EggXpert

Nightroad:

I am curious as to how the Antec Signiture can be both tier 1 and tier 3, Alittle clarification on that would be nice.

Sorry about that, I fixed the typo.  Thanks. 

Antec Signature is a tier 1 power supply.  

---

Hay Comp:

Question does this look right?

 This guy is running a APEVIA ATX-CW500WP4 500W ATX Power Supply - Retail

I'm running a whole lot of stuff overclocked off of a $16 500w power supply just fine, I don't really buy all the hype for spending hundreds on them.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817148027

Thats running:
E6600 overclocked, Radeon 4830 overclocked, 4 case fans, 2 sets of cold cathode light bars, Huge aftermarket CPU and GPU coolers, X-Fi Platinum, TV Card,  3 hard drives, 2 optical drives, 1 floppy, and a whole bunch of USB stuff.

Seen here http://www.the-otc.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=35&topic=4719.msg50219;topicseen#new

Would that not be a Tier 5 PSU I mean POS??

---

This is a "go-to" thread that earned my bookmark at first glance and deserves "all-forum" recognition with the sticky post at the top like other quality threads at EggXpert. Many are grateful to the contributors. My personal thanks to CompWiz and others for helping me out more than once. After reading the entire thread, this n00b was stunned into writing a thank you note and brief comment.

Naturally, there are imperfections when grading changing technology - in any field. So what? That emphasizes the value of this project. If it's not continued by CompWiz, then by whom? And if not at EggXpert, then where? The ideal situaiton is we all get better PSU's when we get more savvy and aware of improvements like more efficient PSU "green" technology as an example.

While academic references are welcome, the imperfect but constantly updated first post will attract the majority of us. Reading the entire thread, one appreciates the effort to derive consensus rather than using one review or opinion. Those who want further links will find them in the thread.

This is a truly enlightening thread - in more ways than one. Good luck on the continuing project. We who benefit from your efforts, but never told you directly, are cheering you on.

---

i7 920; V8; GSkill 6g; EVGA x58; Corsair 850tx; HAF case; gtx280; 2 Seagate .5tb RAID1 boot; Vista64 OS; 6 dvd burners; Fantom1TB e-SATA; BlackX docking e-SATA; Sonos.com-Infrant/Netgear ReadyNAS/NV+ RAID5

So,

This is a great list :)

Where does APIVIA fit into it?

I just got this from NewEgg, and with my limited/lamen knowledge of electricity, I thought it was a good PSU.

Thoughts?

http://www.apevia.com/ProductsInfo.asp?KEY=ATX-AQ700W-BK

Edward64:

So,

This is a great list :)

Where does APIVIA fit into it?

I just got this from NewEgg, and with my limited/lamen knowledge of electricity, I thought it was a good PSU.

Thoughts?

http://www.apevia.com/ProductsInfo.asp?KEY=ATX-AQ700W-BK 

Unfortunatly apevia is just a renamed aspire which is tier 5.

I have not seen any recent reviews on their newer psus, they may have stepped up their quality.

Kardon:

Edward64:

So,

This is a great list :)

Where does APIVIA fit into it?

I just got this from NewEgg, and with my limited/lamen knowledge of electricity, I thought it was a good PSU.

Thoughts?

http://www.apevia.com/ProductsInfo.asp?KEY=ATX-AQ700W-BK 

Unfortunatly apevia is just a renamed aspire which is tier 5.

I have not seen any recent reviews on their newer psus, they may have stepped up their quality.

yea they had to rename it because I think acer copyrighted the name aspire (currently used in their netbook series names)

their PSU's are pretty much the exact same though as before

MrFox:

 The Highlighted areas require better definition, and clarification..(Edit: Hmmm Highlighting did not take: BFG ES Listed Twice with no brand/model delineation.)

 Good catch.  As it was, the BFG ES 800watt power supply received a Gold Editor's Choice Award from Hardocp.com.  But, then Penewab2007 posted a review from XBitLabs that showed that power supply producing ripple above what is allowed in the ATX specs.  I guess I'll put it into the 3rd Tier for now.  Does anyone know of any other reviews of that power supply?  We'd need one that measures ripple on the output power. 

