The power supply has come a long way since the early days of computers. Once only a second thought for most users who only used their PC for basic applications such as checking email or browsing the Internet, the power supply has stepped into the lime light. Now users build PCs with multiple graphic cards and massive amounts of storage with two, three or even four hard drives making the selection of which power supply to use as important as which graphic card a user might buy.

 

 

About the Product

The Ultra X-Finity ULT-XF600 BK is Sli ready, comes with 600 watts of power and utilizes dual rail technology. This power supply also features FlexForce cabling which offers easier cable management, increased airflow and a sleek titanium-like finish. It comes equipped with dual 80 mm fans that provide low noise operation and the case comes with a mirror finish to give a custom look. There are three color choices: black, blue and titanium.

Product features and specifications

As you can see from the list, the chances of you not having the right connectors are low. There is an insane amount of connectors for sata drives, ide drives, graphic cards and floppy drives. The 24 pin motherboard connector can easily be converted into a 20 pin connector by simply snapping two sets of pins out.

The connectors that come with the power supply.

Max Output	+5V	+3.3V	+12V1	+12V2	-12V	+5VSB
Current	30A	25A	18A	20A	0.6A	2.5A
Max	165W		420W		7.2W	12.5W
Combined	581W				19.7W
Wattage	600W

Total power output: 600 watts

Power Efficiency:

79% (max.) at typical load, 115/230Vac 60Hz/50Hz

73% (max) at full load, 115/230Vac 60Hz/50Hz

Steady State Current

Maximum Current at 115VAC (RMS): 10A

Maximum Current at 230VAC (RMS): 6.0A

Total Output Power: 600 watts (Full Load, Nominal Input Voltage)

Additional Features

• Supports AMD and Intel Motherboards
• NVIDIA® SLI™ Ready
• UV Reactive Clear Side w/ Blue UV Light
• Low Acoustic Noise
• Dual 80 mm fan
• Meets ATX Version 2.2, v1.3, and
  ATX 12V Version 2.2 Specifications
• Short Circuit Protection
• In-Rush Current Protection
• Thermal Overload Cutoff Protection
• MTBF > 100,000 Hours at Full Load,
  110VAC and 25°C Ambient Condition
• FCC and UL Recognized

What is FlexForce?
The FlexForce Cables are designed to be easily routed and hidden within your case. The FlexForce pecial design allows air to travel 30% more effectively than standard cables, increasing efficiency.

What is Dual Rail Technology?
Dual Rail Technology distributes power to the components that require it the most. With Dedicated 12V Rail for the 2x2 Motherboard Connector, you get more power where you need it.

Closer look

The box that arrived for testing was rather hefty; this power supply is big. The box design is a bit flashy, but I guess that is marketing's way of getting your attention.

After taking everything out of the box, you will notice how reflective the power supply is. Taking pictures with the flash on my camera was almost impossible! I had to rig an external light just so I could get a decent shot. You also get a manual, registration card, some mounting screws and a power cord.

Here we can see the wires that come with the psu. As you can see all of the wires are wrapped with ForceFlex and are flat. Flat, wrapped wires make routing a lot easier! Not to mention they make your case look less cluttered. I think they also look pretty good in the titanium finish.

Here is a shot of one of the 80 mm fan that comes with the psu. The workmanship on this product is superb!

Here is another shot showing how reflective the product is. I really like how this unit looks.

Installation

Installation is pretty straight forward. Line up the screw holes with the holes in your case and screw it in. With the ForceFlex cables you can easily route the cables behind the motherboard to keep your case looking clean (for users with a case window) while keeping the airflow unobstructed. The 24 pin mother board connector can be converted into a 20 pin connector by simply snapping off two sets of pins.

Testing

My system consisted of the following:

Intel 865PE mother board

Intel Pentium P4 @ 3.0 GHz

1 gig of Corsair RAM

ATi 9600 All in Wonder video card

Seagate 200 gig HD

WD 200 gig HD

Ultra X-Finity ULT-600 BLK
	Idle	Load
3.3V	3.34	3.39
5V	5.13	5.18
12V	12.26	12.20

Testing was a simple process that consisted of a Sperry voltage reader, prime95 and speedfan. The first round of testing involved taking measurements with the voltage meter while my system was idle. To test for 12v I used the first and second pin in the Molex connector. To test for 3.3v and 5v I used speedfans voltage readers. After my idle tests, I ran prime95's torture test to really stress out my system. After an hour or so I took readings again with the voltage reader through the molex pins and with speedfan. As you can see from the data, voltage variances are well within an acceptable level.

Conclusion

This is an excellent product for anyone looking to build an entry-level to mid-range system. There are plenty of connectors for all of your devices, it comes with a highly reflective finish, adequate power and the cables come wrapped in flex force to give it a clean look. The cables were easy to work with and are a lot better looking than normal exposed psu wires. Current prices range from $50 – 100 dollars with rebates. Get one! 9/10.