Thanks for the input. It's certainly nice to get some suggestions.
I do tend to ask for reliable data to back up any opinions put forward for changes though, so if you can do that I'll be more than happy to look it over and make a decision.

It is true that the FSP platform that some of the OCZ units are based on can have some problems with ripple (GameXStream / StealthXStream).
That particular problem is more prevalent on the higher rated models (it's why the 1010W version is notably absent).
In general, the series represents pretty good value for money.. though the higher rated models (850W / 700W) may find themselves falling off the list as other units get added.

The ProXStream and EliteXStream are built on different platforms and don't really suffer from the same DC output quality issues as far as I'm aware.

Find me evidence for Mushkin (haven't seen anything warranting the addition of their units so far).
SPI / Sparkle are basically rebadged FSP, all the product numbers are pretty much identical or exactly identical.

I do agree there higher end units are "ok" but there most popular unit is the OZC GameXstream 700w, and alot of people tend to buy this unit which is sad. The efficiency decreases at 500w to 78% and lower (78% is not that bad though)but has some serious ripple issues.

As stated on Jonny Guru
"A representative of OCZ did find my findings concerning and asked that I return the unit for an exchange. I did so, and in the interim I obtained an FSP Epsilon 600W. The 600W version of the power supply the OCZ GameXstream is based on. In testing that unit, I found a good deal of ripple as well. When a brand new GameXstream was finally returned to me, I immediately plugged it in and found the same results as the first sample."

-source
http://jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDRe...ry2&reid=24

So the most popular 700w model that everyone is buying is the one that worries me the most of all there units, seems to me that alot of people are blind to this matter.

As for Muskin theres only 2 units i would recommend the 550250 580w unit which can be had as low as $100 on newegg (to bad newegg only ships to America) and the 550300 800w unit

550250 - http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16817812004
550300- http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx...N82E16817812006

I'll do some more research on the GameXStream ripple issue to see what else I can find out.
Ideally I'd like to see some test results from a more recent sample (revisions tend to be made without any indication of such).

The GameXStream line has been going for a while now, so it could probably be retired.
I'd like to see OCZ replace it with something more competitive with current offerings from other brands.

I'll remove the 700W and 850W versions provisionally and it will remain that way unless I find evidence that they deserve to be put back.

Have either of those Muskin units been reviewed and put through a proper load tester?

Removed OCZ GameXStream 700W + 850W - possible ripple issues at high loads. May be reinstated if test data can be found that shows recent samples have improved.

Awesome participation, damian. That is what we like to see here!

I did a quick check to see who the OEM for these units is (newegg's pictures are very helpful).
Both have a UL number of E130843 - Topower

I wouldn't consider Topower to be up there in the OEM stakes when compared with Seasonic, CWT, Enhance etc. (there isn't a Topower supply on the list as far as I'm aware).
Therefore some strong evidence will definitely be needed.

Hey Jammin, you'd have to remove the Forton Epsilons as well then, wouldn't you? They're identical AFAIK

Yeah, I guess I should really.

Removed FSP Epsilon 700W - again, possible ripple issues.

I'm not sure whether to cut the 600W versions as well.
I'm just going to do a quick price comparison to other PSUs on the list as that comes into it.
For the 700W+ there are definitely better PSUs for the money.

edit - OK, the 600W versions of both the Epsilon and the GameXStream have to compete with things like the VX550, TX650 and PCP&C Silencer 610 on price so it's harder to recommend them.

Removed FSP Epsilon 600W + OCZ GameXStream 600W - concerns about ripple with the FSP platform, plus strong competition in the same price bracket.


I think the FSP branded Epsilons may have been given an update recently, but until they go through some testing (if they even do) I can't really make any conclusions.

I wish I had enough money to go out and test all these myself.

I dont know how accurate OCCT is when the chart pops up at the end showing volts/temps/ripple, if it is any where near correct from what I have seen the Enermax Galaxy 1000 has ripple issues also. I ran it on one of my PC P & C 610 and there was 0 ripple. I will check it farther when I have time...

I wouldn't rely on any software which basically takes reading from the motherboard.

I haven't seen any reports of the Galaxy having issues with ripple.

Road, software readings are always flaky... it could be true, but then again I recall the Galaxy units being great: http://jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDRe...ry2&reid=59

Has any consideration been given to the Zalman ZM supplies? Specifically the ZM360B?

