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Sub-$75 Mainstream Power Supply Roundup

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  • Performance
  • Power Supplies
  • Round-Up
  • Product
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Anonymous
a b ) Power supply
October 6, 2010 6:00:04 AM

In our last power supply article, we reviewed several relatively expensive, high-performance products suitable for powerful gaming PCs and workstations. This time around, we're looking at something a little bit more affordable for the mainstream crowd.

Sub-$75 Mainstream Power Supply Roundup : Read more

More about : mainstream power supply roundup

October 6, 2010 6:39:55 AM

I still remember buying my Corsair VX550W for $91CAD just a year and half ago. Amazing how prices have come down for cheap, capable and yet quality PSUs over time.

Oh, and it was interesting to see a real PSU blow up :D 
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Anonymous
a b ) Power supply
October 6, 2010 7:44:32 AM

Patrick u sure the antec blows the hot air into the case?
Looking at the picture and the fan alignment it seems otherwise.
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8
October 6, 2010 8:42:23 AM

I wish the Xigmatek was available here. All we have are expensive 750w and 850w versions.
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October 6, 2010 8:43:43 AM

How come there's no Silverstone strider 400W...
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October 6, 2010 8:49:20 AM

Im glad to see that the Antec 380D won. I have bought 5 for family and friends have been solid units to date.
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October 6, 2010 9:18:26 AM

I don't think the Xigmatek PSU can keep the 650W load reliable or else Xigmatek would've rated it to be 650W
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October 6, 2010 9:24:08 AM

Antec is awesome as always
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1
October 6, 2010 9:45:34 AM

Is there no way to measure how stable the power on each rail is? Some PSU's Ive seen are very efficient but their rails drops below recommended power delivery meaning components are starved. Some even fluxuate which can damage components over time. The only other thing I feel is missing is capacitor aging. Is there any way to simulate 2-3 years use? Most PSU's I use in my main machine get handed down to another rig or sold. 2nd hand PSU's could be false economy!

great video, Ive always wanted to see a PSU explode lol.
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October 6, 2010 10:41:41 AM

All these keeps me updated.
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a b ) Power supply
October 6, 2010 11:17:09 AM

cloudwanPatrick u sure the antec blows the hot air into the case?
Looking at the picture and the fan alignment it seems otherwise.
Agreed. The pics at Newegg show that the bends in the fan blades are aligned to evacuate air from the PSU, not blow into it.

While your tests show that these PSU's perform up to or even above their power output specs, that's not the whole story. You say you have an oscilloscope, but where are it's readings across all those load tests? What about voltage fluctuation measurements across them as well?

I just think you're capable of providing more thorough tests and results.

Quote:
Further, the low weight of some PSUs at least suggests the use of cheaper components.
I'm curious why you choose not to open them up and examine the parts used to build them. Doing so would allow you to actually see if they're constructed from quality parts, rather than make a guess based on the unit's weight. Wouldn't it be beneficial to know what's actually inside the unit? To see where each unit went the extra mile or cut corners? Is it really a matter of voiding the warranty that prevents you from doing so?
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a c 131 ) Power supply
October 6, 2010 11:36:09 AM

I've bought a number of EA-380 PSUs, both the older one and the "D" model; I'm pretty sure that fan is an exhaust.
The initial request makes me think these were cherry-picked, rather than selected from a Retail source. That bodes particularly poorly for AXP; looks like they should not be legal for sale.
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Anonymous
a b ) Power supply
October 6, 2010 12:45:42 PM

when it comes to temperature intake and outake, "less is better" is total BS. Temperature is a unit of density not a unit of energy. less is not necessarly better.
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October 6, 2010 1:00:59 PM

Oh man, I must have gotten a helluva deal when I got my Corsair 650TX for 70 bucks then. Nice review.
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October 6, 2010 1:18:46 PM

