600-700W PSU Shootout

Printable View

18-08-2006, 08:35 AM
Steve

600-700W PSU Shootout

Quote:

What we'll call workstation-class PCs are those on the market today that demand a PSU with outlandish output power, rail options and cabling runs to suit. You'll know instantly if you need one, and the likely spec. of such a PC means that you have the money to spend to grab a supply like those on test today. So to help you choose one from many, we've nabbed over half-a-dozen PSUs with high-end aspirations and subjected them to our test equipment. Read on to see what we found out.

http://www.hexus.net/content/item.php?item=6507
18-08-2006, 10:09 AM
Rys

It's all about the octopodes!
18-08-2006, 10:32 AM
chuckskull

I think I mihgt ask scan to swap my dead enermax for one of those FSP PSU's. Nice review. Could of done with some reference to noise though. High rated PSU's tend to be one of the loadest things in the system.
18-08-2006, 04:58 PM
Ionix1

Nice review, I'm about to buy the FSP 600W one myself. What were the noise levels like?
18-08-2006, 08:24 PM
vrykyl

the fsp psu's (i have the epsilon 700w variant) is DEAD silent... cant be heard over whisper quiet cases fans (7v akasa ambers)... Iv had tons of psu's including pcpower&cooling, and this fsp is by far the quietest psu iv ever had :D Just a shame there's not a 1kw+ fsp epsilon yet ;)
18-08-2006, 08:44 PM
Ionix1

Quote:

Originally Posted by vrykyl

the fsp psu's (i have the epsilon 700w variant) is DEAD silent... cant be heard over whisper quiet cases fans (7v akasa ambers)... Iv had tons of psu's including pcpower&cooling, and this fsp is by far the quietest psu iv ever had :D Just a shame there's not a 1kw+ fsp epsilon yet ;)

Thanks for that mate, I'm definitly getting the FSP one now. Can't wait for my first build!
18-08-2006, 08:59 PM
chuckskull

Right thats pretty much sealed the deal on me swapping my enermax for one, well presuming scan have probs with that (tbh I doubt they will).
19-08-2006, 12:08 AM
Cellar Dweller

Where is it???

I've seen many a PSU Review and you guys have done a top notch one here the only problem is that people always forget one.

Not sure if it's because this company is not known for it's power supplies or what? All I have to say is I've had several name brand and top notch ones over the years and I've come to believe this is by far the best one I've ever had and I might add I now have 3 of them.

I've cleared up several blue screens and other issues with this over many of the ones in your review and the so called top of the lines. I might also add I think it also has the best warranty of any available...

Without further ado here it is: mdmm.com/products/techietoyz/power-SurePower_600.asp

The reason I bring this up is I'd really like to know how it really does add up to the big guns.

I just can't understand why they are NEVER on anyones review (Anywhere) for PSU's. Well my review is a solid 10 out of 10... Well thanks for reading... lol.

Very Quiet (3) Fans - (3) Speeds (Auto, Standard, Turbo)
Modular
5 Year Warranty
19-08-2006, 05:00 PM
sn_85

i have a few questions about the test results. Why is it that the OCZ 700W gets an 89% efficiency rating while the unit it is based on, FSP Epsilon, gets a 81%? and not only does it have a higher efficiency, it has an unbelievable efficiency of 89%. something seems wrong there. any thoughts?
20-08-2006, 08:30 AM
Tibors

Error in review data.

Quote:

Originally Posted by sn_85

Why is it that the OCZ 700W gets an 89% efficiency rating while the unit it is based on, FSP Epsilon, gets a 81%? and not only does it have a higher efficiency, it has an unbelievable efficiency of 89%.

While it is possible that that there are efficiency differences with the same design due to slight manufacturing differences, a jump from 81% to 89% is only possible with a majorly different design. Another hint that there is something wrong here, are the temperature measurements. If the efficiency numbers were correct, then the OCZ is dumping 88.7W of heat into the air and the FSP Epsilon 164.4W. But the temperature measurements show only a difference of 0.5° over ambient. That is just not possible unless the FSP has a way faster moving fan (which I somehow doubt).

