which psu?

toin7

Member
Oct 30, 2004
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ultra x-connect or ocz powerstream 420w? they are both about the same price. also i will be overclocking a lot. so it needs to be very stable.
 

CraigRT

Lifer
Jun 16, 2000
31,440
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OCZ is definitely an amazing PSU, but they are not cheap either.

the X-connect offers you modular power connectivity though, which is so sweet.

the Ultra is also a very stable unit from my experiences.....
 

Gamingphreek

Lifer
Mar 31, 2003
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Originally posted by: BW86
powerstream by far.

Ultra is not even close to the Antec Enermax, OCZ and PCP&C. THe Ultra is just flashy and provides a neat case... the OCZ is much more Powerful.

Why dont you check the other 50 threads about this same topic.

-Kevin
 

Operandi

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
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Originally posted by: Gamingphreek
Originally posted by: BW86
powerstream by far.

Ultra is not even close to the Antec Enermax, OCZ and PCP&C. THe Ultra is just flashy and provides a neat case... the OCZ is much more Powerful.

Why dont you check the other 50 threads about this same topic.

-Kevin

Roger that.

Also check out Tagan, very similar to OCZ in quality and output but quieter, they are manufactured by the same OEM.
 

Omega Ohm

Banned
Nov 15, 2004
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Originally posted by: Gamingphreek
Originally posted by: BW86
powerstream by far.

Ultra is not even close to the Antec Enermax, OCZ and PCP&C. THe Ultra is just flashy and provides a neat case... the OCZ is much more Powerful.

Why dont you check the other 50 threads about this same topic.

-Kevin



I don't know, I read one review where the Ultra matched up pretty well against Antec.

Just found this review which should answer the question. Only marks against ultra were a high noise level (first time I've seen it mentioned in at least five reviews).

Power Supply matchup

Hrmmm, seems Ultra also extended warranty to three years since the review was done.
 

QueBert

Lifer
Jan 6, 2002
22,697
918
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Ultra-X is a very good PSU, PSU people are very snobbish about what they own.

no the Ultra-X won't match up power wise to a OCZ unit, but even most extreme users don't need that much power. I have a Allied 550 watt in my system. People love to poop on Allied, but guess what? I get plenty of power and the rails are spot on.

I'd go with the Ultra-X simply because it does deliver enough power for almost anybody, is stable and the removable molex cables are awesome. You can get an OCZ but if you think you'll notice any difference, besides maybe the noise level you're kidding yourself. And I'm not talking rail tests or something really techie. I'm talking day to day PC usage.
 

Gamingphreek

Lifer
Mar 31, 2003
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No they are not. It isn't all about power, IIRC the Ultra has very unstable rails, with a lot of power spiking. Also not too efficient. All Ultra is is flashy. The only pro i see is modular cables.

-Kevin
 

QueBert

Lifer
Jan 6, 2002
22,697
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unstable rails? I've read probably 8 different reviews of the Ultra and they all raved about how much they liked it, and pretty much all of them said it was very stable under all test conditions.

 

PwAg

Senior member
Sep 20, 2000
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Why not drop $75 on an Enermax Whisper II 460watt (33Amp on +12V rail) and call it the day? Enermax has the name and rep that stands with and above all the competition. OCZ is nice if you have the extra $40-70 for adjustable rail and l33t led lights, but otherwise, like Quebert has said, you are kidding yourself. Tagan/Enermax/OCZ are your top choices.
 

Gamingphreek

Lifer
Mar 31, 2003
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Originally posted by: PwAg
Why not drop $75 on an Enermax Whisper II 460watt (33Amp on +12V rail) and call it the day? Enermax has the name and rep that stands with and above all the competition. OCZ is nice if you have the extra $40-70 for adjustable rail and l33t led lights, but otherwise, like Quebert has said, you are kidding yourself. Tagan/Enermax/OCZ are your top choices.

Amen to that. ONly PCP&C instead of Tagan.

-Kevin
 

nealh

Diamond Member
Nov 21, 1999
7,078
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I just purchased a OCZ Powerstream 520w....at $125 from monarch it was close in price to Enermax noisetaker and Antec NeoPower

SO far I think it is an excellent choice, as for noise I can not hear it over my case fans ...I just switched to 2 Mad Dog Whisper quiet fans..80x25mm 27cfm at 22db....they are much(suprisingly quiet IMHO) better sound(noise/whine etc) than the 2 "quiet" sunons I had(fyi..it was only quiet fans I could get fast without going to svc which I may do still to try to get quieter and they cost $6.99 at compusa)...I am using a 9700 pro and P42.4b@2.9 ..so most of my noise is videocard, cpu and case fans..I have to put my hear to the PSU to hear it

So for noise I think the OCZ sounds great...I know silentpcreview says it louder than the noisetaker but its noise is supposedly slightly higher at low loads but at common load of 150-250w it is actually very close to quieter

As for what is better...I have no idea..Seasonic super silencer makes some nice psu but there 12v rail is only 25a on ther 460w psu

I really do not know if generic is worth the risk..I have owned 2 antec ..300w and 480w(that just died)..they always ran well

OCZ has a 5yr warranty with and essentially 3yr full and add'n 2yr limited portion...5yrs...wow
 

Omega Ohm

Banned
Nov 15, 2004
65
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Unstable rails on the Ultra? That's a new one.