MrFox:

Seventeam ST >600 (SSI, V2.91)       Tier 1 ?  Only has a one year warranty... the rest in that class have a Minimum of three years. (Silverstone has the lowest)

 

 Some power supplies in Tier 4 have a lifetime warranty.  I'm not rating the warranty, I'm rating the power supply, the quality of the components and the quality of the output power.  A longer warranty does not necessarily indicate a higher quality PSU, and vice versa.  

MrFox:

 

This list is Outdated, and Subjective it also tends to be Brand centric.

 

Would you mind backing up your accusations?  I think I've made this list completely open and fair from the start.  I've listed why each power supply I've added was put in a certain tier, and what reviews I based that on.  

MrFox:

  

It also has many that are no longer made, or relevant.

 

They may no longer be made, but they may still be being used.  

I suppose we could clear out old power supplies that are no longer being sold anywhere, even on ebay.  If you'd like to propose that certain ones be removed, check to make sure that they aren't sold anywhere, and list them up here.  

MrFox:

  

There is no delineation between ATX12V / ATX12V v2.2 / EPS 2.91 etc etc...FormFactors.org have the actual Specifications available.

 

If you would like to take the time to look this up, I wouldn't mind adding it in.  

MrFox:

  

Nor is there a mention of SLI /X-Fire Certification.

 

That isn't all that important.  You'd have to look up the power requirements for your particular SLI/Crossfire setup anyway.  Almost any power supply could run Radeon 4350's in Crossfire, but far fewer power supplies can run GTX 295's in SLI, including some that are SLI certified.  The certification is more of a marketing ploy than anything. 

MrFox:

 

There is a substantial difference between the quantity of power available on the 12v rails, specification vs specification.

  

if a power supply is listed in the higher tiers, it can supply the power that its rated for.  The amount of amperage that a power supply is rated for is listed on the power supply, having a specific number is much more useful that having a vague ATX spec. 

MrFox:

 

If everyone is going to use this as a resource, then there needs to be a qualified update mechanism.

I'm not sure how that would be set up.  Also, how would you protect it from abuse?  

As it is, people can put up proposed changes, and I will put the updated information into the list.  If I am unavailable, a mod could also make the change.  

---

Agreed Hog,

I'm finally bored enough to clean this thread up, so don't fret if your post was deleted anyone.

Any new flames/trolls will be dealt with harshly.

GmsCool

Edit:

Finally done, was allot of descisions, but its clean, remember, no hard feelings, just cleaning up posts that "technically" break forum rules in order to make the thread more readable.

Lowboy was right, so I left his post, allot of posts disagreeing, if you can't post proof of why you disagree, other than "My 800w PSU has worked for a year on my P3 900MHz system WHY IS IT IN TEIR 5!!!!"    So prove it, or be deleted .............................. this is a good and usefull thread to our forums, and any posts that don't hold there weight will be deleted by me if they don't prove it ............................ for as long as the thread is kept up to date.

---

Tracer76:

Hay Comp:

Question does this look right?

 This guy is running a APEVIA ATX-CW500WP4 500W ATX Power Supply - Retail

 

I'm running a whole lot of stuff overclocked off of a $16 500w power supply just fine, I don't really buy all the hype for spending hundreds on them.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817148027

Thats running:
E6600 overclocked, Radeon 4830 overclocked, 4 case fans, 2 sets of cold cathode light bars, Huge aftermarket CPU and GPU coolers, X-Fi Platinum, TV Card,  3 hard drives, 2 optical drives, 1 floppy, and a whole bunch of USB stuff.

Seen here http://www.the-otc.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=35&topic=4719.msg50219;topicseen#new

Would that not be a Tier 5 PSU I mean POS??

yes, it's junk.  I would estimate that his computer isn't using more than 300watts(maybe 350watts) which is why he's not seeing problems right now.  However, over time the low quality capacitors may begin to have problems.  

