OPTI-UPS 575VA UPS

An uninterrupted power supply is almost essential for the modern computer. The uninterrupted power supply allows you computer to brave through the worst of computer nightmares. With more and more things being stored on computer, both at home and at the office and uninterrupted power supply will protect you from common things like brownouts, spikes and other power anomalies.

The uninterrupted power supply from a normal, consumer grade UPS will usually give you a few features to protect you against varying levels of problems. The uninterrupted power supply might be held for up to 5 minutes, possibly much more, depending on how good your UPS is. This allows you to shut down the computer and save information before permanent damage occurs.

Temporary power drops or brownouts are not a big problem when you have an uninterrupted power supply. Quite often these anomalies will lead to the computer turning off, which presents 1 major problem for household computers. When the power goes off you lose all the data you were working on when the computer turned off. The steadying of the power supply provided with an uninterrupted power supply assures that this won’t happen in any other situation either.

The uninterrupted power supply also helps to smooth out spikes in voltage that most often occur during electrical storms. By sacrificing itself a UPS can provide a smooth uninterrupted power supply to your computer, protecting it from not only the loss of expensive equipment, but the loss of your, possibly your clients, valuable data.

An uninterrupted power supply can vary with the kind of UPS that you buy. A UPS will be rated in VA, with 500VA and up to 1000VA being enough for most home computers that do average tasks. The time they last will vary if you are using more powerful processors or video cards. The higher the VA the longer things will keep going after the power turns off. Most of the extra cost of these units goes into the batteries that are used to keep everything running.

Tripp Lite 1000VA UPS

Surge protection is expected with an uninterrupted power supply and most UPS’ will have this for both the equipment that is connected to the battery backup and those that bypass it, like printers and other peripherals.

Look out for indicators to tell you if the UPS is operating well, or if the battery has kicked in, or it has been damaged. If the battery is in operation is important to know how much time you have before everything shuts down. Another thing that happens is that a UPS can become damaged because of a power spike. The UPS will become damaged rather than allowing your equipment to receive the shock, but you need to know this has happened as usually afterwards it cannot take another big hit.

The uninterrupted power supply should have an interface with your computer so that it can be controlled and its features can be set, so that things will operate well in case of a power outage or other incident.

An uninterrupted power supply is becoming more and more of a necessity as more and more of our precious data is stored on computers. Having a UPS will allow you to breath easier when there is an electrical storm as you will be protected from what could happen without one.

APC BK350 350VA UPS

An uninterruptable Power Supply, often known as a UPS, maintains the power supply to equipment that is sensitive to not being shut down properly. The uninterruptable power supply is situated between the main power supply and the main power input for the equipment. An uninterruptable power supply counters the effects of temporary power outages and other unexpected things from the power supply. Uninterruptable power supply units are used where unexpected shutdown of equipment can possibly be fatal, like in hospitals or airports.

A consumer grade uninterruptable power supply, usually for computers, typically provides a few features. An uninterruptable power supply will allow the computer or computers to keep running for a while after the mains power fails. If you are using a computer at home, sometimes 5 minutes or so give you enough time to save anything you are doing and shut down the computer in the usual manner.

An uninterruptable power supply will also provide some protection from momentary or temporary power drops or brownouts. Without an uninterruptable power supply, small drops in voltage might lead to the computer turning off, resulting in loss of data, then it just turns on again when voltages even out. The uninterruptable power supply will keep the power at steady levels, letting the battery kick in for a moment and protect you from the loss of data that would usually occur.

Uninterruptable power supplies also provide protection against power spikes. Usually occurring when there is a lightning strike, a power spike can destroy computer equipment with momentary high voltages. This not only results in the loss of data at the time of the strike, but also possible damage to your hardware, necessitating expensive repairs.

When shopping for an uninterruptable power supply there are some things on offer with most commercial units. Firstly, they will have a certain rating in VA. How long the UPS will provide power will depend on this and how much power your system draws. Typically a UPS from 500VA to 1000VA will provide enough power to run the computer for 10 minutes or more after power fails, giving enough time to save and shut down. If you want to keep running the computer for longer you will have to get a more powerful and expensive uninterruptable power supply with more VA, but this will cost much more, and basically the cost has a lot to do with the batteries that keep things going through the power outage.

