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Case, Power Supply, Fan Reviews
  Product:     Fortron Blue Storm FSP400-60THN-R Power Supply  
  Price:     $93 (CAN) / $75 (U.S)
  Supplied By:     FSP Group
  Author:     Hi-TEK
  Date:     October 21st, 2004
  Rating:     star star star star star star star star

Fortron Blue Storm FSP400-60THN-R PSU
Click image for larger view
Fortron Blue Storm FSP400-60THN-R PSU
Click image for larger view
 

The Fortron Blue Storm FSP400-60THN-R Power Supply is equipped with the standard ATX motherboard configuration and is both AMD and P4 certified. The overall cable layout includes a 24-pin ATX connector, P4 12v connector, 6-pin AUX P4 connector, 6 x 4-pin Molex connectors, and 2 x floppy connectors. The 24-pin ATX connector can be converted for 20-pin ATX motherboard use by using the bundled ATX adapter. Each of the 4-pin connectors conveniently comes with flexible "EZ Grip" Female Molex connectors.

Fortron Blue Storm FSP400-60THN-R PSU
Click image for larger view
Fortron Blue Storm FSP400-60THN-R PSU
Click image for larger view
 

The Fortron Blue Storm FSP400-60THN-R Power Supply also includes two Serial ATA 5-pin connectors for those consumers who prefer to use SATA based hard drives instead of IDE. In order to access the unit, all that is required is to remove 4 screws to see the design of this model. Each component is neatly packaged together with two medium size aluminum heatsinks running in parallel with the airflow between the ventilation holes and top exhaust fan. Amperage ratings for the +3.3, +5 and -12/+12 lines are sufficient to handle any type of complex computer configuration but are slightly mis-leading. The Blue Storm FSP400-60THN-R is certified for Intel's new ATX v2.0 specification which requires a 24-pin ATX connector in addition to dual independent 12v lines. Surprisingly, this unit doesn't include a -5V rail which might limit some onboard options for a few motherboards. The amperage ratings for each rail are specified as follows:

Rail

Minimum Load

Normal Load

Maximum Load

+3.3V

0.5A

15.0A

30.0A

+5V

1.0A

14.0A

28.0A

+12V1DC

1.0A

7.0A

14.0A

+12V2DC

1.0A

8.5A

15.0A

-12V

0.0A

0.4A

0.5A

+5Vsb

0.0A

1.0A

2.0A

  • +3.3V amd +5V total output not to exceed 150W
  • When +3.3V is load to 30A, the =%V max load is 10A
  • When +3.3V is load to 3A, the +5V max load is 28A
  • +3.3V, +5V, +12V1 and +12V2 total output not to exceed 385W

Fortron Blue Storm FSP400-60THN-R PSU
Click image for larger view
Fortron Blue Storm FSP400-60THN-R PSU
Click image for larger view
 
The installation procedure for the Fortron Blue Storm FSP400-60THN-R Power Supply follows the same method for any standard PSU unit. For this installation I will be using the SilverStone Lascala SST-LC03 HTPC Case which was featured in my Building Your Own HTPC Part 1 article. Four 6-32 mounting screws secured to the back of the case keep the PSU secured and stationary. For testing this product I have assembled to following system components:
  • MSI KT3 Ultra2 Motherboard Socket (Socket 462)
  • AMD Athlon XP 1800+ CPU
  • Vantec VA4-C7040 Aeroflow CPU Heatsink
  • 2 x 512 MB Kingmax PC4000 DDR RAM
  • 1 x Seagate Barracuda 7200.7 80GB HD
  • 1 x Samsung SP1203N 120GB HD
  • MyHD MDP-100 HDTV Tuner Card
  • ASUS V9520/TD 128MB Video Card AGP 8X TV-O Video Card
  • D-Link 530TX NIC
  • Sound Blaster Audigy Sound Card
  • Antec 400W PSU
  • LG GCC-8525B CD-RW (52x32x52 CDRW)
  • LiteOn SOHW-1213S 12x DVD-Dual Writer
  • Logitech Cordless MX Dual Wireless Keyboard & Mouse
Testing:

I will be running a series of tests using the same methodology used in our heatsink testing where the system will be run in normal and overclocked modes. The "Burn-In Wizard" from SiSoft Sandra 2004 is used to put the CPU under concentrated load for a pre-determined amount of time. The options selected in "Burn-In Wizard" run the CPU and CPU Multimedia benchmarks for approximately 15 minutes. The system is left alone for approximate 15 minutes before the burn-in test is performed. Maximum temperatures are measured in degree Celsius and recorded for idle, full load, overclock idle and overclock full load. The emphasis for monitoring will also be placed on the +5 and +12V lines to determine how much of a load these lines can handle since they are responsible for the most crucial voltages when it comes to overall system stability. Here are some of the results recorded with Motherboard Monitor 5.3.7.0:

Fortron Blue Storm FSP400-60THN-R PSU
Fortron Blue Storm @ 1532 MHz

Fortron Blue Storm FSP400-60THN-R PSU
Fortron Blue Storm @ 1665 MHz
In testing this unit for approximately 24 hours, I did note some fluctuations on the 5+ and 12-/12+ volt lines when the system was run in idle, load and overclocked modes. For the most part the +3.3 volt lines were steady at 3.34 volts. There were some noticeable voltage differences on the 5+ and 12-/12+ rails. The 5+ rail averaged between 4.92 and 4.95 while the 12-/12+ rails averaged between -12.11/12.34 and -12.19/12.46 respectively. The overall noise level was tolerable and the Fortron Blue Storm FSP400-60THN-R Power Supply performed as expected with continuous stability.
 
Conclusion:

The Fortron Blue Storm FSP400-60THN-R Power Supply is a good addition to the FSP Group product line and offers solid construction balanced with an assortment of unique features. The painted blue chassis combined with the blue 120mm exhaust fan adds several benefits in terms of maximizing cooling levels. The product builds upon the foundation of rival units currently on the market by supplementing useful functions for Over Current Protection (OCP), Over Voltage Protection (OVP) and Short Current Protection (OPP). Users concerned with cable clutter will appreciate the professionally sleeved cables as well as the "EZ Grip" Female Molex connectors. The blue illuminated power switch is also nice touch that adds to the overall aesthetics of the product. While the FSP Group has done an admirable offering this product to the consumers market, there are a few short fails that should be addressed. The biggest complaint is the absence of the -5V rail which should be included in the product as a default offering, especially if you want to compete with popular rival brands. Finally, the rear of the unit has enough room to add in an additional AC plug for those consumers who wish to power external devices. Overall, I was impressed with the Fortron Blue Storm FSP400-60THN-R Power Supply and rate this product a 8 out of 10. If you have any questions regarding this review be sure to visit the FSP Group website for more information or discuss them in our forums.

 
Thumbs Up! Pros:
  • Good aesthetics for case modders
  • Blue Storm Cooling Control Technology (BSCC)
  • Certified for the AMD and Intel platform
  • Professionally sleeved cables
  • "EZ-Grip" Female Molex connectors.
  • Built-in functionality: (Over Current Protection, Over Temperature Protection and Over Power Protection)
  • Price
Thumbs Down! Cons:
  • Missing -5V rail
  • No additional AC plug for external components
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