Now looking at the numbers again: I think somebody made a typo somewhere. The input power of the OCZ has likely been 870W in stead of 807W.
20-08-2006, 10:27 AM
cotswoldcs

Interesting review although it's a shame you didn't mention anything about acoustics. My primary conern when choosing a new PSU would be noise - I'm a fan of quiet systems and am prepared extra for products which generate less noise.

Which PSU of the bunch was the most quiet? Was it the Seasonic - or perhaps the Tagan? Even a subjective opinion would be useful. How do they compare with a 300-400W PSU - are they generally noisier?
21-08-2006, 07:35 AM
psumann

This must be one of the worst PSU reviews I have read in a long time. Not only there was no meaningful comparison between the PSUs, both the test data and calculations were off. There is no way OCZ GXS is 89% efficiency unless you guys got a super soup up version of OCZ GXS 700W. And, aren’t the efficiency supposed to be calculated with “actual output” divided by input AC? Also, the Corsair efficiency number doesn’t compute either with “ideal output” or the “actual output”.

I don’t know if your temperature results are right either. If they are, I don’t know how FSP and OCZ can be recommended when they are at least 7 degrees C hotter under load than the others.
21-08-2006, 10:32 AM
Tibors

Quote:

Originally Posted by psumann

I don’t know if your temperature results are right either. If they are, I don’t know how FSP and OCZ can be recommended when they are at least 7 degrees C hotter under load than the others.

Look again at the numbers AND at the text below them. The OCZ and FSP were tested with a higher room ambient temperature. It is the rise over ambient that is important, not the absolute temp.
21-08-2006, 03:45 PM
psumann

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tibors

Look again at the numbers AND at the text below them. The OCZ and FSP were tested with a higher room ambient temperature. It is the rise over ambient that is important, not the absolute temp.

:Oops: You are right. However, that data is still meaningless. Why? Because all of the PSUs tested are equipped with thermally controlled fan. Some fans might not kick in at high RPM if the ambient temperature is low and therefore the rise over ambient might look higher. What I need to see is all of the PSUs tested at the same ambient temp and the noise level comparison between them during idle and under load.
23-08-2006, 02:50 AM
Clunk

i have the fsp 700w and i have to say that its really really noisy, annoyingly so. everything about it is "cheap" right from the connectors to the finish of the paint on the psu itself. it says on the box that it is a led fan, mine doesnt have an led (not that im bothered), its the noise thats irritating me. to put it into context, i have 7 yate loon 120mm fans running on full blast and you can hear the psu above them..turn all the yate loons off and the psu fan is blasting away. going to send it back to scan for a refund, its doing my nut in!
23-08-2006, 04:24 PM
BUFF

Quote:

Originally Posted by Clunk

i have the fsp 700w and i have to say that its really really noisy, annoyingly so. everything about it is "cheap" right from the connectors to the finish of the paint on the psu itself. it says on the box that it is a led fan, mine doesnt have an led (not that im bothered), its the noise thats irritating me.

FSP changed the fan - you should be able to get the FSP rep here to check your ser. no. if it's the old or new (quieter) fan.
My FSP 700W box doesn't say that - however, the fan has light blue blades & I've seen on many forums people thinking that means a blue light fan ... (think it was a translation thing)
23-08-2006, 08:49 PM
Clunk

Quote:

Originally Posted by BUFF

FSP changed the fan - you should be able to get the FSP rep here to check your ser. no. if it's the old or new (quieter) fan.
My FSP 700W box doesn't say that - however, the fan has light blue blades & I've seen on many forums people thinking that means a blue light fan ... (think it was a translation thing)

you are quite right there mate. it doesnt say that on the box, in fact the box that i have isnt even in english! dunno where i got that from. but the noise is definately unacceptable, as is the way the 20+4 pin join together..if you have a tight squeeze to get them in, it is a right pain when they keep pinging open. maybe i just got a duff one, that wouldnt be surprising with my ratio of returns recently :)

swapped it for a tagan, hopefully the config of that will be better.
24-08-2006, 01:34 PM
Clunk

so the tagan arrived today. first impressions..nice finish, plenty of extras.

who decided to make the cable runs so short that they wont reach anything? the longest sata/molex run is about 60cm long, that may just reach. the run of cable that i need the most is the molex one, this is unfortunately the shortest?? wtf?

