So I got an Ultra X-Connect PSU today..

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Operandi

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I can't find that spec listed anywhere in Zalman's site either, it was quoted from the SPCR review. The fan is only temp activated at 55C however so you would assume that its output would be rated somewhere in that temperature range roughly. Also 20C seems pretty low to me, something you'd find a generic PSU maybe but not a quality one.
 

jonnyGURU

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Originally posted by: Operandi
I can't find that spec listed anywhere in Zalman's site either, it was quoted from the SPCR review. The fan is only temp activated at 55C however so you would assume that its output would be rated somewhere in that temperature range roughly. Also 20C seems pretty low to me, something you'd find a generic PSU maybe but not a quality one.

I believe most power supplies are operated to function upwards of 70C. To say that it must be rated at 50C because that's when the fan kicks in is like saying the Antec Phantom must be rated at an infinite temperature because the fan never kicks in.
 

rileychris

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SO MicroCenter has the Ultra-X PSU for $66.99. Now that it is priced more reasonably, is it worth picking up? OR would I be better going with something else for a AMD 64 3500 system?
 

jonnyGURU

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Originally posted by: rileychris
SO MicroCenter has the Ultra-X PSU for $66.99. Now that it is priced more reasonably, is it worth picking up? OR would I be better going with something else for a AMD 64 3500 system?

They do?!?! I just went to MicroCenter.com and they only showed the 500W for $99. If the 500W is only $66.99 I'd be all over it. Hell... I'd buy two. With an Athlon64 system though, if it's only the 400W model, I'd pass.
 

rileychris

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I live in Houston and I am looking at their print ad. It is the 500 watt Black for $66.99 (Item No. 474320).
 

Operandi

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Originally posted by: jonnyGURU
Originally posted by: Operandi
I can't find that spec listed anywhere in Zalman's site either, it was quoted from the SPCR review. The fan is only temp activated at 55C however so you would assume that its output would be rated somewhere in that temperature range roughly. Also 20C seems pretty low to me, something you'd find a generic PSU maybe but not a quality one.

I believe most power supplies are operated to function upwards of 70C. To say that it must be rated at 50C because that's when the fan kicks in is like saying the Antec Phantom must be rated at an infinite temperature because the fan never kicks in.

Well the whole point of having the fan is to keep the PSU's temp under control, within operational figures. It wouldn't make any sense to have the fan kick in at anything higher then its max spec'd operational temp.

That?s the problem with passive PSU's, they rely on case cooling in order to stay cool. Passive PSU's are pretty dumb idea in my book.
 

jonnyGURU

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Originally posted by: Operandi

It wouldn't make any sense to have the fan kick in at anything higher then its max spec'd operational temp.

It doesn't make sense to rate a power supply at a lab environment temperature of 25C when your typical power supply operating temperature is 50C, but most companies do it anyway. Take a look at Antec's website. The 480W is 480W at 25C. 520W is 520W at 25C. I don't know about you, but I don't think any part of the inside of my case has ever been 25C. ;)

 

Operandi

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Originally posted by: jonnyGURU
Originally posted by: Operandi

It wouldn't make any sense to have the fan kick in at anything higher then its max spec'd operational temp.

It doesn't make sense to rate a power supply at a lab environment temperature of 25C when your typical power supply operating temperature is 50C, but most companies do it anyway. Take a look at Antec's website. The 480W is 480W at 25C. 520W is 520W at 25C. I don't know about you, but I don't think any part of the inside of my case has ever been 25C. ;)

I'm not sure I understand, I'm semi-drunk, :beer:. 25C is only 77F, room temp. Unless your living in igloo you case temps will be higher then 25C, so the PSU would defenatly be beyond 25C.
 

jonnyGURU

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Originally posted by: Operandi
Originally posted by: jonnyGURU
Originally posted by: Operandi

It wouldn't make any sense to have the fan kick in at anything higher then its max spec'd operational temp.

