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 Ultra,
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
Ultra 500W
Titanium ATX Power Supply 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 $45
(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.
If
you have Questions or Comments on this or any other review, feel
free to use our Forums.
HOME
