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Bottom Line
The power supply market is tough, and a handful of brands dominate the field, using platforms that are usually made by Seasonic, Super Flower, or CWT. So it is nice to see something new and promising in the Ion+ line, which results from a collaboration between Fractal Design and High Power. , Since Fractal Design doesn't have the experience that the dominant brands have, it is natural for some things to pass under its radar. For example in all Ion+ units, the efficiency levels with 2% of the max-rated-capacity are super low and the newest ATX spec will require better performance in 2020 (>70% efficiency with 10W, for PSUs with less than 500W max power, or 2% of the max-rated-capacity for >500W PSUs).
Another problem that needs addressing is the high OCP triggering point on the minor rails. Moreover, the 5VSB rail is not so efficient, and this is a shame for a modern PSU, especially if we take into account that there are many efficiency standards that ask for high efficiency from this rail (CEC, Cybenetics ETA, etc.) Finally, the cables are highly flexible, long enough, and the amount of connectors is satisfactory, but the distance between the peripheral connectors is small at only 120mm. Ideally, it should be 150mm.
The smallest member of the Ion+ family with 560W capacity has a fair price and offers dead silent operations, even under high loads and increased operating temperatures. Its overall performance is good but not high enough to threaten the popular Seasonic Focus Plus Platinum with 550W max power (we haven't reviewed this model, although we have data for it. You can see our review of the SSR-650PX). The only area in which the Ion+ 560P manages to take the lead from the Seasonic SSR-550PX is in noise output, where it is slightly quieter. Finally, the warranty period is the same on both models, at ten-years. So if noise is your main concern, the Ion+ might be worth considering but its competitor is better overall.
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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.
