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Today on the new test bench we have the latest Antec HCG-620M power supply, a 620 modular unit targeted towards the mid-end segment of the market and more specifically gamers.
The latest Antec High Current Gamer 620W M is a modular version of the HCG-620 i had the chance to test a while ago but since modular cabling affects the performance of a power supply i thought it would be nice to see just how good the new HCG-620 M really is. Certainly the high current gamer series is not Antec's top line of power supply units but it offers a very good performance/price ratio which is indeed what most gamers are after when looking to buy a new unit.
The box contains the HCG-620M power supply placed inside a bag, the user's manual paper (product overview), 4 mounting screws, AC power cord and the modular cables.
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Price $89.99
Today we are going to be taking a look at one of the newest power supplies in the EarthWatts line the Platinum 650W. This 650W power supply has an 80PLUS Platinum certification, the highest efficiency mark for power supplies. With this power supply you will ge 92% efficiency at 50% load and 89% efficiency at 100% load.
This power supply is not modular as many high efficiency power supply are not. So all of the cables are connected to the power supply. All of the cables are nicely sleeved. Taking a closer look we have the single 24pin ATX power connector, one 8pin CPU power connector, two 8pin(6+2) PCI-Express connectors, four molex connectors, six SATA connectors, and a single floppy connector.
This is the first 80PLUS Platinum certified power supply that we have seen from Antec and for an for the entry-level segment they have done a pretty good job. In our testing the voltage regulation on all three rails was just over 1% which is really good. You can not go wrong with the Platinum rating either. This will keep your electricity bill down especially if you are using this power supply on your main rig.
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Price $114.49
Today we are taking a look at the new ProSeries 1000W Platinum PSU. It should offer enough power for nearly everyone out there and do so at high efficiency. DC output quality was OK from start to finish. Starting out, we were clearly able to see a ripple on the scope during Test 1 where we measured noise at a low 12mV peak to peak.
This steadily increased as the loads also increased. By the time we had reached around 50% load, the unit ripple had crept up to 33mV. Under full load, we saw that the noise on the 12V rail had crept up to 53mV.
The XFX ProSeries 1000W is rated for 80Plus Platinum efficiency. This means that the power supply must perform at 90%/92%/89% efficiency at 20%/50%/100% loads respectively. As you can see, the XFX ProSeries managed to score a pass while on our test bench. There were several times that the power supply was right on the edge. This would explain why the 1050W ProSeries PSU is only rated for 80Plus Gold efficiency.
XFX has a great power supply with the ProSeries 1000W. It is loaded with features, has great cable selection and a ton of power to handle just about whatever you can throw at it.
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Price $246.99
The ZT Series is found within OCZ’s High Performance category and is significant due to its fully modular cabling system. Most PSUs that name themselves modular refer to a certain group of cables that are removable but the ZT boasts a completely modular configuration – even the motherboard ATX cable is detachable. The ZT series adopts 80 Plus Bronze certification and is available in following variants 550W, 650W, and 750W. Today we will be taking a look at the first model and lowest rated wattage – 550W. Ideal for those who are looking to build a gaming system with a powerful graphics card and typical assortment of drives and devices.
Choosing the right PSU is an important decision for the enthusiast because it is the backbone of any system. The ZT 550W is an affordable PSU, not only is it within the same price-range as some of the other 500W PSUs that aren’t modular it obviously adopts this fully modular characteristic.
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Price $64.99
The TR2 Bronze is the latest mainstream power supply series from Thermaltake, with the 80 Plus Bronze certification and available in 380 W, 450 W, 500 W, 600 W, 700 W, and 800 W versions. The TR2 700 W proved to be a flawless unit, with high efficiency between 82.6% and 87.4%, voltages closer to their nominal values all the time (3% regulation), and very low noise and ripple levels.
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Price $110.80
The ZT Series is the latest power supply series from OCZ, with a full modular cabling system – meaning that even the main motherboard cable is detachable – and 80 Plus Bronze certification. Available in 550 W, 650 W, and 750 W versions
ZT Series power supplies are manufactured by Great Wall, while the ZS Series power supplies are manufactured by High Power.
This 650W power supply unit has a modular cabling system with nine connectors: one for the main motherboard cable, one for the ATX12V/EPS12V cable (black), two for video cards (gray), and five for SATA and peripheral power connectors (black).