Surge protection comes as part and parcel of a UPS, usually all of the power outlets will run through the surge protection. Check to make sure. Some equipment like printers don’t need a backup power supply and the uninterruptable power supply will have some sockets that bypass the battery backup but still provide surge protection.

APC 1500VA UPS

Other things to look for are indicators that tell you when the battery has kicked in or when the uninterruptable power supply has been damaged. Sometimes after a heavy power surge the equipment can no longer protect your computer from power disruptions but will still let power pass through to keep your computer going. It sacrifices itself to protect your computer.

A UPS should usually have some kind of interface with the computer, which allows it to be programmed and allows its behavior to be monitored. You may also be able to set up what actions should take place in the event of a power outage, like shutting itself down or such things.

An uninterruptable power supply is becoming a more and more necessary accessory. For very simple computers that don’t do too much you might be able to get away without an uninterruptable power supply, but if you use it for business or for keeping critical information an uninterruptable power supply might allow your computer to pass through the next storm without any problems. The peace of mind when you have one, is priceless.

APC SUA750 750VA Smart UPS

An Uninterruptible power supply, usually known as a UPS, maintains a steady power supply to equipment that is sensitive to being shut down unexpectedly. The uninterruptible power supply comes between the main power supply and the main power input for equipment. An uninterruptible power supply counters the effects of temporary power outages and other power related anomalies. Uninterruptible power supply units are used where unexpected shutdown of equipment is either not desirable, or possibly fatal, like in hospitals or airports.

An uninterruptible power supply for computer equipment typically provides a few features. An uninterruptible power supply will allow the computer or computers to keep running for a period of time after the main power fails. For example if you are using a computer at home, it might provide you with 5 minutes or so of power for you to save anything you are doing and shut down the computer in the normal manner.

An uninterruptible power supply will also provide some degree of protection of momentary or temporary power drops or brownouts. Without an uninterruptible power supply, this might cause your computer to shut down and then power back on again as soon as the power evens out again. The uninterruptible power supply will keep the power at steady levels, letting the battery kick in for a moment and protect you from the loss of data that would usually occur.

Another thing an uninterruptible power supply will do is provide protection against power spikes. Usually occurring when there is a lightning strike, a power spike can destroy computer equipment with momentary high voltages. This not only results in the loss of data at the time of the strike, but also possible damage to your hardware, necessitating expensive repairs.

When shopping for an uninterruptible power supply there are a few main things on offer with most commercial units. Firstly, they will have a certain rating in VA. How long the UPS will provide power will depend on this and how much power your system draws. Typically a UPS from 500VA to 1000VA will provide enough power to run the computer for 10 minutes or more after power fails, giving enough time to save and shut down. If you want to keep running the computer for longer you will have to invest in an uninterruptible power supply with more VA, but this will cost much more, and basically the cost has a lot to do with the batteries that keep things going through the power outage.

Surge protection comes as part and parcel of a UPS, usually all of the power outlets will run through the surge protection. Check to make sure. Some equipment like printers don’t need a backup power supply and the uninterruptible power supply will have some sockets that bypass the battery backup but still provide surge protection.

Cyberpower Rackmount 1500VA UPS

Other things to look for are indicators that tell you when the battery has kicked in or when the uninterruptible power supply has been damaged. Sometimes after a heavy power surge the equipment can no longer protect your computer from power disruptions but will still let power pass through to keep your computer going.

A UPS should usually have some kind of interface with the computer, which allows it to be programmed and allows its behavior to be monitored. You may also be able to set up what actions should take place in the event of a power outage, like shutting itself down or such things.

An uninterruptible power supply is very necessary in the current environment. For very simple computers that don’t do too much you might be able to get away without an uninterruptible power supply, but if you use it for business or for keeping critical information an uninterruptible power supply might allow your computer to pass through the next storm without any problems. And also the peace of mind knowing all your valuable data is that much safer.

PC Power and Cooling 800 watt power supply

The astonishing thing is that even thought it is an 800 watt power supply, seemingly needing a lot of power it is actually extremely efficient.

There are probably very few people who would need this amount of power in their desktop computer, it is almost hard to imagine putting enough things in a desktop computer to warrant an 800 watt power supply. However, that is not the best feature of the power supply.

It isn’t just the power of the 800 watt power supply that makes it a great deal. It is the sheer workmanship and quality of a power supply that costs more than some computers that comes into play with this 800 watt power supply.

