A hidden(ish) gem of a PSU: FSP Raider

[Goobley]

I was just looking for a fairly low power PSU to get for a build for some family and came across this Anandtech article. I went to investigate, first on Amazon Frogland (as that's where I'll be buying it). I was intrigued to see that it's labelled as an 80+ Silver there. The UK rainforest still shows and 80+ Bronze badge. But at under £40 that's quite the platform. The manufacturer's site shows that the PSU is indeed 80+ Silver, so I expect that amazon UK just haven't gotten around to updating their website yet.
Thought it'd be another good option to add to the arsenal of decent budget PSUs next to the XFX/Seasonic (possibly better as it's a real silver). Sounds like it could have been really amazing had it had a semi-fanless mode...

[MrJim]

Will you still get free delivery from Amazon France?

It's a bit cheaper over here:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/FSP-Raidwe-R.../dp/B00GRTS7HQ

[Goobley]

Only because I'll be having it delivered to France! I live there when I'm not at uni. I have had things posted from Amazon UK to France in the past and it was not outrageous at all, <10€ for an xbox 360 ~3 years ago on 48 hour courier.

[Pob255]

looks good, I've generally found the fsp units to be really solid, esp their 80+ bronze ones.
I'd add in the flex atx and sfx ones in the non-atx form factor as good units
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/250w-...1u-flexatx-psu
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/300w-...03v-atx12v-psu
On a side note most of the bequiet units are fsp units with different fans and painted black
the FSP Aurum series is good but a little pricey.

[RedDwarf]

I believe that none UK Amazon sites charge an additional 7 Euros for delivery to the UK.

[Stuen4y]

I was just looking for a fairly low power PSU to get for a build for some family and came across this Anandtech article. I went to investigate, first on Amazon Frogland (as that's where I'll be buying it). I was intrigued to see that it's labelled as an 80+ Silver there. The UK rainforest still shows and 80+ Bronze badge. But at under £40 that's quite the platform. The manufacturer's site shows that the PSU is indeed 80+ Silver, so I expect that amazon UK just haven't gotten around to updating their website yet.
Thought it'd be another good option to add to the arsenal of decent budget PSUs next to the XFX/Seasonic (possibly better as it's a real silver). Sounds like it could have been really amazing had it had a semi-fanless mode...

Just bear in mind it is with group regulation, being based on the Aurum platform. The components inside are not of the highest quality (Taepo Taiwanese caps) and the quality of the manufacture is so so. Still Raider 450 and 550 are strong contenders and have little to no competition in their price range. The other two Raider PSUs - 650 and 750 are less favourable options as up scaling the platform does not work that well and their performance starts to suffer even more from the active-clamp design.

looks good, I've generally found the fsp units to be really solid, esp their 80+ bronze ones.
I'd add in the flex atx and sfx ones in the non-atx form factor as good units
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/250w-...1u-flexatx-psu
http://www.scan.co.uk/products/300w-...03v-atx12v-psu
On a side note most of the bequiet units are fsp units with different fans and painted black
the FSP Aurum series is good but a little pricey.

FSP used to be good and is not any more. They are quite sparse from the inside and target the marketing side of their units more than the internals - Efficiency, modularity, paint job, "BIG" fans, and so on. Their designs are old-ish, the components they use on the budget side, and their manufacturing facilities so so. Generally I would recommend to avoid FSP different from Raider 450 and Raider 550. Even the models where the OEM is FSP like the mentioned Be Quiet! ones.