Is this PSU overpriced?

[drsafety]

109.00 at newegg.
85.00 at www.atacom.com

It got great reviews, and is supposed to be very quiet. Comparably priced to Antec and Seasonc PSU's of similar wattage, but Antec and Seasonic apparently have better reputations.

opinions?

 

[BigCoolJesus]

Originally posted by: drsafety
109.00 at newegg.
85.00 at www.atacom.com

It got great reviews, and is supposed to be very quiet. Comparably priced to Antec and Seasonc PSU's of similar wattage, but Antec and Seasonic apparently have better reputations.

opinions?

Its definatly not over priced, but as you said yourself, the Seasonic of similar price value is mroe worth it (Seasonic owns everything accept PCP&C)

 

[Bona Fide]

If you're getting a P180, watch out with the Powerstream and Seasonics, as they have relatively short cables.

 

[drsafety]

I am planning on buying an NZXT trinity case. I was wondering if the short cables would be a problem. anyone?

 

[mOeeOm]

Originally posted by: drsafety
I am planning on buying an NZXT trinity case. I was wondering if the short cables would be a problem. anyone?

Well the Fortron Blue Storm I heard has cables more than long enough to fit the P180...so it shouldn't be a problemt to fit that case too.

Don't quote me on this though 😛 maybe someone can confirm.

 

[The Pentium Guy]

Originally posted by: drsafety
109.00 at newegg.
85.00 at www.atacom.com

It got great reviews, and is supposed to be very quiet. Comparably priced to Antec and Seasonc PSU's of similar wattage, but Antec and Seasonic apparently have better reputations.

opinions?

AFAIK you can get a better value, take a look at the Fortron BlueStorm line. I think the Powerstream might get you more stable rails though - and it's got manually adjustable rails too, if you ever want to crank up some volts.

 

[t3h l337 n3wb]

Seasonic, Fortron, and Sparkle all have better quality products than OCZ. Not saying that OCZ is bad, but the aforementioned 3 are just better.

 

[Lyfer]

Fortron 400W/450W's at hotdeals, $40/$50. Use the extra $$$$ on a faster GPU. THe 450w outputs are almost as good as the bluestorm 500W for 2/3 of the cost.

 

[raildogg]

even if price was even, i would still pick Fortron/Sparkle, Seasonic and pcp and cooling over OCZ. OCZ is decent, its in the same category as Enermax and Antec. they are not top of the line yet they still charge way too much.

spend your money on a Fortron and/or Sparkle, they are the same company and their power supplies are made by them and designed by them. they seem to test their power supplies much more accurately than others and give you very accurate numbers. '

you can get a Fortron 450W for $49.99, which will be a better power supply than the OCZ.

 

[Gamingphreek]

Originally posted by: t3h l337 n3wb
Seasonic, Fortron, and Sparkle all have better quality products than OCZ. Not saying that OCZ is bad, but the aforementioned 3 are just better.

That is because they are all the exact same manufacturer :roll:

If you're getting a P180, watch out with the Powerstream and Seasonics, as they have relatively short cables.

Where have you heard this. The Powerstreams cables are plenty long enough. The only problem i have heard is because of the length you have to switch the fan on the P180. I cannot attest to the claims on seasonic i have heard there to be some length problems though.

I would take the OCZ (If you have the money) over the Antec. Both are comparably quiet, but neither have ANYTHING on the Seasonic powersupplies.

-Kevin

 

[drsafety]

I always hear these things - Seasonic and Antec are the best PSU makers. What characteristics make them better than the average PSU? noise? voltage stability?

 

[t3h l337 n3wb]

Originally posted by: Gamingphreek

Originally posted by: t3h l337 n3wb
Seasonic, Fortron, and Sparkle all have better quality products than OCZ. Not saying that OCZ is bad, but the aforementioned 3 are just better.

That is because they are all the exact same manufacturer :roll:

If you're getting a P180, watch out with the Powerstream and Seasonics, as they have relatively short cables.

Where have you heard this. The Powerstreams cables are plenty long enough. The only problem i have heard is because of the length you have to switch the fan on the P180. I cannot attest to the claims on seasonic i have heard there to be some length problems though.

