Can't find any good PSU reviews

[Greenman]

I'm looking for real reviews. Most seem to take note of the paint job and flashing lights, a few will measure the voltages. I'm looking for reviews that test the rated limits of the unit, if it says 20 amps on the 12v rail, will it indeed put out 20amps at 40C?

 

[Elcs]

SPCR do good PSU reviews but they only review a small slice of the PSU market.

They have done the best PSU tests Ive seen.

 

[Greenman]

Those aren't bad at all, thanks.

 

[lifeguard1999]

silentpcreview.com's recommended power supplies list & reviews

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Just to put a little Yank in your day

Read the opening post here...Text
He's not selling anything, so he promotes nothing. Just the facts man!

Go to www.jonnyguru.com/ read all his linked articles on the right. He is an Elite member of this board.

The Brit site Hexus.net has done several PSU round-ups using real world testing.
Question is? Can the Brits be trusted after suffering the world with the goods of Joseph Lucas.

Anandtech has a few dated round-ups if you search.

THG has done several round-ups of PSUs. *shudders*

I can hear it now OP,"but I don't want to read, just tell me."

Best bang-for-the-buck=FSP Group(Fortron or Sparkle)
Best quiet=Seasonic
Best I don't care what it costs=PCP&C or Zippy/Emacs. At < $80 the 300 watt Zippy has
22A on the 12V line.


...Galvanized


EDIT: Scratch Hexus, no PSU reviews. They did a HSF round-up. My bad.

 

[JEDIYoda]

just to set the record straight......SPCR...stands for SILENT...for a reason....
thus even if the PSU is a top notch PSU tyhey will still deduct points and give the PSU a lower rating than is warranted!!

Just so your aware...
Alot of people are into silence...but most top of the line over clockers would rather have uber reliability rather than uber silence......

Just my opinion!!

 

[Greenman]

Thanks all, I can dig through all that and find what I need. It would be really nice to see a list of PSU's with every rail loaded to the limit at 40C and a table listing voltages. With the last collum showing the units that melted down. I'd guess more than half couldn't make the grade.

Note to Galvanized: I'd rather read than have someone tell me, the problem is the trash psu I have now got very good reviews at the time I picked it up. The sad fact is very very few reviews test the real output of a psu. It's easy to hold 12V, at 1 amp and 25C, 20 amps at 40C is whole different story. I've done projects installing backup power systems, the last one was 400 amp 3 phase, and we tested it at 400 amps (used an electric heater that could darn near melt concrete), which it was expected to hold without a hitch. Granted thats a long way from a computer psu, but proper testing is the same, 1/10 of an amp or 10,000.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Right on Greenman!! It's just a matter of scale.

I have two Fortrons and two Zippys.

JonnyGURU(his user name here) does reviews for SLCenteral.com, you might want to look at
their PSU reviews. Jonnyguru has the equipment to fully load and take readings for voltage
fulcuations. He shows off his testing rig on his site.

www.madshrimps.be/ is another site that has done some decent testing of PSUs.

Please come back with your opinions of the sites offered in this thread.



...Galvanized

 

[Zepper]

Tom's Hardware does a reasonably good job of testing PSUs under load, but you are right, most of the fanboy sites don't even load them up to half power. That's why the Ultra X-Connect got so many good reviews (not to mention the fanboy flattery factor: "Boy these guys actually sent ME something to test, WOW!", etc.).
. But sometimes you have to do a little sleuthing to figure out what name some of the units they test are sold here under. There is also at least one Brit site that does a decent job on PSUs (might be legitreviews.com). But for sure, when you see a review using hardware monitoring software to report measurements, go the other way - FAST!

.bh.

 

[Greenman]

Well, I ended up with an Antec. Not my first choice, or second, but my old one totaly flaked out and thats what they had at frys. It was a TruePower 2 or an Ultra X connect. I chose the lessor of two evils.

 

[0roo0roo]

last months custom pc magazine had an indepth review where they tested psu's with decent equipment that could place full 50/75/100% loads on the psu's..they tested efficiency/heat/noise/voltage flux. seasonic was tops. many sucked bad. they said the equipment for testing was expensive and so publications generally can't afford it, they just borrowed theirs.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: 0roo0roo
last months custom pc magazine had an indepth review where they tested psu's with decent equipment that could place full 50/75/100% loads on the psu's..they tested efficiency/heat/noise/voltage flux. seasonic was tops. many sucked bad. they said the equipment for testing was expensive and so publications generally can't afford it, they just borrowed theirs.

I read that artucle......
It also stated that some results were highly subjective..including the Seasonic results.

 

[0roo0roo]

well yea because being able to handle 100% load is not generally something people actually subject their psu's to. just an indicator of quality.

 

[Stoneburner]

I have a question: I have a 431 enermax that's 3 years old. I'm curently upgrading and getting an asus a8r-mvp mobo and I"m curious if the PSU can work with the mobo. Does it require different plugs or anything? thanks in advance.