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Who's Who In Power Supplies, 2011: Brands Vs. Manufacturers

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Anonymous
a b ) Power supply
May 13, 2011 4:00:03 AM

Do you think that all power supplies are manufactured by the brand on the label? Think again. We show what makes a good PSU and reveal who builds them. You can actually find lots of quality (instead of just scrap metal) behind some of the budget labels.

Who's Who In Power Supplies, 2011: Brands Vs. Manufacturers : Read more

More about : power supplies 2011 brands manufacturers

a c 722 ) Power supply
May 13, 2011 4:42:31 AM

Great article!
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May 13, 2011 5:05:41 AM

I really wish I would have had something like this years ago, but either way this was a great treasure trove of useful info. Thanks!
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Related resources
May 13, 2011 5:13:21 AM

Now i'm afraid of every PSU out there... :X .. awesome work now I'll be more careful when selecting a PSU I will check everything in that moment like some sort of paranoia. ja ja LOL !
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5
May 13, 2011 5:49:58 AM

I have a Rosewill 950-DB and it's been working excellently for over a year now... How safe am I?
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May 13, 2011 5:54:53 AM

Channel well is pretty good.You have great PSUs from them for both Antec and Corsair.
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May 13, 2011 5:59:19 AM

That explains why my ANTEC power supplies have died. Although some were made by Seasonic, they were NOT designed by Seasonic.
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a b ) Power supply
May 13, 2011 6:00:32 AM

As you were told with the last one, chokes do not mean passive PFC. They will be present in the filters (all of them, including input) of any PSU.
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May 13, 2011 6:08:04 AM

Ummm, Seasonic does make their own PSUs.
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May 13, 2011 6:09:30 AM

"For those companies that don't manufacture their own products, such as HEC and Seasonic"

Huh? Since when Seasonic is not the maker of their products?
Nice article and much needed. Thanks
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a b ) Power supply
May 13, 2011 6:12:25 AM

shades_ausThat explains why my ANTEC power supplies have died. Although some were made by Seasonic, they were NOT designed by Seasonic.

The ones in question were probably older ones with cheap caps that failed. And probably made by one of the lesser companies there too.
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May 13, 2011 6:19:39 AM

At least I thought they did... what ever. They're still damn good.
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May 13, 2011 6:21:46 AM

Tamz_mscChannel well is pretty good.You have great PSUs from them for both Antec and Corsair.

I am not sure that Channel Well is that great. I had Antec Smartpower 2.0 die on me. Currently I own EarthWatts 500D from delta. Read that this is a decent unit.
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May 13, 2011 6:30:07 AM

yyk71200 said:
I am not sure that Channel Well is that great. I had Antec Smartpower 2.0 die on me. Currently I own EarthWatts 500D from delta. Read that this is a decent unit.

That can happen and I'm sorry for you.But the fact is that there are quite a few PSUs form them for Antec and Corsair that have received great reviews form sites like jonnyguru.
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May 13, 2011 6:46:39 AM

Tamz_mscThat can happen and I'm sorry for you.But the fact is that there are quite a few PSUs form them for Antec and Corsair that have received great reviews form sites like jonnyguru.

Perhaps you are right. It have been years ago when it died. I even used Thermaltake Purepower for a few years after that before I purchased EarthWatts. Thermaltake still kicking but I decided that it was time to change. Anyway, things change and I decided to give Antec a second shot. I would say, the best advice would be to read reviews and not just any reviews where they just use PSUs in a system, but reviews where they measure voltage regulation, DC quality, ripple, etc. and open units to see if there is turd inside, or something worthy.
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May 13, 2011 7:03:51 AM

mine is thermaltake TR2-900w (TR2 900 AP) W0175RE to be exactly, i buy it at 65$USD, is it a good or not ???
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May 13, 2011 7:32:35 AM

When I replaced a crappy 500W power supply bought online from Fry's with a Corsair 520W supply built by Seasonic (from the egg), a few years ago the system almost miraculously became 100% more stable. I will never skimp on a power supply again. EVER.
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a b ) Power supply
May 13, 2011 9:25:03 AM

