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How concerned should I be? Ultra X-connect 500watt PSU

R

Rhin0

Senior member
Guys,

This isn't really reassuring by any means and I haven't plugged it in yet but wanted to see what you thought first. I took my Ultra x-connect out the box for the first time today. Very good looking PSU, great quality seems like.

Well then I heard a light rattling inside. So I rattled it out exhaust fan and it was a tiny little piece of metal that looked like a ball bearing. It was distorted on one side though. If it was a ball bearing it is a damaged one. Size is approximately the size of a ball point pens "ball" or slightly smaller. It may not even be a ball bearing since I don't even know if these fans use ball bearings. Guess I should go look that up or find out.
Any other comments or opinions would be appreciated, maybe it is just a piece of something that was in there from manufacturing?


thanks
RHin0
 
I'd be vary wary of installing that in my system. Check around here, there a few threads where these psu's took out whole systems.


Loose metal in a psu sounds kinda scary to me.
 
PSU is one of the most commonly skimped on PC parts, and one of the worst to skimp on... If you can spare a few bucks, pick up a quality PSU. If you skimped on the case too, it wouldn't hurt to get a quality case which includes a quality PSU, such as the Antec Sonata - save a bit of cash that way.
 
Originally posted by: Fern
I'd be vary wary of installing that in my system. Check around here, there a few threads where these psu's took out whole systems.


Loose metal in a psu sounds kinda scary to me.
Click to expand...



I've seen it first hand. I saw one blow and toast 1,800 worht of gear
 
Originally posted by: Gurck
PSU is one of the most commonly skimped on PC parts, and one of the worst to skimp on... If you can spare a few bucks, pick up a quality PSU. If you skimped on the case too, it wouldn't hurt to get a quality case which includes a quality PSU, such as the Antec Sonata - save a bit of cash that way.
Click to expand...


LOL it wasn't skimped on dude. I wouldn't buy an Antec PSU with what im using anyways. It is was either OCZ Modstream 450w or X-connect 500w and I chose the x-connect
 
The X-Connect is a $25. Powmax in wolf's clothing... Overpriced junk, sorry. If there is any way to send it back or swap it out for something else, do it.
.bh.
 
Originally posted by: Rhin0
Originally posted by: Gurck
PSU is one of the most commonly skimped on PC parts, and one of the worst to skimp on... If you can spare a few bucks, pick up a quality PSU. If you skimped on the case too, it wouldn't hurt to get a quality case which includes a quality PSU, such as the Antec Sonata - save a bit of cash that way.
Click to expand...


LOL it wasn't skimped on dude. I wouldn't buy an Antec PSU with what im using anyways. It is was either OCZ Modstream 450w or X-connect 500w and I chose the x-connect
Click to expand...

what is wrong with antec?


the ultra is a piece of junk.
 
ignore these haters, the ultra psus have been praised by all the review sites i've seen review it. for some reason these guys just love to hate. if you look around the new ocz powerstreams were killing systems (they had a whole bad run of them) and no one is hating on ocz.
 
The X-connect is fine. Feel free to prove it is junk...

Some of your attitudes are totally uncalled for, no reason to be assholes folks.


thanks for the helpful input
 
You only need to open the case beside a REAL 500W PSU to tell the difference. Few if any of the on-line reviews of the Connect-X are worth the electrons they're written on! It's all show - no go. Pity the fool...
.bh.

 
I saw one review where they had graphs of the 12v rail fluctuations on about 10 power supplies, while I admit that the OCZ did look the best, it was not much better than the x-connect, barely noticeable in fact. Especially when you compared it to the no name psu they tested, which had a 12v rail fluctuating all over the place. So compared to a regular PSU the x-connect beats the crap out of it, and compared to most name brand PSU's it is either slightly worse or better than.

As far as I can tell it is a very good PSU, I think its gotten a bad rap as it is a relatively new product.
 
Originally posted by: NarcoticHobo
I saw one review where they had graphs of the 12v rail fluctuations on about 10 power supplies, while I admit that the OCZ did look the best, it was not much better than the x-connect, barely noticeable in fact. Especially when you compared it to the no name psu they tested, which had a 12v rail fluctuating all over the place. So compared to a regular PSU the x-connect beats the crap out of it, and compared to most name brand PSU's it is either slightly worse or better than.

As far as I can tell it is a very good PSU, I think its gotten a bad rap as it is a relatively new product.
Click to expand...

The problem is it is a relatively new product.
Why taek a chance on it when there are more proven solutions at better prices?

Any electrical engineering geek will recommend zippy/fortron for bang for buck or power pc/seasonic for "ultra" performance. OCZ is very nice but overpriced as well IMHO.


The entire ULTRA line is really rebranded stuff.

My rule of thumb is if they don't use them in high end servers I wont for my box as I can less afford to fry my system than a company can a server.

The list above is reviews linked by Ultra. I wonder how those reviews read???
 