I would take the OCZ (If you have the money) over the Antec. Both are comparably quiet, but neither have ANYTHING on the Seasonic powersupplies.

-Kevin

Hm, I knew Sparkle and Fortron were the same, but I didn't know that Seasonics were also made by them...

 

[BigCoolJesus]

Originally posted by: drsafety
I always hear these things - Seasonic and Antec are the best PSU makers. What characteristics make them better than the average PSU? noise? voltage stability?

well, not so much Antec, it doesnt fit quite as well in with Seasonic
But if your talking Seasonic and PC Power and Cooling, these are better PSU's then anything else out there becuase thier NOT made cheaply.

If you go out and buy an aspire (*NOT AN EXAGGARATION*) 1 Trillion watt psu, it will fail in a couple of months under a good amount of load and will probably only have 12amps on the 12v rail................if you buy a Seasonic 500 watt it will last 5+ years under heavy loads and will supply a constant 28+amps on the 12V rail

These psu's are better because every capacitor, component and pcb board are of highest grade, and can handle a hell of a lot more then what you can throw at it (a 410w PCP&C psu will easily handle a 420 or 430w power draw)

so in this case, the namebrand is EVERYTHING



Also, i would be careful of the Fortron Bluestorm, the 5V rail dips dangerously low under high loads (i think at one point it was on the rim of 5% outside of 5V)

 

[raildogg]

Originally posted by: drsafety
I always hear these things - Seasonic and Antec are the best PSU makers. What characteristics make them better than the average PSU? noise? voltage stability?

lmao

are you serous?!

please dont put Antec in the same sentence as Seasonic. they are both totally different and are geared towards different crowds. Antec is a so-so, pretty decent power supply seller.

Seasonic is a very old player in the psu market. Fortron is also very old and has a lot of experience building power supplies for a long time. Fortron Source has its own R&D centers where they carefully test their power supplies at elevated temperatures for a more accurate rating. these two the very best, in terms of reliability and performance. extremely trustworthy

unless you want to spend more than $200 and buy a pc power and cooling, Fortron should be your number 1 choice.

 

[drsafety]

Great answer BCJ. thanks.

 

[Novercalis]

is that fortron psu on the link have enough length to fit in a P180?

 

[raildogg]

Originally posted by: Novercalis
is that fortron psu on the link have enough length to fit in a P180?

people have them in a P180 and there seems to be no issues.

Seasonic S12's have this issue of short cables not reaching from the bottom

 

[BigCoolJesus]

Originally posted by: raildogg

Originally posted by: drsafety
I always hear these things - Seasonic and Antec are the best PSU makers. What characteristics make them better than the average PSU? noise? voltage stability?

lmao

are you serous?!

please dont put Antec in the same sentence as Seasonic. they are both totally different and are geared towards different crowds. Antec is a so-so, pretty decent power supply seller.

Seasonic is a very old player in the psu market. Fortron is also very old and has a lot of experience building power supplies for a long time. Fortron Source has its own R&D centers where they carefully test their power supplies at elevated temperatures for a more accurate rating. these two the very best, in terms of reliability and performance. extremely trustworthy

unless you want to spend more than $200 and buy a pc power and cooling, Fortron should be your number 1 choice.

The only problem i have with this statement is your over enthusiastic attitude toward Fortorn.

After my herrendous 1 month Power Supply search, ive learned a crap load, and along the way i saw that, at first, Fortron seemed to be the best, but it just isnt so.
Yes, in a normal end system with little OC'ing and average strain on the components, a Fortron kicks anyones as@ for the price, but in a higher end, constantly being strained and grilled (OC'ing, 24/7 usage, etc), a Fortron isnt the best, or even the top 3 choices.

Take the Bluestorm for example...... during testing it faired 100% on a normal load, but as soon as the computer was stressed to the max, the 5V line dipped to the edge of the 5% cushion allowed via ATX standards, and the 12V was around 3-4%...... and that wasnt for even more then a few hours, let alone a few days.