The 800 watt power supply itself runs very hot and you can almost burn your fingers on the cable that runs to the power supply. It has a network filter to remove spikes from the power supply network, which helps to insure that things run smooth and protects your computers parts.

So, if you have $500 or so for an 800 watt power supply then this might just be the best bet. With high efficiency and superb output levels you simply can’t go wrong with this beauty.

Xion 600 watt power supply

Falling at about the mid-range of prices for 600 watt power supply units, the Xion is a very safe choice for a 600 watt power supply that won’t let you down. Most notable features of this 600 watt power supply are its very large 140mm fan on the top which sucks hot air away from the power supply.

It has a cool blue LED light which will give thrills to users who like that kind of thing from a 600 watt power supply. Its performance is fine and its pricing is about right for a 600 watt power supply.

As with the lower specification 500 watt version this one has plenty of cables for all the accessories you could want to have in your computer. There are 10 molex, and 2 each of SATA, PCIe and floppy drive ends. This 600 watt power supply has both a 20 and 24 pin motherboard connection.

Enermax 660 watt power supply

Enermax 660 watt power supply

For reference I included this Enermax 660 watt power supply. Although slightly over the 600 watt power supply range, it does give an indication of what to look for in a power supply. It is the most expensive in this range here, almost double the next most expensive.

There is a good reason why this 600 watt power supply costs so much, it is designed for use with workstations or servers. It is designed to operate Intel Quad processor setups. Unlike 600 watt power supplies that are designed with high output for graphics cards in mind this power supply is designed with quality smooth power and high performance in mind.

It has lots of cooling and the case itself is designed to dissipate heat better with its aluminum material. There is more than one power rail which allows correct power to be directed at processors and motherboard. For a 600 watt power supply it does more than a good job at powering a workhorse machine that is used heavily, but not for gaming or overclocking. That is not its intention.

Ultra X-Finity 600 watt power supply

Ultra X-Finity 600 watt power supply

The Ultra 600 watt power supply comes in at the lower end of the pricing scale, and way below the Enermax above in the 600 watt power supply range. It has all the usual features that come with the Ultra range, this 600 watt power supply does have most of what you need.

It has two 12V rails to give more stable power to the parts of the computer, splitting the two between the motherboard and the processor. It also comes with the redesigned cables that come with newer Ultra power supply units.

600 watt power supply units can handle most of the components you put into your system and the Ultra is designed to be able to do well with both SLI setups and those people with Crossfire systems. This particular 600 watt power supply does well in keeping things fairly cool and it is reported to have plenty of cabling, perhaps even too much, so the extra needs to be tucked away. It unfortunately doesn’t benefit from Ultra X-Connect’s modular cabling.

Enermax Noisetaker 600 watt power supply

Enermax 600 watt power supply

As can be seen from the other Enermax 600 watt power supply, Enermax don’t come cheap, but do you really get what you pay for, seeing as its nearly double that of some of the others.

With the competitiveness of the computer power supply market, the guys that make them are getting better at making them better. There are fewer fly by night supplies out there and many have quite high standards.

For a 600 watt power supply, the cost of this one might seem a little bit over the top. You could easily put the extra money saved into some other part of the computer.

It really does work well and is very quiet, and finally backed by a 3 year warranty against anything that might happen to it. The Enermax 600 watt power supply does what it does very well and you apy accordingly. Its really for those who are looking to put together a very expensive, high-quality machine, with many other choices you really do need to be aiming at the perfect system.

XG Vortex 600 watt power supply

XG Vortex 600 watt power supply

An interesting claims made by an online retailer of this 600 watt power supply is that of “silent fans” There are limited ways to make a power supply silent. All fans make a noise, but big ones move more air at lower RPMs reducing the noise. Silent is obtained when fans are off, or the power supply has none. There are better and worse fans, so which ones you have make a difference to the overall quietness of the system.

In all fairness I’m not knocking the power supply, but just some marketing tactics you need to be aware of when buying.

This 600 watt power supply gives some of the highest power outputs on the 12V in its range. It gives up to 37Amps which is enough power for most bits and pieces in your system. Its fans are quiet, but certainly not silent. You can’t really go wrong here, the power supply appears good and its price is not bad. The only worth considering is maybe if you would rather go for a more well known brand, which gives you a little bit more assurance of things going well in the long term.

