FSP Epsilon 80Plus 600W
by Christoph Katzer on August 5, 2008 8:00 PM EST- Posted in
- Cases/Cooling/PSUs
Introduction
Many casual computer users might not be familiar with the name FSP Group (aka Fotron Source), but their power supplies are found in many PC systems from major system integrators. They come to you with bearing other names such as Zalman, OCZ, or be quiet!, but the actual products are produced by FSP. FSP is one of the largest manufacturers of power supplies in the world. I have been to their Taiwanese headquarters several times when I was living in Taiwan back in 2002. The large complex in Tao Yuan is a little outside of Taipei and houses research equipment most techies can only dream of using. The equipment includes an anechoic room and a setup to test electromagnetic interferences.
FSP sent us several of their units that we will be reviewing shortly, beginning today with the Epsilon 600W 80Plus power supply. FSP Group sells power supplies to many of the familiar names in the PSU market, and they also sell them direct under their own two brand names: FSP and Amacrox. We have already reviewed two Amacrox power supplies, but now we'll be looking at a couple FSPs models. The FSP products come with a blue exterior to separate them from other companies. As one of the largest quality PSU manufacturers, one can expect to find only the best components in their own products.
This power supply design first became famous about two years ago, when FSP partnered with a large number of companies and released numerous slightly tweaked models all based off the same basic topology. Today FSP's market share has decreased, with other ODM competitors like Channel Well Technology (CWT) getting the design wins. We hope that FSP is working on some newer models, as competition is always welcome. be quiet! released a very nice FSP-built model last year that delivered efficiency of up to 88%, a design we haven't seen elsewhere, so they certainly have the capacity to produce some very good PSUs. We saw the same topology at the CES booth earlier this year, but it wasn't at their CeBIT booth. We can only guess what happened to that design - perhaps it was simply too expensive to be practical - but it never really made it to the mass production stage.
The Epsilon comes with four 18A 12V rails, which is a good start. The 3.3V rail delivers up to 36A and the 5V rail 30A. The combined power for both the smaller rails shows is 155W, while the combined power for the 12V rails remains unknown since FSP shows 575W together with the maximum of 155W for the both smaller rails. We could hazard a guess of 420W, but that's more of a worst-case scenario. Worth noting is that the Epsilon 80Plus 600W is not the same as the Epsilon FX600-GLN, which many mistakenly assume. The 80Plus certification immediately indicates that this version is a more energy efficiency revision, although it seems to only be available in Europe right now.
Facebook
Twitter
RSS
19 Comments
View All Comments
MrOblivious - Wednesday, August 6, 2008 - link
The funny thing about FSP's Epsilons is they have 4 units submitted at the same 600w output for 80Plus:FSP600-80GHN
http://www.80plus.com/manu/psu/psu_reports/FSP-FSP...">http://www.80plus.com/manu/psu/psu_reports/FSP-FSP...
FSP600-80GLN
http://www.80plus.com/manu/psu/psu_reports/FSPGrou...">http://www.80plus.com/manu/psu/psu_repo...SP600-80...
FSP600-80GLC
http://www.80plus.com/manu/psu/psu_reports/FSPGrou...">http://www.80plus.com/manu/psu/psu_repo...up_FSP60...
and the
FSP Epsilon 80PLus 600
http://www.80plus.com/manu/psu/psu_reports/FSP%20E...">http://www.80plus.com/manu/psu/psu_reports/FSP%20E...
