OCZ vs Corsair vs Mushkin

[skillyho]

I'm not one to usually do this but I'm in over my head when it comes to the quality segment of PSU purchases. I'm currently on a 550WT Rosewill with dual 18A on the 12V and it's been doing great, but I'm moving to a new setup in the next 2 months and I'm getting the case and PSU now to offset some costs.

My choices are.....

Mushkin 580 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...p?item=N82E16817812004

Corsair 520 - http://www.clubit.com/product_...l.cfm?itemno=CA6200026

OCZ 600 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...p?item=N82E16817341010

Warranty is a semi-big deal to me, and Corsair/Mushkin have the longest at 5 years. If you guys had to chose between those 3, or could recommend another one at that same $100 price point, what would it be? I'm not too concerned about loudness/volume either.

I'll be using an Enermax Uber Chakra case. Modular vs Non-Modular makes no difference to me. I want quality, reliability and longevity.

 

[GalvanizedYankee]

Of those 3, door #2, the Corsair.

I would tell you why the Mushkin and OCZ are not to be considered but then the dogs of war would be nipping at my heels.
PM me if you want to know why.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: BSkip22
I'm not one to usually do this but I'm in over my head when it comes to the quality segment of PSU purchases. I'm currently on a 550WT Rosewill with dual 18A on the 12V and it's been doing great, but I'm moving to a new setup in the next 2 months and I'm getting the case and PSU now to offset some costs.

My choices are.....

Mushkin 580 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...p?item=N82E16817812004

Corsair 520 - http://www.clubit.com/product_...l.cfm?itemno=CA6200026

OCZ 600 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/...p?item=N82E16817341010

Warranty is a semi-big deal to me, and Corsair/Mushkin have the longest at 5 years. If you guys had to chose between those 3, or could recommend another one at that same $100 price point, what would it be? I'm not too concerned about loudness/volume either.

I'll be using an Enermax Uber Chakra case. Modular vs Non-Modular makes no difference to me. I want quality, reliability and longevity.

truth be told IMO you cannot go wrong with Corsair.
yet-- OCZ also makes a descent PSU that would work well!! yet according to jonnyGURU who is usually correct btw-- it`s a loud PSU .
So it looks like the EvoStream 600W gets an overall score of 8.5!

Performance 9
Aesthetics 9
Value 7.5
Functionality 8.5
Total Score 8.5

SUMMARY:

It's hard not to love the EvoStream. It's like a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup. "Hey! You got a server power supply in my modular gamer power supply!" But unlike a Reese's Peanut Butter Cup, the EvoStream is loud and expensive. I suppose the best way to wrap this up is to say that if money is no object, and you crank up your speakers way beyond the noise level of this power supply's fan, I can't talk you out of getting an EvoStream for yourself if 40A on the 12V rail is enough power.

The Good....

Rock solid rails
Modular
Nice finish
Nice UV reactive cables
Blue LED fan
The Bad....

Very loud fan
Very expensive
The Mediocre....

Mediocre efficiency
Cables were stiff and difficult to manipulate
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@
Muskin I have not heard that many good things or bad things about them.
yet according to JonnyGURU--
Ok.. At this point, I'm sure you're quoting Steve Martin from the Pink Panther movie."Stop browbeating her! Can't you see she is sexy!"

Let's just score it...

Performance 5
Aesthetics 9.5
Value 6
Functionality 9
Total Score 6.5

Performance (weight of 40%) gets a 5. This power supply simply does little for me, outside of actually putting out 550W. Efficiency could be better, there's no power factor correction, and the performance decreased significantly when temperatures were increased. The crossload shows that a computer with a minimal load on the 3.3V and/or 5V rails is going to wreak havoc on the 12V rails and the excessive ripple on the 12V line makes me contemplate potential long term effects on peripherals.

Aesthetics (weight of 10%) is 9.5. The mirror finish looks great and the modular cables will make the inside of your PC look great too. The embossed "Mushkin" on the side of the housing is a nice touch too!

Value (weight of 30%) score is a 6. At $80, this is certainly an inexpensive unit. But I wouldn't trust it to a high end system, so I'm reluctant to call it a "good value"

For functionality (weight of 20%,) I'm giving this power supply a 9. It's modular and compact, making it very easy to use.

