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FSP Hydro X 450 Power Supply Review

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After the Hydro G series, FSP decided to release a more affordable power supply called the Hydro X, which targets systems with lower energy needs. This PSU line consists of three units, and in this review we're testing the entry-level 450W model.

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Load Regulation, Hold-Up Time And Inrush Current

To learn more about our PSU tests and methodology, please check out How We Test Power Supply Units. 
Corsair CS 450 Watt ATX Modular PSU
Seasonic SSR-450RM
Thermaltake TR2 Gold 450W

Primary Rails And 5VSB Load Regulation

Load Regulation testing is detailed here.

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Hold-Up Time

Our hold-up time tests are described in detail here.

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As we expected, the low-capacity bulk cap doesn't allow for better results in these tests, so the PSU fails all three of them.

Inrush Current

For details on our inrush current testing, please click here.

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Inrush current is a little higher than what we expected from such a low-capacity PSU. However it won't cause any problems.

Load Regulation And Efficiency Measurements

The first set of tests explores voltage rail stability and efficiency. The applied load equals (approximately) 10 to 110 percent of the supply's maximum in increments of 10 percentage points.

We conducted two additional tests. During the first, we stressed the two minor rails (5V and 3.3V) with a high load, while the load at +12V was only 0.10A. This test reveals whether a PSU is Haswell-ready or not. In the second test, we determined the maximum load the +12V rail could handle with minimal load on the minor rails.

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Test #12V5V3.3V5VSBDC/AC (Watts)EfficiencyFan Speed (RPM)Noise (dB[A])Temps (In/Out)PF/AC Volts
11.924A1.983A1.951A0.985A44.7582.47%69526.237.22 °C0.958
12.044V5.041V3.378V5.067V54.2640.43 °C115.1V
24.897A2.980A2.933A1.184A89.7387.50%69526.238.20 °C0.986
12.026V5.024V3.372V5.048V102.5541.75 °C115.1V
38.227A3.498A3.445A1.385A134.8789.01%69526.238.62 °C0.987
12.007V5.010V3.363V5.037V151.5342.97 °C115.1V
411.557A4.004A3.930A1.589A179.7389.75%69526.239.95 °C0.988
11.990V4.995V3.356V5.018V200.2544.73 °C115.1V
514.558A5.020A4.923A1.800A224.7389.96%73523.540.93 °C0.989
11.970V4.975V3.351V4.997V249.8146.53 °C115.1V
617.567A6.052A5.914A2.007A269.6989.79%86528.541.71 °C0.989
11.949V4.957V3.347V4.977V300.3548.17 °C115.1V
720.586A7.088A6.911A2.215A314.6389.43%96031.142.54 °C0.988
11.929V4.936V3.341V4.957V351.8350.13 °C115.1V
823.634A8.147A7.914A2.428A359.7088.92%106032.443.24 °C0.988
11.903V4.912V3.335V4.933V404.5151.86 °C115.1V
927.100A8.677A8.443A2.437A404.7088.41%116535.044.50 °C0.987
11.886V4.899V3.327V4.920V457.7854.71 °C115.1V
1030.533A9.208A8.963A2.545A449.5287.83%124037.445.33 °C0.985
11.867V4.888V3.313V4.905V511.8157.47 °C115.1V
1134.371A9.224A9.013A2.549A494.4587.13%133539.546.38 °C0.983
11.849V4.880V3.295V4.895V567.5160.39 °C115.1V
CL10.099A14.021A14.004A0.000A117.7783.83%110032.644.19 °C0.987
12.000V4.928V3.391V5.041V140.4954.48 °C115.1V
CL237.476A1.003A1.003A1.001A458.4888.62%121036.545.42 °C0.985
11.880V4.956V3.291V4.988V517.3757.78 °C115.1V

Load regulation at +12V and 3.3V is satisfactory, while on the 5V and 5VSB rails it's average. When it comes to noise output, the HGX performs well since the fan spins slowly in most tests. Even in the worst-case overload test, noise doesn't exceed 40 dB(A). FSP arms this unit with a relaxed fan profile, so under normal conditions you won't hear the fan unless you're right on top of it.

