Inadequate and Deceptive Product Labeling: Comparison of 21 Power Supplies

Test Results In Detail

Let's not beat about the bush here. The 21 power supplies we tested are rated by their manufacturers at between 300 and 520 watts. Our tests showed, however, that only 15 of them actually met their specifications. We failed 5 units.

The models from Leadman, Maxtron, Noise Magic, PC-World and Task could not meet the power ratings specified by their manufacturers. The voltage of the Task TK-930TX was, on occasion, sufficiently below the specified value to cause our system to crash; not only that, this model didn't even deliver its rated 300-watt output. With a 200-watt load, the Task's +12 V rail dropped to 9 volts. We also measured some curious fluctuations in the output voltage. After about 7 minutes, the voltage dropped to 5.8 V. System crashes are pre-programmed into this power supply. The Leadman LP-6100 E does, at least, have an automatic cutout that switches power off before the capacitors can explode.

Maximum Output - Overload Test

Power Coefficient