He might as well pick up one of the OCZ StealthXStream power supplies when they go on sale again.  I got a 500watt one for $15, and a 600watt one for $20, both on newegg with free shipping.  They have been hovering around those prices(+$10 generally) for a few months(between last November and the end of May), although since april the sales haven't been back around those levels.  At the beginning of May newegg had the 500watt model on sale for $30, which is still a pretty decent deal, and zipzoomfly had the 600watt model on sale for around $40 a couple days ago, if I remember correctly. 

---

MrFox:

 

This list is Outdated, and Subjective it also tends to be Brand centric.

 

CompWiz:

Would you mind backing up your accusations?  I think I've made this list completely open and fair from the start.  I've listed why each power supply I've added was put in a certain tier, and what reviews I based that on.    

 First, and foremost the items that you are taking exception to are Edited Totally out of the thread,

 are out of context, and missing many of the qualifying factual statements, that support my position.

As always this Forum would never let facts get in the way.

You have stated that Power Supply Review sites are your primary source of data for this Thread.

Power Supply review Site Review Methodology can run the gamut from:

“We Plugged it in, and it ran yada, yada ,yada” --- 5 Stars !!

To

“We threw it into a Hotbox@ 40-50°C, ran various load tests (10%-100%) and it performed within the ATX 12V v 2.2 Specifications, and had the following performance delta per the specification on the following characteristics. ” -- -5 Stars !!

Your criteria needs to be stated from the beginning of the project, and dissimilar methodologies are not a  Apples vs. Apples comparison.

Anecdotal vs. Scientific

This is where the Subjectivity enters into the mix.

If the test methods vary, then the data becomes invalid.

How do you know the Quality of the product without applying Statistics?

Applied statistics is the basis of the hardware world.

http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/thread/497689.aspx

MrFox:

  

There is no delineation between ATX12V / ATX12V v2.2 / EPS 2.91 etc etc...FormFactors.org have the actual Specifications available.

 

CompWiz:

If you would like to take the time to look this up, I wouldn't mind adding it in.  

ATX Formfactor Was designed by Intel in 1995

http://www.formfactors.org/

The ATX12v v2.3 Specification is Located here:

http://www.formfactors.org/developer%5Cspecs%5CPSU_DG_rev_1_1.pdf

The ATX12v v2.2 Specification is Located here

http://www.formfactors.org/developer/specs/ATX12V_PSDG_2_2_public_br2.pdf

MrFox:

  

Nor is there a mention of SLI /X-Fire Certification.

 

CompWiz:

That isn't all that important.  You'd have to look up the power requirements for your particular SLI/Crossfire setup anyway.  Almost any power supply could run Radeon 4350's in Crossfire, but far fewer power supplies can run GTX 295's in SLI, including some that are SLI certified.  The certification is more of a marketing ploy than anything. 

It demonstrates Conformance to the specification, and the Specification is the “Bible” of the industry.

As long as you are fine with burning wiring when you have a equipment failure, then buy a non-certified supply.

I would recommend keeping a Fire Extinguisher Around However.

MrFox:

 

There is a substantial difference between the quantity of power available on the 12v rails, specification vs specification.

  

CompWiz:

if a power supply is listed in the higher tiers, it can supply the power that its rated for.  The amount of amperage that a power supply is rated for is listed on the power supply, having a specific number is much more useful that having a vague ATX spec. 

 

The ATX Specification is concise in its current revisions... and the Original was a ground breaker when it was written. The only thing that is vague, is demonstrated lack of knowledge of a specification that drives an industry.

CompWiz:

Tracer76:

Hay Comp:

Question does this look right?

 This guy is running a APEVIA ATX-CW500WP4 500W ATX Power Supply - Retail

 

I'm running a whole lot of stuff overclocked off of a $16 500w power supply just fine, I don't really buy all the hype for spending hundreds on them.

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817148027

Thats running:
E6600 overclocked, Radeon 4830 overclocked, 4 case fans, 2 sets of cold cathode light bars, Huge aftermarket CPU and GPU coolers, X-Fi Platinum, TV Card,  3 hard drives, 2 optical drives, 1 floppy, and a whole bunch of USB stuff.

Seen here http://www.the-otc.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=35&topic=4719.msg50219;topicseen#new

Would that not be a Tier 5 PSU I mean POS??

