News 'Super Flower Entering North America PC Power Supply Market' - Tom's

[UsandThem]

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/super-flower-entering-north-america-pc-power-supply-market

Super Flower is one of the best PSU OEMs nowadays, and thanks to its designs, EVGA managed to become highly popular in the PSU market, especially in the US. Nonetheless, nothing good lasts forever, so for reasons unknown to us, EVGA decided to break its close cooperation with Super Flower, and this gave the option to the latter to start selling in the US market.

According to Super Flower's PR manager, the Leadex Titanium, Leadex III, and Leadex Platinum SE lines will be available in March, followed by Leadex III ARGB and ARGB Pro in April. Unfortunately, we don't have any pricing information to share.

Depending on the pricing and availability in the U.S., this is welcome news. EVGA never released the reason why their partnership ended, but like most things, it probably was a result of $$$. They make some of the best power supplies out there, so we all know it wasn't due to lack of quality.

That said, I've been eyeing their ARGB model for a while now, and it will take my PC to the "leet" level.

 

[BoomerD]

Sweet. SuperFlower is about the only PSU manufacturer other than Seasonic that I trust to build with quality. SOME CWT models are decent enough...but still...this is the ONE component no one should ever scrimp on.

 

[sdifox]

That hurts my eyes

 

[Batmeat]

I’ll be sticking with Seasonic. Never had a bad power supply or a component fail.

 

[Hans Gruber]

The power supply thing is like snake oil. Unless you are a serious OC'er, it really doesn't matter. Look inside an old Dell. They have the $5 power supplies. How many of those have failed? If someone does serious OCing, there is no compromise. I get that but for most out there. Any bronze level or better will work fine.

 

[VirtualLarry]

The power supply thing is like snake oil. Unless you are a serious OC'er, it really doesn't matter.

LOL. Think what you will, I guess. You'll learn, eventually. That said, even a budget brand-name supply, is usually decent enough for most systems.

PSUs have gotten better, over the last 5-10 years.

Say goodbye to DiabloTek and RaidMax and PowMax PSUs literally blowing up in rigs. Most won't, these days. Even ThermalTake's modern revision of the "infamous" TR2-430, has a five-year warranty, and "bullet-proof protections".

 

[JEDIYoda]

The power supply thing is like snake oil. Unless you are a serious OC'er, it really doesn't matter. Look inside an old Dell. They have the $5 power supplies. How many of those have failed? If someone does serious OCing, there is no compromise. I get that but for most out there. Any bronze level or better will work fine.

There is no truth to your assertion!
IMO because Dell back then and maybe not even now was not known for their quality computers!
I had many friends whose Dell computer gave up the ghost in short order! If you go back several years on these forums you will see people asking what to replace their Dell Power supplies with......

 

[Hans Gruber]

There is no truth to your assertion!
IMO because Dell back then and maybe not even now was not known for their quality computers!
I had many friends whose Dell computer gave up the ghost in short order! If you go back several years on these forums you will see people asking what to replace their Dell Power supplies with......

Dell has been relevant since the early 90's. I have an old Dell Optiplex 790 with an I5 2400 with the standard Dell 200-300w power supply. I acquired it for the modest price of $70 close to 2 years ago. That is what I consider an old Dell (2011) . I thought about replacing the power supply with a EVGA 450w bronze but they have not been on sale for $20 or less recently. I wake up never fearing it will give up the ghost.

I have the potentially dangerous Seasonic M12 II 620w.

 

[JEDIYoda]

You do realize that back then and maybe even now Dell had motherboards and PSU`s that were strictly designed for just Dell!

 

[Hans Gruber]

You do realize that back then and maybe even now Dell had motherboards and PSU`s that were strictly designed for just Dell!

Back then motherboards failed far more often than power supplies. Graphics cards, my original Gefore 256 failed on me while under warranty. Remember when keyboards cost .99 cents? A mouse cost a dollar or two. I digress back to my $5 power supply comment.

 

[LukeSavenije]

Sweet. SuperFlower is about the only PSU manufacturer other than Seasonic that I trust to build with quality. SOME CWT models are decent enough...but still...this is the ONE component no one should ever scrimp on.

even they make errors... B3 would be an example of this

Back then motherboards failed far more often than power supplies. Graphics cards, my original Gefore 256 failed on me while under warranty. Remember when keyboards cost .99 cents? A mouse cost a dollar or two. I digress back to my $5 power supply comment.

a mouse doesn't handle 115-230v, can't severely damage by a high ripple load, a failed transient response, a totally off power sensing, a pushed up 5v because it regulates it together, go out of specification on voltage, overstress a vrm, have a protection fail, can blow up and so on... comparing a cheap psu to a cheap keyboard is like comparing your window cleaner to your car's engine

 

[Torn Mind]

Dell has been relevant since the early 90's. I have an old Dell Optiplex 790 with an I5 2400 with the standard Dell 200-300w power supply. I acquired it for the modest price of $70 close to 2 years ago. That is what I consider an old Dell (2011) . I thought about replacing the power supply with a EVGA 450w bronze but they have not been on sale for $20 or less recently. I wake up never fearing it will give up the ghost.

I have the potentially dangerous Seasonic M12 II 620w.

While the overall point is what I agree with, I just want to correct a detail.
Dells have PSUs that are about $40, which the threshold range where “safe death” is achievable in a PSU. They are discontinued now, but Seasonic was selling 300ES and the like around the 40 dollar price point.
Dell hell happened in the really old days, like Pentium 4 or earlier, when the Fuhjyuu caps were being used throughout the market.