Aspire Dark Side 600 watt power supply

Aspire Dark Side 600 watt power supply

The Aspire Dark Side 600 watt power supply has a certain cool factor to it. Besides doing all the usual stuff for a power supply in this range it also manages to give a good impression with its lights, and also with its good flow of cool air.

With 3 fans it has enough to keep cool air flowing well through the power supply and getting that fresh, cool air inside to keep things at the temperatures they need to be at.

The blue lights and UV sensitive parts inside will appeal to those who have cases with clear sides and like their cases to be showy. It is obviously aimed at the heavy user, which is why they have included so many fans in their setup. Gaming produces some of the highest power consumption and those fans keep things cool when the power supply is working under full load.

In the 500 watt power supply range you will find that not only does the power go up, but quite often the efficiency goes up and the general quality of the power supplies is better. That general build quality that goes into 500 watt power supply units will mean the difference between a 500 watt power supply that does its job for now, or one that will still be doing good in years to come.

Ultra X-Finity 500 Watt Power Supply

Ultra X-Finity 500 watt power supply

Ultra are well known for their competitively priced power supplies and this 500 watt power supply is no exception. It’s not the cheapest in the 500 watt power supply range, but it does give good looks, decent performance and decent price as part of its package.

As well as meeting all the usual requirement like the ATX standard it has other technologies in its favor. It has removable cables which mean that the ones you don’t use on this 500 watt power supply can be removed and kept elsewhere, rather than in the computer.

It comes ready with all the power cables you could need. It also include two cables for PCI Express video cards so you can run an SLI setup with this 500 watt power supply. An SLI setup is just a technology whereby two video cards are connected together and nearly double the processing power of a single card.

Consumer reviews of this 500 watt power supply are good, with most saying how it has plenty of power for their needs and the price is not bad. It is reliable, except that some batches had a bit of a problem with the fan, which has been fixed in later revisions.

Ultra X-Connect 500 watt power supply with UV clear sides

Ultra X-Connect 500 watt power supply

This is another 500 watt power supply from Ultra. It’s a good comparisson before to see where Ultra have gone with their power supplies and how they have made imporvements to an already well-designed system.

This is an older version from Ultra. Their new 500 watt power supply units in the X-Connect range have newer cabling. This model has the original removable cable design. The removable cables on this 500 watt power supply have a round shape which proved to be a little hard to bend, which led to some users not being able to use it on computers where the power supply was too close to the motherboard power plug point.

As this 500 watt power supply is designed for the modding crowd, those who like to add unique cool looking features to their computers, it has UV lighting. Although not helping with the general function it does give cool looks to see the stuff in the power supply and the cables on this 500 watt power supply glow with a UV light.

These older models use 80mm fans, which have been replaced by 120mm ones in the new models, so as to reduce the noise of the power supply. It is also not recommended for use with SLI which the other model is.

Aspire 500 watt Power Supply with Clear top

Aspire 500 watt power supply

The Aspire is one of the cheaper 500 watt power supply units I look at here, so it gives a good idea of how a cheaper power measures up (or doesn’t measure up).

In regard to looks there are some who like things to glow and others who like a more simple design. If you do like things that glow in the dard and can catch peoples attention then you can’t go far wrong with the Aspire 500 watt power supply. The clear top allows you to see all the components inside, most of which react to UV light.

The fans on either end (front and back) of the 500 watt power supply have LED lights inside, so they glow when the power is turned on. The fans themselves are adjustable, but not by a switch but by a knob, that means you can set it manually to even the finest speed setting rather than 2 or 3 preset ones.

It’s voltages are alright and stay within spec. There are no reports of strange goings on with the Aspire 500 watt power supply, but many people are happy with the buy. It does a lot of selling on looks.

Coolmax 500 watt Power Supply

Coolmax 500 watt power supply

The Coolmax 500 watt power supply is the cheapest of the lot here. However, its not as bad as it sounds. Although it is cheap, sometimes you are just paying for something a little more simple, which doesn’t have any fancy little extras which make it easy to price a 500 watt power supply a little higher.

The Coolmax 500 watt power supply holds solid on its power delivery and does so very quietly. Some users have reported it as the quietest they have every used, and although thats subjective its still quiet enough.

It uses a 120mm fan at the top to help keep the air moving and cooling this 500 watt power supply.