It doesn't make sense to rate a power supply at a lab environment temperature of 25C when your typical power supply operating temperature is 50C, but most companies do it anyway. Take a look at Antec's website. The 480W is 480W at 25C. 520W is 520W at 25C. I don't know about you, but I don't think any part of the inside of my case has ever been 25C. ;)

I'm not sure I understand, I'm semi-drunk, :beer:. 25C is only 77F, room temp. Unless your living in igloo you case temps will be higher then 25C, so the PSU would defenatly be beyond 25C.


Wow. You are drunk. :p That's what I'm saying! 25C >IS< only 77F. Why rate a power supply at 25C? My house is 25C when I sit under an AC vent, but it's not 25C in the corner where my PC is and it's not 25C inside my case and it sure as hell isn't 25C inside my power supply. That's my point. Power supplies should be rated at realistic temperatures, like 55C, but they're not. They are typically rated at 25C, even if the fan doesn't start spinning until 55C. ;)
 

Operandi

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Originally posted by: jonnyGURU
Originally posted by: Operandi
Originally posted by: jonnyGURU
Originally posted by: Operandi

It wouldn't make any sense to have the fan kick in at anything higher then its max spec'd operational temp.

It doesn't make sense to rate a power supply at a lab environment temperature of 25C when your typical power supply operating temperature is 50C, but most companies do it anyway. Take a look at Antec's website. The 480W is 480W at 25C. 520W is 520W at 25C. I don't know about you, but I don't think any part of the inside of my case has ever been 25C. ;)

I'm not sure I understand, I'm semi-drunk, :beer:. 25C is only 77F, room temp. Unless your living in igloo you case temps will be higher then 25C, so the PSU would defenatly be beyond 25C.


Wow. You are drunk. :p That's what I'm saying! 25C >IS< only 77F. Why rate a power supply at 25C? My house is 25C when I sit under an AC vent, but it's not 25C in the corner where my PC is and it's not 25C inside my case and it sure as hell isn't 25C inside my power supply. That's my point. Power supplies should be rated at realistic temperatures, like 55C, but they're not. They are typically rated at 25C, even if the fan doesn't start spinning until 55C. ;)

Ok go it, so where saying that same things ;).

According to the SPCR review that Zalman's output was rated at 50C, the link to Zalmans page in the article doesn?t work though. Maybe I'll email Zalman next week.
 

jonnyGURU

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I couldn't find in the SPCR review where the Zalman was rated at 50C. I know that Zalman's website doesn't have that information because I was looking for it when my Zalman 400A worked in a SuperMicro case, but not in my Lian-Li.

If you find out what temp the 400W is rated at, definitely post it!

But tonight, have another beer. You've earned it. :)
 

Operandi

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Originally posted by: jonnyGURU
I couldn't find in the SPCR review where the Zalman was rated at 50C. I know that Zalman's website doesn't have that information because I was looking for it when my Zalman 400A worked in a SuperMicro case, but not in my Lian-Li.

If you find out what temp the 400W is rated at, definitely post it!

But tonight, have another beer. You've earned it. :)

"This means the unit is capable of delivering full power at up to 50°C operational temperature."

Check out the bottom of the first page. There is link to specs of the unit but it doesn?t work. PCP&amp;C is also sourced from Forton so it wouldn't surprise me if the Zalman is the same.

Oh, and I just looked in the manual for my Tagan and it's output is listed at 50C too. At 20-80% humidity, an altitude of 61m-3048m ;).
 

jonnyGURU

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Are you sure PCP&amp;C is made by Fortron? I thought PCP&amp;C was around a hell of a lot longer than Fortron/Source. I think Fortron is 10 years old and PCP&amp;C is almost 20 years old. That and the two look nothing alike inside or out. In fact, I'm not completely convinced that Zalman is made by Fortron/Source either. I know SPCR has said "Zalman, Nexus, Q-Technology and PC Power &amp; Cooling models all appear to be made by Fortron," but I just don't buy that. They might all be made in the same factory in China (which I don't know for sure either,) which is a factory owned by Fortron, but if it's true it's completely by their own specs. Not just relabeled OEM as SPCR would have you believe.