Yes, they are good PSU's, but they are not the best (even price wise, unless you running a low-mid range PC) for a mid-high end PC rig.
I just dont like to see over exaggerization of a product that isnt as good as its made out to be (dont get me wrong, i love Fortron, but i also know they have some flaws)

 

[raildogg]

well I personally love Fortron because I installed a 6800GT in my friends computer which had a 250W Fortron/Sparkle. its still going strong today. in fact, many people even have 6800 Ultras in their Dells.

as for ratings, Fortron tests their power supplies are higher temperatures. they have more accurate rails than other psu makers and sellers. meaning it is able to handle highly stressful conditions. you can also look at Toms Hardwares power supply comparison.

for these claims, where are you getting them from?

as for reliability, they are second to none. there is a reason why Dell and others pick them. my friends who have them in their pcs say they've been very reliable. i have used a Sparkle power supply in my system for 3 years. i keep on adding new parts, its still going strong. keep in mind that certain Fortrons/Sparkles are geared towards different groups.

dont dont tell me they are not in the top three. how can you even say that?

are you saying that a Fortron 550W or a similar Sparkle cannot run a extreme high end system? those power supplies were made for workstations and high end pcs specifically.

rather have the peace of mind that my power supply will be operable tomorrow. and for that, I would pick Fortron.

 

[BigCoolJesus]

Originally posted by: raildogg
well I personally love Fortron because I installed a 6800GT in my friends computer which had a 250W Fortron/Sparkle. its still going strong today. in fact, many people even have 6800 Ultras in their Dells.

as for ratings, Fortron tests their power supplies are higher temperatures. they have more accurate rails than other psu makers and sellers. meaning it is able to handle highly stressful conditions.

as for reliability, they are second to none. there is a reason why Dell and others pick them.

dont dont tell me they are not in the top three. how can you even say that?

are you saying that a Fortron 550W or a similar Sparkle cannot run a extreme high end system? those power supplies were made for workstations and high end pcs specifically.

rather have the peace of mind that my power supply will be operable tomorrow. and for that, I would pick Fortron.

Thats exactly what im saying

Im not trying to start an argument, but when the BlueStorm (what is it, 400w or 500w?) has a 5V rail rating thats on the extreme end of the rated minimum (set by the new ATX standards) under load, then its not that accurate of a rail........
And while they do have more accurate rail ratings, i would still take a PCP&C, Seasonic or Enermax over a Fortron anyday, espacially the Seasonic.

reliability i wont argue, but Dell also picks them because their cheaper (they dont want to pay more for Active PFC, or more efficient Seasonic (Fortrons arent as power efficient as a lot of others are))

again, dont want to start a flame war or arguement, but im just stating everything i learned when i was choosing my psu (and just to let you know, im use an ePower 480W Tagan, so i have a completely unbiased view on the matter)

 

[raildogg]

Originally posted by: BigCoolJesus

Originally posted by: raildogg
well I personally love Fortron because I installed a 6800GT in my friends computer which had a 250W Fortron/Sparkle. its still going strong today. in fact, many people even have 6800 Ultras in their Dells.

as for ratings, Fortron tests their power supplies are higher temperatures. they have more accurate rails than other psu makers and sellers. meaning it is able to handle highly stressful conditions.

as for reliability, they are second to none. there is a reason why Dell and others pick them.

dont dont tell me they are not in the top three. how can you even say that?

are you saying that a Fortron 550W or a similar Sparkle cannot run a extreme high end system? those power supplies were made for workstations and high end pcs specifically.

rather have the peace of mind that my power supply will be operable tomorrow. and for that, I would pick Fortron.

Thats exactly what im saying

Im not trying to start an argument, but when the BlueStorm (what is it, 400w or 500w?) has a 5V rail rating thats on the extreme end of the rated minimum (set by the new ATX standards) under load, then its not that accurate of a rail........
And while they do have more accurate rail ratings, i would still take a PCP&C, Seasonic or Enermax over a Fortron anyday, espacially the Seasonic.

reliability i wont argue, but Dell also picks them because their cheaper (they dont want to pay more for Active PFC, or more efficient Seasonic (Fortrons arent as power efficient as a lot of others are))

again, dont want to start a flame war or arguement, but im just stating everything i learned when i was choosing my psu (and just to let you know, im use an ePower 480W Tagan, so i have a completely unbiased view on the matter)

thanks, no flamewars here, hehe. but how can you say Enermax over Fortron?

