’m going to be reviewing provides enthusiast-grade performance without the price premium one may expect. I believe that this is a smart move by Corsair as it allows their higher end products to be accessible by the mainstream market which increases sales for the manufacturer and results in more satisfied customers. However, to deliver enthusiast-level performance for a mainstream price must result in some corner cutting somewhere, surely? This, we will discover.

The Corsair TX-series is the company’s enthusiast line of PSUs, designed to provide high-performance PSUs for those who want to get the most out of their system whether it be by tweaking, overclocking or modding which will benefit from the clean power this unit can supply. The market is made very clear as it falls above the Builder and Gamer series and below the Professional and Professional Gold series, so very little perceptive thinking is required to deduce the target users- you may retire, Dr Watson.

Thortech Thunderbolt 1000W Modular Power Supply Unit Review

Jake Sedge — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 05:38:01 +0000

Thortech is a brand that I’m sure no one has heard of before and for good reason. Until recently, the Thortech team has been part of GeIL and has handled the R&D for their PSUs for over 15 years, however it is only recently that GeIL has taken the decision to launch a new series of PSUs under the subsidiary of Thortech. I am expecting this change in branding is a PR move that signifies a higher level of performance than what GeIL power supplies were offering. Being as this is a brand new series of power supply being launched under a new brand, we’re not quite sure what to expect from Thortech!

I was surprised to see this unit being priced at around £150, especially for a new brand as it means that the unit will be competing with many of the more well known and time-tested units on the market, so Thortech should be ready to impress us with this unit. The unit has all the credentials of a high end PSU, solid caps, high temperature rating and high-end packaging, but will it perform when it comes to our tests? It’s very difficult to tell how Thortech will approach this unit- it’s not cheap and it hasn’t got much in the way of unique features, so I guess I should be expecting great performance? We shall see!

The Thunderbolt series is Thortech’s first line on PSUs released alongside their Thunderbolt Plus series. Don’t be fooled into thinking this unit is the same as the equivalent Thunderbolt Plus unit but without a power meter- the Thunderbolt Plus series uses completely different internals and a single rail design. It’ll be interesting to see how the two units compare with each other when I review their other offerings.

Cougar G800 GX-Series 800W Power Supply Review

Jake Sedge — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 08:42:24 +0000

Cougar is a company that few have heard of, even in Europe, a very small number would have them in their ‘recommended power supply manufacturer list’ which they would either consider for their own rigs or recommend to others. However, those who do recommend Cougar PSUs are the ones who have used them- and for very good reason! Cougar is actually a subsidiary of Compucase and handle all the power supply R&D work. They have gained a strong reputation for quality among the small but growing market they market to. I can foresee large orders of Cougar units hitting major UK retailers and the shores of the USA in the near future!

Cougar takes a slightly different approach to most manufacturers which is owed to their status as a true PSU manufacturer rather than a case manufacturer with a PSU branch. Cougar are able to build their PSUs from the ground up using their experience in PSU manufacturing. Cougar are going to be facing some very tough competition from the likes of Antec and Corsair who seem to be dominating the PSU market in Europe, however their main competitor will most likely be Enermax as both companies are dedicated PSU manufacturers and aim to supply high quality units, we’ll how they will compete later.

The GX-series is Cougar’s top-of-the-line family that features 80+ Gold Certification with up to 93% efficiency, a semi-modular design and many other features that are typical of a high end PSU. With the many technologies employed by Cougar, and the high build quality, we are expecting great things from this unit!

Antec High Current Pro 1200W Modular Power Supply Review

Jake Sedge — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 00:02:01 +0000

As a reviewer, I always look forward to reviewing an Antec power supply, primarily due to fact that they really know how to make a good one! Antec has been around since 1986 and has risen to the elite class of PSU manufacturers for no other reason than quality. Antec has made a real mark on the hardware enthusiast market, primarily with their power supplies and cases, to a point where just about any enthusiast that has been building for a few years would have owned an Antec product at some point.

