best modular power supply

[chastity]

Based on reviews you have read and if you have used any who do you feel offers the best modular powersupply unit?

Looking for one that supports both 20 and 24 pin motherboard connection, also SLI complaint though not all that important but figured if I'm going to use this for a while might as try and do some future proofing, also meets current specs for everything

So far the companies I know that market modular powersupplies are

Thermaltake
Ultra
Antec
OCZ

I'm looking more insight and reason that you use the brand that you do and rough price of the unit. Thinking about upgrading one of mine systems and not sure about the modular ones but like the idea that they make for a neater case inside which improves air cooling etc

 

[LordOfLA]

My Tagan EasyCon 530W is the best modular PSU.

 

[LeeJend]

Shame it isn't available in the USA where the poster lives...

The best power supply changes almost daily. You need to:

-look at your requirements (SATA, SLI, CPU Speed, MB Type, etc)
-then pick some brands that are available wheer you live with those ratings
-then check the latest reviews and more importantly the feedback at newegg and pricegrabber


Even Antec fell on their faces when the NEO line and some other of their "2" series supplies when the new lines came out. They had issues with specific MB's and many DOA units.

 

[smoothyuk]

Indeedy, I (along with numerous others) had issues with an Antec Neo HE when connected to my Asus A8N-E motherboard. I really like the look of the Enermax Liberty series, wish I could have waited for it too but at the time of building my current rig the Liberty was barely in circulation.

 

[LeeJend]

Smooth - how did you get around the problems. I saw a lot of complaints but no resolutions (except switching brands).

 

[smoothyuk]

Smooth - how did you get around the problems. I saw a lot of complaints but no resolutions (except switching brands).

I umm..switched brands (sorry). Antec were offering a replacement model with a supposed "ASUS fix" but I couldn't be arsed to go the whole RMA route. I returned it to the place of purchase (which refused a cash refund without a 20% restocking fee) and swapped it for a Seasonic S12 (in turn abandoning the modular approach). I'm what you might call...an impatient sob.

And just because of my obvious affection for rambling off topic...I can't tell you how annoying it is to fit an S12 (or any standard PSU) in an Antec P180 case!

I feel better now. *cough*

 

[chastity]

Well don't currently need SLI or see much of a reason to go that route yet but figured I would at least try and cover that base incase I do either see a reason and/or change my mind.

I also know that some of you feel AMD is better then Intel but not to me I've had nothing but problems with the 2 AMD systems I had

Looking at the following hardware upgrades to go with the new PSU
CPU
http://shop4.outpost.com/product/4383535?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

Motherboard
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.asp?Item=N82E16813131574
(seems Fry's Electronics doesn't have this board anymore though newegg is a lot cheaper then they were anyways)

Ram
http://shop4.outpost.com/product/4071772?site=sr:SEARCH:MAIN_RSLT_PG

That should give you a idea as what I'm looking at. Will reuse DVD Drive and got a couple spare ata hard drives so fine that way.

Also have any of you used PATA to SATA adpaters for drives and if so did they improve the cooling of your system

 

[jpom]

I've have both an Antec NeoPower 480W and an OCZ ModStream 520W. Bothhave been used in the same AMD System.

I perfer the cabling on the Antec, the OCZ's cables have UV reactive sleeve, while this makes it look good it's also very stiff and means that the cables are not easily managed, especially if you going to be using most of the included cables. I have found that the antec comes with better cable options, I was able to use only 3 antec cables where I had to use all of the OCZ cables, the antec also comes with seperate connectors that can be placed anywhere on the incuded cables and then "Punched" in to give you extra power connections per cable, very had if I do say so myself.

The OCZ definatly has one up in the looks department (for me anyways) with it's Blue LED fan and UV Reactive Cables, it also pumps out a few more Watts then the Antec.

You can find the full specs on the net I'm sure, all I know is that they both ran an AMD64 3700 SD Core, 1024MB Corsair TwinX 3200XL PRo, ASUS A8N-E, 1 LG DVD-RW, 1 Sata HDD, 3 PATA HDD, 2 120mm Fan, 1 92mm Fan, 1 7800GT, and a couple LED Tubes, with no problems.

