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

Matt555

Matt555

iMod
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.
 
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