Originally posted by: Zepper
You only need to open the case beside a REAL 500W PSU to tell the difference. Few if any of the on-line reviews of the Connect-X are worth the electrons they're written on! It's all show - no go. Pity the fool...
.bh.
Click to expand...

it's funny you say that. i've seen the insides and even tho a few reviews have said the heatsinks aren't as huge as others, they do a fine job and there isn't a heat problem even under load. so what else do you want? you are simply a hater and the quicker you admit that to yourself the better you'll feel as a human. did ultra insult your mother or something? i can't imagine why you people even care so much that you constantly slam a product you've probably never even used.
 
Originally posted by: jterrell
Originally posted by: NarcoticHobo
I saw one review where they had graphs of the 12v rail fluctuations on about 10 power supplies, while I admit that the OCZ did look the best, it was not much better than the x-connect, barely noticeable in fact. Especially when you compared it to the no name psu they tested, which had a 12v rail fluctuating all over the place. So compared to a regular PSU the x-connect beats the crap out of it, and compared to most name brand PSU's it is either slightly worse or better than.

As far as I can tell it is a very good PSU, I think its gotten a bad rap as it is a relatively new product.
Click to expand...

The problem is it is a relatively new product.
Why taek a chance on it when there are more proven solutions at better prices?

Any electrical engineering geek will recommend zippy/fortron for bang for buck or power pc/seasonic for "ultra" performance. OCZ is very nice but overpriced as well IMHO.


The entire ULTRA line is really rebranded stuff.

My rule of thumb is if they don't use them in high end servers I wont for my box as I can less afford to fry my system than a company can a server.

The list above is reviews linked by Ultra. I wonder how those reviews read???
Click to expand...

the only reason i'd buy an ultra x-connect is to take advantage of the modular cables. i have no use for a 6 pin aux cable and i never will. i also don't need the fan-only cables on my antec, nor do i need the 3 pin connector for monitoring the psu fans. i don't need any 4 pin floppy power connectors.

the other two companies offering modular psus don't really fit what i want. the antec would still have cables that would have to be tied back, as would the ocz from what i've seen. and after the recent fiasco with ocz i would be hesitant to use one anyway for a bit til i'm sure there's no problem like there was with the 600w powerstream. i realize there are other options, but you don't see me going from post to post slamming antec and calling what they make junk like you do with ultra. i've seen NOTHING to tell me they don't make a quality product, and one or two people on anandtech having problems (one of which can't be proven it had anything to do with the psu) doesn't tell me the whole line is garbage. everyone who has reviewed one (linked from ultra or not) has had nothing but good things to say, and the tests they've run all look solid. the biggest complaint i've seen is the price, but they are easy to find under 100 dollars if you know where to look. it doesn't have an overheating problem and it's got solid lines, so why wouldn't i use one?
 
If you have some concerns, jump the green wire on the atx connector to any ground wire of the power supply to turn it on. Then get some fans and hook it up to molex connectors and let it run for few mins, hours, or overnight. If you don't smell or see and smoke, it should be fine.
Also if you have a digital multimeter check out all the rails.
Its good practice not to hook up brand new power supplies to you rig unless you do some testing. Internals can get loose or damaged in shipping.
 
More of the same info as above......use generic PSU's on generic systems. I have not had good results from lesser PSU's, while my father is running a generic just fine.

The closer to the ragged edge you are, the more the PSU matters. Noise (electronic) is just as bad as fluctuations in PSU's as you approach their limits. Overvolt protection can save your gear often as not.

Using cheap internals can work (for a short while at least) as well as a more expensive unit, but when it goes, and it will..... More stuff dies with it than with a quality unit.

In a PSU, you are paying for longevity, noise filtering, safety, and quick transients, not watts. ANY PSU can put out high watts, but doing it cleanly and quickly is harder and more expensive.

That being said, I cannot reccomend the Ultra X for ANY serious OC'er or heavy gamer. I have seen them in use and am not impressed. My Brother got one for his son, and my FSP 460 units are FAAAARRRR nicer all-around than that unit. I once had an Antec True Power 480 (it died), and that unit was nicer as well. You are paying for the convenience of the cable routing and a shiny box with the Ultra X. Make no doubt about it, it looks cool as hell, but steer as far away as you would from a CompUSA generic PSU with shiny paint.
 
Originally posted by: maluckey
You are paying for the convenience of the cable routing and a shiny box with the Ultra X. Make no doubt about it, it looks cool as hell, but steer as far away as you would from a CompUSA generic PSU with shiny paint.
Click to expand...

:thumbsup: Functionality over style.
 
Hahah. I have one and it works GOOD. Replaced it over the antec neo power, much better rails. Couldn't be more happy.
 
It's fine if you guys don't like it. I didn't buy it for "500 watts" either. Like I said I was going to get the powerstream 420w or the 450w Modstream, they were choices too.
 
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