I didn't notice a huge noise difference on them but also wasn't really listening for it either. Also I believe that neither is specifically SLI Ready.

In the end I switched from the OCZ to the Antec because I just could not get the cables to flex the way I wanted them too and it was causing problems with airflow, but as far as I am concerned they are both excellent units, it just depends on whether you perfer better looks with OCZ or what I would consider better function in the antec regarding the cables.

James

 

[mlakrid]

Shame it isn't available in the USA where the poster lives...

The best power supply changes almost daily. You need to:

-look at your requirements (SATA, SLI, CPU Speed, MB Type, etc)
-then pick some brands that are available wheer you live with those ratings
-then check the latest reviews and more importantly the feedback at newegg and pricegrabber


Even Antec fell on their faces when the NEO line and some other of their "2" series supplies when the new lines came out. They had issues with specific MB's and many DOA units.

I agree with LeeJend about 99.763424131% of the time... :laugh:

BUT, I have to say PCP&C make the BEST power supplies in the world BAR NONE... they arent the fanciest, and DEFINATELY not the cheapest... and they dont make a modular power supply that I know of... YET

I felt the need to hijack this thread for a moment and say if you need a power supply that will do everythiong and is SLI certified with dual 12V rails

Then HERE IT IS!!

If PCP&C ever makes a modular, bet your bottom dollar I will be getting one!

Also See HERE for their explanation WHY they dont have a modular power supply.

 

[ElementalDragon]

i kinda like my new Ultra X2-Connect 550w modular powers supply. works quite well so far, though the power supply does have a somewhat high temp all by it's lonesome (29C i believe is what the Ultra website said), which as far as i'm concerned is from the extra 12V rails and stuff. I have a review of it on the forums.

 

[LeeJend]

I agree with LeeJend about 99.763424131% of the time... :laugh:

Also See HERE for their explanation WHY they dont have a modular power supply.

You disagreed with me sometime! lol

Their comment on why modular is a bad idea is right on the money. The only time I run over a few amps is with gold plated pins (too expensive for commercial). Over 25 amps we always hard wire. Small pins just don't handle high currents at low voltage very well. That's why I suffer with the cable clutter.

 

[chastity]

The reason behind the problems with a modular setup makes sense but I would assume at normal operating specs that should not be much of a problem right? It will be contacted to a UPS as well

 

[XeoNoX]

I like my antec true control 550, its SLI ready too. Works good so far and queit.

 

[LoctOut]

to expand a little on modular power supplies. In theory, they introduce additional noise (ripple) due to the extra connections. While this may be seemingly negligible at normal loads\parameters, the more load you put on it will cause the amount of ripple to increase. If you are already on the edge as far as meeting power requirements then this ripple may cause stability problems. Overrclockability may be reduced too, compared to the same system using a continuous wire. Further, you can olny expect deteriorating performance over time as the additional contacts\pins become worn or corroded.

 

[ElementalDragon]

well.... you can't really say that overclockability would be reduced. think i kinda proved that wrong with my last setup. had my old Ultra X-Connect 1st gen, and my P4 2.4C. had that puppy OC'd to 3.0 for at LEAST a year and a half i think..... never got any kind of artifacts or anything.... never had sudden restarts due to overheating or anything (cept for that one time i tried to get it as close to 3.2Ghz as possible..... think it hit like... 3.19Ghz.. any higher and i'da had to up the voltages which i didn't want to do, and i forgot to crank the fan up a tad more, so when i was gaming, it did overheat a tad too much and restarted the computer)... always ran stable. And i believe that the ripple has been tested for quite a few power supplies.... i think even my X2-Connect, and has been shown to not really be that drastic.

 

[chastity]

Well I'm not into overclocking though I've been interested in tying it but would use a another system for that would not have a modular power supply.

I understand that the second plug will create a little more noise/resistance to the wire.

So far outside of Tagan and PCPowerCooling which reason for them being removed is hard to get and price point, Antec and Ultra are the 2 leading makers from what has been said here so far