Part 1: Four Cheap 80 PLUS Bronze Power Supplies, Reviewed

Cougar A350

While the case quality of the Cougar A350 seems excellent, this inexpensive PSU almost feels cheap (a first impression that may be affected by its smaller-than-average 120 mm fan and low weight). Of course, this just a subjective impression, and it doesn't necessarily translate into sub-standard performance. Before we get to the testing, though, let’s discuss the A350’s feature set.

At 350 W, the Cougar A350 is the least powerful PSU in this round-up. With that said, 350 W of output should be sufficient for normal office use and even for mainstream gaming. Like the Antec unit, it only has one six-pin PCIe connector. In addition, you get a 24-pin ATX connector, three Molex connectors, and four SATA plugs. This thing isn't luxurious by any means, but it's apropos for what Cougar charges. The cables for the drives and peripherals are longer than we'd expect, but we would have liked at least four more inches on the ATX, ATX12V, and PCIe runs. In this price range, we don’t expect cable management and the Cougar A350 doesn’t offer it. Surprisingly for a low-output unit like the A350, the +12 V supply is split into two rails, each of which is rated for up to 14 A.