Power Supplies, like many computer products have undergone an evolution, not just in the power hike required to keep today's latest systems running, but also to add further functionality such as extra cooling to your PC case. I would guess that manufacturers of PSUs probably outnumber other PC item manufacturers which can make choosing the correct one more complex. With each of them trying to out do the other for innovative ideas, we as end users get a whole plethora of options to choose from.
We've already seen the high end PSU from , the X-Connect, which is both innovative and of a very high quality. So what about the normal PSUs in Ultra's lineup? I say normal, as this 500W Titanium PSU we'll be reviewing is much like many PSUs today, along with the extra cooling fans and a sleek look.
Specifications
Total Output Power:
- 500W (Full Load, Nominal Input Voltage).
Efficiency:
- 70% Typical at Full Load and Nominal Input Voltage.
Input:
- AC Input Voltage: 115V/230V
- AC Input Frequency: 50-60Hz
- AC Input Current:
- 8.5A (RMS) for 115VAC input
- 5.5A (RMS) for 230VAC input
The box for the Ultra 500W Titanium ATX Power Supply displays a photo image of the PSU on the front and also has a circular section to the top right which reveals a peek at the PSU's highly reflective finish.
The contents are minimal; the PSU, power cable, screws and registration cable. The cables for the PSU are nothing special; all bare, standard wiring as found in any standard PSU, although the 20 pin ATX power lead has been sleeved. For many, sleeved cabling is not a big plus point but it is a nice feature to have none the less, although no doubt this is missing from the majority of cabling here to keep the price down. I would have liked to have seen a 24 pin and adapter set here for the mainboard power as things are quickly progressing towards a 24 pin connector for motherboards as standard. As it stands right now, you may be able to use this PSU on some i915/925 systems, but only in the first 20-pins. Two leads carry 4 Molex connectors and a single floppy for a total of 8 Molex and 2 floppy overall. Also included is the 4-pin P4 Aux connector and a flat 6-pin Aux connector (does anyone use those?).
Check out the reflection on the main unit, it's virtually a mirror finish. The obvious advantage here is the Bling look but that's offset with the disadvantage of having to keep is clean and fingerprint free. This is personally the most reflective PSU I've seen and the finish is excellent all over.
The Ultra 500W Titanium ATX Power Supply is a Dual Fan PSU, with fans at the rear and below. The front houses vents for airflow from the other 2 fans. Checking out the lower fan we find nifty feature; both fans and there grills have been recessed into the PSU housing. You won't be catching this unit on parts of cases which don't allow for fan grills on the PSU. The fans themselves are clear bladed to blend in with the reflective surroundings and are very quiet in operation.
To the rear we find another recessed 80mm clear fan and grill on the right, with the power plug, voltage switch and power switch to the left. It also shows us a look at the gold heat sinks inside.
Inside we get a closer look at the gold heatsinks as well as the clear fans and Fuhjhhu capacitors used. Everything is mounted onto a black PCB and appears very well constructed; no sloppy workmanship inside.
Testing
We will be testing the Ultra 500w Titanium ATX Power Supply for both its ability to supply the correct voltages as well as aid in system cooling. For system cooling testing we have taken average results over a 2 day period of operation with MBM5 recording the results of the system temperatures. For voltage testing, again MBM5 was used to record an idle, average and load. To load the PSU as many devices as possible were used at once (burning a CD, scanning from a USB scanner, running a q3 loop in the background, typing up a letter, all fans to 12v, 3 CCFL’s switched on, USB mouse and keyboard).
Test system is as follows : Athlon XP 2500 @ 2.2GHz (10x220), Abit AN7, MSI GeForce FX5950 Ultra 256MB, Haupaugge TV Card, LiteOn CD Burner, Pioneer DVD Burner, Vantec Nexus 3 Channel Fan Controller and CCFL Controller, 3 CCFLs, 2 120mm case fans, 2 ATA Hard Drives, USB Modem, USB Scanner and other USB Devices
For comparison, the Aerocool Aeropower II 520W Titanium PSU was used.
Cooling
|
|
Idle
|
Load
|
Avg
|
|
AeroPower II @ Low
|
26
|
32
|
30
|
|
Ultra 500w Titanium
|
26
|
32
|
30
|
Both PSUs showed identical results here when both PSUs fans were at low, quiet speeds. If the speeds of the fans on the AeroPower are turned up to high however then things change by about a 1C drop in system temperatures average. Since the temperatures are good (for my system and its location anyway) and the Ultra PSU is targeted as a low noise unit, the results are fine.
Voltages
The voltages for the Ultra 500w Titanium ATX Power Supply are also very good across the board.
None of the voltages from the Ultra PSU drop below the specified rates and the majority are very close with little variation between idle and load. The 12v ATX line shows the most variation but it isn't so far out of spec to be a worry. All of the averages look very good.
Final Words
The may not have a modular cabling system, or flashy fans or windows, or even sleeved cabling for the most part, but it does have an excellent titanium mirror finish and good performance. Voltages are pretty much spot on, its quiet and bottom line it does its job.
I would have liked to have seen a 24-pin power lead and 24 to 20-pin adapter, as 24 pin motherboards are really beginning to make an appearance now.
At around (at time of writing) this makes it just below the average for a half decent PSU, with the exception that all signs I've seen from this sample point to this being higher quality than others in this price category.
Pros: Titanium finish, High power output, Low noise, 2 80mm fans, Sleeved ATX cable, Price, Recessed fans and grills.
Cons: No sleeving on other cables, Retains fingerprints easily, Only 20 pin ATX - 24 pin connectors not present.
Bottom Line: While 20-pin PSUs do indeed work in some 24-pin motherboards, your success may vary depending on the board and PSU. With Pre-915/925 and current Athlon boards, the 500W Titanium ATX Power Supply will do the job well.
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