One of the interesting things i see here, for example is the Thermaltake section. Depending on model you could buy a Litepower or TR2 series and be getting it from one of 3 different manufacturers! Just goes to show you cant jut look at a series and assume they are all made the same. A 600w unit might get a good review but if you get the 500w you may be getting a dud.... Awesome article toms!
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May 13, 2011 9:33:45 AM

Could you please post a sortable list also? I would like to sort by the OEM, to see more easily who sells certain OEM's products.
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May 13, 2011 10:21:55 AM

I'm not sure I know how to effectifly use this list. How do I know which manufactures build quality units? For example, OCZ uses both Channel Well (supposedly good) and topower (supposedly bad). Is there a way to know which manufactures are to be avoided without first buying the unit? I know the general guidelines, but how do I use this list to help?
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May 13, 2011 10:37:36 AM

Its kind of easy...

DON'T BUY CHEAP CRAPPY power supplies. A $20 500watt PSU is crap. A $40 350watt PSU from Antec will be far more reliable. Better PSUs have protection, they also weigh more.

But NOT all $50+ PSUs are good. Relabled PSUs for Bestbuy (razorfish rocketfish some stupid name) are EXPENSIVE and CRAPPY.

About the CHEAPEST PSU I recommend and use for people on a budget: Thermaltake TR400, about $35~40 online or in stores. Its quiet and reliable for basic computers. Otherwise, I go with Seasonic or Corsair actually at the $70~100 price range.

Shaking head, thinking of people who spend $300 on a video card and yet somehow expect a $25 PSU to actually work.
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a b ) Power supply
May 13, 2011 10:42:08 AM

spyder271I'm not sure I know how to effectifly use this list. How do I know which manufactures build quality units? For example, OCZ uses both Channel Well (supposedly good) and topower (supposedly bad). Is there a way to know which manufactures are to be avoided without first buying the unit? I know the general guidelines, but how do I use this list to help?

topower actually make some very very good units, and also some very average units. As a manufacturer, they are good quality, but if theyre making someone elses design, and its a bad design, it wont matter who makes it.
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May 13, 2011 11:00:34 AM

PreferLinuxAs you were told with the last one, chokes do not mean passive PFC. They will be present in the filters (all of them, including input) of any PSU.


Just looked into this: the problem was the translation from German. I just edited to make that passage more specific.

Thanks,
Chris
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May 13, 2011 11:06:25 AM

Stunning that Lepa, a top of the line Enermax label was omitted!!!!!!
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May 13, 2011 11:34:24 AM

chefboyebI have a Rosewill 950-DB and it's been working excellently for over a year now... How safe am I?

Rosewill does seem to have better PSU quality now, as their price is also respectable to the wattage of their hardware. I was running a 500w Rosewill, ran great for most needs but I switched it out into my old computer as I'm upgrading.
Only problem is that Rosewill power supples will usually have 2 to 4 rails, and their power supplies won't even have up to 20 Amps per rail. Then again, it all depends on the price, there's an 800w Rosewill that has a single rail at 66Amps.
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a c 131 ) Power supply
May 13, 2011 11:44:26 AM

"A PSU equipped with a big choke like in the photo above is a clear indicator of passive Power Factor Correction (PFC). Passive PFC plays a significant role in the efficiency of the PSU. Only active circuitry allows for factors close to the optimum value of 1, while passive components can reach 0.7 to 0.8 at best, meaning they only achieve 70% to 80% efficiency. PSUs with a passive PFC may be cheaper to buy in the short run, but poor efficiency can swallow savings over time in the form of higher electricity costs."

This is absolutely wrong. PFC has nothing to do with efficiency; it has to do with the type of load the PSU presents to the power grid.

"The responsibility always lies with the buyer to recognize and reject products that are obviously unsuitable."

Only if the product's label is accurate. If it isn't, it's consumer fraud; simple as that.
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Anonymous
May 13, 2011 12:59:53 PM

Very good article, many people overlook how important a good PSU is and you can't just buy any brand.
I thought the Corsair TX750 V2 was made by Seasonic? Mine is still going strong with no problems though :) 
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May 13, 2011 1:04:20 PM

It looks like all products from XFX are made by Seasonic... and I think that looks great from our perspective, especially one concerned with quality control
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May 13, 2011 1:11:35 PM

Thanks for the article, Great! Now Am sure that my neo eco its SEASONIC!
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May 13, 2011 1:35:12 PM

"Almost every time we try to give lesser-known units a chance, they invariably blow up in our faces."

