Power Supplies Get Smarter

Efficiency In Standby Mode

Conclusion

Anyone who wishes to keep an eye on the current power consumption should not opt for the Coolermaster RealPower 550W, as it is virtually impossible to see anything on the small display with its minute needle, especially in the dark. Instead, it is far more advisable for users to opt for the Power Watcher from Sirtec. The LED display is easy to read from any angle. The PurePower power supply from Thermaltake is equally good in terms of the legibility of the display. However, due to the large jumps the power supply makes, the power measurement tends to instead offer more of an estimate than an exact reading.

The Audio Standby function of Skyhawk's Power One power represents a clever concept, but unfortunately offers no practical benefits for most users. One nifty, yet not-so-practical feature, is the possibility to set the power supply unit's voltage at 12 and 5 Volts, which can be used to only light up the PCs lights without turning the computer on.

Anyone looking for a truly efficient power supply, will opt however for the Coolermaster Realpower 550W , which constantly comes out at the top in our tests.