All of them are 80Plus certified and the 80GHN and the 80Plus 600 hit the exact same numbers ;)
HOOfan 1 - Thursday, August 7, 2008 - link
looking at newegg, there is also a 600 80Plus Everest model. You yourself have seen that the Everest platform is just a renamed Epsilon.WT - Wednesday, August 6, 2008 - link
I own an Epsilon FX600-GLN, and the first thing I thought when reading this was 'Wow, AT is reviewing that older PSU today' but soon found this was just a minor update to that PSU. Its been stable as a rock and handled everything I've tossed at it, with an overclocked Q6700 and soon a 4870 to power up 24/7. For the money I paid, it was a no-brainer. If I had an extra $50, I'd splurge on the PCP&C 750 unit today.JarredWalton - Wednesday, August 6, 2008 - link
FWIW, Newegg has the http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N8...">PCP&C 750W on sale right now for $110 after MIR ($140 before rebate). That's no as good as a couple weeks back (when we did the PSU roundup) when I grabbed that for $100 *without* an MIR! Still, considering this PSU is only in Europe and prices are merely okay, that PCP&C is definitely one of the best buys in the US right now.RallyMaster - Wednesday, August 6, 2008 - link
is a ball bearing fan. Anandtech's review and news quality has been dropping as of late. Please get facts right. Do understand that Yate Loon D12SH-12s would be the sleeve bearing version which is rarely if ever used in a horizontal configuration like inside a power supply.C'DaleRider - Wednesday, August 6, 2008 - link
Hmmmm.....no comment on whether the power supply is independently or group regulated (HINT: it's a group regulated power supply which is old tech and not seen as nearly as good as an independently regulated one.)Wonder how FSP, using the old Epsilon platform, managed to get its ripple/noise, according to this test, "....different voltages delivered low ripple and noise results, staying well within specs." Odd that almost every other reputable power supply testing website has found just the opposite...
Then to gloss over the less than top shelf component selection when it comes to capacitors as the unit is stocked exclusively with Teapo (primary) and CapXon (secondary)...neither of which is seen as anywhere near being a first class component like Rubycon, Chemi-Con, etc.
But so far we've just seen praise heaped on each and every power supply tested.....never have they had one that failed to be great...which begins to make a lot of their testing suspect. Never downgrade a power supply for substandard interior components or build quality, never a demonstration of ripple, no MOV on the primary (all the other reputable PSU-makers on the block are doing it... why not FSP?), yet we fccus on three heatsinks...but no mention of what's attached to them, like the capacities of the seimconductors for the primary and secondary sides....or what are on the OCP controller, or if the OCP controller actually functions, and on and on.
Incomplete.....and yet we have another power supply that sails through with flying colors despite the company, using this same platform, having huge problems with ripple.
Amart - Wednesday, August 6, 2008 - link
"All of the different voltages delivered low ripple and noise results, staying well within specs." Thanks you for this enlightening revelation! I have no knowledge of what this "ripple and noise" means, but since you say it's "within spec's" I don't care to find out. Something in your writing makes me tingle all over... and want to trust you unquestionably.Sincerely yours,
Iddy Otconsumer
MTBF - Tuesday, March 9, 2010 - link
FORTRON / FSP Power Supply Units are unreliable hardware devices.Failed just after 784 days of normal use (about 3500 hours only)!.
Calin - Wednesday, August 6, 2008 - link
Funny :)Ripple seems to be harmonics in the output (harmonics would be periodic variations, one of the most common could be at the frequency of the main electricity input - 50 Hz in Europe and 60 Hz in USA - or at its multiple/submultiples (25 Hz, 100 Hz and so on).
Noise is just that - random variations in the output. In the end, I think noise is less dangerous than ripple, as ripple might create standing waves/resonance with ripples in other AC-powered equipment (monitor, printer), which could lead to problems.
Frumious1 - Wednesday, August 6, 2008 - link
You name is half right at least. Thanks for being a fucktard. I guess they should make up graphs showing ripple voltages just to appease people like you, because that's so much more useful than a statement on whether or not there was ripple. Let me guess: you read Jonny Guru, right? Do you post there and complain about his lack of fan speed and noise level testing?I'll get worried when I see a cruddy PSU tested here that gets praised. So far, the cheapest PSU tested by Anandtech seems to be about $80. Yeah, I'm shocked that ripple results have all been good. Seriously, someone send these guys some Antec SmartPower, Raidmax, Rosewill, Logisys, Powertek, CoolMax, etc. PSUs. You know, the ones that claim SLI and Crossfire support and yet cost under $60. Or send pretty much and PSU that comes with a case. If I see some of those getting by without some serious problems, then I'll get upset.