 

yes, it's junk.  I would estimate that his computer isn't using more than 300watts(maybe 350watts) which is why he's not seeing problems right now.  However, over time the low quality capacitors may begin to have problems.  

He might as well pick up one of the OCZ StealthXStream power supplies when they go on sale again.  I got a 500watt one for $15, and a 600watt one for $20, both on newegg with free shipping.  They have been hovering around those prices(+$10 generally) for a few months(between last November and the end of May), although since april the sales haven't been back around those levels.  At the beginning of May newegg had the 500watt model on sale for $30, which is still a pretty decent deal, and zipzoomfly had the 600watt model on sale for around $40 a couple days ago, if I remember correctly. 

Thanks CompWiz

---

MrFox:

 

MrFox:

 

This list is Outdated, and Subjective it also tends to be Brand centric.

 

CompWiz:

Would you mind backing up your accusations?  I think I've made this list completely open and fair from the start.  I've listed why each power supply I've added was put in a certain tier, and what reviews I based that on.    

 

 

 

 First, and foremost the items that you are taking exception to are Edited Totally out of the thread,

 are out of context, and missing many of the qualifying factual statements, that support my position.

As always this Forum would never let facts get in the way.

 

 As always, this forum's moderators are on a hair trigger.  Quit tempting them to put your account on moderation or worse.  I know this from personal experience. I once got into an argument with someone because they were posting incorrect information about power supplies.  I provided links to a variety of websites showing how the other person was posting incorrect information, yet I was put "on moderation" for a while.  It doesn't matter if what you're saying is correct, it matters what thread you say it in, and how you say it.  I don't like it, but that's how this forum is run.  Live with it or leave. 

I read over your original posts before they were removed, you never provided evidence to back up the claim that I quoted.  This list is very much changed from the old outdated one at xtremesystems. 

If you think there is something wrong in the list, post it so we can fix it.  As it says in the first post:

CompWiz:

If you think that something about this list is incorrect, or something is missing that should be there, feel free to post that information in this thread. When posting suggestions for changes, it would be very helpful if you could link information supporting what you say, or at least cite the site where you think the information can be found.  

MrFox:

You have stated that Power Supply Review sites are your primary source of data for this Thread.

Power Supply review Site Review Methodology can run the gamut from:

“We Plugged it in, and it ran yada, yada ,yada” --- 5 Stars !!

To

“We threw it into a Hotbox@ 40-50°C, ran various load tests (10%-100%) and it performed within the ATX 12V v 2.2 Specifications, and had the following performance delta per the specification on the following characteristics. ” -- -5 Stars !!

You're preaching to the choir here.  I've always hated those reviews where it's like: "we plugged it into a computer, and it works.  Since it's got a pretty colored see-through case, we'll give it an editor's choice award!"

Here's a sample of what I've been posting on this at other forums: 

CompWiz17:

dizzum:

Whichever supply you decide to go with, do a simple review search of the model where you will see what it does under full load.. is it within specs? How is the ripple? What's the efficiency % at different loads.

It's definitely important to find a review that actually does all those tests.  There are far too many power supply review sites that simply plug it into a computer, check the voltages in the BIOS, and give just about every junk PSU they come across an "editor's choice award".  The really enterprising of these sites do the same thing, except they actually use a multi-meter and check the power supply voltages at load and idle, even though their test computer only draws, say, 200watts, and they're testing a 1000watt PSU.  

If you're looking at a power supply review, make sure the reviewer has some sort of a device that can load up power supplies to specified wattages.  Also, they should definitely check the ripple on the rails(they'll probably show oscilloscope pictures).  And, if they claim that the efficiency is an amazing 99% on APC power supplies, and a mediocre 65% with non-APC power supplies, look elsewhere(and yes, there is a PSU review site that did this :lol: ).  

Some good sites to start with are JonnyGuru.com, hardocp.com, and HardwareSecrets.com.  

MrFox:

Your criteria needs to be stated from the beginning of the project, and dissimilar methodologies are not a  Apples vs. Apples comparison.

