I got a copy of CUSTOMPC magazine (www.custompc.co.uk) the other day because it had a big article on PSU's...they tested 31 different units in 2 groups <500W and 501W+. They reviewed: Under 500W Section, Generic 400W ThermalTake PurePower 480APD Ultra X-Connect 500W SilverStone Strider ST46F Antec SmartPower 2.0 SP500PGB Aerocool AeroPower II+ Hiper HPU-4M480 Tagan TG480-U01 FSP Zen Akasa AK-P460FG BLV2 SilverPower S12-500 Seasonic S12-500 500W and Over Generic 600W Antec True Control 550 SilenX iXtrema Pro A-PFC 600W Q-Tec 650W Triple Fan 24p OCZ PowerStream OCZ600ADJ-EU SilenX iXtrema Pro A-PFC 520W Hiper HPU-4K580 Enermax EG701AX-VE(W)SFMA Tagan TG530-U15 Cooler Master Real Power 550W PC Power & Cooling Turbo-Cool 550W Express/SLI PC Power & Cooling Turbo-Cool 850 SSI Enermax EG851AX-VH(W) Akasa PowerPlus 650W SilverStone Zeus ST65ZF FSP FX600-80GLN Seasonic S12-600 There's a lot there, I would type it up but to get the real information from it you need the graphcs and every little detail, there's too much so I'm sorry. Get a copy of the magasine if you can though, it's a very interesting read.
You could at least mention which ones failed/exploded. Otherwise your post is pretty worthless to the forum goers, especially those of us who don't live in the UK.
I'm making a note of them as we speak I realised I should have done and am looking them up now...don't worry...(just give me a bit of time)
Okay here's the ratings the Magasine gave them and from the graphs which ones failed. The Percentage Scores were worked out from Stability, Features and Value so a PSU with 100% Stability and great features may be brought down by the fact it's expensive. Under 500W Section 46% Generic 400W 65% ThermalTake PurePower 480APD 66% Ultra X-Connect 500W 81% SilverStone Strider ST46F 83% Antec SmartPower 2.0 SP500PGB 84% Aerocool AeroPower II+ 84% Hiper HPU-4M480 86% Tagan TG480-U01 86% FSP Zen 87% Akasa AK-P460FG BLV2 86% SilverPower S12-500 94% Seasonic S12-500 500W and Over 32% Generic 600W 38% Antec True Control 550 41% SilenX iXtrema Pro A-PFC 600W 51% Q-Tec 650W Triple Fan 24p 65% OCZ PowerStream OCZ600ADJ-EU 70% SilenX iXtrema Pro A-PFC 520W 71% Hiper HPU-4K580 71% Enermax EG701AX-VE(W)SFMA 79% Tagan TG530-U15 80% Cooler Master Real Power 550W 81% PC Power & Cooling Turbo-Cool 550W Express/SLI 82% PC Power & Cooling Turbo-Cool 850 SSI 84% Enermax EG851AX-VH(W) 84% Akasa PowerPlus 650W 84% SilverStone Zeus ST65ZF 89% FSP FX600-80GLN 92% Seasonic S12-600 Okay in the different tests, these one's failed: 12V Rail(s) Antec SmartPower 2.0 SP500PGB Generic 400W Silverstone Strider ST46F Thermaltake Pure Power 480APD Ultra X-Connect 500W Antec True Control 550 Generic 600W Hiper HPU-4K580 OCZ PowerStream PCZ600ADJ-EU Q-Tec 650W Triple Fan 24p SilenX iXtrema Pro A-PFC 600W Tagan TG530-U15 3.3V Rail Generic 400W Thermaltake Pure Power 480APD Ultra X-Connect 500W Antec TrueControl 550 Generic 600W Hiper HPU-4K580 Hiper HPU-4K580 OCZ PowerStream PCZ600ADJ-EU Q-Tec 650W Triple Fan 24p SilenX iXtrema Pro A-PFC 600W 5V Rail Generic 400W Thermaltake Pure Power 480APD Ultra X-Connect 500W Antec TrueControl 550 Generic 600W Hiper HPU-4K580 Hiper HPU-4K580 OCZ PowerStream PCZ600ADJ-EU Q-Tec 650W Triple Fan 24p SilenX iXtrema Pro A-PFC 600W 5V Standby Generic 400W Thermaltake Pure Power 480APD Ultra X-Connect 500W Antec TrueControl 550 Generic 600W Hiper HPU-4K580 Hiper HPU-4K580 OCZ PowerStream PCZ600ADJ-EU Q-Tec 650W Triple Fan 24p SilenX iXtrema Pro A-PFC 600W -12V Rail Generic 400W Thermaltake Pure Power 480APD Ultra X-Connect 500W Antec TrueControl 550 Generic 600W Hiper HPU-4K580 Hiper HPU-4K580 OCZ PowerStream PCZ600ADJ-EU Q-Tec 650W Triple Fan 24p SilenX iXtrema Pro A-PFC 600W The tests were 50% Load, 75% Load, 100% Load and 100% Load for 30 minutes. These PSU's failing doesn't mean they just stopped, although a lot of them did when they were put under load some of them dropped below the ratings/limits for the ATX Spec. None of them supplied too much voltage surprisingly enough.
Thanks for the article, Matt555. Very informative. Also illustrates why I recommend overspec'ing PSUs a bit over what you technically need. One question though, which ones physically failed (i.e. caught fire)?
I'll have a look... *looking* Okay Aerocool submitted 2 PSU's for testing, the 550W one the gave them blew up straight away (could have been a bad unit though) Ultra X-Connect 500W Antec True Control 550 OCZ powerStream OCZ600ADJ-EU (overheated, unpleasant small, shutdown and no more powering on) I can't find which other ones did, I'll keep looking though, some started to smell funny and get rather hot though, if 9 exploded I do wish they would make it more clear exactly which ones as at the beginning of the article where the main picture and PSU's to be tested are (names not descriptions) it says "To find out which PSU's are the quietest and most stable, which can really do what their manufacturers claim and which six blew up during the 100 percent load test, read on" So six blew up during the load test, make it clear then, in the graphs it shows a zero for PSU's that failed but that could mean they just turned off...bah
Ahh, intersting. I have had a bit of experience with that Antec True Control 550, and I don't like it. That being said, it has an external potentiometer that allows you to overvolt each rail, repsectively. If you don't have the potentiometer connected at all, the PSU will undervolt severely. I wonder if they had the potentiometer connected? If not, the PSU would run at about 1/4 of its capacity. I suspect this may be the case, as I've found that model of PSU to be quite solid, although I doubt the usefulness of a potentiometer on a PC power supply. All the best, -AT
Yeah that could some disasterous effects, someone could severly overvolt their system...bad idea I think
Well I guess that's the second review to have one of those Ultra X-Connects explode...not good. They seem to have issues when stressed from what I understand.
Yeah and yet in that extreme PC garage they used 2 of them to power a very high specced machine including 2 7800GTX's in SLI...okay so there's 2 of them but they still fail...silly, very very silly
Very nice Matt. I was very surprised to see Antec, OCz, and Thermaltake PSU's as unstable and undersirable. Looks like Seasonic is the way to go:good: Thanks man.
ooo ooo, hiper power supply faild its not like most power supplys in most peoples systems are going to be stressed as much as they were proberbly stressed in the testing labs tho :\
All of the PSUs are listed by watts, but what I'm even more interested in is the amps, and on which rails they failed.