The OCZ ZT Series 650 W proved to be a flawless power supply, with high efficiency between 82.1% and 86.8%, voltages closer to their nominal values all the time (3% regulation), very low noise and ripple levels, and a fully modular cabling system. All of that sells at a terrific price of USD 100, making this product a no-brainer if you are looking for the “perfect” power supply with a full modular cabling system. It costs only USD 10 more than the OCZ ZS Series 650 W, which has similar performance but no modular cabling system.
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Price $89.99
Kingwin’s new Stryker series of PSUs aims at the gaming market. Its 80PLUS Platinum-certified 500W unit with a five year warranty supplies enough power to drive a medium-range gaming rig and not make a sound doing it. It’s 80PLUS Platinum certified which means that it’s up to 92% efficient at 50% load.
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Price $158.95
The new ZS Series 550 Watt power supply has changed from a multi rail to single rail design and uses higher grade components with 80 Plus Bronze Certification. OCZ have also upgraded the size of the fan to 135mm to offer better cooling proficiency. Efficiency from the supply is very good for a bronze rated unit, achieving almost 86% at around 50% load. It falls to 83.35% efficiency at full load. The active fan helps maintain good temperature variables, rising to a 10c above ambient intake at full load. Technically, it is a basic, yet tried and trusted Sirfa implementation and is an improvement over OCZ’s older ‘value’ designs. The new product features higher efficiency, a single rail output and Japanese capacitors.
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Price $79.99
The ZS Series is the latest mainstream power supply series from OCZ. Available in 550 W, 650 W, and 750 W versions, these models don’t come with a modular cabling system. The cable configuration is excellent for a mainstream product, with eight SATA power connectors and two video card power connectors.
The OCZ ZS Series 650 W proved to be an outstanding mainstream power supply. It can really deliver its labeled wattage at high temperatures, and we could pull up to 780 W. Voltages are closer to their nominal values than required (3% voltage regulation), noise and ripple levels are low, and it provides terrific efficiency for the market to which it is targeted, between 84% and 86% when we pulled between 20% and 80% of the unit’s labeled power (i.e., between 130 W and 520 W), and 82% at full load (650 W). Another highlight of this unit is the presence of eight SATA power connectors.
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Price $89.99
Today we are taking a look at Corsairs CX430V2, a 430W power supply in the Builder series. It doesn't boast a ton of cables and connectors, lacks the wattage to power a small village, and even carries the lowest 80Plus certification that a power supply can get. What it does boast is one heck of a cheap price tag and the ability to provide enough power for almost every non-enthusiast level home or office computer.
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Price $44.99
The Earthwatts EA 750W is supplied without a power cable, a move which won’t appeal to everyone. Antec are aiming these models as ‘upgrade’ units. I spoke to them when they sent over the 650W and 750W units and they felt that many people already have several power cables and that another could be deemed as an unnecessary extra. As I said before, there is certainly a tinge of helping ‘mother earth’ to the whole concept but it bewilders me. Best to just get into the review.
So whats new with this latest model? Antec are still using Delta as their OEM partner, but the latest range is 80 Plus Bronze Certified. The new units are ‘green’ and they have received some performance improvements. The 750W we are reviewing today is also equipped with a larger fan, always a good sign.
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Price $89.99
The SilverStone Strider Gold 750W was originally a power supply shown off at the beginning of the year during the Consumer Electronics Show (CES2011), but since then SilverStone kindly sent over a review sample. What SilverStone prides itself upon with this power supply is its 80 PLUS Gold efficiency certification, 100% modular cables, a single +12V 62 Amp rail, quality Japanese capacitors, and its range of support (6/8-pin PCI-E, dual EPS 8-pin, ATX 12V 2.3, EPS12V). The power efficiency is rated at 87%~90%.
The Strider Gold 750W (SST-ST75F-G) provides 22 Amps on the +3.3V line, 25 Amps on the +5V line, and 62 Amps on the +12V line with a maximum power of 744 Watts. This PSU is rated as a 750W power supply, but its peak power output is 850 Watts. The weight on this power supply is 3.075 kilograms and it is dimensioned at 150 x 86 x 180 mm.
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Price $161.20
The Corsair TX750 and TX850 power supplies have now been around for some time and I guess rather than discontinue what has proved to be a very successful product Corsair have decided to keep the model going a little longer and offer a few improvements with the V2 units. This time around OCC will take a look at two power supplies from the V2 range, the TX750V2 and TX850V2 power supplies and see just what improvements, if any, Corsair have made.
The Corsair TX750V2 and TX850V2 boxes, with their yellow, black and white theme, are basically the same apart from model numbers and technical specification. The top face of the box shows a photograph of the cooling fan side of the power supply along with model number, Corsair logo and a small box in the top right hand corner showing it’s a V2 unit.
