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80 PLUS Gold: Four Efficient 700-850 W Power Supplies

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Gamers and enthusiasts are always on the lookout for crème de la crème hardware. It's easy to pick winning CPUs and graphics cards; less so for PSUs. We put four 80 PLUS Gold devices from Antec, FSP, Seasonic, and SilverStone under the magnifying glass.

FSP Aurum Series AU-700

We've previously tested PSUs from FSP, but none of them featured the design or innovation to really impress us. But now, with its new Aurum series, the manufacturer aims to be a player in the high-end PSU segment. First impressions are pretty convincing. Modern design is coupled with a housing that has a nice texture, thanks to it rough-coated surface. The unique shape of the ventilation slots (FSP calls this a feature and dubs it Arrow Flow; we see what it did there), is also pretty sharp-looking. Whether the airflow is, in fact, optimized is another story.

Unlike the other test candidates, FSP deliberately chooses not to integrate a modular cable solution. The reasons, according to the manufacturer, include a very price-sensitive market segment and efficiency improvements attributable to hard-wired cables. While the length of the cables themselves seem generous, the number of available connections is downright miserly compared to the competition. Along with the ATX motherboard cable and a pair of +12 V processor leads, FSP includes four PCIe cables, seven SATA connectors, and four Molex ports, as well as one floppy lead. AMD certifies this PSU with its CrossFireX technology.

The AU-700 has four 12 V rails, each of which delivers up to 18 A and together can output a maximum load of 672 W.

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FSP AU-700
AC Input100-240 V, 50-60 Hz
DC Output+3.3 V+5 V+12 V (#1)+12 V (#2)+12 V (#3)+12 V (#4)-12 V+5 Vsb
28 A28 A18 A18 A18 A18 A0.5 A3.5 A
Individual OutputRow 3 - Cell 1 Row 3 - Cell 2 Row 3 - Cell 3 Row 3 - Cell 4 Row 3 - Cell 5 Row 3 - Cell 6 6 W17.5 W
Rail UtilizationSysSysCPU & VGA
Combined Output160 W672 W
Total Continuous Output700 W
Peak Output750 W
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51 Comments Comment from the forums
  • compton
    Every now and again you can catch the Seasonic X series on sale. I picked up a X-650 for about $110 with shipping. For that price, there isn't really anything better. With out a sale, I still say full modular and 80+ Gold is worth the premium over less auspicious contenders.

    Thanks for an excellent review.
    Reply
  • jjb8675309
    no need for a 200 dollar psu for me
    Reply
  • on the seasonic X-760 introduction, the first paragraph states that it comes with hard-wiring. But if you look at the pictures, and further down the review, you'll notice that it is fully-modular.

    no pun intended here ;-)
    Reply
  • The Greater Good
    comptonEvery now and again you can catch the Seasonic X series on sale. I picked up a X-650 for about $110 with shipping. For that price, there isn't really anything better. With out a sale, I still say full modular and 80+ Gold is worth the premium over less auspicious contenders.Thanks for an excellent review.
    I've used the X 650 in builds for two of my friends. I can't wait to get mine. The cabling is perfect for the Antec 1200 case.
    Reply
  • What about noise? Only had a quick glance at the article but that didn't seem to have been measured.
    Reply
  • flong
    Great review, but where is Corsair???? Certainly Corsair is one of the industry leaders and most recommended PSUs on the market.

    This review would have benefited greatly by including both silver and gold rated PSUs from 750W - 1000W. Some Silver rated PSUs actually perform at nearly at gold levels (Corsair) and so they are a great value.

    It would have been nice to have some expert comment on Au's claim that a non-modular cable setup improves efficiency. This appears to be a myth because we see many modular units outperform non-modular units in their class.

    Still I really enjoyed this review.
    Reply
  • jah_33
    Not to forget is that a 80+ PSU generates about twice the heat of a 80+ Gold PSU, 20% compared to 10% of the power output. So a gold certified PSU should be significantly more quiet then a 80+ given equal cooling.

    flongGreat review, but where is Corsair???? /citation]Corsair don't build there own PSU:s the are mostly Seasonic built, some CWT. For example the Corsair AX series are nearly identical to the Seasonic X series, the only difference is the fan.
    Reply
  • darreng101
    I have a SeaSonic X-760 fitted to an O/C'ed i7.

    The 'fan-on' at 20% (i think without looking back) is worst case, mine kicks on at about 30-35% depending on ambient temp, so its awesome quiet. Even when on its quiet.

    It works very well in a dual gaming/home cinema box...

    I'd definiately recommend one
    Reply
  • lol. 200 dollar psu's!

    are you guys complete noobs! do you think we need this ...?
    Reply
  • dominatorix
    ok., compare: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/gaming-psu-efficiency,2796-11.html
    with: http://www.tomshardware.com/reviews/750-watt-psu-80-plus-gold,2927-3.html
    Reply