another bizarre thing is the sleeving. they go to the trouble of putting the tinted copper braiding sleeving on the pcie, 12v 6/4/8 pin cables, and then leave the main atx cable with 2 different types of sleeving/bare wires, and ALL the molex/sata wires are just twisted bare coloured wires, absolutely pointless imo. there are 4 sata/molex converter plugs, this is a great idea, but theres a flaw..because the main molex run isnt long enough to be useful, this means that you only have 4 molex connectors for the whole psu (unless you use y connectors/extensions), for me, this is completely useless as i usually have all my wiring hidden. bah.

edit: managed to use extensions to make the molex reach, but everything is running off the same run of cable..3 hard drives, waterpump, dvd, fan controller, 2 cathodes, 7x120mm fans. cant be good. noise isnt too bad, nowhere near as noisy as the FSP, but not as quiet as the old enermax noisetaker. ill see what tagan have to say.
29-08-2006, 03:58 PM
psumann

Finally a manufacturer caught the mistakes and took the time to do right2reply. Kudos to Corsair!
23-01-2007, 05:58 PM
Tarinder

HEXUS got it wrong – a sincere apology.

Quote:

HEXUS got it wrong – a sincere apology.

Find out the background and reasoning here.
23-01-2007, 06:20 PM
pauldarkside

An easy mistake to make and it's a shame it's taken this long to rectify but kudos for getting it right in the end.

Thanks for being honest!
24-01-2007, 10:14 AM
Bull Dog

But this is what I like about Hexus, when they do get something wrong they apologize and do not try to sweep everything under a rug.
24-01-2007, 10:25 AM
blueball

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bull Dog

But this is what I like about Hexus, when they do get something wrong they apologize and do not try to sweep everything under a rug.

hear hear!
24-01-2007, 06:22 PM
Bob Crabtree

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bull Dog

But this is what I like about Hexus, when they do get something wrong they apologize and do not try to sweep everything under a rug.

We haven't got a rug.

Too poor!

Sniff!

Mind you, people reckon I'll be needing one soon!

:rolleyes:
24-01-2007, 10:39 PM
MoodyBlues

Like Paul Dutton said: "we are only human." and that's spot on. It's not even that big of a mistake, since the OCZ still is a good choice. So I don't think much poeople who relied on Hexus' review will be dissapointed with their choice for an OCZ power supply.
25-01-2007, 12:01 AM
dave87

Quote:

Originally Posted by MoodyBlues

Like Paul Dutton said: "we are only human." and that's spot on. It's not even that big of a mistake, since the OCZ still is a good choice. So I don't think much poeople who relied on Hexus' review will be dissapointed with their choice for an OCZ power supply.

What that man said ^^
25-01-2007, 12:42 AM
Dorza

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bull Dog

But this is what I like about Hexus, when they do get something wrong they apologize and do not try to sweep everything under a rug.

Agreed. Lets not forget its a risk for a any respected organisation to actually have the courage to admit to their mistakes. This should be a situation where hexus should gain respect and not lose it. :)
25-01-2007, 03:48 PM
Alkan

Nice review.

I would also like to have seen some comments on the noise produced by the PSU. Either by using equipment or just the reviewers own opinions.

p.s Great site. Keep up the good work.
06-11-2012, 07:34 PM
Dumb_Question

Re: 600-700W PSU Shootout

I was looking at this article, specifically at the Coolermaster iGreen 600 numbers in the table on p9., and I was concerned to notice that in the table the voltages on the 3.V and 5V rails, each drawing 18A, 2A less than the manufacturer's specification, were 2.87V and 4.67V respectively. I had believed that that the ATX spec was +/- 5% for the rails, and the measured numbers are way below this. I would not interpret this a "pass without fuss or bother"

Further, I am unable to reproduce the total output power numbers in the table exactly. Using the simple (sum V*I) algorithm, I get 608.4W (ideal) and 599.3W (actual) compared to 613.4 and 601.1W respectively in the table.

Can anyone explain these apparent discrepancies please ?
06-11-2012, 08:41 PM
Phage

Re: 600-700W PSU Shootout

http://www.planetcalypsoforum.com/ga...ost_759032.jpg

All times are GMT +1. The time now is 08:24 PM.