2003 Power Supply Roundup Part II: Better Faster Cheaper
by Kristopher Kubicki on July 31, 2003 1:58 PM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
A lot of Sparkle’s power supplies share similar components to Fortron, but that does not mean they have not developed their ability to innovate independently. We were pretty amazed when Sparkle told us they managed to cram a 120mm fan inside a standard ATX power supply. Getting a 120mm fan is not uncommon, but enclosing it within an ATX housing is.
We are particularly interested how this PSU will fare in the noise test. A 120mm fan can push more CFM (cubic feet per minute) of air than an 80mm fan, while doing so at a slower speed. Check out our sound test to see how this might benefit you. An interesting note about this power supply is that the fan starts up at full revolutions, then throttles down to the correct RPM.
This power supply features no ATX cable sheathing, so you may wish to invest a few dollars in some cable management. For us, plastic twist ties do the trick.
Features on the Sparkle FSP350-60PN are relatively light. There are neither serial ATA connectors, nor motherboard monitoring connectors either. The honeycomb grill on the rear of the unit should provide enough passive airflow, which is a necessity if the 120mm fan is to operate properly.
Wattages
|
|
3.3V |
5V |
12V |
-12 |
-5 |
+5vsb |
combined theoretical |
actual combined |
advertised total |
|
Sparkle FSP350-60PN |
92.40 |
150.00 |
192.00 |
9.60 |
1.50 |
10.00 |
242.40 |
220.00 |
350.00 |
The important thing to realize is the combined wattage on the +3.3V and +5.0V rails. Even though PCs are ever increasingly dependant on the +12V rail, AMD users need to keep a close eye on the +3.3V power line. The FSP350 produces a very good 220W on the combined rail.
The Sparkle FSP350-60PN retails for under $50, which makes it a fairly reasonably priced power supply, albeit only 350 watts.
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Anonymous User - Saturday, August 2, 2003 - link
#11, yes P=IxV, but the power ratings in the table were obviously taken from manufacturers' data rather than actual measurements, which is why when any power rating for any of the positive voltages is divided by that voltage, the quotient exactly equals an integer. That would not be a problem if all manufacturers applied identical standards to their specifications, but many computer users have learned that this isn't the case.Anonymous User - Saturday, August 2, 2003 - link
Perhaps you could include a Q-Tec PSU in the next review? They retail here in Sweden at about 60% of the price of corresponding Enermax and other high quality units, so assuming they aren't totally lousy they're very cheap.Anonymous User - Friday, August 1, 2003 - link
I agree with #15. Definitely take a look at the PC Power and Cooling 400w Silencer PSU. I own two of these units and they're very high quality with reasonably low noise.Anonymous User - Friday, August 1, 2003 - link
Enlight power supplies are always being excluded from these PSU comparsions. I have a Enlight 360W PSU and it's very stable and very quiet. Test some Enlight PSUs!Anonymous User - Friday, August 1, 2003 - link
I appreciated the comments concerning AMD users, but what I really need is some sort of guidance on AMD processor speed vs combined power or 3.3V rail current for upgrading older systems. Many older cases have limited power supplies and I'm trying to figure out the fastest processor I can install and still have reliable operation. Example: A 300 watt supply with 25A of 3.3V can only support up to a Athlon 1600+ on an ECS K7S5A Pro or a 350 watt with a combined power of 200W can support up to 2200+. Oh, and forget that old 250 watt power supply altogether. I need something like that... yeah, I know: your mileage may vary, void where prohibited by law, no watts were endangered in the making of this article.....:-)Anonymous User - Friday, August 1, 2003 - link
Next time you guys might want to check out the PC P&C Silencer 400. It's built just as heavily as the Turbo Cool but with a quieter fan.Anonymous User - Friday, August 1, 2003 - link
Hey guys, im sure 1 or 2 of you resistorheads are an ee or will soon be one.. ripple and noise are only part of a good pwr supply.. we need the facts... how many watts do these power supplies really put out. how do they respond with a big load.. will they take an overload.. how well are they protected...thats what i wanna read aboutMIDIman - Friday, August 1, 2003 - link
WOW - excellent review. I'm getting a zalman for my silent box.Nice to see you guys pumping out articles quickly again! Thanks!
idenyit - Friday, August 1, 2003 - link
hey just wondering the allied A400ATX hows that compare with the B400ATX thats offered on newegg? any differences?Anonymous User - Friday, August 1, 2003 - link
#10, doesnt P=IV? The Power and Voltage measurements were given.