The Coolmax 500 watt power supply doesn’t come with too many cables as standard which is a little strange for a power supply in this range. There is only a single floppy cable, 4 DVD, CD, hard disk sized cables and one for SATA. This leaves many out like the ones for new video cards. So even though it does do well for a 500 watt power supply, it doesn’t have those cable options.

Xion 500 Watt Power Supply with 140mm fan

Xion 500 watt power supply

The Xion 500 watt power supply sports the biggest cooling fan I have ever seen on a PSU. The analogy of bigger is better does work quite well with fans. Larger fans can move more air at lower RPMS than smaller fans. Lower speeds allow quieter operation which contibutes to a quiet working environment when you have a computer.

A 500 watt power supply will usually come with some kind of adjustable cooling, but the Xion 500 watt power supply comes with two options. You adjust the fan manually or use the automatic setting which will increase or decrease the fan speed by using a sensor in the power supply.

The fan also has an LED to give it a cool glow. It’s not the cheapest of the 500 watt power supply units, but falls somewhere in the middle of the pack.

One of the great extras with the Xion 500 watt power supply is that it has plenty of cables, there are 10 for peripheral devices, 2 each for SATA, PCI express and floppy drives as well as the usual adaptable 24 pin motherboard cable.

Ultra X-connect 2 550 watt Power Supply

Ultra X-Connect2 500 watt power supply

The Ultra X-Connect2 falls well within the 500 watt power supply range. It has a redesigned cable system that still allows you to leave out the cables you don’t use, but are easier to use than the old kind.

The fan size has been increased from 80mm to 120mm allowing a quieter design with better cooling in this 500 watt power supply. The finish of the box is a reflective surface that gives it good looks and the logo on the top has the same finish.

The Ultra X-Connect2 500 watt power supply delivers smooth power and has as many cables as you could need for your computer. Most of the cables run to a single end but have Y-connectors so that you can double them up for use on more than one device.

Although the looks and the ability to disconnect cables make this a very popular 500 watt power supply, most users also find it runs fine with a lot of things connected to it and provides good performance in most areas.

Not only do these bigger power supplies allow for more power they also start to become noticeably more expensive and come with other features as switching and variable fan speeds. As there is not much to attract people to one 400 watt power supply or another, manufacturers add other features like auto shutoff to prevent damage to systems or the afore mentioned fans.

A 400 watt power supply would certainly be the better bet for not just more power but possibly smoother power, although that depends on the particular 400 watt power supply you’re looking at.

Lets examine a few 400 watt power supply units.

Coolmax Silver 400 watt power supply

Coolmax 400 watt power supply

The Coolmax comes recommended by those who have used it in the past. It is dead on as a 400 watt power supply. It comes with 6 4-pin connectors, which are the standard kind used on most CD and DVD drives as well as hard disks. There are also SATA connections and 2 floppy drive connectors. This 400 watt power supply, like most in this range has an extra little 4-pin connector so it can be adapted from a 20-pin to 24-pin motherboard connector.

As a 400 watt power supply it has an adjustable fan. It comes with 3 manually adjusted settings. The lowest should do for most day to day use and is also the quietest. The fastest setting on this 400 watt power supply is still not too loud and provides that extra cooling for when you are putting heavy loads on it.

Kingwin Alpha power 450 Watt Power Supply with 120mm fan

Kingwin 450 watt power supply

The kingwin is a well priced contendor in the 400 watt power supply category. It cost a little more than the Coolmax looked at before, but comes in a lot cheaper than many of the other 400 watt power supply units.

It has a set of features fairly standard to this group. It has a 120mm fan, it can support 20 or 24 pin motherboard connector. It also has protection switches to protect it like overload protection, short circuit protection and voltage protection. One of the main features that sets this 400 watt power supply apart from the cheaper Coolmax is the auto fan-speed sensor. Instead of the speed of the fan being manually adjusted it will adjust itself according to the loads being place on it.

As a 400 watt power supply it comes in well when comparing price and cost.

Thermaltake TR2 420 watt ATX 2.0 Power Supply

Thermaltake 420 watt power supply

One thing that although not completely necessary for a power supply, but is a good indication of quality is the ATX standard. By complying with the standard, a 400 watt power supply, or any for that matter is claiming to meet the ATX standards. The standards they have to meet are not particularly stringent, but do provide a certain peace of mind about what the supply might possibly do to your computer.

