Roundup: 12 Gaming Power Supplies Compared
Gamers demand a lot from their computers, starting with the PSU. Therefore, almost every PSU manufacturer sells products optimized for gaming PCs. We introduce ripple and noise testing in this roundup to further improve our power supply evaluations.
Enermax Modu 87+ 700 W
After the Enermax Pro 87+ dominated an earlier test of mid-range PSUs, we asked Enermax to send us a gaming model as well. The Enermax Modu 87+ is an 80 PLUS Gold power supply rated at 700 W. With a street price of just over $200, it is one of the most expensive PSUs in this test. The first impression when unpacking the Enermax Modu 87+ is positive, but good looks and quality packaging are hallmarks of Enermax. The fan continues to run for 30-60 seconds after shutting down the system in order to dissipate any residual heat as quickly as possible. Enermax calls this feature HeatGuard.
In contrast to the Pro 87+ series, which is 80 PLUS Gold-certified too, the Modu 87+ uses modular cables. Only the ATX and CPU cables are hard-wired. The number of cables and connectors on the Modu 87+ is among the best in this roundup. Eight Molex and SATA connectors should be more than enough for pretty much all systems. The four PCIe connectors allow for several graphics cards to run in parallel. Each of the three +12 V rails can handle a load of up to 25 A.
Enermax Modu 87+ 700 W | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AC Input | 100-240 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 |
24 A | 24 A | 25 A | 25 A | 25 A | n/a | 0.5 A | 3.0 A | |
Individual Output | Row 3 - Cell 1 | Row 3 - Cell 2 | Row 3 - Cell 3 | Row 3 - Cell 4 | Row 3 - Cell 5 | 6 W | 15 W | |
Rail Utilization | Sys | Sys | CPU & VGA | |||||
Combined Output | 120 W | 696 W | ||||||
Total Continuous Output | 700 W | |||||||
Peak Output | 770 W |
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xxsk8er101xx Because it failed a few of the tests.Reply
FLanighanWhy not Corsair? I jizz at my tx850w -
p1n3apqlexpr3ss Corsair has a gamer series... whyd they test one of the units from the top line aimed more at enthusiasts?Reply -
V8VENOM Odd, why isn't Silverstone reviewed at all? Most of the power supplies they looked at are junk for anyone with more than one GPU and overclocking. I dumped my PC Power & Cooling 1000 Watt PSU because it couldn't handle two ATI 5870's and overclocked CPU to 4Ghz with 1600 FSB. I put in a Silverstone 1500Watt PSU and my system has been rock solid ever since.Reply
The article doesn't appear to measure noise from during switching and how much noise is introduced to the CPU and bus.
Anyway, it will be a cold day in hell before anyone gets me to switch out my Silverstone 1500 Watt PSU. -
scook9 V8VENOMOdd, why isn't Silverstone reviewed at all? Most of the power supplies they looked at are junk for anyone with more than one GPU and overclocking. I dumped my PC Power & Cooling 1000 Watt PSU because it couldn't handle two ATI 5870's and overclocked CPU to 4Ghz with 1600 FSB. I put in a Silverstone 1500Watt PSU and my system has been rock solid ever since.The article doesn't appear to measure noise from during switching and how much noise is introduced to the CPU and bus.Anyway, it will be a cold day in hell before anyone gets me to switch out my Silverstone 1500 Watt PSU.You are either lying or very unlucky (got a bad PSU)......I have crossfire 5870s and an i7 965 and all stock cannot exceed 650W at the wall (about 550W actually used) no matter what I try.Reply -
JamesSneed Nice tests but I came to a different conclusion. The seasonic X-750 is close to the most effiecent in the bunch and did you see that voltage ripple it looked like it was flat lining.Reply -
boiler1990 For the ~$20 price difference between the Corsair 850HX and the AX850, I think I'll get the AX. It never hurts to invest in a great PSU :)Reply -
juuh V8VENOMOdd, why isn't Silverstone reviewed at all? Most of the power supplies they looked at are junk for anyone with more than one GPU and overclocking. I dumped my PC Power & Cooling 1000 Watt PSU because it couldn't handle two ATI 5870's and overclocked CPU to 4Ghz with 1600 FSB. I put in a Silverstone 1500Watt PSU and my system has been rock solid ever since.The article doesn't appear to measure noise from during switching and how much noise is introduced to the CPU and bus.Anyway, it will be a cold day in hell before anyone gets me to switch out my Silverstone 1500 Watt PSU.Reply
I call BS. I could run your setup with my PC power & cooling 750w unit.
http://www.techspot.com/review/289-geforce-gtx-480-sli-versus-radeon-5870-crossfire/page9.html -
random1283 agreed no reccomendation for an x series seasonic, you guys must be mssing something, every other review of the x series said that they are simply amazing much better then any nxzt or anything.Reply