There are so many power supplies on the market that all perform just as well on paper that it is very difficult to pick one out from the group. However, as we move up to this high-wattage range the competition starts to thin out and the customers are more knowledgeable about what they are looking for in a power supply. This means that, in this 1kW+ market, high quality units will often sell over gimmicky or lower quality units as the user knows what to look for- which is where Antec comes into their own.

The Antec High Current Pro series distinguishes itself from the High Current Gamer series in a statement that these units exceed the needs and expectations of gamers, and instead provides the performance and reliability that an enthusiast or professional would demand. Antec entrusted this task to Delta Electronics, who are considered one of the best PSU manufacturers around.

The Antec High Current Pro 1200W unit is a result of a ‘no holds barred’ approach by Antec who have clearly designed this product for enthusiasts and professionals looking for the best power available for their high end system.

Enermax NAXN 850W Modular Power Supply Review

Jake Sedge — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 07:39:21 +0000

When you think of quality power supplies, a few names always spring to mind- Antec, Corsair and of course, Enermax. They are one of the more established companies, being around since 1990, and have made a reputation by consistently producing some of the finest power supplies on the market such as the Modu87+ we reviewed previously.

The NAXN series, however, comes with a twist- Enermax is one of the few top manufacturers that make their own PSUs rather than rebranding OEM units. The NAXN series caters for the more budget-orientated enthusiast, so to keep costs down, Enermax has opted to use an OEM by the name of Sirfa which is a company from whom we have not yet seen produce any PSUs, although until recently they produced units as a part of Sirtec which are one of the most established manufacturers in the business. We have seen Enermax take this approach in the past with their other budget units, which have all kept up Enermax’s quality reputation.

Despite using an OEM to produce this unit, the NAXN is far from a budget power supply. It targets itself at the high end of the power supply market and being marketed as an ideal choice for gamers. However, at such a price point the NAXN will really have to prove itself in terms of performance and quality to remain a practical choice for gamers- competing with units such as the cheaper Corsar TX850 and XFX Pro 850W. Whether the NAXN pulls this off or not, we shall see later.

The unit we will be taking a look at is the Enermax Naxn 850W which seems to be the replacement for their old Pro 82+ PSUs with similar features but with more up to date wattages and all sorts of internal changes. Like the Pro 82+ units, this caters for the high-end gamer looking for a top quality PSU for a fair price.

Corsair Professional Series HX1050 Power Supply Unit Review

Jake Sedge — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 22:34:56 +0000

Corsair are widely renowned for their top-quality components ranging from RAM to cases that cater for the enthusiast market. One area where Corsair has always delivered are power supplies- Corsair has always provided high-quality units ranging from their budget Builder series all the way up the enthusiast AX-series.

Both the high and mid range PSU markets are heavily saturated with the vast majority of case manufacturers jumping on the PSU bandwagon, as a result, many manufacturers looks to sell their products with various USPs such as the NeteQ unit I reviewed a while ago that had an advanced fan control system, or units that dress to impress bringing a vast array of LEDs and unique paint jobs to the table. What I respect Corsair for is sticking to their current market and trying to beat the competition with raw performance the old fashioned way rather than coming up with ‘innovative’ ideas that turn out to be useless. Because, let’s face it, a PSU has a boring job that does not require any additional accesories to operate more effectively, it just wants to be placed into the corner of the chassis and left to do it’s job! That is exactly what Corsair have been good at for many years, providing raw power and performace that will look pretty and give you no worries for many years to come.

The unit we will be taking a look at is Corsair’s HX1050 which is the replacement for the slightly aged HX1000 and provides a slight efficiency boost as well as a completely different power delivery method which we will take a look at later. The HX1050 is an enthusiast grade product that is delivered at a lower price point than the premium AX units, but what does this unit sacrifice to lower the costs? That, we shall find out later.