 

[Torn Mind]

You do realize that back then and maybe even now Dell had motherboards and PSU`s that were strictly designed for just Dell!

My old Dimension 2400--again, Pentium 4 era--had standard ATX PSUs. HP likes to go custom still though....

 

[VirtualLarry]

Thing is, today's "enthusiast" PSUs, have Jpn. caps, 10-year warranties, etc.

Dell PSUs, back in the day, they "worked" pretty-much, until the warranty expired, or not long after.

Modern Dell PSUs are 80Plus Bronze, that I've seen (Lite-On), and they're not actually bad/cheap PSUs, just built to a price-point, with often lower wattages (200-250W isn't uncommon, sometimes as low as 180W), which you don't often see enthusiast PSUs with that low of a wattage, there's no market for them.

 

[Hans Gruber]

Thing is, today's "enthusiast" PSUs, have Jpn. caps, 10-year warranties, etc.

Dell PSUs, back in the day, they "worked" pretty-much, until the warranty expired, or not long after.

Modern Dell PSUs are 80Plus Bronze, that I've seen (Lite-On), and they're not actually bad/cheap PSUs, just built to a price-point, with often lower wattages (200-250W isn't uncommon, sometimes as low as 180W), which you don't often see enthusiast PSUs with that low of a wattage, there's no market for them.

Remember when cases came with a PSU included?

 

[VirtualLarry]

Remember when cases came with a PSU included?

Yes. And those were, without a doubt, generally garbage-tier $5 PSUs. Dell PSUs are a step above that, they actually have to honor a warranty on their PCs.

I've burned a few boards after first power-on, on budget systems, using "Case PSUs". No longer. (Unless it's a freebie build made out of otherwise "garbage" parts, which I don't care if they burn.)

 

[UsandThem]

Thing is, today's "enthusiast" PSUs, have Jpn. caps, 10-year warranties, etc.

Dell PSUs, back in the day, they "worked" pretty-much, until the warranty expired, or not long after.

Modern Dell PSUs are 80Plus Bronze, that I've seen (Lite-On), and they're not actually bad/cheap PSUs, just built to a price-point, with often lower wattages (200-250W isn't uncommon, sometimes as low as 180W), which you don't often see enthusiast PSUs with that low of a wattage, there's no market for them.

Yup++

OEM power supplies today are pretty decent. HP uses Delta for a good portion of their PCs, and Dell I believe still mostly use Lite-On. However, these are always subject to change depending on availability/price/contracts.

I have just hated to see Dell go back to using proprietary units in some of their newer PCs (G series), and companies such as Lenovo use proprietary units in the majority of their desktop PCs.

And while people don't need gold-rated units or higher, they often come with double the warranty, run cooler because of build quality / higher efficiency, and many times are not that much more expensive than bronze-rated units.

 

[LukeSavenije]

And while people don't need gold-rated units or higher, they often come with double the warranty, run cooler because of build quality / higher efficiency, and many times are not that much more expensive than bronze-rated units.

it's mostly due to loss in efficiency, which would turn into heat

the difference is small though... but yes, decent 80+ gold units like formula gold, TXM and many more are getting more and more affordable, and due to the current tarrifs it's getting more and more worthy to do so

 

[JEDIYoda]

it's mostly due to loss in efficiency, which would turn into heat

well duh..........

 

[Batmeat]

Didn’t realize my comment would spark such a debate. I’ve had power supplies fail back since the 80’s when I first started tinkering at 8yrs old. Started building in the 90’s. I realize even highly reputable companies can have bad product. I’m only saying I will stick with Seasonic from here on out. I’ve never had one of their supplies fail in ~25 years Ive used and recommended them.

 

[UsandThem]

Didn’t realize my comment would spark such a debate. I’ve had power supplies fail back since the 80’s when I first started tinkering at 8yrs old. Started building in the 90’s. I realize even highly reputable companies can have bad product. I’m only saying I will stick with Seasonic from here on out. I’ve never had one of their supplies fail in ~25 years Ive used and recommended them.

It wasn't your comment.

It was post #5.

 

[dlerious]

Yes. And those were, without a doubt, generally garbage-tier $5 PSUs. Dell PSUs are a step above that, they actually have to honor a warranty on their PCs.

I've burned a few boards after first power-on, on budget systems, using "Case PSUs". No longer. (Unless it's a freebie build made out of otherwise "garbage" parts, which I don't care if they burn.)

The last case with power supply I bought was the Antec Lanboy around 2000. Don't remember much other than my hands getting sliced on corners trying to put components in. I think I might still have it laying around.

 

[jonnyGURU]

Wow. This has gone horribly off topic.

Any hoo....

I can't really see Super Flower penetrating the U.S. market.

I can understand why they would want to since EVGA burnt their bridge with them. But with the Trump tariffs in place, a 25% penalty for building your products in China is going to kill any kind of competitive edge they have by selling direct.

Companies like CWT and HEC have already moved production away from China to combat Trump tariffs. As long as Super Flower is strictly a Chinese producer, they're not going to make head way until tariffs are reversed.

 

[BoomerD]

Wow. This has gone horribly off topic.

Any hoo....

I can't really see Super Flower penetrating the U.S. market.

I can understand why they would want to since EVGA burnt their bridge with them. But with the Trump tariffs in place, a 25% penalty for building your products in China is going to kill any kind of competitive edge they have by selling direct.

Companies like CWT and HEC have already moved production away from China to combat Trump tariffs. As long as Super Flower is strictly a Chinese producer, they're not going to make head way until tariffs are reversed.

JG, nice to see you stop in here again. Your expertise has been sorely missed. (and your site is a shell of what it once was.)