Internals


For any tech enthusiast with a little knowledge, the inside of this power supply brings a feast of quality and is extremely clean. We haven't seen such good build quality in a long time, and there is simply nothing negative to talk about. Soldering is very clean and there are only small drops of glue to hold the coil and other components in position.

As for the capacitors, we see Nippon Chemi-Con in the primary (three 150µF with 450V) and secondary as well as Teapo and some solid state caps. The PCB has heat conductive tape on the bottom so that it can dissipate some of the heat to the housing of the power supply. From the design, it isn't quite clear who actually builds this unit, but the UL number shows the PCB comes from Jiangsu Difeida Electronics. Jiangsu is the province around Shanghai where many electronic companies are expanding since places like Shenzhen and Dongguan are becoming less desirable. FSP also has a factory in this region. Another UL number on the package of the unit suggests Etasis is the manufacturer, but we found other typical markings that clearly show this unit is built in an Enhance factory.

Cables and Connectors Testing with the Chroma ATE Programmable Load
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  • TravisChen - Saturday, August 30, 2008 - link

    Can you show us how to get test the output ripple & noise the right way (with the caps mentioned in spec)? I think it's an important part in PSU reviews.
  • Christoph Katzer - Monday, August 25, 2008 - link

    Actually that was just to take the screenshots... I still have pretty high spikes now and then even with the caps according to specs.
  • tayhimself - Monday, August 25, 2008 - link

    How does this address the point raised? And why are you taking pointless screenshots then?
  • LTG - Monday, August 25, 2008 - link

    Yes Tayhimself is right, Christoph you kind of avoided or skimped on a proper response to the questions raised.

    Authors replying in the comments is a major strength of AT - Please respect that.

    So what was wrong, just your screen shots, or some of the testing reported originally as well?

    Thank you.
  • Christoph Katzer - Tuesday, August 26, 2008 - link

    I am still working on it to get the spikes sorted. With replying to that post I already meant to say that he was right and that his reply was much more helpful than most others that don't take the time to complete a full sentence... Once I sorted the spike-problem it will be all better.
  • aarvark - Monday, August 25, 2008 - link

    Really "of limited use"? A core duo with mid-range graphic card barely tops 150W these days. A basic setup, maybe with integrated graphics would be around 120W. 400W is more than plenty for 99%+ of the market. Remember, us geeks are the exception, not the rule.

    I'd say the one thing it wasn't suitable for were HTPCs whereby you'd be better off with a picopsu or the like as they are more efficient at very low loads and only $50. Better still by having an external brick most of the heat is outside the case.

    Saying that I'm not a fan (no pun intended) of these because they are many, cheaper supplies that have a lazy 12 or 14cm thermally controlled fan which are for all real purposes silent anyway with the huge advantage of giving just a little case airflow through the case.
  • JarredWalton - Monday, August 25, 2008 - link

    I think that last point is why we say "limited use". Basically, you need to want 200-300W of power (gotta leave some wiggle room, right?), and you need to want absolute silence, and you also need to be willing to pay $170+ for it. I'd take a 600W PSU with a large fan over this for under $100 as well. Pico PSUs are an option for small systems that don't require a lot of power, but there are many definitions of HTPC. Personally, I prefer larger systems with more storage options.
  • Freddo - Monday, August 25, 2008 - link

    Looks like something I would buy for my next computer :-)
  • Clauzii - Monday, August 25, 2008 - link

    The same here :)

    With specs and quality like that, it's almost impossible to go wrong with this. Also, the cablelengths COULD make it possible to let it rest outside the PC case itself (for DIYs anyway).

    And thank You Anandtech, for testing a sub-500 Watt supply :)
  • pattycake0147 - Tuesday, August 26, 2008 - link

    I agree not everybody wants kilowatt a psu a low wattage one like is an excellent change of pace and exactly what I am looking for.

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