My company supplied our custom built computers to a local hospital for several years. We had a span while we used Antec cases where every one of their 350W power supplies that came bundled with the case failed just like the one in the video. Sparks, bright flashes and smoke. Ultimately it lost us the contract with the hospital for the computers. Personally I will never buy or recommend an Antec power supply or product to anyone. Even after dealing directly with the company and proving a design flaw with the power supply the refused to do anything to fix the issues for us. Because of that roughly 100 power supplies were replaced at my companies expense. Now I use thermaltake 430W power supplies and while they are not the most efficient I have never had a single failure with these. It would have been nice to see how they stack up against the power supplies used in this article tho.
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October 6, 2010 1:25:51 PM

Why no noise comparison? Some PSU I've tried sounded like a jet fighter under load, i guess it isn't these PSU case, but anyway an idea of the SPL they produce would have been nice.
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3
October 6, 2010 1:36:53 PM

The antec earthwatts is an unbelievable power supply at an unreached price point. I picked mine up on the egg for only $29.99 after rebate!!!!
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October 6, 2010 1:37:02 PM

Still too big, IMHO. A mainstream user generally would not use more than 250 watts, these are more for low-mid end gamers or high performance users.
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October 6, 2010 1:41:27 PM

tipooStill too big, IMHO. A mainstream user generally would not use more than 250 watts, these are more for low-mid end gamers or high performance users.


If you doubt this, try using a kill-a-watt meter or equivalent. Most mainstream PC's idle lower than 100, and max lower than 250.
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October 6, 2010 1:45:59 PM

If you're in the sub-500W range and you want something silent, just grab a passive PSU.
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October 6, 2010 2:00:24 PM

Do you guys ever ask ultra so send you a power supply granted the distribution is limited but with a life time warrantee they are the only ones I buy.
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October 6, 2010 2:25:31 PM

I got a Corsair TX750 for $75 :) 

It wins!
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October 6, 2010 2:40:00 PM

I've always used Corsair PSUs in my builds because they have a good reputation, I've never had a problem with them, and they always seem to be on sale at newegg, e.g., I can often get the CX400W for $29.95 (with rebate). But I've heard rumors that some (all?) of their PSUs are no longer built by Seasonic and the quality has degraded. Any truth to that?
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October 6, 2010 3:07:44 PM

Had similar issues to the AXP with Logisys- the things are marked way more than they really are. one of the " green" 600w units I had burned up just like the video, and two others had bad solder joints and such that made them kick off or reset at the slightest movement. got a "great" deal on a case of them and have had to replace all of them.. and the 380 w. model has proven to be just as unreliable. local distributer carried them for a while and pushed agressivly- used to use the CoolerMaster line but had problems there, and I really have not found a good " lower to mainstream" unit in the 40-70 dollar range- and most of the pc in that class would do just fine with a 300 of good quality.
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October 6, 2010 3:34:45 PM

I got a seasonic for my build. They score high on all fronts: efficiency, warranty, build quality, modular, load-to-noise ratio and of course, price.
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October 6, 2010 3:43:34 PM

Just last week I picked up a Cooler Master Silent Pro M600 for $70 on newegg. So far it seems to be solid and quiet. It's sales like these that make me wonder about reviews like this- if you are out shopping for a power supply with a $75 budget, most likely you'll be able to get a nicer one on sale than the ones recommended here.
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Anonymous
a b ) Power supply
October 6, 2010 4:02:05 PM

No voltage readings? No ripple measurements? That's pretty awful.
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a b ) Power supply
October 6, 2010 4:13:54 PM

racerx_is_alive said:
Just last week I picked up a Cooler Master Silent Pro M600 for $70 on newegg. So far it seems to be solid and quiet. It's sales like these that make me wonder about reviews like this- if you are out shopping for a power supply with a $75 budget, most likely you'll be able to get a nicer one on sale than the ones recommended here.