NZXT HALE90 750W Power Supply Unit Review

Jake Sedge — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 22:17:00 +0000

NZXT is one of the better known case manufacturers, known for their unique aesthetic design and great looking cases. However, recently NZXT has been moving into the enthusiast end of the market- most notably with their new Phantom cases and high-end PSUs.

There is not much you can criticise modern power supplies for being, the efficiency is getting better and better, wattage and stability is increasing and more and more units are becoming modular. But their is one thing that 99% of PSUs are guilty of- being incredibly boring! Almost all units are plain black boxes which hide in the corner of your case working away. NZXT break this mould by going with the increasingly popular white and black colour scheme that sets it aside from the others in terms of aesthetics which hopefully signifies a new level of performance.

It seems that NZXT want to make a bold statement with their first PSU line, but as we know from experience, bold statements are not always the best ones! However, the brand new appearance is just concealing the beast within as the HALE90 packs a serious punch- on paper anyway. The most obvious feature is the 80+ Gold certification that instantly tells us that this is an enthusiast model. Not only will it be lighter on your electricity bills, the higher efficiency means that there will be less energy wasted as heat, which when combined with an NZXT-branded 140mm fan, means a very cool and quiet PSU. NZXT also takes on the credentials of all top-end PSUs by featuring a top quality construction made from Japanese solid capacitors and a well designed topography while featuring a modular design and many different protection capabilities for added reassurance. NZXT manage to deliver all of this at a low price point of around £120 which makes it the cheapest 80+ PSU in that range of wattage.

So, the HALE90 certainly seems to offer a lot at a good price point, but how will it fare in our new extremely rigorous test procedure that can be explored further by reading our Power Supply Testing Methodology.

Nesteq ASM Xzero 600W Semi-Fanless Power Supply Unit Review

Jake Sedge — Tue, 31 May 2011 23:16:00 +0000

Compared with companies such as Corsair and Enermax, NesteQ is a relatively small company when it comes to PSUs. When I told a few of my friends about this PSU, the majority of them had never even heard on NesteQ. However, for those of us who have been following PC hardware for a while will know that NesteQ is famed for their quiet PSUs and other products aimed at reducing noise from your system. This new PSU is no exception.

Modern PSUs are generally made from the same mould; a large fan on the bottom, a grill at the back, a power switch and the necessary internals. Although one manufacturer will sometimes bring new aesthetic designs to the table the general functionality of a PSU remains fairly standard. However, NesteQ have set these guidelines aside and have crafted a truly unique product.

In this review we will be taking a look at Nesteq’s Xzero PSU and what it can offer in comparison to the vast majority of power supplies on the market. And most importantly, are these new features genuinely useful or just gimmicks to raise the price? We shall be finding out about that and more later on.

Features

Highly efficient heat pipe cooling

Active PFC (Power Factor Correction)

Up to 89% Efficiency

ATX12V Version 2.2

EPS12V Version 2.91

BTX Version 1.0a

+12V Power – Plus Technology

Advanced Silent Mode Technology

Stack Effect Cooling Solution (SECS)

Power Monitoring Panel

Enhanced Easy Connecting System

Over Power / Voltage / Current / Temperature protection

Short Circuit Protection

Specifications

This unit comes in 4 flavours, 400,500,600 and 700W which all have different power characteristics. We will be testing the 600W model. NesteQ clearly take muli-rail technology seriously as all versions of the Xzero have 4 rails apart from the 700W version which has a massive 6 rails! Take note that on the 600W version the amperage on 12V rails 3 and 4 are lower that 1 and 2 so be sure to balance them accordingly.

Antec TruePower New 750W Power Supply Unit Review

Jake Sedge — Thu, 28 Apr 2011 23:22:00 +0000

Antec are one of the oldest suppliers in the market today, celebrating their 25th year in the business. They are famed for their high quality PSUs and cases, of which their popularity has stood the test of time. In this review we will be seeing if one of Antec’s newer PSUs is a testament to the reputation Antec has earned.