Well the 400 watt power supply from Thermaltake meets the ATX 2.0 standard and delivers in performance. It performs well and to the standards it claims. The large fan keeps this power supply in the right noise range for a 400 watt power supply. The power is within range and doesn’t fluctuate too much out of the accepted 5% up or down.

Masscool 460 watt PCIe ready Power Supply

Masscool 460 watt power supply

The Masscool is a little more unknown entity in the power supply market. It’s not unkown, but there are not too many online reviews on it either.

One of the best ways to assess the quality of a power supply is with real world tests done by website. These are often just ordinary people who do this kind of thing for enjoyment, so they can give you a very honest opinion on a 400 watt power supply.

This 400 watt power supply comes with the usual compliment of power cables and does and provides all the connections that you could need from, or could be provided by a 400 watt power supply.

It does need to be noted that the Masscool was the most expensive of those looked at in the range of 400 watt power supply units.

Vantec ION2 460 watt SATA-ready power supply

Vantec 460 watt power supply

The Vantec 400 watt power supply units case is perforated with holes at the back and the front to allow the maximum flow of air into and out of the power supply. There is a large 120mm fan at the top to provide air flow to aid in the cooling.

400 watt power supply units don’t tend to get too hot, but it is worthwhile making sure that nothing goes awry by having the fans anyway. Most power supplies are not efficient enough to do without the fan to displace that extra heat.

There is the usual protection from power disruptions from this 400 watt power supply. There are SATA cables for those who have moved on to newer, faster hard drives. It will support the 24 pin power connection, and there is an adapter just in case.

The cables are sleeved, which is not a hard thing to add, but makes the difference to the feel when wiring inside your case. A 400 watt power supply needs to provide a little something extra to make it stand out.

Enermax 420 watt Dual 80mm fan power supply

Enermax Noisetaker 420 watt power supply

The Enermax is one of the better know names around, this 400 watt power supply takes the initiative to combat extra heat from the PSU. The two fans continue to run for at least two minutes after system shutdown to assure it cools down, they run for longer if they need to. The fans also have automatic speed adjustment from heat sensors in the 400 watt power supply.

There are cables for running a PCIe video card, SATA drives and all the usual cables for optical drives and hard disks.

There are two seperate 12V power rails to provide power to the CPU and the motherboard. The method of using two fans is actually suggested by AMD to provide the best cooling effect for the drive, many opt for one large 120mm fan which also reduces noise.

At this range, 350 watt power supply units start to get a little cooler looking and oftentimes function a little better too. A 350 watt power supply is not designed as simply a replacement for an average computer, the 350 watt power supply will give that little extra to allow you to maybe go for a new powerful graphics card and other extras, like a more powerful processor.

The 350 watt power supply is capable of handling powerful graphics cards, but certainly not the newest ones on the market and certainly no dual video card setups with the power a 350 watt power supply delivers.

We will run through a few and see what kind of things you can expect if you purchase 350 watt power supply and more exactly, what a 350 watt power supply can actually handle.

Coolmax 350 watt ATX SATA-ready power supply

Coolmax 350 watt power supply

Coolmax is a well known brand in computer circles. They branch out into all sorts of areas, mainly peripherals, and not just this 350 watt power supply. Features that make power supplies quieter start to come into effect in the 350 watt power supply range. The Coolmax is very quiet and will allow you to have a quieter office with less of the distracting surrounding sounds that often make offices noisy. This 350 watt power supply will make you realize how noisy your keyboard and mouse are, according to one buyer.

There are actually settings for the fan so you can customize how much noise, and also cooling this 350 watt power supply receives. This is a good feature if you are pushing the power supply with a lot of components or with graphics cards as it will keep this 350 watt power supply from overheating, without it having to be loud all the time.

Rated well by buyers and a more well known brand in the industry.

Ultra X-Finity 350 Watt ATX Open Box Power Supply

Ultra X-Finity 350 watt power supply

Ultra are most well known for their series of X-connect power supplies. Although not available in the 350 watt power supply range, the trust of the brand passes down. The technology itself basically allowed cable to be removed from the power supply.

For a 350 watt power supply it is a handsome model. With a shiny cage covering the large 120mm fan on the top and sides perforated with holes all over, this 350 watt power supply does impress. You can see all the internals from the outside.