Agreed. And following suit, currently the OCZ ModXStream Pro 600 is $65 and has a $20 MiR. The ModXStream Pro 500 is $55 and has a $15 MiR. Clearly there are more powerful, quality units available under $75. It makes me wonder if they based this sub-$75 selection on CDW's prices instead of Newegg's.
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October 6, 2010 4:34:07 PM

I got an Antec BP 550 Plus (550W) in a combo deal with an Antec 300 illusion for $67 after rebates. The PSU alone is $66 after shipping right now.

It's been powering an i7 930, MSI 1GB GTX 460 cyclone, and the standard other stuff like 2 RAM chips, 1 HD, a few fans, various USB devices.

It's also modular and 80+ certified.

I haven't done any real tests on it but it seems to be running great, low noise level too.
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October 6, 2010 4:44:01 PM

tom thumbIf you're in the sub-500W range and you want something silent, just grab a passive PSU.

Don't those tend to be more expensive, though? I've seen a Seasonic one on Newegg around that power rating but it was more than twice the price of the PSUs in this article.

I realize Tom's can't rely on sale prices when reviewing a product, but the 500W OCZ Modxstream Pro is a modular, 80+ rated PSU that's been holding at $60 for over a month now, if anybody's interested.
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October 6, 2010 5:02:44 PM

OCZ StealthXtreme or ModExtreme for 40-70 bucks with rebates. Best power supplies I've ever used. Just ordered a 700w StealthXtreme II to replace my wifes 7 year old power supply with a 16Gb USB stick for $50 after rebate. Can't beat that. Check Hardware Secrets for review's on them.
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October 6, 2010 5:56:55 PM

i liked that fried up video ... no way that thing is gonna work....made for a good fire works display
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October 6, 2010 6:12:45 PM

The Corsair 400CX does stand out in two ways, first it is discontinued and therefor shouldn't even be in this review, and second it has the longest hold-up time by far, which is really important if you live in Flickerville and/or have an old UPS with slow switching time. Before anyone says "buy a new UPS" keep in mind that this is a budget PS review for budget users.
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October 6, 2010 6:54:33 PM

Wow !
That axp is dangerous !
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Anonymous
a b ) Power supply
October 6, 2010 7:35:10 PM

To all the "Where is _____(brand)" moaners: Try reading. THIRD paragraph, first page: "The request we sent to manufacturers was simple: send us PSUs with a maximum street price of $75, regardless of wattage, features, or 80 PLUS certifications."

It's fair to assume that if _____ wasn't represented, they chose to not send a PSU for testing. Sheeesh.
(I'd like to have seen a Seasonic, though I don't believe they're very available in the States)

That said--why is the Enermax even in this article? It's 110 bux at the Egg right now, ON SALE. No way does it qualify on price.
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October 6, 2010 8:09:05 PM

dennyw0713That said--why is the Enermax even in this article? It's 110 bux at the Egg right now, ON SALE. No way does it qualify on price.


I don't see this model at newegg. I see the 525W version at $74.99 after rebate.
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October 6, 2010 8:35:29 PM

My EA380D exhausts the air. I've used these in a few builds and like them very much. I am also a big fan of the Seasonic 300W and 350W 80+ bronze PSUs that get no mention here. Lately I've used those instead.
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a c 296 ) Power supply
October 6, 2010 10:22:57 PM

That AXP unit let out all its magic smoke from the looks of it, impressive destruction!

The 400CX seems misplaced in this review since its now EOL and extremely hard to find in the US having been replaced by the 430CX.
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a c 131 ) Power supply
October 6, 2010 10:23:36 PM

I almost always use either Antec or Seasonic; the latter for really basic builds when I don't even need a PCIE power connector. I still have a 500W Enermax Liberty I keep as a spare, and I used to get some of the cheaper FSPs (but no more). The next PSU I buy for myself will probably be one of the 80+ gold Seasonic "X" models; or Antec if they have something 80+ gold by then in the wattage I'll need that has been as-well reviewed.
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October 6, 2010 10:44:51 PM

What the hell is with the selection? There are much better power supplies for under $75...
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Anonymous
a b ) Power supply
October 6, 2010 11:06:05 PM

Where is TH's previous article on PSU's?
The one noted in this statement, "In our last PSU article, we reviewed a bunch of relatively expensive high-performance devices suitable for powerful gaming computers and workstations."

