Cables and Connectors

Here we have the already mentioned connector panel. Seasonic is using good-looking sleeving for all the cables. As with other X-series models, the 24-pin cable is split into two plugs. All peripheral cables are on the upper row; all 12V connectors (CPU, GPU) can be found on the lower row.

Cables and Connectors
Modular Main 24-pin 60cm
ATX12V/EPS12V 4+4-pin 65cm
PCIe 2x 6/8-pin 60cm
Peripheral 3x SATA 55-85cm / 3x SATA 55-85cm / 2x SATA 35-50cm
3x Molex 55-85cm / 3x Molex 35-50 / Molex to 2x Floppy adapter 15cm

It is nice to see that the CPU cable is very long, which is important for cases with a bottom-mounted PSU. Two PCIe connectors are a common configuration for 450-600W. Seasonic again uses reasonably long cables here. The shorter SATA and HDD cables can be used in HTPCs; the longer ones are perfect for larger cases. If you still need FDD connectors there's an adapter included; if not, set it aside. We like the way Seasonic offers different solutions for different PCs.

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  • Arbie - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - link

    Yes, thanks for listing the cable lengths, especially the main power / cpu cable. Last time around I bought an expensive and high-quality PSU which turned out to have main cable so short that it barely worked in a mid-size tower. BTW you say the main cable is 60 cm in one place, and 65 cm in another. Unless I misread it.

    Seasonic is now on my list for the next time.
  • somedude1234 - Wednesday, March 23, 2011 - link

    I used this PSU in my home server build and couldn't be happier. When the server is sitting idle or just serving up media, the PSU fan doesn't run. When the Xeon 3440 is churning through high def video transcodes, the system is still dead quiet.

    I expect this server to last 5-10 years so paying for quality components up front wasn't a problem.
  • poohbear - Thursday, March 24, 2011 - link

    Just wanted to post thank you for buying from a retailer instead of using a cherry picked review sample from the company. I hope you guys do this for all the hardware you review, not just the PSUs. Great to read impartial reviews like this!

    oh, and the article was well done too.;)
  • Martin Kaffei - Thursday, March 24, 2011 - link

    No problem. But we often get samples from a manufacturer, less frequent from a retailer or distributor.

    These are chosen randomly so the manufacturer doesn't know, if we check out the version on the market. Nevertheless I don't have the money to pay for every sample so we still have different sources.
  • ClagMaster - Friday, March 25, 2011 - link

    Excellent article that provides a great deal of insight into the design and construction of the X-Series 560W.

    A good read after a hard day at work.

    For $120 this is a fair price for quality components, an excellent design, and a diverse assortment of connectors of ATX Towers and HTPC's.

    This is a 850W unit which is scaled down to 550W service. I suppose having the fan start above 20% of load is necessary but the fan is indeed very quiet. This power supply has plenty of margin for operation above 550W.

    The only improvement I can think of using a PWM Fan with Hydro bearings.

    Seasonic is a company which stands behind its warranty too. I had a 500W MII power supply go bad 6 months ago. A diode had come lose from its mainboard and lodged in the fan grill. I applied for an RMA, boxed the failed power supply, mailed it to their RMA center in California, and recieved a new replacement in less than two weeks.

    No hassle -- No problems -- Full satisfaction with the service.
  • oneoho - Sunday, March 27, 2011 - link

    This article may have converted me to a Seasonic fanboy :)

    More than I've ever wanted to know about a PSU but definitely got my nerd juices flowing.

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