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Price $133.99
NEW 850W TX850 V2 Power Supply (Cases & Power Supplies)
Price $159.15
The Kingwin LZP-550 PSU is one of the first 80 PLUS Platinum certified power supplies to hit the market. And high efficiency isn't the LZP-550's only claim to fame. Kingwin has just released their first Lazer Platinum Series power supply, the LZP-550, which is one of the first 80 PLUS Platinum certified PC power supplies on the market. The LZP-550 PSU is rated for 550 W output and can be easily overclocked to 650 W output with only a slight drop in efficiency. Kingwin's new power supply comes with a full compliment of fixed and modular cables, a quiet 140 mm fan that doesn't even turn on until the load heats up, and includes universal AC input with Active PFC. It is designed to support the latest Intel and AMD processors along with multiple high-end graphic adapters. And last but not least, Kingwin has extended their traditional 3-year warranty to five years; now we're talking.
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Price $107.95
PC Power & Cooling has an established reputation in the power supply market, but since they came under the OCZ umbrella there haven't been many new products. Could PC P&C maintain the quality they were known for? Would they have the autonomy to continue engineering solid products? We're looking at their latest release, the Silencer 760W, in the hopes of finding those answers. The PC Power & Cooling Silencer 760W features an 80Plus Silver certification, coming with an astounding 7 year warranty and a competitive price of $130. It's also got an interesting front-to-back cooling design, bucking the recent trend of large bottom-mounted fan designs. Can it measure up?
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Price $125.58
Antec package the High Current Gamer range in a large, sturdy box which gives some basic information on the front and numerous specifications on the other sides. Inside we find the PSU protected by a second layer of cardboard and bundled with it is a mains plug, installation screws and a quick start guide. The full manual is available as a download from Antec's website. Antec also wrap the PSU in a cloth bag for further protection and the cables provided are held together with a re-usable tie. In terms of key features we have a unit which has one +12v rail rated for 48A and as well as being a 620w model Antec are keen to point out that this is 620w continuous at 35°C, not peak which is the rating some other manufacturers use. Mixed with this high specification is an 80 Plus Bronze certified unit which means it has passed certification of 82% efficiency at 20% and 100% load with 50% load rated at over 85%.
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Price $94.58
FSP’s Aurum line is stepping it up by delivering no less than 87% conversion efficiency – and in many cases, higher. The Aurum series of power supplies clearly look pretty impressive on paper, but they also look pretty impressive in person. FSP has clearly gone above and beyond to make these look like a premium component. FSP has a simple, solid product that does what it does better than many more popular products. The unusually high efficiency achieved by the advanced designs FSP chose will be especially welcome where either heat, or a power bill is relevant – basically everywhere.
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Price $106.62
  | The StealthXStream2 is the successor of the original OCZ StealthXStream power supply. Like the original, the StealthXStream2 power line of power supplies is designed for the price conscious value seeking performance crowd with models ranging from 400W to 700W. We will be looking at the 600W version today. Starting off with our first set of open air tests the unit managed a 85% efficiency rating at 50% and 80% load and 84% at 100% load. The 3.3V and 5V rails managed very well, but usually these rails aren’t the ones that we’re too concerned about. From our 50% load test to 100% load the 12V rail moved from 12.05V to 11.96V which at most a change of less than half a percentage from specification. An excellent showing here. Read more... |
OCZ Technology StealthXStream 2 OCZ600SXS2 ATX12V & EPS12V Power Supply - 85% - 600 W Price $$73.99
  | Today, Corsair brings us another member of their newest line of power supplies, the AX series, in the dress of the AX850 (CMPSU-850AX) that is produced in conjunction with Seasonic. Moving on let’s see what we can expect when a user purchases the Corsair AX850 power supply in retail in terms of documentation, accessories, cable count, rail layout, output characteristics, and general build quality. Read more... |
Corsair CMPSU-850HX 850-Watt HX Professional Series 80 Plus Certified Power Supply compatible with Core i7 and Core i5
Price $169.99
  | The Enermax Pro 87+ is an impressive speced power supply. As the name implies it has been 80+ certified with the Gold level. This means that the efficiency must be 88%/92%/88% at 20/50/100% load for a 230V PSU and 87%/90%87% for a 115V PSU. A high efficiency means less wasted power = saving money. It is a high quality power supply that has no problems providing our system with stable power even when we add high performance components in it. Read more... |
ENERMAX PRO87+ EPG600AWT 600W Power Supply
Buy now for $139.99
