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Product:
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Ultra X-Connect 500W ATX Power Supply |
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Price:
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$135 (CAN) / $115 (U.S)
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Supplied By:
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Ultra Products
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Author:
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Mantis
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Date:
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November 7th, 2004
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Rating:
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Out of the box, my initial impressions of the Ultra X-Connect 500W ATX Power Supply were very positive.
The provided model is black and green in color with alternate color configurations available from the
Ultra Products website. As previously stated, the Ultra X-Connect 500W ATX Power Supply delivers an
incredibly innovative solution in the form of a totally modular design. Some of the clear benefits by
separating the power unit from the cables include elimination of cable clutter, enhanced airflow and the
ability to only use the necessary cables according to the device configuration. The exterior design of
the Ultra X-Connect 500W ATX Power Supply boasts a high level of aesthetics following a black and neon
green theme. Black in colour, the exterior portion has been treated with a high gloss finish and paired
with both dual side and a large top window made from neon green Perspex. Dual 80mm cooling fans are
situated on the rear and top locations of the unit; a polished aluminum fan grill prevents any cables
from being damaged and accents the overall theme.
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The rear portion of the Ultra X-Connect 500W ATX Power Supply is rather standard in design and includes
common feature found on most power supplies. An 80mm exhaust fan is located toward the left corner and
works in conjunction with the top exhaust fan. Oversized power switches along with the AC plug connector
are easily accessible from the right corner. Absent is any additional AC output similar to that found
on rival 500W power supplies.
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The front portion of the Ultra X-Connect 500W ATX Power Supply incorporates a central connection area
that simplifies the connection process. A total of 9 slots are available for connections such as ATX
Power, Molex, AUX (Xeon) and +12V (P4). Slots currently not in use can be protected via a small-included
slot cover. One of the clear benefits to this modular design is the ability to use only the necessary
connectors thus eliminating cable clutter. In order to utilize the Ultra X-Connect 500W ATX Power Supply’s
modular design, the user must first choose the appropriate cable then simply connect the cable to the
appropriate slot located on the front of the unit and the designated power area of the device.
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In order to gain access to the interior portion of the Ultra X-Connect 500W ATX Power Supply a series
of four screws must be removed. Consumers should note that accessing the interior portion of any power
supply does void the warranty along with a high associated risk factor. Inside we can see that all the
necessary components are neatly designed and laid out accordingly in order to fit tightly together. A
series of dual medium sized aluminum heatsinks are used to help dissipate the heat produced. To my
surprise, the top dual 80mm fan uses a UV sensitive cathode instead of simple LED design found on the
majority of modified power supplies. The X-Connect 500W ATX Power Supply incorporates several fail safe
features such as Short Circuit Protection, In-rush Current Protection and Thermal Overload Protection.
The 3.3V Rail is rated at 28A, the 5V Rail is rated at 30A and lastly the 12V Rail is rated at 34A for
a maximum combined wattage of 500 Watts.The Ultra X-Connect 500W ATX Power Supply incorporates a
Continuous Power System which essentially ensures that the unit is run continuously at full 500 Watt
power rating maximizing the performance. Upon powering, the Ultra X-Connect 500W ATX Power Supply emits
a warm UV sensitive glow illuminating the interior portions nicely.
Testing:
The Ultra X-Connect 500W ATX Power Supply was installed into Dvine 4 HTPC case along with my current nForce 2
workstation. In order to stress the system I will be using the Stanford University Folding@Home client
to set the processor under 100% load for one hour intervals. Results covered will be for the overclocked
load settings of 10 x 200 FSB with a Vcore of 1.65 volts. The comparison unit used is a Vantec ION2 350W
Power Supply. Motherboard monitor version 5.2.1.0 was used to gather voltage readings. The test system
consists of the following components:
- AMD 2100+ Tbred B CPU
- Albatron KX18D Pro II Motherboard
- 2 X 512MB Kingston HyperX Low Latency memory
- 48x24x48 Lite-On CDRW
- 80GB WD SE 8MB Cache HDD
- 60GB WD HD
- ATI Radeon 7500 Video Card
X-Connect 500W ATX Power Supply overclocked
X-Connect 500W ATX Power Supply stock
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Under overclocked load conditions, both the 3.3V and 5V rails remained rather solid with practically no
fluctuations and produced readings of 3.28V and 4.84V respectively. With approximately 34A on the 12V,
over double then that of the Vantec ION 2, readings were rather high producing result of 12.59V the
majority of the time. I did note the 12V rail to fluctuate anywhere from 12.36 to 12.65V under load
conditions. The overall noise levels produced by the X-Connect 500W ATX Power Supply were very
acceptable and consumers seeking even greater silence can swap out the included fans for acoustic
alternative models.
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Conclusion:
The Ultra X-Connect 500W ATX Power Supply delivers a high quality, innovative power solution. The overall
design of the X-Connect 500W ATX Power Supply is excellent in both aesthetics and function. Users will
appreciate the attention to detail in the form of high gloss finish, dual 80mm UV reactive cables,
triple window design, and vibrant colors which lend themselves nicely to any modified computer. The
modular design of the Ultra X-Connect 500W ATX Power Supply is a truly innovative solution and is neatly
executed to provide an easy to use, high quality product. The X-Cable technology eliminates unwanted
cable clutter allowing for a more precise system setup while providing extremely high quality cables.
With a power rating of 500W, the Ultra X-Connect 500W ATX Power Supply can accommodate a variety of
system configurations based on both the Intel and AMD platforms. The Continuous Power System is yet
another innovative feature that will appeal to enthusiasts who desire the utmost performance on a
constant basis from their hardware. I didn’t encounter any overly negative aspects during the
evaluation. Some minor annoyances include the provided cables to be somewhat stiff compared to standard
models when working in tight areas along with the lack of additional AC output. Overall, I was very
impressed with the X-Connect 500W ATX Power Supply and am awarding MTB's Seal of Approval and a final
rating of 9 out of 10. If you have any
questions regarding this review be sure to visit the Ultra Products
website for more information or discuss them in our forums.
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Pros:
- Modular Design
- Continuous Power System
- X-Cable Technology
- 500W
- Dual 80mm Fans
- Aesthetics
- High Quality Construction
- Silent Performance
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Cons:
- Cables stiff in small areas
- Lack of additional AC output at rear
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