High Power For Power Users

[Stain]

I was busy browsing the web and reading some of THG's older articles on PSU's trying to get a good grasp on how much power I need and what some good PSU's are not being satisified with my knowledge on the subject I click <A HREF="http://www.tomshardware.com" target="_new">RETURN HOME</A> and to my pleasent suprise a new PSU article has just sprung up!

I lub THG :redface:

Looks like Crashman's fav Fortron owns... which only goes to prove my developing theory that he knows to much and thus must be killed :tongue:

I got a nice laugh out of all the times Topower got riped on.

Alas I'm in somewhat of a prediciment for my next PSU purchase though. You see, the cases I'm considering the most come 350W Turbolink PSUs. I'm kinda thinking I will need more like 400W to be safe and I can't find much info or quality reviews (read: THG) on this brand.

 

[lhgpoobaa]

Yeah. Its good to see our ranting is paying off
Countless time we tell people that they Need a Quality PSU.
I feel a little sorry for toptower... while they dont look good compared to some other top line products, they still are a SH1TLOAD better than some generic yumchaa POS. And over here in australia they are a fraction of the price of a comparable antec/enermax, so are still a decent choice for those on a budget.

Regarding your scenario, if the people you want to buy it from are any good they will remove the PSU if you ask and deduct the price... then you can go about putting in the PSU of your choice.
If they dont, go elsewhere.

I did the same with my atlas case, it was meant to come with some unknown 400W unit, but i allready had a 550W enermax waiting


<font color=blue>Many modern games <b>must</b> be played multiplayer. And those you encounter online are, almost as a rule, <b>complete and utter cockmongers.</b></font color=blue> :frown:

 

[Stain]

Cases in question are <A HREF="http://www.overclockercafe.com/Reviews/cases/X-Sonic/index.html" target="_new">X-Sonic</A> and <A HREF="http://www.overclockercafe.com/Reviews/cases/X-Dreamer/index.htm" target="_new">X-Dreamer</A>.

I haven't had much luck finding many sites that carry these cases, mostly lots of casemodding sites (which I know nothing about) found off Overclocker Cafe links/ads.

As for them dropping the price w/o PSU I'll see but I don't really think will happen. These things are already cheap and they'd have to open it all up and remove it which would be a pain.

 

[zepper]

There is a PSU feature that the writer didn't point out in this review that had a significant effect on the efficiency ratings. Specifically some of the PSUs have A-PFC (Active Power Factor Correction) (the Fortron and the Zalman for just two examples) which gives them an unfair advantage in the efficiency category. Most of the tested PSUs don't have A-PFC. Those with A-PFC should have been put in a separate section in the efficiency results tables. <b>Edit:</b> Sorry, the A-PFC feature is mentioned in the charts at the end of the review but not in the body of the article itself. Apparently all PSUs in Europe are required to have A-PFC and all the reviewed units have it listed, except for one. It also looks like the implementations of PFC vary widely as some aren't much more efficient than non-PFC units should be. I also don't see any measurements of ripple or noise levels/ rejection - both important for system stability. <b>End Edit.</b>
. For me the important factor is that the PSU produce at least its rated power among the +5/+12/+3.3 rails (not easy to determine from the review - should have the values side by side in the final table) and if it craps out, that it craps out gracefully without taking other system components with it.
. Also it would be nice if the writers on THG would have the English versions of their articles/reviews polished by native users of the English language. That would make the articles much easier to read. The recent case roundup is a prime example. Some of the vocabulary usage is abominable. The PSU article was a bit better. I'm sure there are several denizens of THG that would be willing to volunteer.
. In fact it wouldn't hurt if all the articles/reviews were run through a peer-review process to prevent omissions/errors as the one above and to clean up the language.
.bh.


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Perhaps the only reason for your existence is to act as a warning to others...<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1><EM>Edited by zepper on 06/09/03 02:38 PM.</EM></FONT></P>

 

[tombance]

The A-PFC is an advantage, but you can't say that its unfair. Thats like saying 'the Enermax PSU has a bigger filter capacitor, it has an unfair advantage'. It's simply an advantage that costs the buyer a little bit more.

<A HREF="http://service.futuremark.com/compare?2k1=5467618 " target="_new">Almost Breaking 12k!!</A>

 

[zepper]

If the reader of the review is unaware of the presence of A-PFC in some units, then it is an unfair advantage in the efficiency part of the review. In the case of the Fortron, you can buy the same unit w/o A-PFC. In others like the Zalman it is probably a standard feature.
. In any case, the failure to point it out in the review is a notable lapse. It's the reviewer's job to point out such things so the readers can get a clear picture.
.bh.


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Perhaps the only reason for your existence is to act as a warning to others...

 

[namek0]

Long live Fortron

It's all good ^_^

 

[Crashman]

Ich spreche etwas deutsch!

<font color=blue>Watts mean squat if you don't have quality!</font color=blue>