ABOUT BENCH FORUMS PODCAST LOGIN REGISTER
PC Components
Smartphones & tablets
Systems
ENTERPRISE & IT
GUIDES

Power Supply Summary 2007 - The Best of the Best

 by Christoph Katzer on December 20, 2007 1:00 AM EST
38 Comments | Add A Comment
38 Comments

Power Supplies of the Year

We've tested about 60 power supplies this year (not all of which were included in published reviews), giving us insight on the manufacturers behind the products. Along the way, we saw some good and not-so-good power supplies. Thankfully, although we saw some quality issues at times, we did not encounter any of the flashes or explosions we have seen in prior years, and we hope that trend will continue! AnandTech's Power Supplies of the Year awards recognize our top picks from today's market for well-built, high-performance power supplies.

Seasonic S12II
The AnandTech Bronze Editor's Choice award goes to the Seasonic S12II. After testing the Seasonic S12II, the Energy Plus and the X900, we came away impressed with Seasonic in general; they stand out as one of the last manufacturers to build a top-quality power supply at modest wattage ratings. The latest version of the S12II is available from 330 watts on up, and remains one of the only units we can wholeheartedly endorse at these output levels. Besides excellent connectivity and a solid warranty, you can expect Seasonic's trademark near-silent operation, typically below 25 db(A) even under higher loads, or possibly a little more for the 500 watts unit at full load, making the S12II particularly attractive for office / general-purpose computers and HTPCs. Overall, Seasonic produces a very good product, even at the lower end of the output scale.

 

Antec TruePower Quattro 850 and OCZ ProXStream 1000
We award the AnandTech Silver Editor's Choice jointly to two power supplies, the Antec TruePower Quattro 850 and the OCZ ProXStream 1000.

 

AnandTech recently reviewed the Antec TruePower Quattro in both 850-watt and 1000-watt variants. The Quattro delivered very good performance in our testing, with efficiency exceeding 80% under normal loads all the way to full output, and peaking at 87%. We primarily recommend the 850-watt model, since the 1000-watt unit has the same specs except for an additional 72 watts on the combined-12V rating. At a savings of about $30 over the 1000-watt version, the 850-watt unit is still ample for almost any high-end system.

The OCZ ProXStream also earns AnandTech's Silver Editor's Choice award, based on its very clean, stable DC outputs and its 80%+ efficiency at all normal loads up to its full output, peaking at 86%. Silence isn't the ProXStream's strong suit, with noise levels starting at 35dB(A), but at only 150mm deep, it's the shortest-depth 1000-watt unit on the market, allowing it to fit where no other high-end unit can be used.

PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 QUAD
The AnandTech Gold Editor's Choice award goes to the PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 QUAD. It was one of the first units we reviewed in 2007, and remains the best overall power supply we've tested. In addition to top-notch performance, the Silencer 750 QUAD is equipped with a full range of connectivity options (including four PEG connectors, two of which convert to the 8-pin standard), and ample wattage for nearly any high-end system, including SLI or Crossfire configurations. As a nitpick, we found that the Silencer 750 QUAD's fan speeds may ramp up more aggressively than necessary; under worst-case conditions (50°C intake temperature), the fan did hit 4200rpm, resulting in noise levels of 45dB(A). At normal room temperatures, however, the Silencer 750 QUAD did not exceed 30dB(A) at normal loads.

 

In the final analysis, if you want the best power supply available for your new SLI or Crossfire rig, AnandTech's top recommendation goes to the Silencer 750 QUAD. Incidentally, the retail packaging for the Silencer series is getting a facelift, replacing the traditional no-nonsense white PC Power & Cooling box with a more attractive one. The Silencer 750 QUAD is available in black and bright red, the latter of which is the Crossfire-certified model we reviewed.



Conclusion

Looking back on our 2007 power-supply tests, we think it's unfortunate that more companies aren't following Seasonic's lead in developing top-notch aftermarket power supplies in the 300-400W range. Our 1000-watt power-supply roundup illustrated that there are many decent high-end power supplies, but we have not seen the same widespread quality or performance among lower-output aftermarket units. We feel that the users of 750W+ units aren't the only ones who can benefit from a high-quality power supply. Perhaps next year's Power Supplies of the Year article will tell a different tale.

Index
PRINT THIS ARTICLE
Comments Locked

38 Comments

View All Comments

  • Etern205 - Thursday, December 20, 2007 - link

    They do not make modular psu. Have you ever read their myths?

  • Christoph Katzer - Friday, December 21, 2007 - link

    Rumors say that OCZ will have good PCP&C PSU with cable management under their brand soon... we'll see.

  • jonnyGURU - Thursday, December 20, 2007 - link

    Well, it also uses that same ol' Nidec 80MM fan, so it's not quiet either.

  • poohbear - Thursday, December 20, 2007 - link

    u guys really should have rated them according to wattage category, i mean u chose psus that are 750wt+, but who the heck buys that stuff aside from the sli crowd? why not have categories for 350wt, 500wt, 650wt, and then the ridiculous 750wt+ monsters. quite frankly the seasonic was the only viable recomendation for me, an enthusiast that will never buy sli or crossfire.

  • aussiestilgar - Thursday, December 20, 2007 - link

    I agree. I read the title of this article hoping there would be an in-depth round up. It would have been nice to have separate categories and name the best power supplies within each. I'm also surprised Corsair didn't get a mention.

  • JEDIYoda - Monday, December 24, 2007 - link

    I am not suprised at all!!
    Corsair has some fine PSU`s.
    But the fact remains there are as good or better power supplies on the market!

    Plus it all depends on what site is doing the testing and awarding the best....but we will not go there....heheh

  • Christoph Katzer - Thursday, December 20, 2007 - link

    did in the holiday buyer's guide though...

  • Ratinator - Thursday, December 20, 2007 - link

    I have to agree with you on this. I have only taken some brief cracks at overclocking (I just haven't had the time to get an understanding of how to do it properly) plus the computers I build for myself tend to be the best for your buck not the hgh end. I personally prefer seeing the base scores for CPUs, GPUs and RAM though I do have a fair bit of interest in overclocking ability even if only to look at (for now). Anand and his team almost always do a great job of showing the best of both worlds. I really like the articles that delve into high range, mid range and budget range comparisons too.

    This article does give me an idea what to look at for a power supply, but I too am curious about the 500W range as I don't see myself doing SLI anytime soon and don't feel I will need anything in the 750W range.

    Anyway. Anand and his team are still my favorite and best source for information. Keep the info coming. You guys rock.

  • BladeVenom - Thursday, December 20, 2007 - link

    I know the big power supply fetish gets old. Just look at Anandtech's 8800GT review; that card with a C2D Extreme only used 209 watts under load.

  • jonnyGURU - Thursday, December 20, 2007 - link

    Yeah, but let's see someone build a PC with it and and a 300W power supply and see how well it does after doing some gaming for a couple hours. ;)
Copyright © 2024. All rights reserved.
BENCH
TOPICS
FOLLOW
ABOUT

Log in

Don't have an account? Sign up now