PSU's: 31 Tested, 15 Failed 9 Exploded!

Discussion in 'Power Supplies and UPS's' started by Matt555, Oct 18, 2005.

  1. Matt555

    Matt555 iMod

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    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.
     
  2. Anti-Trend

    Anti-Trend Nonconformist Geek

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    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.
     
  3. Matt555

    Matt555 iMod

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    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)
     
  4. Matt555

    Matt555 iMod

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    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.
     
  5. Anti-Trend

    Anti-Trend Nonconformist Geek

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    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)?
     
  6. Matt555

    Matt555 iMod

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    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
     
  7. Anti-Trend

    Anti-Trend Nonconformist Geek

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    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
     
  8. Matt555

    Matt555 iMod

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    Yeah that could some disasterous effects, someone could severly overvolt their system...bad idea I think
     
  9. Big B

    Big B HWF Godfather

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    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.
     
  10. Matt555

    Matt555 iMod

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    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
     
  11. Exfoliate

    Exfoliate Geek Trainee

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    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.
     
  12. Matt555

    Matt555 iMod

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    Yeah that did surprise me, Seasonic looking good!
    :good:
     
  13. Willz

    Willz MiCrO$oFt $uK$ :D

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    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 :\
     
  14. Anti-Trend

    Anti-Trend Nonconformist Geek

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    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.
     

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