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Pros, Cons And Final Verdict
Raidmax has a close relationship with Andyson, since most of its PSU portfolio is made by this manufacturer. Naturally, it's one of the first companies to adopt Andyson's new Titanium platform.
This isn't a cutting-edge design, but it still offers very high efficiency. And under optimal conditions it satisfies the 80 PLUS Titanium requirements. The RX-700AT features tight load regulation and good ripple suppression at +12V, and it has an efficient 5VSB rail that also scores the best load regulation we've ever measured. The minor rails perform well in our suite, except for the Advanced Transient Response tests where the 3.3V rail couldn't keep its voltage above 3.2V. Nevertheless, it doesn't go out of the corresponding ATX spec, so the RX-700AT technically passes.
Aside from its official price, this is a good PSU. Where Raidmax really slips up is a lackluster warranty. Even mainstream PSUs from the competition include three-year coverage, but the RX-700AT only gives you two years. Since Andyson's very similar N700 is backed by a five-year warranty, we have a hard time swallowing Raidmax's warranty approach. We have to imagine there was a disagreement with the manufacturer (Andyson) on this matter.
Despite the many good aspects of this PSU, there are some questionable areas, including the single EPS connector and the high inrush currents that show a serious omission in the design. Raidmax left off an NTC thermistor, responsible for protecting against large inrush currents, in an effort to increase efficiency. If the company backed up the thermistor with a bypass relay, efficiency wouldn't have been dinged. Another significant problem is the low hold-up time, which is followed by a longer power-good signal. Once that signal is de-asserted, the +12V rail is out of spec and close to 11V. This is an issue that needs addressing immediately. If Andyson's engineers try to increase the hold-up time with larger bulk caps, efficiency will take a hit and likely torpedo the Titanium rating. Still, we expect PSUs to satisfy the ATX spec's guidelines, and the power-good signal should be at least 1ms lower than the actual hold-up time. It's unfortunate that we run into this problem so often.
To wrap up, Raidmax's MSRP is definitely high. However, the company claims its RX-700AT's will sell for about $20 less, so expect a street price around $130. If we could get the company to extend its warranty to five years, this PSU would become a decent choice for anyone who wants Titanium efficiency without breaking the bank. As it sits now, though, many enthusiasts will keep looking for better-protected alternatives. Finally, the hold-up time issue needs to be fixed sooner than later. It's up to Raidmax to turn all of our complaints around to make the RX-700AT a more competitive product.
Update 5/18/2016: Raidmax informed us that the warranty of the RX-700AT has been extended to five years.
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Aris Mpitziopoulos is a Contributing Editor for Tom's Hardware, covering Power Supplies.
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