There are a ton of power supplies on the market today all claiming to have various features and specifications that they may or may not have. Now people are becoming more aware about the importance of their power supply they are looking for good quality units rather than the cheapest or prettiest. Antec certainly have experience behind them, but how will their TruePower New 750W match up to the competition from competitors?

We will be taking a very close look at Antec’s Truepower New PSU and if it matches up to the superior reliability and stability that the previous generation Truepower PSUs offered. The unit is manufactured by Seasonic and uses a similar internal design to Seasonic’s own M12D which offers the same stability that the TP-750 is expected to have. Seasonic have been around even longer than Antec and are also famed for top quality PSUs. Considering this, we are expecting the TP-750 to be a quality performer.

Taken from the Antec website:

Antec, Inc., is the leading global brand of high-performance computer components and accessories for the gaming, PC upgrade and Do-It-Yourself (DIY) markets. Founded in 1986, Antec is recognized as a pioneer in these industries and has maintained its position as a worldwide market leader and international provider of efficient, quiet, and reliable products. Antec has also achieved great success in the distribution channel, meeting the demands of quality-conscious system builders, VARs and integrators.
Antec’s offering of enclosures includes a large range of cases, such as its technically advanced Performance One Series, cost-effective New Solution Series and server grade cases designed for the needs of all workstation and server markets. Antec’s products also include front line power supplies such as its TruePower Trio series, Quattro series, and EarthWatts, the most environmentally friendly power supplies available. PC gamers are an increasingly significant consumer of performance components, and many Antec products are geared toward the gaming demographic, like the Nine Hundred, the premier gamer enclosure. Antec also offers a computing accessories line comprised of many original products, including its patented LED Fans and Notebook Cooling solutions.

Features
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NVIDIA SLI – ready certified

80PLUS® Bronze Certified

DC to DC voltage regulator modules

120mm PWM fan

Advanced Modular Hybrid Cable Management

Double layer PCB

Universal Input and Active Power Factor Correction

Supports dual GPUs and multi core CPUs

4x 12V Rails

ATX12V v2.3 and EPS12V v2.91

2 x 6 pin and 2 x 8 (6+2) pin PCI-E graphics card connectors

Industrial grade protection

Designed my Seasonic

Specifications
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The specs are pretty tasty boasting four 25A 12V rails with strict regulation and equally powerful 5V and 3.3V rails which are produced by a DC-DC conversion system which has been proven to be very efficient.

Enermax MODU87+ 800W Modular Power Supply Unit Review

Andy Ruffell — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 18:57:00 +0000

Enermax have been in the market for quite some time and have earned their rightful place as a market leader when it comes to power supplies offering up units suitable for every type of system. With entry level 350W power supplies to 1250W premium class sporting 80 Plus efficiency ratings, you’ll be hard pressed to fault their product selection.

Once you’ve decided on the amount of juice needed to power your rig, you then have more choice as to what style of power supply you’d like from a fixed cable solution to the more favoured modular. With all this in mind, you also have to think about price.

Today sees us taking a look at the Modu87+ 800W power supply with its 80PLUS gold certification aimed at users wanting the very best features and the cleanest form of power.

Taken from the Enermax website:

Enermax Technology Corporation was founded in Taiwan in 1990 and today is one of the leading manufacturers of PC components (power supplies, PC cases, cooling fans, keyboards, HDD enclosures and other peripherals). Since 2000 the head quarter is located in Taoyuan, Taiwan.

Six subsidiaries and numerous affiliates around the world provide an excellent network for ODM/OEM and retail business. Enermax has subsidiaries in Germany, France, Italy, USA, Japan and China. Worldwide, over 600 employees work for Enermax. Since 2004, the Enermax Technology Corporation is listed at the Taiwanese stock exchange.