I read that review and was quite pleased with it as a high-quality low watt option for $60 at the egg.

I have Zalman listed on my Guide.

For some time, now that I think about it.

I'll go over some Zalman models.

Again, most are built on platforms which already feature on the list.

The ZM360B would probably be a good start.

Added Zalman ZM360B-APS - Review data Here. Seems to be a decent solid low cost unit.
Added Zalman ZM600-HP - Review data Here. They don't rate it as a quiet PSU, but the load testing results are good enough to bring it into consideration.

The above Zalman PSUs are based on FSP designs, but if the reviews are anything to go by don't seem to be affected by the ripple issues found elsewhere.
It is possible that other Zalman units would hold up similarly, but I can't add any based on a hunch.

Nice! I just ordered the 360W a few days ago to run my old SLI-DR/Opt-148 setup. I'm expecting good results, but I guess we'll see.

Let me know how it does and how quiet it is.

Added Enermax Pro82+ 525W - Review data Here.

Note - I labelled this as quiet for the moment, based on the impressive noise levels of the Modu82+ 625W (should be similar). Hardware Secrets don't record sound data for PSUs but they did comment on the lack of noise.

It's as quiet or quieter than my earthwatts 430 was (which it replaced). I was rather confused by how light it was. I've generally associated weight with quality, but this one is not that heavy. Then again, it is the lowest wattage supply I've bought in quite a while, so that should certainly have something to do with it. I've yet to push the OC real hard on this one yet since the rebuild, but I'll keep you posted.

More evidence that the Corsair HX1000 thoroughly deserves it's place on the list.

Added Zalman ZM1000-HP - Review data Here.

Note: Enhance design as opposed to FSP (Zalman's long time OEM partner). Good choice, as FSP doesn't make great units at this output level. Some slight concerns expressed about ripple. It is also worht noting that as well as being a 1KW unit, it also somehow manages to be very quiet. Impressive.

Things have really improved in the PSU stakes since I first started this list (how long ago was that?.. over a year for sure).
I actually think people like PCP&C have some work to do (those comparitively noisey 80mm fan designs are looking less appealing with every quality large overhead fan design that pops up).

Nice

Not that OCC's reviews are badly written, but this is a good PSU review

No Tagan PSU's? I was told by the guy at scan that Tagan are a quallity brand and very reliable (and not cheap!)

Tagan is a bit tricky. I haven't seen many go through reviews that use decent load testers.
I'll see what evidence I can track down though.

As far as I know, Tagan is still using Topower as its OEM. More brands used them a while ago (it's easier find data when there are more PSUs based on the same platform), but not so much now.

Price does come into it as well.
If something is consistently more expensive than the well established models on the list (without noticeably improved performance), it makes it harder to justify an addition.


I will note that fortunately, PSUs in general have moved on considerably from where they were a few years ago.
So as long as you don't go for the super cheap PSUs still around you should get something that is reasonably efficient and (hopefully) reliable.

Of the Tagan Reviews I have seen, the TurboJet TG1100-U95 is the only one that has been bad.

http://www.hardwaresecrets.com/article/403/1


The reviewer was not able to pull the rated power at the labled temparture, or something.. So it really more of a 850 Watt than it is a 1.1 Kilowatt, at least, so says the reviewer.

Just out of curiosity, why hasnt this been stickied, this is quite helpful, then again its always getting bumped

It was stickied for a bit, then I guess it fell off because it hadn't been updated in a while?

I think it should be be perma-stickied, even if its not updated in 6 months its still a good deal of "nice to know" information...

Added Hiper Type R II 880W + Type M 880W - Review data Here.
Note: New revisions. I'm not sure what is out in the retail channel at the moment, so it's difficult to say what you would actually get if you bought one now. The old revision has supposedly been discontinued though.
Note2: I haven't given them a modular label because the system they use doesn't fit in line with what you would expect considering all other modular supplies. It would be therefore be slightly confusing to add it.

Added Thermaltake Purepower RX 600W - Review data Here.


Hopefully with the changes coming to our own power supply testing process, I will be able to start referencing OCC reviews as well.

Added a link to Everything You Need To Know About Power Supplies @ Hardware Secrets in the sources at the beginning of the list (remember, they are all worth a read).

