Modular PSU that much better?

[paulktreg]

The actual electrical performance of modular and non-modular power supplies is so small its negligible. There are the extra connectors that do drop a voltage when carrying high currents but it's very small on the high end power supplies I have tested and is in the order of a few tens of millivolts which is nothing, you'd get that sort of difference in rail voltages from one power supply to another of the same model anyway due to component tolerances in the regulators.

 

I have never really understood the hype behind the modular power supply providing better cable management and especially better cooling. Cable management is what it says and can be practised just as effectively on non-modular and modular power supplies. I agree it can be difficult on smaller cases but this is an enthusiast site and I would imagine larger PC cases are in the majority. What cables will be left unused on a non-modular power supply? I'd hazard a guess it's commonly a couple of 4 pin peripheral chains with a FDD connector at the end and one SATA chain maybe depending on how many HDD/Optical drives are fitted. These aren't difficult to hide and can commonly be neatly stashed in a unused optical drive bay or neatly coiled behind the power supply if the case as a base mounted power supply. How are these cables going to influence air flow?

 

Modular or non-modular it's personal preference and with good cable management makes little difference to air flow or how tidy it looks. Is it just me?

 

Cheers

 

Paul

[wevsspot]

Modular or non-modular it's personal preference and with good cable management makes little difference to air flow or how tidy it looks. Is it just me?

 

Cheers

 

Paul

It's not just you

With a little tender loving care, I can make my case and wiring management as neat and tidy as any modular psu - it may require some cutting tools and a Dremel - but hey that's why we are "enthusiasts"

[_TheAlexO]

yea modular cables dont really matter BUT, if i had the choice, i would of went modular. just because i am always opening up my case and messing with stuff and i hate all the cables. the antec 300 doesnt have enough room for all the cables this psu has. and modular looks neater, i know you can route extra cables behind the motherboard on some cases, but you can still see from the base of the PSU then a few inches of cable or whatever. Also, if your doing a complete system build, im sure modular is much easier to work with. put the psu in with everything unplugged, then plug everything cable by cable. sounds very simple. (non-modular is simple to obviously but just not as)

 

ok i feel like im just rambling ..

[Union Of V]

Well tbh 800W sounds a bit much if you aren't considering a high-wattage rig in the near future.

[dling]

I like the mod psu just because I do, the down side is that you can lose

unused wires if your not careful. The psu in the first post will not allow for sli or crossfire

in some of the more power hungry vga cards. Just something to remember a lot of

the new cards use two power connections, 6x6 or 6x8.

[tyler50]

ahh, that's something I hadn't thought of Dling. Thxs again for the info all. Still undecided atm lol

[uzetaab]

Personally, I prefer modular because they are easier to work with. I hate dealing with that rat's nest of cables from a non-modular psu, it always seems to get in the way whenever I open a case. At least I don't have to deal with ide cables anymore, those are the worst.

 

My best suggestion for you is get a modular one this time and find out for yourself which you prefer. I assume, of course, that you've had non-modular units before. When it comes right down to it, either power supply your looking at will be suitable to your needs, so I don't think you can make a wrong choice here. If you get the modular & decide you prefer the rat's nest, then you only have to live with the modular one until someone decides to introduce a new connector that you haven't got. This is the computer industry we're talking about, it'll probably only be 6 months

 

I doubt you'd be disappointed with a modular, at worst you'd be indifferent.