Other technologies come into play with this 350 watt power supply. One that most effects the effectiveness is having dual rails. Many power supplies have everything feeding off one 12V source in the power supply. With this 350 watt power supply, and with others, you can have two rails. In this case one of them supplies the extra 4 pin motherboard power supply and the other does the usual job.

The extra power for the 4 pin from this 350 watt power supply is because the motherboard takes a lot of power for graphics cards and other parts connected directly to it.

Its own name brand FlexForce cables allow easy movement of cables in the case, allowing you to push the ones from this 350 watt power supply that you dont’ want to see, out of the way. They are basically flattened cables, just a nicer look really. But they also make it nicer for cable routing.

Vantec ION2 350 watt ATX SATA-ready Power Supply

Vantec ION2 350 watt power supply

Vantec have made a good name for themselves with reliable products. This 350 watt power supply comes highly recommended for its good looks and efficiency. Apart from the obvious looks, which seem to be shared with the Ultra it does well in terms of performance.

The Vantec does not share the dual rail design but doesn’t really need to, as a 350 watt power supply should be able to give enough with or without two 12V power rails.

When a power supply becomes to hot as this 350 watt power supply and many others can, you need to be sure that it will protect itself and your computer from possible damage. One of the ways is to have a fan that will turn on at high speed to help cool it down.

But sometimes thats not enough and this is where the auto turn-off feature comes in very handy. With this 350 watt power supply if it gets too hot it will just turn itself off, with no ill effect and after it has cooled down will once again be able to power up the computer and perform as before.

For a 350 watt power supply it is a little loud, but nothing out of the ordinary. Shouldn’t disturb you too much.

Ultra V-Series 350 watt Power Supply

Ultra V-Series 350 watt power supply

This is a slightly cheaper 350 watt power supply from Ultra. It doesn’t feature the cool cables of its counterpart, but comes in at a slightly lower price. If you are considering this 350 watt power supply, it might just be up to whether you particularly need the cooler cables on their other 350 watt power supply.

The Ultra V-Series 350 watt power supply has only one power rail, but it offers a great number of cables and connections with it. This 350 watt power supply comes with native cabling for 20 or 24 pin motherboard power with a little 4 pin cable for the extra power. It also has enough power connections for whatever you have in your computer. It even has 2 for SATA power.

Silverstone 360 watt Power Supply

Silverstone 350 watt power supply

The silverstone power supply falls pretty close to a 350 watt power supply. It’s reported to hold steady on its power ratings although fluctuating more than some. This particular model is an old design, as many 350 watt power supplies sometimes are.

This model is very good looking, as it sports a shiny polished case. This 350 watt power supply sports all the relevent cables, even SATA.

Some new graphics cards require at least as much power as a 200 watt power supply, and that’s just by themselves. In cheaper computers and often computers that are used for day to day activities, apart from gaming a 200 watt power supply or something close will suffice.

If your computer uses onboard video for example there is a good chance that a 200 watt power supply will do for your needs. However, if you have for example a few hard drives in there, it might only just make it with a 200 watt power supply. Graphics cards are the main culprit, usually requiring something a little more than a 200 watt power supply.

When looking around for a 200 watt power supply do be aware that there are different quality 200 watt power supplies out there. Going for a name branded product may be the best bet, even if you pay a little more, cause even if it is only a 200 watt power supply, it does no good if it burns out in a week or two.

Here are some of the 200 watt power supplies available online.

The Enermax 270 watt power supply

Enermax 270 watt power supply

Although a little over the 200 watt power supply category it still is quite small. Enermax are well known for well made products and this one is no exception. It doesn’t boast any of the fancy features of its bigger brothers but for a 200 watt power supply it really does do the trick.

It is one of the higher priced 200 watt power supplies that I found, but like I said, quality makes a big difference, which you will notice by it not breaking down after a week or so.

Noticeable good points of this 200 watt power supply are that it has SATA power cables. These cables are needed by newer hard drives which use SATA and can use SATA power cables.

There are two models in this price range, one of the 200 watt power supplies has an active fan and can turn itself off when it is not needed. The other model does not have this feature and is not particularly quiet with the fan on, but quieter than many oldschool power supplies.

AOC 250 watt power supply

AOC 250 watt power supply

The AOC 250 watt power supply is designed as a replacement 200 watt power supply for hp and compaq computer systems. As the power supplies delivered with leading brand computers are only really designed to do the bare minimum, and give you a good price, they often burn out if you use them for a long time. This 200 watt power supply is designed to put the life back into your old computer and allow it to keep going until who knows when.