Despite taxing conditions inside of our hot-box, the PSU satisfies the 80 PLUS Gold requirements in all three tests (20%, 50% and full load); it truly deserves its Gold rating.

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Aris Mpitziopoulos
Aris Mpitziopoulos
Contributing Editor

Aris Mpitziopoulos is a contributing editor at Tom's Hardware, covering PSUs.

24 Comments Comment from the forums
  • powernod
    Do Hydro PSUs work underwater?


    Yeah, they have to work underwater in order to camouflage themselves from Corsair's (PSUs) who dominate the water's surface!! :p
    Or to pass through the Seasonic wall !!:lol:

    ONTOPIC: Decent PSU from FSP, but only just decent!!
    Reply
  • Aris_Mp
    it is hard to enter the US markets with Corsair and EVGA throwing one model after the other and in very competitive prices, however more variation is always welcome. If they lower significantly the price tags on these models then their marketing career will be easier.

    Reply
  • Dark Lord of Tech
    Hard to penetrate the EVGA lineups with their great prices on the higher end units. These need to be lowered to sell.
    Reply
  • turkey3_scratch
    Is there any reason the 3.3V rail shows strange behavior when crossloading? Not that it's bad or anything, but in CL1 with heavy load on the 3.3V rail, the voltage is about 0.10V higher than CL2, where the 3.3V rail has minimal load, and voltage is typically higher.
    Reply
  • turkey3_scratch
    Okay, just finished reading the review. Besides the disappointing transient response of this unit, and the failure to meet hold-up time, this is a good unit. But the price needs to drop to about $60 IMO if it wants to compete well. Currently it's priced the same as the Hydro G 650W, and the Hydro G is a no-brainer choice over this unit.

    It also concerns me a bit that the 5V rail voltage goes to 4.79V in your second transient response test at 50% load. This is all around also a bit disappointing, but it's not a very realistic transient load (unlike 12V which happens always while gaming), but I like the Japanese capacitors, the load regulation is fine, the crossload graphs all show good results; sometimes a lot of units screw up on those. It's nice to be able to see those different load patterns, something other reviewers should try to adopt. Ripple was very nice.
    Reply
  • joz
    Hard to penetrate the EVGA lineups with their great prices on the higher end units. These need to be lowered to sell.

    G2 is love, G2 is life. (G2 550W, about...eight of them....)
    Reply
  • basroil
    FSP almost had an excellent PSU until they screwed up big time on the transient response. Looks like the EVGA G2/ SuperFlower Leadex Gold is still king of the inexpensive PSUs
    Reply
  • Flying-Q
    Please stop referring to quality PSUs with low wattage as 'entry 'level' (in the article subtitle).

    Entry Level (adjective)
    (of a product) suitable for a beginner or first-time user; basic.
    "entry-level computers"

    'Entry level' usually implies smaller feature set. In this instance the feature set of each of the models is the same other than the power output. Current generation computers need less power due to greater efficiency inherent in more recent designs of components.
    Reply
  • turkey3_scratch
    17768395 said:
    FSP almost had an excellent PSU until they screwed up big time on the transient response. Looks like the EVGA G2/ SuperFlower Leadex Gold is still king of the inexpensive PSUs

    I would like other testing sites to start adopting these tests, like Jonnyguru. I wonder how many units that normally pass stuff would fail.

    Another funny thing is FSP just wrote a blog about the importance of transient response. :P

    But also, a 3.3V transient response just doesn't happen in 2016, probably never will. A 5V one is also less common.
    Reply
  • basroil
    17769266 said:
    But also, a 3.3V transient response just doesn't happen in 2016, probably never will. A 5V one is also less common.

    ATX loading specs state a 9A transient on 12V (and 5V might have been there). Considering most modern PSUs are 12V only and then DC-DC for 3.3 and 5V, 12V transients are going to end up affecting the 5v and 3.3V lines too.
    Reply