This is a great starting point if you don't know much about power supplies and covers all the important points clearly without going into too much technical detail.

glad to see mine on the list
check my sig for mine

Any reason why Muskin has no showing on the list?

OCC EC
OCC Gold

When I was building my PC earlier in the year, people were recommending Mushkin left and right.

It's mainly due to the lack of suitable test data.
I haven't really seen any Muskin supplies going through the review sites that do a thorough analysis (which is what our new test process is aiming to address).

This was also touched on back on page 3.


It's certainly entirely possible that there are some good PSUs that aren't on the list simply because the evidence isn't there.
I originally set up the list to try and provide the best guide I could for PSUs known to be of good quality.

It's true that a few probably made it on there to start with that haven't got the evidence to back them up that I look for now, but hopefully most that don't deserve to be there have been weeded out.

It's never going to be perfect, I just do the best I can with the resources available.

Understandable, but I wasn't just basing it on OCC's reviews...just listed those because...well...it's us

For the OCC EC one I linked to above, here's one:
XtremeSystems - 9/10 Rating

For the OCC Gold one, here's one:
techPowerUp - 8.6/10 Rating

Uses the same flawed testing method that is common in a lot of reviews, simply connecting to a test system and measuring voltages.



Is a bit better, but still uses a test system for the bulk of testing, and a 350W static load only for efficiency readings (which only gives a single reading at a load that most PSU are going to be entirely comfortable with).
Neither is as thorough as any of the reviews I currently use for reference.


I do try and keep up with review procedure at different sites as best as possible, which is why I tend to use the 4 or 5 sites I do for reference.
When I get the time (and it does take time) to find other sites with similar test procedures then they may also get added.
There are links to various articles on the first page of this thread which answer any questions you might have about what is good and bad practise.


It is certainly good to question why certain PSUs may or may not be on the list currently.

Added BFG LS-550 and LS-680 - Review data Here.

Added Antec NeoPower Blue 650 - Review data Here.

Removed Ultra X-Pro 600W - failure to deliver full output in testing Here - must have missed this the first time around (don't know how that happened ) but it's enough for it to get booted from the list.

Added Ultra X-Pro 750W - Review data Here - The good news for Ultra is that the 750W unit lives up to its claims.

Added Tuniq Ensemble 1200W - Review data Here

Added Coolmax CUQ-1350B - Review data Here

Note: Both appear to be based on the same Sirtec platform, with the modular interface of the Coolmax being an obvious difference.
There is also a 1200W version of the Coolmax which will likely exhibit similar performance traits, but I haven't seen it tested anywhere yet.

The whole PC Power& Cooling Turbo-Cool series should be on the list, especially the mid ranged 860w that gives amazing performance for its price for multi-gpu enthusiast rigs. Bit on the steep side, but you get what you pay for and then some. They rate their high end PSU's at a full 50c while many others rate much lower, giving inflated ratings. This model is 860w continuous and 930watts peak @ 50c, with a massive 70A peak 12v rail, making it Quad-GPU certified. With modern cards pulling close to 20A each off the 12v rail(maybe more for the dual gpu cards), in a top of the line rig the more 12v amps the better. Leaves more power available for the motherboard, fans, and accessories that have to share the 12v rail.

Great Review at PC Perspective(My fav site for PSU reviews) here.
Product Page here/



Note that the Turbo Cools are the "real" PCP&C PSU's which carry the price premium. The manufacturer of them is a PCP&C exclusive(win-tact), and will not make supplies for anyone else. The silencer line is also a great PSU, but it is a Seasonic unit so is almost identical to the Corsair HX supplies(not VX, just HX) so one of those for less would be a better buy most likely. Other top-of-the-line OEMs would be Etasis, Zippy, and Seasonic...

Yep, would tend to agree with you there Puck

Added Antec Signature 850W - Review data Here

Added PCP&C Turbo-Cool 860W - Review data Here

Both server class PSUs, with the Antec being built by Delta, pretty much the first time they have been found behind something for the consumer market as far as I know.

Also Added Zalman ZM750-HP - Review data Here

PC Perspective is now in my regular rotation.

im lovin my antec truepower quattro.
LOVIN

What do you love about it?

I just want to know why is the ocz Elitexstream 800w is not on the list?

it is built whit the same component as the 1000w version.