Fortron truly does design and manufacture its own line of power supplies. Enermax is decent also. i have seem some reliability issues with them, so they drop a notch in my book. to me, reliability is the most important factor in determining a power supply.

specs dont really mean a lot. many no name power supplies look decent too on the specsheet.

Bluestorms arent the only Fortrons and a single review is not the final word. Bluestorms are usually more expensive, slightly more quieter. there are more powerful Fortrons/Sparkles than BlueStorms.

 

[BigCoolJesus]

Originally posted by: raildogg

Originally posted by: BigCoolJesus

Originally posted by: raildogg
well I personally love Fortron because I installed a 6800GT in my friends computer which had a 250W Fortron/Sparkle. its still going strong today. in fact, many people even have 6800 Ultras in their Dells.

as for ratings, Fortron tests their power supplies are higher temperatures. they have more accurate rails than other psu makers and sellers. meaning it is able to handle highly stressful conditions.

as for reliability, they are second to none. there is a reason why Dell and others pick them.

dont dont tell me they are not in the top three. how can you even say that?

are you saying that a Fortron 550W or a similar Sparkle cannot run a extreme high end system? those power supplies were made for workstations and high end pcs specifically.

rather have the peace of mind that my power supply will be operable tomorrow. and for that, I would pick Fortron.

Thats exactly what im saying

Im not trying to start an argument, but when the BlueStorm (what is it, 400w or 500w?) has a 5V rail rating thats on the extreme end of the rated minimum (set by the new ATX standards) under load, then its not that accurate of a rail........
And while they do have more accurate rail ratings, i would still take a PCP&C, Seasonic or Enermax over a Fortron anyday, espacially the Seasonic.

reliability i wont argue, but Dell also picks them because their cheaper (they dont want to pay more for Active PFC, or more efficient Seasonic (Fortrons arent as power efficient as a lot of others are))

again, dont want to start a flame war or arguement, but im just stating everything i learned when i was choosing my psu (and just to let you know, im use an ePower 480W Tagan, so i have a completely unbiased view on the matter)

thanks, no flamewars here, hehe. but how can you say Enermax over Fortron?

Fortron truly does design and manufacture its own line of power supplies. Enermax is decent also. i have seem some reliability issues with them, so they drop a notch in my book. to me, reliability is the most important factor in determining a power supply.

Bluestorms arent the only Fortrons and a single review is not the final word. Bluestorms are usually more expensive, slightly more quieter. there are more powerful Fortrons/Sparkles than BlueStorms.

I know there are different types of Fortrons, and it wasnt just one review but a few.......Im just saying who i would think of as my top 3 manufacturers after all the research i did.
Fortron is a good company, but not as good as everyone makes them out to be (there more overhyped then PCP&C)

 

[raildogg]

Originally posted by: BigCoolJesus

Originally posted by: raildogg

Originally posted by: BigCoolJesus

Originally posted by: raildogg
well I personally love Fortron because I installed a 6800GT in my friends computer which had a 250W Fortron/Sparkle. its still going strong today. in fact, many people even have 6800 Ultras in their Dells.

as for ratings, Fortron tests their power supplies are higher temperatures. they have more accurate rails than other psu makers and sellers. meaning it is able to handle highly stressful conditions.

as for reliability, they are second to none. there is a reason why Dell and others pick them.

dont dont tell me they are not in the top three. how can you even say that?

are you saying that a Fortron 550W or a similar Sparkle cannot run a extreme high end system? those power supplies were made for workstations and high end pcs specifically.

rather have the peace of mind that my power supply will be operable tomorrow. and for that, I would pick Fortron.