Is it "almost all the time" or "invariably", which means all the time, every single one?

:D 
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Anonymous
a b ) Power supply
May 13, 2011 1:35:40 PM

"Without a digital security chip, the computer hardware is severely exposed to risks."

What's a digital security chip? What risks??


"The security chip PS223 from Silicon Touch is popular, and you should avoid PSUs not using it or similar products, such as the PS332S."

Why??
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May 13, 2011 2:04:13 PM

I strongly believe in buying specific power supplies I've read a review for; brand is a rough guide, OEM is a better one, but thorough testing tells the real story, and experience tells me that you can't trust the brand name to deliver. Reputable brands aren't too likely to sell you pure junk these days, but if you are trying to build something really reliable and especially high performance, you really want to read very favorable reviews by people who know how to test PSUs like Tomshardware and Anandtech.com.

Looking at the Silverstone variety of OEM sources explains a lot about the variation in quality of their products, for example. Of all the sources they use, the only OEM with a high quality reputation is FSP. That tells the story about Silverstone pretty clearly, in my opinion.

Fabulous job Igor, thanks very much for giving us tools to make better choices to begin with.

;) 
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May 13, 2011 2:24:08 PM

" Logisys, Europe only"?
I see them frequently here in houston, in mixed version of cases.
and so far I can honestly say they stink. I can send you pics and UL numbers if you need- and a link to a local site that sells them.
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a b ) Power supply
May 13, 2011 2:56:34 PM

jtt283"A PSU equipped with a big choke like in the photo above is a clear indicator of passive Power Factor Correction (PFC). Passive PFC plays a significant role in the efficiency of the PSU. Only active circuitry allows for factors close to the optimum value of 1, while passive components can reach 0.7 to 0.8 at best, meaning they only achieve 70% to 80% efficiency. PSUs with a passive PFC may be cheaper to buy in the short run, but poor efficiency can swallow savings over time in the form of higher electricity costs."This is absolutely wrong. PFC has nothing to do with efficiency; it has to do with the type of load the PSU presents to the power grid."The responsibility always lies with the buyer to recognize and reject products that are obviously unsuitable."Only if the product's label is accurate. If it isn't, it's consumer fraud; simple as that.


I disagree, the PFC is signal of passive or active components and while the 1st ones are more cheaps, the 2nd ones are much better.

Agree on the 2nd part.
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May 13, 2011 3:05:16 PM

Damn, this could have saved me some cash and needlessly wasted time over the years.

Thank you for this gem of an article.

This one will not purchase anything that is not designed by Delta, ChannelWell or Seasonic again!

ChannelWell is at the top of my list!

Out of everything I have owned, they have been the most stable and lasted the longest.
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a c 131 ) Power supply
May 13, 2011 3:06:17 PM

Yeah, Logisys sells PSU-shaped objects, through Newegg too. Gabriel at HardwareSecrets tested a "600W" model recently, and it blew on a little over 50%. Newegg has been trying to unload these turds in a lot of their combos lately, so be careful.
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a c 131 ) Power supply
May 13, 2011 3:10:15 PM

Saint, I was quoting from the article about PFC. Power Factor Correction causes the current and the voltage to match phase, same as a simple resistive load. It has nothing to do with efficiency.
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May 13, 2011 3:15:54 PM

Tom's, you're the best

This was one of the most beneficial articles on your great site.

Thank you very much
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May 13, 2011 3:32:11 PM

The Antec power supplies that died a lot were the ones made by Channel Well. They were made using Fuhjyyu capacitors, which are garbage, and fail a lot. After the TruePower II series failed a LOT back in 2005/2006, Antec cut CWT loose and went to SeaSonic, Delta, Enhance, and FSP. They've since cut Enhance loose because they weren't happy with the quality of their new units. SeaSonic and Delta make up the majority of their line-up, with FSP being used for their cheapest units and their notebook adapters.

