The stability of a PC is contingent on several things. Quality of components, cooling and maintenance. Unfortunately, many of us often overlook one component that is the most important of all, the power supply. If you are using a power supply that came with your case, or that you got from a bargain bin for five dollars and you have noticed system instability and random reboots, there should be alarm bells going off. Not only can a low-quality power supply cause instability, it can cause damage to components over time, namely hard drives, which can be killed by a severe voltage spike.

Recently we were sent a power supply for evaluation from a company I had not previously heard of, known as Coolmax. After a brief visit to their , I found out some information about the company. Coolmax was founded in 1992 and manufactures fans, power supplies and portable USB enclosures. I haven't seen their PSU's at any retailers yet, although has informed me that they are carrying Coolmax PSU's now.

Features

-Tri light LED Fan on the back panel (Blue, Red, Green)
-Triple ball-bearing fans design, long life, noiseless and fastest cooling time.
-Fan speed control adjustable function. (Auto, Middle and Lower Speed)
-Fan speed monitor function for new M/B.
-High quality gold-coated fan guard & connectors
-Tube-tide design and tidy your wires.
-Over voltage protection, short circuit protection on all output levels.
-+5V stand by 3A, the largest current in the market.
-Fully support all Intel & AMD series demand

1. SCOPE:
This specification defines the performance and characteristic for model of CT-470 P4 Power Supply.
2. DIMENSION:
(DxWxH) 6.4"x5.9"x3.3" / 163x150x86(mm)
3. AC INPUT:
3-1. AC Input:
95~132 VAC or 190~264 VAC select switch,88~264VAC w/active PFCversion(optional)
3-2. Frequency: 47HZ to 63HZ
3-3. Input Current:
12A maximum (RMS) at 115VAC, 6A maximum (RMS) at 230VAC
3-4. Inrush Current:
35A maximum at 115VAC, 70A maximum at 230VAC
4. DC OUTPUT:
4-1. DC Output: Voltage Min.
Current Max.
Current Peak Current Ripple
( + 5V and +3.3V combined output 235W )
( + 5V and +3.3V and +12V combined output 450W )
(Peak Current is limited to total duration of 60 seconds)
4-2. Output Regulation:
+ 3.3V +/- 5% Max.
+ 5V +/- 5% Max.
+ 12V +/-5% Max.(Normal Condition)
-5V +/- 10% Max.
-12V +/- 10% Max.
+ 5VSB +/- 5% Max.
4-3. Line Regulation: +/- 1% maximum at full load
4-4. Overshoot And Undershoot:
The output voltage has no overshoot or undershoot during turn-on or turn-off the power supply
4-5. Overload And Short Protection:
All DC outputs are protected from overload circuit and short circuit condition
4-6. Overvoltage protection:
All DC outputs will be reduced to zero if the output voltage threshold is exceeded.
The overvoltage threshold of +5V output is between 5.8V to 6.3V
The overvoltage threshold of +12V output is between 14V to 17V
The overvoltage threshold of +3.3V output is between 3.6V to 4.2V
5. GENERAL SPECIFICATION:
5-1. Efficiency: 70% minimum at 115VAC , 470W output
5-2. Operation Temperature: 0 ~ 50 degree C
5-3. Storage temperature: -25 ~ 85 degree C
5-4. Humidity:
Operating: 20% To 80% RH, Storage: 10% To 90% RH
5-5. Hold Up Time:
All output voltages will stay within regulation for at least 16.6ms after an AC line voltage failure is detected at nominal line (115 VAC or 230 VAC) under full load condition.
5-6. Withstand Voltage:
2200VDC between input and ground for 1 minute
Power -down Warning

From the start, I was impressed with the unit. It was packaged in a box with an outer space theme, which I don't really care for nor dislike. It is what was inside the package that impressed me. The unit is very flashy and is covered with stickers, but not so many that it looks tacky. The unit is also fairly light, but not to the point of feeling "flimsy" or "fragile."

The first feature that caught my attention is the triple-fan design. While most power supplies feature only one or two fans, the Coolmax is one of the very few units that uses a tri-fan mechanism. This design keeps the unit cool and ensures a longer lifetime and better overall stability. The rear fan was a model that had built-in LED's, which I don't really care too much for. There is a switch on the rear of the unit which allows you to adjust the fan speed, and LED brightness, in three levels. The 'low' setting was the most tolerable, and I could barely hear the fans in action. At 'medium' the unit pushes a lot of air, and while this was the highest fan speed setting, the unit remained very quiet. You can set the fans to 'automatic' which will make the fans rotate faster or slower, based on how hot the unit is getting.

The power supply does have one small issue that will effect users with tall cases. The cords are shorter than those on other units, which I actually appreciate. Long cords are harder to manage, and when you are trying to make your wiring as clean as possible, this can be a real nuisance. As with many other high-quality power supplies, the main ATX cable has been fitted with a black sheathing.

Next Page - Testing & Final Words