DV Hardware reviews

Testing of the Ultra X-Connect 500W Power Supply
Test system Specifications :
Intel Pentium 4 2.8C (800MHz FSB)
AOpen AX4SG Max motherboard (Springdale 865G chipset)
2x Corsair XMS3500C2 256MB RAM
MSI GeForce 4 Ti4200 with 128MB RAM 3D Card
Maxtor 120GB SATA Hard Disk
Ultra X-Connect 500W Power Supply Antec P160 Aluminum case OS : Windows XP with SP2

Cooling: A 120mm fan intake and outtake fan, Spire QuieTude IV CPU heatsink, modified Swiftech MCX159 Northbridge cooler and the two 80mm fans of the PSU

Voltage Testing
Now we are going to test the voltage output of the 3.3V, 5V and 12V line of this power supply.
* For the 5V and 12V line we used a multimeter from Fluke (Fluke Multimeter 75). We used a multimeter because readouts from the motherboard are mostly inaccurate.
* There's no good testing methode for the 3.3V line except depending on the motherboard readout, so the 3.3V line was monitored with Speedfan 4.18
* Idle conditions: running idle in WinXP for about 5 minutes after boot-up.
* Load conditions were done with folding@home and Prime95 torture test running for 15minutes and some other normal programs.

Here are the results:

	Idle	Load
3.3V	3.22V	3.18V
5V	5.19V	5.21V
12V	12.56V	12.33V-12.36V

During idle the voltages of the X-Connect were pretty good and stable, except the 12V line which was 12.56V - a little high.
During load the 12V line took a big hit, and it also fluctuated a lot between 12.33V and 12.36V. This can be better, but it's all still well within the ATX Power Supply specifications.

I have used this power supply for more than 3 weeks in my system, and I could never spot any stability problems.

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Conclusion
One of the best things about this power supply is its appealing exterior. The glossy mirror-like finish and the shielded cables make this PSU outstanding. Its performance is above average, but it can't match the performance of the top power supplies. There is still some work on the voltage lines in order to competete with the high-end power supplies. Especially the 12V line of the sample I received was a bit disappointing. The 12V line was pretty high and during load it fluctuated a bit.

If you want a special power supply then you should surely consider the Ultra X-Connect line - the looks are simply superb and the modular system is a very nice feature.

If you live in the United States you can buy this PSU at Amazon for approx. $99.99.


The Good Stuff
- Very nice look
- Shielded UV-reactive cables
- Modular, less cable clutter
- Lots of cables, cable lenght.


The Bad Stuff
- The shielded cables are bulkier and less flexible than normal PSU cables.
- Performance of the 12V line.


I rate the Ultra X-Connect 500W PSU 8/10

Added: January 22nd 2005
Reviewer: Thomas DM
Score: 8/10
Related Link: Ultra
Page: 3/3