Features
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80PLUS® GOLD

87 to 93 percent efficiency @ 230V and 20 to 100 percent load. 80PLUS® Gold certified

Dynamic Hybrid Transformer Topology

Technological breakthrough topology using a staged dynamic transformer array for extremely high efficiency with the most durable and stable output at any load

Intel ATX12V v2.3

Compliant with latest desktop power supply design guide. Full support of most current CPU: Intel® Core 2 Duo / Quad / Extreme / i7 / i5 / i3 and AMD® Athlon 64X2/X4 or Phenom X3/X4

Stable and reliable power

Up to four high-performance and massive 12V rails. Extremely low ripple noise

Future ready and flexible

All-round modular cable management. 10/12P sockets for possible connector changes of upcoming high-performance CPU and graphics card generations

DXXI ready!

Full support of most current DX11 graphics cards due to minimum two 6+2P (8P) PCI-E connectors

Full graphics power

Supports SLI and CrossFireX systems

C6 & Hybrid Support

Supports energy saving modes of current and future CPU & GPU generations (C6 & Hybrid Mode) due to ZERO LOAD Design (no minimum load)

Fit4Server (only Modu87+ 800/900W)

SSI PSDG 2009 Support for latest Intel® and AMD® processors. Downward compatible with SSI PSDG 2008 1.0, EPS12V 2.92, 2.91 and 2.8

Air Cooling by Enermax

Integrated 13.9cm fan with patented Twister Bearing Technology ensures efficient and ultra silent cooling and long lifetime (100,000 hours MTBF)

SpeedGuard

Unmatched 330RPM at low loads. Path breaking and leading patented fan control for optimal cooling and minimum noise (Modu87+ 800/900W: 700-1.800RPM)

HeatGuard

Keeping PSU fan running for 30-60 seconds after shut down to dissipate the remaining system heat and prolonging system lifetime

Hybrid Capacitor Array

High-performance capacitor array of heavy-duty solid state capacitors and Japanese electrolytic capacitors to ensure tightest DC stability and regulation

SafeGuard

Industry-leading octuple protection circuitry of OCP, OVP, AC UVP, DC UVP, OPP, OTP, SCP & SIP

CordGuard

Fixing the AC cord tightly to avoid accidental shutdowns of your PC

Non-stop @ 50°C

Non-Stop industrial class performance at 50°C ambient

Worldwide Compatibility

100-240V AC input with automatic adjustment and up to 99% active Power Factor Correction (PFC) for global usage

ENERGY STAR 5.0 ready!

Support computer system to meet ENERGY STAR 5.0 standard.

Dimensions (W x H x D)

500/600/700W: 150mm x 86mm x 160mm / 800/900W: 150mm x 86mm x 175mm

Warranty

5 years vendor warranty

Specifications
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Akasa ES Series 450W Power Supply Review

Andy Ruffell — Mon, 11 Apr 2011 09:48:00 +0000

Recently we’ve seen developments in systems using less power whilst pushing out more performance. Especially with Sandy Bridge and AMD’s Bulldozer hitting the market in a big way. Due to this, systems are requiring less power and remaining stable as a rock.

Akasa have harnessed this market by releasing the ES series of power supplies which offer high-end features in an affordable unit with stability and reliability at the forefront. They feature over 80% efficiency, all of the relevant connectors for any system and stable power delivery.

Today we are looking at the ES Power 450W variant with dual 12V rails, thermally controlled ultra-quiet fan, over 80% efficiency and active PFC.

Taken from the Akasa website:

ES is the entry level series of Akasa power supplies. These can be described as reliable, highly efficient and affordable. The ES power supplies have been designed with a no frills approach but still include many of the important features found on high-end power supplies.

Over 80% efficiency and built in active PFC provides energy saving clean power. The Ultra quiet thermally controlled 12cm fan ensures efficient cooling. Strong 12V output balanced on two rails delivers reliable system performance.

Fully sleeved cables complete with a generous number of connectors, including PCIe for graphics support. This provides great compatibility and makes it an ideal choice for mainstream and basic computing systems of today and the future.

