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The XPG Pylon with 650W max power achieves high overall performance, and it is silent at loads up to 450-500W (it depends on the operating temperature). XPG was wise enough to arrange for a stock of Elite caps for these units. Although not as high-end as Japanese caps, still Elite caps are the best alternative for increased reliability without sky-rocketing the production cost. The FDB fan is another asset of this product. In this category, we usually find rifle bearing fans in the best-case scenario.
Non-modular power supplies aren't our favorite, but when you want to keep the cost down without sacrificing build quality and performance, you don't have any other option but to remove the modular cables. The PSU installation process becomes harder, but on the other hand, you win something in load regulation. There is also a small efficiency boost since there is no energy loss on the modular connections.
The XPG Pylon 650 is a fine choice in this category, with its major competitors being the more expensive Cooler Master MWE 650 Bronze and the Corsair CX650F, which also has RGB lighting. With fixed cables, two more competitors are the Corsair CX650 and the Asus TUF Gaming unit with similar capacity.
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Disclaimer: Aris Mpitziopoulos is Tom's Hardware's PSU reviewer. He is also the Chief Testing Engineer of Cybenetics and developed the Cybenetics certification methodologies apart from his role on Tom's Hardware. Neither Tom's Hardware nor its parent company, Future PLC, are financially involved with Cybenetics. Aris does not perform the actual certifications for Cybenetics.