Thats exactly what im saying

Im not trying to start an argument, but when the BlueStorm (what is it, 400w or 500w?) has a 5V rail rating thats on the extreme end of the rated minimum (set by the new ATX standards) under load, then its not that accurate of a rail........
And while they do have more accurate rail ratings, i would still take a PCP&C, Seasonic or Enermax over a Fortron anyday, espacially the Seasonic.

reliability i wont argue, but Dell also picks them because their cheaper (they dont want to pay more for Active PFC, or more efficient Seasonic (Fortrons arent as power efficient as a lot of others are))

again, dont want to start a flame war or arguement, but im just stating everything i learned when i was choosing my psu (and just to let you know, im use an ePower 480W Tagan, so i have a completely unbiased view on the matter)

thanks, no flamewars here, hehe. but how can you say Enermax over Fortron?

Fortron truly does design and manufacture its own line of power supplies. Enermax is decent also. i have seem some reliability issues with them, so they drop a notch in my book. to me, reliability is the most important factor in determining a power supply.

Bluestorms arent the only Fortrons and a single review is not the final word. Bluestorms are usually more expensive, slightly more quieter. there are more powerful Fortrons/Sparkles than BlueStorms.

I know there are different types of Fortrons, and it wasnt just one review but a few.......Im just saying who i would think of as my top 3 manufacturers after all the research i did.
Fortron is a good company, but not as good as everyone makes them out to be (there more overhyped then PCP&C)

i respect your opinion a lot

however, there is a reason why people, such as me, say Fortron is a top notch power supply designer and manufacturer. I would say that other power supplies are much more overhyped than Fortron. Fortrons are usually a much better value than others. that and a very good reliability make them a great choice.

as for reviews, i've seen some as well. TH gave Fortron its top choice. as for customer reviews, well lets say noone comes close.

Seasonic is high on my list as well. PC power and cooling is great, but i wont buy them. simply too much when i know i can get a decent power supply for much less.

 

[BigCoolJesus]

Originally posted by: raildogg

Originally posted by: BigCoolJesus

Originally posted by: raildogg

Originally posted by: BigCoolJesus

Originally posted by: raildogg
well I personally love Fortron because I installed a 6800GT in my friends computer which had a 250W Fortron/Sparkle. its still going strong today. in fact, many people even have 6800 Ultras in their Dells.

as for ratings, Fortron tests their power supplies are higher temperatures. they have more accurate rails than other psu makers and sellers. meaning it is able to handle highly stressful conditions.

as for reliability, they are second to none. there is a reason why Dell and others pick them.

dont dont tell me they are not in the top three. how can you even say that?

are you saying that a Fortron 550W or a similar Sparkle cannot run a extreme high end system? those power supplies were made for workstations and high end pcs specifically.

rather have the peace of mind that my power supply will be operable tomorrow. and for that, I would pick Fortron.

Thats exactly what im saying

Im not trying to start an argument, but when the BlueStorm (what is it, 400w or 500w?) has a 5V rail rating thats on the extreme end of the rated minimum (set by the new ATX standards) under load, then its not that accurate of a rail........
And while they do have more accurate rail ratings, i would still take a PCP&C, Seasonic or Enermax over a Fortron anyday, espacially the Seasonic.

reliability i wont argue, but Dell also picks them because their cheaper (they dont want to pay more for Active PFC, or more efficient Seasonic (Fortrons arent as power efficient as a lot of others are))

again, dont want to start a flame war or arguement, but im just stating everything i learned when i was choosing my psu (and just to let you know, im use an ePower 480W Tagan, so i have a completely unbiased view on the matter)

thanks, no flamewars here, hehe. but how can you say Enermax over Fortron?

Fortron truly does design and manufacture its own line of power supplies. Enermax is decent also. i have seem some reliability issues with them, so they drop a notch in my book. to me, reliability is the most important factor in determining a power supply.

Bluestorms arent the only Fortrons and a single review is not the final word. Bluestorms are usually more expensive, slightly more quieter. there are more powerful Fortrons/Sparkles than BlueStorms.

I know there are different types of Fortrons, and it wasnt just one review but a few.......Im just saying who i would think of as my top 3 manufacturers after all the research i did.
Fortron is a good company, but not as good as everyone makes them out to be (there more overhyped then PCP&C)

i respect your opinion a lot

however, there is a reason why people, such as me, say Fortron is a top notch power supply designer and manufacturer. I would say that other power supplies are much more overhyped than Fortron. Fortrons are usually a much better value than others. that and a very good reliability make them a great choice.

as for reviews, i've seen some as well. TH gave Fortron its top choice. as for customer reviews, well lets say noone comes close.

