Archive for the ‘Power Supplies’ Category
When it comes time to replace that old power supply inside your favorite computer or you’re looking to build up a brand new system, GMC Power Supply’s should be the first place you look. Many cases come packaged with their own power supply, and while many of them are quality, purchasing an independently made power supply can give you a few more options and a lot more comfort knowing that it wasn’t a packaged deal.
This specific model, the GMC AP-600f12v offers up a full 600 watts of power to whatever your system could need through a +12v1 and +12v2 output. Several years ago, 600 watts was quite the sizeable power supply, but with Quad Core processors and Quad SLI graphics card setups, you’re going to need something up in this realm of power. Unless you’re going to be running some massive equipment, this specific power supply will fit your needs very well.
The Toughpower Cable Management 650W Power Supply is a truly unique power supply. Specs wise, you’re looking at a fully functional ATX 12V 2.2 power supply completely SLI compatible. At 650W you should be fairly set with any of the current and next-gen graphics cards available on market as it has two PCI Express connectors. Tough luck for those of you running quad-SLI rigs, but as few games actually support SLI successfully, you already know what you’re getting yourself into. The ability to power up to 6 SATA devices should be more than enough even for the most advanced PC enthusiasts and the Toughpower Cable Management 650W Power Supply doesn’t discriminate against AMD or Intel processors.
What’s really unique about this power supply is its embedded socket and modularized cable management system. Instead of the standard power supply layout that includes a variety of cables hanging out of your new power supply, this device allows you to pick and choose what cables you plug in, avoiding a serious amount of clutter. The box also comes loaded with nearly all the cables you would need to use all the slots (short one PCI Express cable). While this doesn’t add anything to performance, with an increase in the desire for many people to keep their system looking clean as they line it with LED’s and other devices, this will make things a lot roomier. Plus, if you damage a cable, you can easily get a replacement without having to toss the entire power supply.
The Toughpower Cable Management 650W Power Supply is a lot quieter than many of the other power supplies that I’ve had a chance to test out. This can be attributed to it’s noise canceling silicon padding. The look of the device isn’t compromised for functionality either, as it has a sharp black mirror finish. While you may not be showing off your power supply at the next LAN party, you’ll stay confident knowing exactly how slick it looks.
The downfall for this product is really the price. At $169.99 you’re paying a lot for a good deal of functions that don’t increase benefit how your system runs. While the functionality that the Toughpower Cable Management 650W Power Supply does offer is top notch, you can find similar 650W 2.2 power supplies capable of handling what this can for a fraction of the price. What Thermaltake does have to offer is exceptional service and a commitment to quality that few other manufacturers can match. With your entire system relying on a power supply to not only run but to prevent it from frying, having a brand name in this situation puts a lot of people at ease, and so it should.
You can find more detailed specs on the Toughpower Cable Management 650W Power Supply by Thermaltake at their website listed below. This power supply was provided by them for our reviewing purposes.
Power Supply Provided By Thermaltake
The Apevia 750w LCD Quartz power supply is by far the most impressive looking power supply I have ever come into contact with. A black finish with several blue highlighted features does allow the unit to stand out for any tower intended for a LAN party. While that is probably far from the main reason that the unit should be bought, 750 watts of adjustable power with an LCD screen displaying constant stats on the unit being the real reason, it certainly doesn’t hurt. It should be warned that while this power supply is designed from the ground up to be hardcore mod-friendly, it is not at all designed with a new user in mind.
Upon opening the box it is easy to notice a very clear design flaw with the power supply, there is a fan mounted on the top of the unit. While this does manage to do a wonderful job of keeping the power supply cool it does a terrible job of fitting into almost any case available on the market. While the unit can be mounted upside-down in any ATX case this causes the issue of the handy LCD screen being upside down during use. This does cause the massive problem of rendering the screen almost worthless without the purchase of a specialty case. (more…)