Redundant PSUs In A Standard ATX Chassis: FSP's Twins Series

FSP's new Twin Series, which includes redundant PSUs suitable for home use and not just for business environments, made its debut. The company said that only the 500W model will be initially available, but the 700W unit will be released soon. The Twin Series units fit in most ATX compatible chassis and host two identical PSUs. In case one of them fails, the other one immediately takes over, ensuring the system's proper operation.

This type of PSU (redundant) is widely used in server-grade systems where reliability is the number one priority. Their dimensions are normally much larger than standard ATX PSUs, but FSP managed to squeeze two hot-swappable PSUs into a regular-sized ATX PSU chassis, thereby granting all consumers increased reliability.

In a snap, the product highlights are the following:

Fully 500W/700W PS2 Redundant Power Supply with remarkable power density Hot-swappable modular designDigital controlled PSU design230V 80PLUS® Gold certified with 90% peak efficiency at 50% loadCompatible with Regular ATX CasesComplies with both standard ATX 12V and server EPS 12V power supply standards Complete protection: over current, short circuit, over-voltage, and fan failureReliable, 24-hour operation even at 50°CLow ripple and noiseMonitor performance with FSP Guardian softwareBacked by a 5-year warranty

FSP said the PSUs feature a digital platform, and we're eager to dismantle and inspect them to find out if they use a fully-digital platform or a hybrid design where analog and digital circuits operate in parallel. In addition, FSP chose to certify the PSU with the 80 PLUS 230V program, where it achieved Gold efficiency. Normally, server units use 230V input, which is why FSP didn't go with a 115V certification.

One key feature these PSUs lack, though, is over temperature protection; however, FSP did include fan failure protection.

Because these are server-grade PSUs, they can operate 24/7 even under 50°C ambient temperatures. In addition, they promise low ripple and noise, something that we'll have to verify with our own equipment. Moreover, because the platform is digital, it offers monitoring functions through the FSP Guardian software. You will have to connect the PSU to a USB header on the system's mainboard in order to establish communication with the software. Through the FSP Guardian, users can monitor input and output wattage and check on the PSU's efficiency along with other metrics, in real time. You can also keep up to seven days of system logs. Both Twin Series members are covered by a five year warranty.

We should mention that besides the monitoring software, which is indeed a highly welcome feature, the PSUs also feature LED indicators that can provide alarms in case something goes wrong with the system. Besides the alarm functionality, those indicators can also help in problem diagnosis. In the event that one of the two embedded PSUs fails, an alarm will sound, and an LED indicator will point out the failed PSU that needs to be replaced.

The 500W model of the Twin Series is available with an MSRP of $399, whereas the 700W unit will cost $499. These prices are definitely stiff, but keep in mind that we are talking about redundant PSUs, not normal ones.

We should also clear up one more issue that will likely matter to many of you: Because both units include a couple of PSUs inside, naturally you will be wondering if both are used at the same time. According to FSP, these two power modules will automatically share the load for optimum efficiency, and if one fails, the other module will immediately take over the whole load. We cannot know exactly how this system works just yet, but we are going to find out soon enough.