All I see is a 4x500W review; not exactly "expensive" or "high-performance".
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October 6, 2010 11:17:30 PM

dennyw0713To all the "Where is _____(brand)" moaners: Try reading. THIRD paragraph, first page: "The request we sent to manufacturers was simple: send us PSUs with a maximum street price of $75, regardless of wattage, features, or 80 PLUS certifications."It's fair to assume that if _____ wasn't represented, they chose to not send a PSU for testing. Sheeesh.(I'd like to have seen a Seasonic, though I don't believe they're very available in the States)That said--why is the Enermax even in this article? It's 110 bux at the Egg right now, ON SALE. No way does it qualify on price.


1) You are assuming every power supply brand was invited to send a unit; I highly doubt that was the case.

Perhaps Patrick could let us know who was invited to send a unit, so we know who chose not to. I think it says something about a company if they don't care to send a test unit to a site like Tomshardware.

2) The Enermax PSU you are looking at on newegg is the 525W version, not the 425W one tested in this article.

;) 
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October 6, 2010 11:30:22 PM

Mental note, never let anyone I know use an AXP power supply. It's good to see that this article supports that my continual use of Corsair units has been wise.
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October 6, 2010 11:32:27 PM

altoidman85My company supplied our custom built computers to a local hospital for several years. We had a span while we used Antec cases where every one of their 350W power supplies that came bundled with the case failed just like the one in the video. Sparks, bright flashes and smoke. Ultimately it lost us the contract with the hospital for the computers. Personally I will never buy or recommend an Antec power supply or product to anyone. Even after dealing directly with the company and proving a design flaw with the power supply the refused to do anything to fix the issues for us. Because of that roughly 100 power supplies were replaced at my companies expense. Now I use thermaltake 430W power supplies and while they are not the most efficient I have never had a single failure with these. It would have been nice to see how they stack up against the power supplies used in this article tho.


Ouch. Sorry to hear about Antec that way.

While my problem with Thermaltake wasn't near so extensive, poor service from them means I'll never spend another dime with that company. Same with Silverstone - and I used to be a Silverstone fanboy, they had to work to make me dislike them. I read a review of the last PSU I bought from them after the fact, and it's one reason I tell people buy from reviews, not brands. Just because a manufacturer makes one good PSU doesn't mean they are all good. (My Silverstone case is corroding inside, too.)

I'm of the opinion that many of these companies made bad PSUs before Tomshardware and Anandtech started analyzing them and telling us how bad they were, and only cleaned up their act because they were forced too; it pays to have a critical eye if you care about your build, regardless of brand.

;) 
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October 6, 2010 11:34:38 PM

AXP 500P12P probably used a power supply IC my company makes :p 
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October 7, 2010 1:30:51 AM

the review of the antec PSU at anandtech:
http://www.anandtech.com/show/3902/antec-earthwatts-ea-...

this is how a PSU SHOULD be reviewed. not looking at the internals or the ripple/noise as others have stated shortchanges readers of this article. granted, there are time constraints, but i'd rather read a very thorough article on one PSU than a brief one on 5.
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a b ) Power supply
October 7, 2010 1:34:11 AM

All these reviews need 4 things, in order of priority:

1. The actual OEM of the PSU.

2. The voltage regulation of all the rails, with charts showing ATX spec.

3. Ripple tests for each rail, again with meaningful graphs showing where the ATX spec is.

4. Internal shots with at least a superficial comment on design, craftmanship, soldering.
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October 7, 2010 2:55:15 AM

Where is the link for the high end power supplies?
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