The main base for any good system is your power supply, if it's not up to the job then it doesn't matter what you've got in there. You could have the latest, cutting edge hardware, but if your PSU can't handle it then you're going to run into major problems. The X3 line of Ultra power supplies are an excellent choice when looking to replace or upgrade your power supply, one of the things I love about them is that they are truly modular and come with more than enough cables for most any system out there.
So we've got another Ultra Product up on the review block today, this time it's the Ultra X3 600-Watt Modular Power Supply and in my time with it I've found it to be capable and very stable.
Review: Ultra X3 600-Watt Modular Power Supply
Author: Kristofer Brozio
Sponsor: Ultra Products
Tech Specs,Features or the Basic Info:
Ultra X3 600-Watt Energy Efficient Modular Power Supply
Model: ULT40073
MSRP: $149.95
All New X3 Modular Power Supplies
Ultra pulls out all of the stops for their latest power supply. By combining our "EE" (Energy Efficient) platform, which converts as much as 85% of AC power into DC power during typical loads, with a quiet 135MM ball bearing fan, our patented modular interface and our Limited Lifetime Warranty, Ultra clearly dominates the market with the new X3 power supply!
The X3 is super efficient, using less electricity than other power supplies when providing power to your computer and it generates less heat. Cooling is substantial yet silent by utilizing a thermostatically controlled 135MM ball bearing fan and a honeycomb cut exhaust grill. The X3 also has full range active PFC, which improves apparent power used by the computer. The modular interface allows you to only plug in the cables you actually require for your particular PC. The X3 is ready for even the most high end gaming rigs by providing up to four 6-pin PCI-e connectors, and the 800W and 1000W models provide the newest 8-pin PCI-e connector for the latest 300W graphics cards.
If the you're looking for an efficient, quiet, powerful, modular power supply with a Lifetime Warranty, there's no reason to look any farther than the Ultra X3!
What is FlexForce?
-Manageable – FlexForce Cables are designed to be easily routed and hidden within your case.
-Increased Airflow – Special design promotes easy cable management and 30% better airflow than ordinary cables by easily routing cable under the motherboard, behind drive bays, etc.
-Design – Cables are dressed in a sleek looking titanium like finish.
Cables:
Qty Cable Description
1 24 Pin Motherboard Connector
1 4 Pin +12V Motherboard Connector
1 8 Pin EPS Connector
2 6 Pin PCI-Express Connectors
2 5 Pin SATA Power Cable (3 Devices)
2 5 Pin SATA Power Cable (2 Devices)
1 4 Pin Power Cable (2 Devices)
2 4 Pin Power Cable (2 Devices + 2 Floppy)
1 4 Pin Power Cable (3 Devices)
1 4 Pin Power Cable (1 Device)
1 3 Pin Fan Connector (3 Devices)
Total Output Power:
600W (Full Load, Nominal Input Voltage)
Efficiency:
85% at Typical Load
Input:
AC Input Voltage: 115V/230V
AC Input Frequency: 50-60Hz
AC Input Currents:
-13A (RMS) for 115VAC input
-8A (RMS) for 230VAC input
Additional Features:
-Supports AMD and Intel Motherboards
-Low Acoustic Noise
-135mm Fan
-Meets ATX Version 2.2, v1.3, and
ATX 12V Version 2.2 Specifications
-Short Circuit Protection
-In-Rush Current Protection
-Thermal Overload Cutoff Protection
-MTBF > 100,000 Hours at Full Load,
110VAC and 25°C Ambient Condition
-FCC and UL Recognized
A Better Look at Things
:
The Ultra X3 line of power supplies all come in very large boxes, which when opened we find mostly packing products and another smaller box that contains the cables. The box itself has a bit of basic information on it about the PSU, and there is a flap that opens as well so you can view a better picture of the power supply and see detailed specs and more information.
The X3 600Watt power supply itself is the same size as most out there so it should be no problem fitting into any system. On the back we have the I/O rocker switch and the main power connection and the ever popular honeycomb style ventilation. On one side we can see the specifications label that tells us the technical information about this particular PSU.
Looking at the UL# we can see E239028, if we take that number and head on over to Johnny Guru's site where he has a comprehensive list of PSU manufacturers, we find that this particular power supply is made by ANDYSON INTERNATIONAL CO LTD who also makes PSUs for Hiper, Aerocool, Sunbeamtech, GTR, and Sansun.