Overall, the Mushkin HP-550 manages to score a "6.5" Simply put, I don't recommend this product. But do not let this affect your impression of Mushkin power supplies overall. It needs to be said that the XP series is based on a completely different platform and is supposed to be at a completely different performance level as the HP series.

SUMMARY:

I think I said it best when I was laying down why the performance score was only a 6. Outside of actually putting out 550W, efficiency could be better, there's no power factor correction, and the performance decreased significantly when temperatures were increased. Ripple was high and crossloading potential is evident.

The power supply looks nice, the cables are nice and they're modular, but you can't bank everything on a power supply looking uber-smooth. This product has the Mushkin name on it, so people are going to have high expectations. I know I did.

The Good....

Modular
Nice cables
Nice miror-like finish
The Bad....

Voltages not very stable
Totally failed crossload tests
The Mediocre....

No PFC
Mediocre efficiency
Lots of ripple, even during middle-load testing



Go to JonnyGUGU.com and start looking here for the full reviews-- of the 3-- Muskin sucked!!

http://www.jonnyguru.com/reviews.php?catID=1

 

[skillyho]

Yeah I saw those....the Mushkin and OCZ ones he reviewed are different though. OCZ I linked isn't the same one & that Mushkin is different as well....but his review does say a lot about their respective qualities.

 

[Aznguy1872]

Go with the Cosair 520, its extremely good.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: BSkip22
Yeah I saw those....the Mushkin and OCZ ones he reviewed are different though. OCZ I linked isn't the same one & that Mushkin is different as well....but his review does say a lot about their respective qualities.

I agree with you but...Since Muskin came into the PSu market i am not aware of them changing OEM!! So we could surmise that build quality would be relatively the same.

OCZ again the same thing I just said about Muskin...yet Jonny gave that a nice review..

I am glad you are doing your own homework and asking question.
One thing don`t let anybody give you there own personnal FUD regarding PSU`s!!

Again if it was me the Corsair is the smart choice!!

If you want bling the go with the OCZ.


Peace!!

 

[Aluvus]

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda
I agree with you but...Since Muskin came into the PSu market i am not aware of them changing OEM!! So we could surmise that build quality would be relatively the same.

OCZ again the same thing I just said about Muskin...yet Jonny gave that a nice review..

OCZ has used at least Fortron and Topower as OEMs.

And build quality can vary substantially between different products made by the same OEM and sold under the same brand.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: Aluvus

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda
I agree with you but...Since Muskin came into the PSu market i am not aware of them changing OEM!! So we could surmise that build quality would be relatively the same.

OCZ again the same thing I just said about Muskin...yet Jonny gave that a nice review..

OCZ has used at least Fortron and Topower as OEMs.

And build quality can vary substantially between different products made by the same OEM and sold under the same brand.

Well we don`t hear much about OCZ do we??
Jonny has reviews thenm and given them real good reviews....
I would go with what JohnnyGURU has to say!!

Peace!

 

[skillyho]

Just got the Corsair from Clubit....price just dropped to 79.99 AR. Couldn't turn that down.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: BSkip22
Just got the Corsair from Clubit....price just dropped to 79.99 AR. Couldn't turn that down.

Enjoy!! A very nice well built PSU!!!

 

[Aluvus]

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda
Well we don`t hear much about OCZ do we??

Perhaps you don't, but I hear quite a bit about them. For a time, some of their supplies were quite popular. More recently, they made some waves by acquiring PC Power & Cooling.

Jonny has reviews thenm and given them real good reviews....
I would go with what JohnnyGURU has to say!!

He's reviewed 2, one of which got a good but not great review because it violated the ATX ripple requirements under high loads. That product was based on FSP's Epsilon platform, which has struggled with ripple issues.

The other one rated a bit better other than being "loud and expensive". It was made by 3Y, which FSP owns a stake in.

Interestingly, the OCZ supply in the OP bears more than a passing resemblance to the GameXStream model.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: Aluvus

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda
Well we don`t hear much about OCZ do we??