I ask because i am looking for a 700-800w range psu and this one got my attention but is not on your list.

I asked the same thing earlier. This PSU is a beast and you wouldnt regret getting it. Has been certified for dual 3870X2 cards as well.

I run it with a 4870X2 power hog, tons of high draw fans, and a heavily overclocked wolfdale with no issues whatsoever and the thing is not even straining. It could handle TWO of the 4870X2s.

Single underrated 62a sustained 12v rail(rated at a high 50c instead of 40 or 45c like lower end PSU's), peaks at 900watts (also@50c), and when you add in OCZ's powerswap program to assure that you get a NIB unit instead of a repaired refurb for an RMA and it is really a top notch PSU!

That is was it thought too,sturdy built,compact to fit in a cm 690 and long cable for bottom mount psu.I look at the 1000w version but it is overkill for a single card system.The 800w with the mail in rebate look like a good value.

Thx for reply.

You can usually safely assume that lower rated PSUs built on the same platform will exhibit similar performance traits, so yes the 800W version is likely to be just as good as the 1000W version.

The way I have organised the list means that it tries to avoid assumptions as much as possible. Therefore there are some holes that you can probably fill in if you know some of the manufacturing details, but I generally don't add something to the list unless I can find some decent independent test data for it.

The list needs updating again, so I'll see if I can dig up anything for the 800W EliteXStream in the process.

I was expecting that there might be a few more additions seeing as it has been over a month since the last update.
It turns out that there were only a couple of PSUs that I felt comfortable adding, and one of those was a borderline case.

I did scout out some reviews for the OCZ EliteXStream 800W but couldn't find anything with rigorous testing methods.
As always I welcome you to put suggestions forward and provide some evidence to back them up.


Added Kingwin ABT-1220MA1S - Review data Here

Maybe not a brand you would think about when considering PSUs, but it holds up to testing pretty well it would seem.
Concerned about that 1 year warranty though, so it only just borderline makes it on to the list. Could easily be a reason to look at the alternatives.

Added Silverstone Zeus ZM1200M - Review data Here

Pretty impressive results and fully modular (not that you're going to ever need to remove the ATX connector, but it's a nice touch anyway).

The 800watt version showed only .008v of rail fluctuation when going from idle to a true 800watt load. A full .5 volts would still be considerd "in spec" at a PSU's full rated load - showing less then 1/100th of a volt change is just amazing. It also has built in active overload protection, where it shuts itself down if stressed too far, which happens before degradation or ripple can cause system instability or harm your components - very nice safety feature. In that same VH review they named it their top choice overall for any PSU up to 800 watts, based on price:performance and features.

I believe that it was PC Per that tested the 1k version with DMMs, oscilliscopes, artificial load generators - basically any possible way to test a PSU! It performed more then admirably, and is without a doubt a top tier PSU. Link to that article is here, EliteXstream 1000 Review.

If you need a full review of the 800 watter, DH did a great review using their custom psu test station. The link is here, EliteXstream 800 Review.

Testing summary of the 800 watter from DH?


Both amazing bang for buck. That is just the physical traits as well, and not getting into the 5 year powerswap program, where if it stops performing properly they replace it with a new unit and you give em the busted one - no waiting for them to fix yours or them sending you a refurb part.

The 800watt EliteXstream should be added!!! With modern graphics cards like the 4870X2 sucking close to 30 amps off the 12v rail, load balancing and PSU quality is essential. Doesn't get much safer and easier then a massive single 12v rail .

::edit:: The 1k is already up now, nice!

Yes, the 1KW version has been on there for a while now (since April it would seem).

Anyway, that's enough to convince me to add the 800W version as well.
The DH review wasn't one I looked at earlier.. guess I need to spend more time searching.

Added OCZ EliteXStream 800W - review data here

JonnyGURU had a very nice and favorable review of the Antec Earthwatts EA-650, I humbly submit for it's inclusion on the list.

Yes, I also read that review.

It seems that Antec has switched OEM's from Seasonic to Delta for some (or all) or the Earttwatts lineup.
Hopefully quality will be similar or better (Delta have a pretty good rep), but I'll be looking out to see if other reviews of the new versions turn up in case the ones already on the list need re-considering.

I'll get around to adding the EA-650 soon.