The side opposite the label also has vents for cooling as well, the included fan is 135mm and it takes up most of the bottom of the power supply.
There are modular power supplies and there are modular power supplies, the X3 line are all truly modular type PSUs. There are no cables connected to it until you connect them yourself. The front of the X3 600Watt PSU is where you'll find all of the connectors, they're not labeled but the cables only fit the certain connections.
Speaking of cables, one thing I love about the X3 line of products is the amount of cables included with them, there are more than enough for pretty much any system. Some of the cables vary in length as well so you really won't have to worry about hiding them or routing them around your case if you don't want to. They are the flat type cables that Ultra calls FlexForce so they are very flexible, so running them around you case is easy, and they can be made to sit flat to help promote good airflow.
Qty Cable Description
1 24 Pin Motherboard Connector
1 4 Pin +12V Motherboard Connector
1 8 Pin EPS Connector
2 6 Pin PCI-Express Connectors
2 5 Pin SATA Power Cable (3 Devices)
2 5 Pin SATA Power Cable (2 Devices)
1 4 Pin Power Cable (2 Devices)
2 4 Pin Power Cable (2 Devices + 2 Floppy)
1 4 Pin Power Cable (3 Devices)
1 4 Pin Power Cable (1 Device)
1 3 Pin Fan Connector (3 Devices)
Installation, Testing and Comparison
Testing System Specs:
EVGA nForce 680i SE SLI 775 TR Version Motherboard
-Model: 122-CK-NF63-TR
Intel C2D 6420 (OC'd to 3.0Ghz)
-Cooled with modified Corsair Nautilus Liquid Cooling System
2gigs Crucial Ballistix Tracer PC2-8500
2x EVGA 8600GTS video cards
4x hard drives (4x SATA 800Gigs total)
2x dvd/rw drives
3x 120mm case fans
Testing Procedures for all power supply reviews:
“While I don't have all the fancy, expensive testing gadgets of other sites, just can't really afford them honestly, I do put my power supplies I get for review through quite a bit of testing and a lot of hard use and maybe abuse. The power supplies I get for testing are installed and left in for at least two weeks in my most power hungry system, this system is on usually 18 hours a day, everyday, doing everything I do with it. These things include gaming in SLI, and of course my normal everyday activities and running numerous benchmarks and testing throughout those two weeks to make sure the PSU gets stressed and put under as much of a load as I can for hours at a time.
The 12volt rail is the main rail we want to look at as most of your important components are running off of it and we want that to be stable, I also look at the 5volt rail as well, both are measured using my trusty multimeter several times during those two plus weeks of testing. This is done of course by using an empty Molex connector, several of them if they are available, to check to make sure the readings are the same, then everything is average out and recorded.
To put load on my system I run several things at a time, including 3DMark06, Orthos Stress Prime and Prime 95 (both using small-ffts) This combination puts a nice load on the system, and maxes the CPU and video card usage as well. Most people will never ever stress their systems the way I stress mine for review and testing purposes, so I sort of feel that if the PSU can handle it then all the better for that power supply.”
Ok, here's the results:
-Yeah no fancy graphs or anything…
Idle:
12v – 12.17v
5v – 5.11v
Load:
12v – 12.17v
5v – 5.11v
As you can see from the results the Ultra X3 600Watt PSU is very stable, it's also very quiet, it added no additional noise to my system.
Summary:
The Ultra X3 600Watt Power Supply is one of the most stable that I have come across, the 12v line didn't move between idle and load, that's nice and something that you want to see in a power supply. The Ultra X3 line of products seems to be tough to beat with all of the features and stability that are packed into them.
The X3 has tons of cables and connections with some varying lengths so no matter what you have in your system or how big it is you'll have a cable for the job and even have some left over for upgrades.
The X3 truly is silent, it added no additional noise to my system no matter what the load or the length of time the load was applied.
DragonSteelMods gives the X3 600-Watt Modular Power Supply a 5 out of 5 score and our Recommended Award as well.
Pros:
-Powerful
-Stable
-Lots of cables/connections
-Silent
-Lifetime warranty
Cons:
-None really
I would like to thank Ultra for the chance to review the X3 600-Watt Modular Power Supply and for their continued support of DSM.
review# 319