It's like with the ECS factory in China. That factory puts out a lot of motherboards other than ECS boards, none of which have anything to do with ECS except for the actual assembly in China, and the one's with the ECS brand on them are the crappiest! :)

Also, I looked at Fortron's website and their power supplies are rated at 25C. They're BURNED IN at 50C. The operating temperature range is 0 to 50C, which is essentially the temperature the power supply is going to run at in a perfect environment (no introduction of higher ambient temperatures.)

I'm not saying your Tagan isn't rated at 50C, but make sure you're looking at the right thing. ;)
 

jonnyGURU

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I just found a thread elsewhere where a bunch of guys took apart their PCP&amp;C power supplies and they said "PCP&amp;C" right on the PCB. One guy actually talked to a plant manager to have one take one off the factory line for him that tested better than the typical 5%. It was said that some of the non-performance PC Power &amp; Cooling power supplies are made by Fortron/Source, but these are specialty items like the Dell replacements and micro ATX units.
 

Operandi

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Originally posted by: jonnyGURU
I just found a thread elsewhere where a bunch of guys took apart their PCP&amp;C power supplies and they said "PCP&amp;C" right on the PCB. One guy actually talked to a plant manager to have one take one off the factory line for him that tested better than the typical 5%. It was said that some of the non-performance PC Power &amp; Cooling power supplies are made by Fortron/Source, but these are specialty items like the Dell replacements and micro ATX units.

Well maybe they make their own, idk. You have to have a lot of volume to justify the cost of facilities to be manufacturing PSU's, as far as I know PCP&amp;C doesn?t sell many units.

Forton or whoever could be building them to their design, unlike the Zelman?s and others which are pretty much identical to other Forton units?
 

jonnyGURU

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Originally posted by: Operandi
Originally posted by: jonnyGURU
I just found a thread elsewhere where a bunch of guys took apart their PCP&amp;C power supplies and they said "PCP&amp;C" right on the PCB. One guy actually talked to a plant manager to have one take one off the factory line for him that tested better than the typical 5%. It was said that some of the non-performance PC Power &amp; Cooling power supplies are made by Fortron/Source, but these are specialty items like the Dell replacements and micro ATX units.

Well maybe they make their own, idk. You have to have a lot of volume to justify the cost of facilities to be manufacturing PSU's, as far as I know PCP&amp;C doesn?t sell many units.

Forton or whoever could be building them to their design, unlike the Zelman?s and others which are pretty much identical to other Forton units?

Well... Zalman probably is made by Fortron/Source, but there's no way they're as well made. I found a lot of data that states that Sparkle is Fortron/Source, and the two do look a lot alike. I used to use A LOT of Sparkle power supplies (I used to work at ASI and their house brand power supply was n'Spire which was just a remarked Sparkle) and the Zalman looks identical to a Sparkle inside and out. ;)
 

Operandi

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Originally posted by: jonnyGURU
Originally posted by: Operandi
Originally posted by: jonnyGURU
I just found a thread elsewhere where a bunch of guys took apart their PCP&amp;C power supplies and they said "PCP&amp;C" right on the PCB. One guy actually talked to a plant manager to have one take one off the factory line for him that tested better than the typical 5%. It was said that some of the non-performance PC Power &amp; Cooling power supplies are made by Fortron/Source, but these are specialty items like the Dell replacements and micro ATX units.

Well maybe they make their own, idk. You have to have a lot of volume to justify the cost of facilities to be manufacturing PSU's, as far as I know PCP&amp;C doesn?t sell many units.

Forton or whoever could be building them to their design, unlike the Zelman?s and others which are pretty much identical to other Forton units?

Well... Zalman probably is made by Fortron/Source, but there's no way they're as well made. I found a lot of data that states that Sparkle is Fortron/Source, and the two do look a lot alike. I used to use A LOT of Sparkle power supplies (I used to work at ASI and their house brand power supply was n'Spire which was just a remarked Sparkle) and the Zalman looks identical to a Sparkle inside and out. ;)

Sparkle is also made by Forton yes, I have a bunch of these laying around that were taken out for customers that wanted upgrades. Despite your bad experience with them Zalman is just as well put together as Forton, because it is a Forton :p.