Perhaps you don't, but I hear quite a bit about them. For a time, some of their supplies were quite popular. More recently, they made some waves by acquiring PC Power & Cooling.

Jonny has reviews thenm and given them real good reviews....
I would go with what JohnnyGURU has to say!!

He's reviewed 2, one of which got a good but not great review because it violated the ATX ripple requirements under high loads. That product was based on FSP's Epsilon platform, which has struggled with ripple issues.

The other one rated a bit better other than being "loud and expensive". It was made by 3Y, which FSP owns a stake in.

Interestingly, the OCZ supply in the OP bears more than a passing resemblance to the GameXStream model.

so your saying what exactly?
That jonny`s reviews were wrong???
We know about ripple issues....but you are telling me that when Jonny rates PSU`s "GOOD" that threy are not worth even looking at???
That Jonny`s good comments are to be dismissed because of "ripple"???

How many people who have PC`s do you think ripple will even affect?
How many people are going to stress there PSU to the point where ripple is a concern?

See my points......probably not but thats OK!!
We al are entitled to our own take on things!!
Peace!!

 

[Aluvus]

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda

so your saying what exactly?
That jonny`s reviews were wrong???
We know about ripple issues....but you are telling me that when Jonny rates PSU`s "GOOD" that threy are not worth even looking at???
That Jonny`s good comments are to be dismissed because of "ripple"???

How many people who have PC`s do you think ripple will even affect?
How many people are going to stress there PSU to the point where ripple is a concern?

See my points......probably not but thats OK!!
We al are entitled to our own take on things!!
Peace!!

Do you even read what other people post?

jonnyGURU was the one that dinged the GameXStream for excess ripple. In the review that you cite as gospel yet apparently have not read.

 

[JEDIYoda]

Originally posted by: Aluvus

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda

so your saying what exactly?
That jonny`s reviews were wrong???
We know about ripple issues....but you are telling me that when Jonny rates PSU`s "GOOD" that threy are not worth even looking at???
That Jonny`s good comments are to be dismissed because of "ripple"???

How many people who have PC`s do you think ripple will even affect?
How many people are going to stress there PSU to the point where ripple is a concern?

See my points......probably not but thats OK!!
We al are entitled to our own take on things!!
Peace!!

Do you even read what other people post?

jonnyGURU was the one that dinged the GameXStream for excess ripple. In the review that you cite as gospel yet apparently have not read.

OK...lets take a look at the review----
http://www.jonnyguru.com/review_details.php?id=35

You are right about the ripple yet did you read what Jonny posted?
Did you read what I posted...lol
Lets refresh your memory---
Fortunately, it is very unlikely any of us will have one of these power supplies at or above 400W, at least for any considerable period of time, but this high ripple measurement will be taken into consideration when calculating the performance score.

Above I measure the mere 5.5" depth of this unit. Notice how the heatsinks are no more than aluminum plates and how the components are almost "under sized." Despite this, this OCZ GameXstream did in fact put out 700W of power.

Performance (weight of 40%) gets a 7.5. Everything seemed to be near perfect, with the 700W output, the low temperatures, the active PFC, the decent efficiency, the minimal affect the hot box had on the unit... then the ripple came into play and screwed the score up for OCZ.

http://www.jonnyguru.com/revie...s.php?id=35&page_num=3

So it looks like the GameXstream 700W gets an overall score of 8!

It's obvious that despite this units light weight that this unit isn't a... well... light weight! It's was amazing how it putted along putting out nearly 700W of power and never really got hot. The voltage stood up, we have active PFC and the efficiency was pretty darn good. The only real problem was the excess ripple which exceed the ATX specification. If FSP and OCZ can get together and solve this problem, they'll have a power supply that all other manufacturers will have to use as a benchmark.

The Good....

Fairly efficient
Quiet
Active Power Factor Correction
All cable sleeved
Blue LED fan looks cool
Puts out beau coup power without breaking the bank
The Bad....

Ripple that exceeds tolerances documented in the ATX specifications
Look to me like you didn`t read the whole review......or you latched onto the ripple results and threw a party not understanding that as jonny so eloquently stated-- Fortunately, it is very unlikely any of us will have one of these power supplies at or above 400W, at least for any considerable period of time.