Picked one up last night, it's pretty sweet and the shielded modular cables are the best thing since sliced bread. It cleaned my case up very nicely and everything's operating 5 by 5. We'll see if it's still running when I get home.
 

nealh

Diamond Member
Nov 21, 1999
7,078
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I will make one comment on the PSU recommendations..alot people bash varies brands but I doubt it is from personal experience...in fact the reviews for many of these products are often glowing..one of the reasons I like slientpcreview is that they seem to be straight up

The Ultra 500w is nice but costs too much for the brand IMHO...For nearly the same price you can get Seasonic, Enermax 485w noisetaker, Antec Neopower or even the OCZ powerstream...these seem to have better build quality

Please note I am not saying it is crap but many I have stated tis is Powermax rebrand with alot of extra cost added...this may turn to be excellent PSU as well


I realize the modular nature is a plus...but I would pay a little more for an Antec unit personally
 

Omega Ohm

Banned
Nov 15, 2004
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Originally posted by: nealh

Please note I am not saying it is crap but many I have stated tis is Powermax rebrand with alot of extra cost added...this may turn to be excellent PSU as well


No, it's not a Powmax. It's built by Ultra and resold to Powmax. The quality appears to be excellent. As far as price goes, for a stable, nice quality, and very aesthetic power supply it looks like a good deal to me.

Powmax rumor debunked on Ultra's forum.

They also claim a better quality than Antec's Neopower.
 

nealh

Diamond Member
Nov 21, 1999
7,078
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Omega Ohm..thanks..I was wrong..but did you read that thread carefully....
 

jonnyGURU

Moderator <BR> Power Supplies
Moderator
Oct 30, 1999
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Originally posted by: Omega Ohm

Doesn't take much to be better than Antec. People are so "name brand" oriented. Faith is put in Antec because they're Antec.

I've got news for you. Take one apart. They're not that well made (better than most, but not the caliber of other brands mentioned here), do fail often and have unrealistic wattage ratings. That said, I will say that Antec is not a bad power supply. But to put them in a class with PCP&amp;C is laughable.
 

nealh

Diamond Member
Nov 21, 1999
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Hmm..I never claimed Antec was as good as PCP&amp;C...

I had one fail just recently in fact a 2yr old Antec TruePower 480w..waiting for a RMA as we speak..I have a 300w that is still going strong after nearly 3yrs
 

jonnyGURU

Moderator <BR> Power Supplies
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Oct 30, 1999
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I wasn't saying you made the claim. There's just a lot of people saying, "Ultra? No way. Spend the money on something good like an Antec..." when I seriously doubt ANY of them have ever take both power supplies apart or even have used both brands of power supply.
 

Omega Ohm

Banned
Nov 15, 2004
65
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Originally posted by: nealh
Omega Ohm..thanks..I was wrong..but did you read that thread carefully....


About the active PFC? It's a feature, and the X-connect's completely modular design is a feature.


The point I was making is that there isn't much of a quality issue between them. Or, do you mean the smell thing? Mine's brand new and powered up and don't smell a thing. However, I do have an older no name power supply that's about five years old, running strong, and it still smells funny.
 

nealh

Diamond Member
Nov 21, 1999
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Omega Ohm...the complaints about the burning smell and the CS issue one person was having

Johhnyguru..I agree 100% often people get on a band wagon with no experience as I did questioning the fact the Ultra was made by Powmax...my mistake

I like my experience with Antec so far the rma has been smooth...I am not sure if it was the PSU or my floppy that was the issue
 

Operandi

Diamond Member
Oct 9, 1999
5,508
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Originally posted by: Gamingphreek
Originally posted by: PwAg
Why not drop $75 on an Enermax Whisper II 460watt (33Amp on +12V rail) and call it the day? Enermax has the name and rep that stands with and above all the competition. OCZ is nice if you have the extra $40-70 for adjustable rail and l33t led lights, but otherwise, like Quebert has said, you are kidding yourself. Tagan/Enermax/OCZ are your top choices.

Amen to that. ONly PCP&amp;C instead of Tagan.

-Kevin

Why PCP&amp;C instead of Tagan? Both are great PSU's, the Tagan is quieter.



 

slash196

Golden Member
Nov 1, 2004
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Does anyone know anything about Rosewill PSUs? I'm thinking about one...[his one for a new system. Anyway, anything known about it?
 

jonnyGURU

Moderator <BR> Power Supplies
Moderator
Oct 30, 1999
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Originally posted by: slash196
Does anyone know anything about Rosewill PSUs? I'm thinking about one...This one for a new system. Anyway, anything known about it?

More specs on Rosewill's site: http://www.rosewill.com/produc...duct.aspx?productId=67

Never heard of them. Single 12V rail. Otherwise, looks good on paper.

nealh: Oooohhhh yeah. You're the guy with the floppy drive that killed the P/S. I remember now. ;)