MODTHEBOX.COM - Canada's Premier Case Modding Source - Reviews

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Opening the case on your own after it has been powered on can be dangerous especially since a power supply is capable of holding a lethal charge in certain components for a very long time. On top of that, when you open the lid you void the 3 year warranty. Fearless of the warranty demons, a vigorous removal of the top later revealed both the cooling fan and the largest power supply heatsink I've ever seen.

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The fan is an 80.5 CFM model with the usual 120mm x 120mm x 25mm dimensions. I found it to be absolutely inaudible when powered on, and since the usual power gamer's case has enough fans to create a downwash this is one component you won't ever hear. The internals are very compact and tightly packed. I don't think this particular power supply is very moddable, at least internally. The cables exiting the power supply, while not grommeted, as I usually see, are at least protected by a rolled edge of metal, and shouldn't run a risk of shorting out.

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Power output and technical details:

+3.3V: 30A
+5.0V: 30A
+3.3V & +5.5V Combined: 180W (-249)
+12V1: 18A / +12V2: 18A (-432)
Total: 600W (671W max)

Initially I was confused by these ratings. The 3.3 and 5v rails combined come out to 249 watts, mathematically but the power supply label says 180w max? I suspect that the 180watt rating is in fact the real power rating on these rails or that somewhere along the line something has been fudged. If both are in fact at 30 amps max, a respectable 90% of max output would be more like 225 watts. Nonetheless the bulk of any power hungry devices amperage is going to be provided by the 12v rails and in this category the S12 600w does not disappoint. Each 12v rail is capable of 216 watts maximum peak output. In my calculations that's 432 watts total max, just as the label indicates. With the usual 90% of max average output this power supply is no doubt capable of long-term sustained operation of 388.8 watts on the 12v rail (194.4 each) more wattage in 12 volts alone than many power supplies can provide in their entirety. Since even the most power hungry card under max load will draw only around 8-9 amps or 100-110 watts each, this power supply should have no trouble operating a full powered SLI rig, hard drives and optical drives. I have seen 3rd party reviews that seem to back up these claims.

Testing:

I installed the power supply into the beefiest rig I could find an anemic x700 non SLI board, with a single hard drive and optical drive with one caveat. I plugged in a 4400+ AMD X2 processor and proceeded to run Prime95 torture tests on each core. As I cackled with glee the computer quietly continued to function with nary a hiccup, much to my consternation. This was on a processor which had just been returned for failing a similar test on the end user's machine. Leaving the computer to its own devices, I had lunch, went to a meeting, drove around setting up wireless networks and returned expecting at least a warm box. However, the power supply and heat pipe equipped X2 were still rock solid and lukewarm. The recorded voltages that included before and after testing were well within spec and the power supply was still essentially noiseless.

Silent S12 600 Watt PSU (Before)

+3.3V +5V +12V1 +12V2

Orange Red Yellow Yellow

3.23 4.89 11.84 11.84

Silent S12 600 Watt PSU (After)

+3.3V +5V +12V1 +12V2

Orange Red Yellow Yellow

3.27 4.88 11.91 11.91

Conclusion:

The Seasonic S12 600w Power Supply is quite simply the most powerful and subtle power supply I have EVER had the pleasure to work with. It grew on me, despite the ugly twisted cables. Rock solid voltages, excessively capable output power, and a hefty quality construction are the features any power gamer/user should look for and this hardware has them all in spades. I would not hesitate to recommend this power supply to anyone looking for either a rock solid rendering platform power supply or a supreme gaming machine power supply. A little overkill for anything less than an SLI rig, look for something a little cheaper if one video card is all you require to satisfy your desires. The 600watt variety retails for $150-$200 dollars, which for the performance is quite good, but is definitely overkill for average Mom or Pop PC. If you desire power as if you were a true Sith Lord, Seasonic is looking to sell you an S12 of the 600 watt variety. Search your feelings! The only thing this power supply does not have is sleeved cables. Of course, leaving them bare leaves you free to choose your own colour and style and this power supply is not aimed at those of us primarily concerned with pretty colours. I'm pleasantly surprised and happy to award to this power supply the MTB Seal of Approval and a final score of 9.5 out of 10. If you have any questions regarding this review, be sure to visit the Seasonic Electronics website for more information or discuss them in our forums.