Energy saving active PFC

Over 80% efficient

Thermally controlled ultra quiet fan

Dual 12V rail for stable power delivery

PCIe connector

Fully sleeved cables with black mesh

Suitable for bottom case mounting

Specifications
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Innergie mCube Slim Power Adapter Review

Andy Ruffell — Sun, 06 Feb 2011 19:41:00 +0000

We all use computers, and with portable devices becoming the rage, whether it be tablet or notebook based, more and more people are going down the route of a portable solution. Also with prices dropping and technology moving forward in terms of features and speed, it seems the perfect opportunity to join the fold.

With all products of that nature, they need power, and notebooks, tablets, mp3 players, and phones are no different as even though they use batteries, they will still need charging at some point. If you’re like me, you will have a power cable for your laptop, one for your netbook and one for you iPhone, but wouldn’t it be nice if there was an all in one solution to give you more freedom when you need it?

This is where power product experts Innergie have stepped in with their mCube Slim power adapter, giving users a charger for these products with a difference. The mCube gives the freedom to use one device for multiple products with its interchangeable tips and switchable voltage regulation, making it perfect for travelling with and giving it versatility that other products can only dream of.

Features
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Adjustable Output Voltage
[LIST]

The mCube Slim is able to support a wider range of laptops. Slide switch enables changing between 15-17 volts and 18-21 volts output.

[*]In-Flight Safe

Credited by the RTCA aviation certification, safe usage within air planes is guaranteed.

[*]Fast USB Charging

With special design USB power port, it gives you the capability of charging all your standard USB devices.

[*]Energy Saving

With extremely high power efficiency, you can reduce your energy costs and reduce your CO2 emission.

[*]Multi Built-in Protections

Never worry about unstable voltage anymore, the built-in protections ensure Innergie products are safer than ever.

[*]Great Compatibility

Charge most popular brands of notebooks between 15-21 volts, up to 17″ in LCD size, and 65 watts consumption. Including Acer, Asus, Compaq, Dell, Fujitsu, Gateway, HP, IBM, Lenovo, Sony, Toshiba, and more. Free tip support to ensure Innergie offers the widest laptop compatibility

[/list]Specifications
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AC Input
[LIST]

100-240 Vac /1.5A 50-60Hz

[*]DC Output

19.5 V DC / 3.3A

16 V DC / 4.06A

[*]USB Output

5V DC / 1A

[*]Output Power (Continuous/Peak)

65W Continuous

75W Peak

[*]Dimension (LxWxH) (mm)

100 x 57 x 18 mm

[*]Weight

150 g

[*]Built-in Protections

OCP, OVP, OTP, OPP, SCP

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Click here to view the embedded video.

XFX 850W Black Edition Modular Power Supply Review

Andy Ruffell — Fri, 14 Jan 2011 20:02:00 +0000

Power supplies have always been a vital part of a computer system. Without them you won’t be doing anything and thankfully users are being lectured about their importance. Back in the day systems didn’t require massive amounts of power and if they did you could get away with buying something cheap and cheerful and the job was done. Nowadays you will find that there are more important aspects of a power supply including the efficiency, the rails, the connections, the wattage and the certification.

With so many brands of power supply on the market, it takes a lot of research to firstly find the right brand, secondly find the right wattage and then thirdly finding a product that satisfies the first two criteria.

XFX are a leading manufacturer in the video card world supplying the latest AMD Radeon graphics cards with funky styling, extreme performance and good values. Over the past year,, XFX have carried on doing what they do best, but have also entered the power supply market releasing a whole line of PSUs in various wattages in the hope to tick all of the right boxes.

Their product range consists of the Black edition, XXX edition and Core edition units ranging from 650 to 850 watts in power and giving fantastic benefits including rated 80 plus efficiency, SLI capabilities and a continuous stream of power.

Today we’ll be taking a look at the 850W Black edition modular power supply from them to see how it fairs. This power supply is manufactured by Seasonic and based on an award-winning unit of theirs; the M12D. XFX have given the unit a bit of style flair and the trusted branding that have got XFX to where they are today.