2003 Power Supply Roundup Part II: Better Faster Cheaper
by Kristopher Kubicki on July 31, 2003 1:58 PM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
We talked to Enhance a few months ago with thoughts about where PSU technology is headed. A unique thing about Enhance is that they are one of Intel’s closest development partners, so they always have a plethora of information on hand. Enhance’s web site has a lot of whitepapers and good information to use when researching a power supply that good for you, even if its not produced by Enhance.
The ENS-0246 comes with very few frills. The cable is not shielded or sheathed, but does come in a variety of connectors. Enhance is a very OEM oriented provider, so many of its power supplies have variations on the pin configuration (for different motherboards). For example, the B version of this power supply has 24 pin ATX while the A and C version have 20 pin ATX cables.
Wattages
|
|
3.3V |
5V |
12V |
-12 |
-5 |
+5vsb |
combined theoretical |
actual combined |
advertised total |
|
Enhance ENS-0246 460W |
92.40 |
150.00 |
180.00 |
9.60 |
1.50 |
10.00 |
242.40 |
220.00 |
460.00 |
The ENS-0246 460W power supply has a combined power rating of 220W. The +12V rail is capable of another 180W which leaves this power supply well shy of the advertised 460W. Our guess is that it is this supply is labeled by its peak power output rather than the actual.
On the other hand, we do commend Enhance for keeping the combined rail very close to the theoretical limit of where it should be. It’s unfortunate that the +12V rail was not a little bit higher, otherwise this would have been a very well rounded power supply.
For a 460W unit, the ENS-0246 is moderately priced around $85. Unfortunately, this is not a 460W power supply, since 460W seems to be more of its peak rating. More features or higher specifications might have given it the edge.
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Anonymous User - Saturday, August 2, 2003 - link
#11, yes P=IxV, but the power ratings in the table were obviously taken from manufacturers' data rather than actual measurements, which is why when any power rating for any of the positive voltages is divided by that voltage, the quotient exactly equals an integer. That would not be a problem if all manufacturers applied identical standards to their specifications, but many computer users have learned that this isn't the case.Anonymous User - Saturday, August 2, 2003 - link
Perhaps you could include a Q-Tec PSU in the next review? They retail here in Sweden at about 60% of the price of corresponding Enermax and other high quality units, so assuming they aren't totally lousy they're very cheap.Anonymous User - Friday, August 1, 2003 - link
I agree with #15. Definitely take a look at the PC Power and Cooling 400w Silencer PSU. I own two of these units and they're very high quality with reasonably low noise.Anonymous User - Friday, August 1, 2003 - link
Enlight power supplies are always being excluded from these PSU comparsions. I have a Enlight 360W PSU and it's very stable and very quiet. Test some Enlight PSUs!Anonymous User - Friday, August 1, 2003 - link
I appreciated the comments concerning AMD users, but what I really need is some sort of guidance on AMD processor speed vs combined power or 3.3V rail current for upgrading older systems. Many older cases have limited power supplies and I'm trying to figure out the fastest processor I can install and still have reliable operation. Example: A 300 watt supply with 25A of 3.3V can only support up to a Athlon 1600+ on an ECS K7S5A Pro or a 350 watt with a combined power of 200W can support up to 2200+. Oh, and forget that old 250 watt power supply altogether. I need something like that... yeah, I know: your mileage may vary, void where prohibited by law, no watts were endangered in the making of this article.....:-)Anonymous User - Friday, August 1, 2003 - link
Next time you guys might want to check out the PC P&C Silencer 400. It's built just as heavily as the Turbo Cool but with a quieter fan.Anonymous User - Friday, August 1, 2003 - link
Hey guys, im sure 1 or 2 of you resistorheads are an ee or will soon be one.. ripple and noise are only part of a good pwr supply.. we need the facts... how many watts do these power supplies really put out. how do they respond with a big load.. will they take an overload.. how well are they protected...thats what i wanna read aboutMIDIman - Friday, August 1, 2003 - link
WOW - excellent review. I'm getting a zalman for my silent box.Nice to see you guys pumping out articles quickly again! Thanks!
idenyit - Friday, August 1, 2003 - link
hey just wondering the allied A400ATX hows that compare with the B400ATX thats offered on newegg? any differences?Anonymous User - Friday, August 1, 2003 - link
#10, doesnt P=IV? The Power and Voltage measurements were given.