Antec also briefly owned its own power supply factory around the turn of the century, but they shut it down after a couple years because it wasn't profitable.
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May 13, 2011 3:47:58 PM

Test number 1 is does it weigh next to nothing in your hand...
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May 13, 2011 4:06:05 PM

I have a Seasonic 650 that's lasted me 8 years so far... Seasonic branded ones are fricken bulletproof!!!
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May 13, 2011 4:06:34 PM


Hmm... Why you say that the PFC (active or passive) have something to do with the electrical power which is tax on the power bill? The PFC JUST adjust the power factor and did not have any influence on the electrical bill for the civilian (non-industrial) use. Please do not spread confusion among readers
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a b ) Power supply
May 13, 2011 4:11:09 PM

Well, im running some psu where all the writing on it is in chinese and it hasn't given up on me yet =D
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May 13, 2011 4:13:11 PM

Congrats Igor and whomever else intervened in this article. It goes to my permanent browser favorites NoW!

P.s.: I hate that my comments don't get posted sometimes if I am not already logged in arrgg =(
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May 13, 2011 4:27:00 PM

Correction: OVP does not refer to the presence of a MOV. Overvoltage protection (along with undervoltage protection) is a secondary side protection and is implemented in the secondary controller.

SCP and OPP are primary side protections. SCP is, in cheap units, implemented via a fuse. In at least semi-quality units, it and OPP are implemented via the PWM/PFC controller. For instance, the common CM6800 controller family have integrated SCP and configurable OPP.

OVP, UVP, OCP, and OTP are secondary side protections, implemented in the secondary controller. OVP and UVP are almost always present in even the cheapest units; however the sensing circuitry used in the cheap controllers those units use can only guarantee protection values of, for instance 14.6V on the +12V rail, way out of spec. So the protection is there, but isn't particularly useful. The implementations used in quality units are far better because they use better secondary controllers. OCP is either integrated into the secondary controller or is added via an extra IC. It also involves one large shunt resistor per rail monitored. Finally, OTP is usually just a thermistor on the secondary heatsink that sends a shut down signal to the secondary controller when the PSU gets too hot.



A MOV is an anti-surge component installed in the EMI filter (before the primary) that absorbs a portion of an incoming surge and dissipates it as heat. The higher rated the MOV the more useful it is for surge protection. Some budget units use very low-rated MOVs, such that no real surge protection is given. There is actually a shortage of MOVs in China; there are more PSUs being made than MOVs. So the price has risen dramatically, and even quality PSU makers are finding ways to rationalizing removing the MOV, such as saying "Well everyone already uses surge protectors anyway".
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May 13, 2011 4:36:59 PM

Also, chokes/coils are not an indicator of passive PFC. Nearly all power supplies use chokes for several roles, including EMI filtering, active PFC (when paired with a cap and two mosfets), voltage regulation, ripple filtering, LLC resonance, and several others.

The inductors used for passive PFC will resemble a transformer more than anything else, usually having a form factor like this:


They'll often be nearly as large as the primary transformer, occasionally larger.





You've been improving this article, but it's still a long way from being a definitive reference.
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May 13, 2011 4:51:04 PM

jtt283"A PSU equipped with a big choke like in the photo above is a clear indicator of passive Power Factor Correction (PFC). Passive PFC plays a significant role in the efficiency of the PSU. Only active circuitry allows for factors close to the optimum value of 1, while passive components can reach 0.7 to 0.8 at best, meaning they only achieve 70% to 80% efficiency. PSUs with a passive PFC may be cheaper to buy in the short run, but poor efficiency can swallow savings over time in the form of higher electricity costs."This is absolutely wrong. PFC has nothing to do with efficiency; it has to do with the type of load the PSU presents to the power grid."The responsibility always lies with the buyer to recognize and reject products that are obviously unsuitable."Only if the product's label is accurate. If it isn't, it's consumer fraud; simple as that.


Sigh, this was another bad translation spot. I've since corrected it in the story. Thanks for pointing it out; should have been spotted before going live.

Have a good weekend guys,
Chris
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May 13, 2011 5:08:00 PM

Outstanding Article
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!