Safety Functions and Maximum Wattage


We have tested the OPP this time which shows how much power each unit is able to deliver before shutting down. The 500W unit will get you up to 584W, the 600W unit up to 727W, and the 700W unit brings a staggering 1014W before it shuts down. The result for the 700W unit is truly amazing and it means that you can compensate for almost any power fluctuation a modern high-end system could have. The 500W and 600W units also do well of course, and the above results show that all of these PSUs have very good tolerance levels - over-engineering at its best.


500W


600W


700W

In the OCP test we show how much current each of the rails can deliver before the PSU shuts down. The figures seen for each rail are totally normal since all high-end power supplies come with much higher OCPs. Why? This is an attempt to reduce the number of support problems for the manufacturer. If the OCP is too tight some people might have a unit fail on them due to a kicked in OCP. If you run a mean system or many hard drives, it is quite easy to overload one rail. To avoid problems with such systems, manufacturers label their rails at a smaller number like 20A or 25A but in fact set the OCP at 35A.

Efficiency Comparison and How to Choose Your PSU Pricing and Availability
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  • rudolphna - Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - link

    Very nice to see a new PSU review on anandtech, I was worried you guys had forgotten what made you popular- reviews of real products not just blog after blog. I have a suggestion, if I may. The Antec Neo Eco 400W power supply. I actually just bought one, it seems like a good deal. It has a 30 amp 12V rail (360W) a 120mm fan, and is 80plus certified. Not sure who the OEM for it is, I'm thinking Seasonic. But you guys should check it out. Great review by the way.
  • papapapapapapapababy - Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - link

    good luck finding a replacement for that gold monstrosity. so that make this crap a n buy for me. You see, i like to change the fans on my psu ( better fans) in order to control them myself.
  • strikeback03 - Wednesday, January 20, 2010 - link

    Might still use 140mm mounting holes, and just be a 139mm fan to avoid a stupid patent.
  • Calin - Wednesday, January 20, 2010 - link

    Hard to think you'll need a fan better than that - 50 Celsius for the vented air and almost totally silent even at maximum load?
    I have an old Seasonic 350W (12 cm fan) which I felt was totally silent in typical operation (closed case, computer under desk), and after about four years it still is totally silent.
  • papapapapapapapababy - Wednesday, January 20, 2010 - link

    is not hard to think _ for me_ the big fan dsnt follow a standard, it has no other use for me, if a buy 4 120 fans i could give the multiple uses/ ( psu replacement fan, case fan, cpu fan, low speed fan, high speed fan, etc, - btw cases with big fans are terrible) one huge big ass fan? no other user ¡ difficult to find = no thanks.
  • papapapapapapapababy - Wednesday, January 20, 2010 - link

    is not hard to think _ for me_ the big fan dsnt follow a standard, it has no other use for me, if a buy 4 120 fans i could give the multiple uses/ ( psu replacement fan, case fan, cpu fan, low speed fan, high speed fan, etc, - btw cases with big fans are terrible) one huge big ass fan? no other user ¡ difficult to find = no thanks.
  • Voldenuit - Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - link

    Why use such a cumbersome term as Cable Management (which refers primarily to the neatness of cable routing) when 'Modular' is much more apt (and specifically referred to in the product name)?

    Nobody makes 'cable management' PSUs, but quite a few companies make 'modular PSUs'.
  • Mumrik - Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - link

    More comparisons (especially in the benchmarking) to competing products (rather than just the other two in the series) would really be nice. I actually have come to expect it at Anandtech.

    To me, this came off as a bit more of a fluff piece. Not a disguised commercial but more like something I'd find at most other hardware sites.
  • ap90033 - Friday, January 22, 2010 - link

    I thought this was a good article on specific hardware. But then again I am not the uber geek with no life like some seem to be around here....
  • RaistlinZ - Tuesday, January 19, 2010 - link

    Geez, and I thought the X-Series was overpriced. Sure, these Enermax PSU's are efficient, but certainly not $50.00 more efficient than say, an Corsair 750HX. If they come with a $30.00 MIR then they might be worth the money, but otherwise I'll pass.

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