We all understand what excessive ripple can do to a PSU over time......
But it seems as if you fail to understand that few people will seriously push there PSU to excessive tolerances......

Same thing can be said about the early Antec PSU that developed cap problems....ther are a lot of people still using those PSU in very well ventilated situations thus the crappy caps as some call them are still working correctly......

same thing can also be said about the FUD that is associated with having a PSU that is highly efficient. -- people think wrongly I might add that high efficiency means you have a well built PSU that will last a long time and we both know....
well lets not assume anything--
I know thats just not true!!

Peace!!

 

[Aluvus]

Originally posted by: JEDIYoda

You are right about the ripple yet did you read what Jonny posted?

Yes, that was why I was able to characterize it accurately.

Did you read what I posted...lol

Yes, that was why I noticed it was incoherent and largely failed to respond to anything I wrote. In fact, you seem to have just invented some other person that said bad things about the OCZ GameXStream, and then wildly flailed your arms at that strawman.

Lets refresh your memory---

Why? I read and provided you a link to the review already.

BTW, using bold text for quotations, in addition to making no sense whatsoever, is very hard to read. It's also pointless when you're just dumping the entire contents of a page that you could simply link to and not quote.

Look to me like you didn`t read the whole review......or you latched onto the ripple results and threw a party not understanding that as jonny so eloquently stated--

I pointed out that that was the one factor he considered a negative, which the portions you quote confirmed. Everything you quoted agrees exactly with what I have previously written.

I don't know what "party" you think you have witnessed, but frankly I don't think you are in very good standing to question my understanding of anything. You do not appear to have understood anything I have written in this thread.

We all understand what excessive ripple can do to a PSU over time......

The major problem is actually what it does to other components.

But it seems as if you fail to understand that few people will seriously push there PSU to excessive tolerances......

You probably want to rephrase this.

 

[Cookie Monster]

You can try www.silentpcreview.com for PSU reviews. Highly recommended to read them, and also they have their recommendation list as well. Silenpcreview and johnnyguru are the only reviews i read for PSUs because they really test the the PSU.

 

[Mr Fox]

Originally posted by: Cookie Monster
You can try www.silentpcreview.com for PSU reviews. Highly recommended to read them, and also they have their recommendation list as well. Silenpcreview and johnnyguru are the only reviews i read for PSUs because they really test the the PSU.

Hard [O]cp, and X-Bit have Chroma PSU Test Equipment also.

AT has just bought or Leased a Unit also, and are doing Real world type Reviews.

 

[John]

Originally posted by: Mr Fox

Originally posted by: Cookie Monster
You can try www.silentpcreview.com for PSU reviews. Highly recommended to read them, and also they have their recommendation list as well. Silenpcreview and johnnyguru are the only reviews i read for PSUs because they really test the the PSU.

Hard [O]cp, and X-Bit have Chroma PSU Test Equipment also.

AT has just bought or Leased a Unit also, and are doing Real world type Reviews.

I realize that AT is new to psu reviews, but the methodology leaves a lot to be desired.

1) extended cables to the adapter board not only add resistance, they also skew the voltage and efficiency readings
2) no ripple testing
3) the padded cube does not simulate a real-world environment

Since only 1 of the 3 items listed will eventually be addressed, AT will continue to lose credibility on their psu reviews. There are only so many ways to test a psu; why reinvent the wheel?

 

[MrOblivious]

To throw another one at the list Lee at PcPer also does a damn fine job and uses programmable DC loads for his tests.

Besides that SKMYTL at hardwarecanucks also does a good job though he doesn't have a load tester but does have the osilliscope and differential probes as does Olin at Benchmark.

 

[JEDIYoda]

To be quite ther are quite a few PSU testing sites on the internet!
Most of the people doing the testing really are into there testing and try to always do a good job!!
Especially when you consider that JonnyGURU as wll as SPCR were doing this sort of thing for a very long time!!
As has ben pointed out...
There are quite a few sites that have been doing good PSU reviews.
There are a few new sites such as Anand`s site and others that are doing a nice job and improving all the time there testing methodology!!
So always use one or 2 or 3 sites to help you make up your mind!!

remember not all sites are equal!!

Peace!!