This power supply is designed with the needs of older processors in mind. In sales text it is quoted as being designed for AMD Athlon XP and Pentium 3, although those don’t get sold much anymore, this power supply will do fine for those systems that still operate on those.

It does have a cable for SATA, which will be helpful for those who need it. Its motherboard power supply cable is a 20-pin kind.

For a 200 watt power supply it does come in a little expensive, although similar to the Enermax, I would still bet on the name brand to be able to pull of a better product, however, I have been wrong before.

Hipro 160 watt power supply for micro ATX

Hipro 160 watt power supply

The power supply only just comes into the 200 watt power supply range because there is no range smaller than that really. Its 160 watts of power is enough for only the most mundane of machinery. Like the AOC it is actually designed as a replacement product for hp and compaq systems. Reports have it that it works just like claimed and will do the trick if you need a 200 watt power supply to replace the one in your hp or compaq machine.

Smaller power supplies, like these 200 watt power supplies actually benefit from their small size in a few ways. One of those ways is that they don’t always require the tremendous cooling that some of the really huge power supplies require. 200 watt power supplies are often designed a little bit better than the power supplies they are replacing, so your computers life will be increased a lot.

AOC shark 180 watt SATA-ready power supply

AOC 180 watt power supply

Another power supply from AOC and this time slightly under the 200 watt power supply range. This power supply, like most in the 200 watt power supply range are designed as replacement parts or for low power comsumption computers.

This model has fewer connections for components inside the computer as it is designed to power fewer, so keeping you from hooking up too many to the 200 watt power supply. It offers stable current, something important in not just 200 watt power supplies but any power supply.

Smooth current allows all the parts in your computer to function properly and ensures against anything going wrong with them due to the power going out of range and damaging your equipment.

The power supply doesn’t just run the power to the different parts of the computer. It needs to run different voltages to different parts, and besides that, it has to deliver them within a very tight range set out in the ATX standard.

Power supplies went through a phase of being extremely unreliable. This is because the actual parts are very cheap and standard and the profit margin in the power supply business is higher than almost any other computer part. The flooding of the market with poor quality power supplies led to lots of failures and complaints.

More recently, the problems in that sector have decreased, the general quality and build of power supplies has increased to a level where nearly any power supply will deliver what it claims it will and within specs. Most, but not all.

As with computer monitors, power supplies are one part that does not need to be upgraded very often. The only additions have come from SATA specific power plugs and the additional P4 plug in recent years and even those are not always necessary.

So what do you actually need from a power supply?

The most basic requirement is that its power output can match the power needed by the components inside your computer. Each part has its own requirement and its own maximums and minimums on what it needs. The claimed maximum power for each voltage are added together to give the power rating for the power supply.

The main power user in the computer is the CPU. Some Pentium 4 processors are known to gobble lots of power. Hard drives use some power too, but no more than 10W each, optical drives even less. The motherboard itself uses some too. The other major user of power are graphics cards.

As graphics cards have become more powerful, and with the advent of Graphical Processing Units (GPUs), which are like CPUs which are dedicated to graphics work, and situated on the graphics card, they can now use more power than a CPU. If you are running a very fast PCIe graphics card or a pair of them, you will need more power.

At the most basic a 300W power supply will be more than enough for most day to day use desktop computers, even if they have a small AGP graphics card. Only get more than 300W if you know you need it, or expect you will need it in the future after upgrades. 500W will more than suffice for even the most demanding system with 2 graphics cards, but it needs to be a reputable brand.

Enermax, Antec, Fortron and Seasonic are good names in the power supply business, you will not go wrong with their products. Even though there is a small price premium, the security in knowing that nothing will go wrong is worth it. Another power supply I like is the X-connect from Ultra. Each of the cables that come from the power supply are removable, so only the ones you are using need to be in the box. Very convenient and neat, as long as I don’t lose the cables.

Pre-assembled computers are known for having the cheapest power supplies in them. As no-one really checks the power supply when buying they just put the minimum inside. These are usually fine, but will often buckle under the load of extra upgrades you may make. Bear in mind that you might have to upgrade the power supply when installing those new, really cool graphics cards.

So, keep these things in mind…

• Stick to major brands
• 300W only unless particularly needed
• Functionality before looks