Seasonic is high on my list as well. PC power and cooling is great, but i wont buy them. simply too much when i know i can get a decent power supply for much less.

Ill agree, alot are overhyped, but i just dont look at Fortron as being that great, there very good, but not super great..... and PCP&C is worth it for the money

also, i dont trust Toms Hardware for anything. Period.

 

[raildogg]

Originally posted by: BigCoolJesus

Originally posted by: raildogg

Originally posted by: BigCoolJesus

Originally posted by: raildogg

Originally posted by: BigCoolJesus

Originally posted by: raildogg
well I personally love Fortron because I installed a 6800GT in my friends computer which had a 250W Fortron/Sparkle. its still going strong today. in fact, many people even have 6800 Ultras in their Dells.

as for ratings, Fortron tests their power supplies are higher temperatures. they have more accurate rails than other psu makers and sellers. meaning it is able to handle highly stressful conditions.

as for reliability, they are second to none. there is a reason why Dell and others pick them.

dont dont tell me they are not in the top three. how can you even say that?

are you saying that a Fortron 550W or a similar Sparkle cannot run a extreme high end system? those power supplies were made for workstations and high end pcs specifically.

rather have the peace of mind that my power supply will be operable tomorrow. and for that, I would pick Fortron.

Thats exactly what im saying

Im not trying to start an argument, but when the BlueStorm (what is it, 400w or 500w?) has a 5V rail rating thats on the extreme end of the rated minimum (set by the new ATX standards) under load, then its not that accurate of a rail........
And while they do have more accurate rail ratings, i would still take a PCP&C, Seasonic or Enermax over a Fortron anyday, espacially the Seasonic.

reliability i wont argue, but Dell also picks them because their cheaper (they dont want to pay more for Active PFC, or more efficient Seasonic (Fortrons arent as power efficient as a lot of others are))

again, dont want to start a flame war or arguement, but im just stating everything i learned when i was choosing my psu (and just to let you know, im use an ePower 480W Tagan, so i have a completely unbiased view on the matter)

thanks, no flamewars here, hehe. but how can you say Enermax over Fortron?

Fortron truly does design and manufacture its own line of power supplies. Enermax is decent also. i have seem some reliability issues with them, so they drop a notch in my book. to me, reliability is the most important factor in determining a power supply.

Bluestorms arent the only Fortrons and a single review is not the final word. Bluestorms are usually more expensive, slightly more quieter. there are more powerful Fortrons/Sparkles than BlueStorms.

I know there are different types of Fortrons, and it wasnt just one review but a few.......Im just saying who i would think of as my top 3 manufacturers after all the research i did.
Fortron is a good company, but not as good as everyone makes them out to be (there more overhyped then PCP&C)

i respect your opinion a lot

however, there is a reason why people, such as me, say Fortron is a top notch power supply designer and manufacturer. I would say that other power supplies are much more overhyped than Fortron. Fortrons are usually a much better value than others. that and a very good reliability make them a great choice.

as for reviews, i've seen some as well. TH gave Fortron its top choice. as for customer reviews, well lets say noone comes close.

Seasonic is high on my list as well. PC power and cooling is great, but i wont buy them. simply too much when i know i can get a decent power supply for much less.

Ill agree, alot are overhyped, but i just dont look at Fortron as being that great, there very good, but not super great..... and PCP&C is worth it for the money

also, i dont trust Toms Hardware for anything. Period.

I dont visit Toms anymore. however, a review is a review.🙂

i guess you and i have different views on what makes a great power supply. reliability to me is tops, so my choice is Fortron. PCP&C is worth it if you're building an insane rig, or have a lot of spare money to spend. usually, magazines build their *pimp* rigs with PCP&P, such as the 850W SLI or even the 510W SLI. i agree that the 510W regular or the 510W SLI is a great power supply, however, I dont think most of us can afford to spend over $200 or $220 on it.