Anecdotal vs. Scientific

This is where the Subjectivity enters into the mix.

If the test methods vary, then the data becomes invalid.

That isn't possible for such a large scale list.  Unfortunately, there haven't been enough good reviews done to create a comprehensive list.  In cases where reviews have been lacking, I've looked up all the information I could find on models, such as who manufactures them, how other similar models from that manufacturer/brand perform, and looking at pictures of the circuit boards.

Essentially, this list is trying to categorize as many power supplies as possible, with the information available.  When a full good review is not available, we just take whatever we can find, and try to place it in the correct tier.  Obviously, the editor's choice awards and 5 star ratings from useless PSU reviews aren't really counted towards the tier placement. 

MrFox:

How do you know the Quality of the product without applying Statistics?

Applied statistics is the basis of the hardware world.

http://www.eggxpert.com/forums/thread/497689.aspx

And, you think that's vital for a simple power supply tiered list?  

MrFox:

  

MrFox:

 

There is no delineation between ATX12V / ATX12V v2.2 / EPS 2.91 etc etc...FormFactors.org have the actual Specifications available.

 

  

CompWiz:

If you would like to take the time to look this up, I wouldn't mind adding it in.  

 

ATX Formfactor Was designed by Intel in 1995

http://www.formfactors.org/

The ATX12v v2.3 Specification is Located here:

http://www.formfactors.org/developer%5Cspecs%5CPSU_DG_rev_1_1.pdf

The ATX12v v2.2 Specification is Located here

http://www.formfactors.org/developer/specs/ATX12V_PSDG_2_2_public_br2.pdf

 

I do know what the specs are, I've read through them before.  

 I was saying, if you think that the ATX spec version of each listed power supply should be included, then look up the spec for each power supply on the list.  I don't think that this is important enough to spend all that time on, but if you do, go for it.  

MrFox:

  

 

MrFox:

   

Nor is there a mention of SLI /X-Fire Certification.

 

  

CompWiz:

That isn't all that important.  You'd have to look up the power requirements for your particular SLI/Crossfire setup anyway.  Almost any power supply could run Radeon 4350's in Crossfire, but far fewer power supplies can run GTX 295's in SLI, including some that are SLI certified.  The certification is more of a marketing ploy than anything. 

 

It demonstrates Conformance to the specification, and the Specification is the “Bible” of the industry.

As long as you are fine with burning wiring when you have a equipment failure, then buy a non-certified supply.

I would recommend keeping a Fire Extinguisher Around However.

 

The SLI/X-Fire specifications are not the Bible of the industry.  They're marketing ploys.  Much like SLI certified RAM. 

MrFox:

   

  

MrFox:

 

There is a substantial difference between the quantity of power available on the 12v rails, specification vs specification.

  

  

CompWiz:

if a power supply is listed in the higher tiers, it can supply the power that its rated for.  The amount of amperage that a power supply is rated for is listed on the power supply, having a specific number is much more useful that having a vague ATX spec. 

 

  

 

The ATX Specification is concise in its current revisions... and the Original was a ground breaker when it was written. The only thing that is vague, is demonstrated lack of knowledge of a specification that drives an industry.

 

so, it's concise? 

 If I may quote from the ATX specs: 

ATX:

Under normal or overload conditions, no output shall continuously provide more than 240
VA under any conditions of load including output short circuit, per the requirement of UL
1950/CSA 950 / EN 60950/IEC 950.

ATX:

System components that use 12V are continuing to increase in power. In cases where
expected current requirements is greater than 18A a second 12 V rail should be made
available. ATX12V power supplies should be designed to accommodate these increased
+12 VDC currents.

Now, let's take a look at the Ultra X3 1600watt power supply.  This power supply has a single 12v rail with 117amps of 12v power.  Seems to be a bit above 18amps, doesn't it?

 Yet somehow, this power supply: "Meets ATX Version 2.2, v1.3, and ATX 12V Version 2.2 Specifications"

Plus, there are some power supplies [cough] Antec TruePower Trio [/cough] that just say(on the label) that they have 12v rails limited to 20amps, but when you test them(jonnyguru.com) you find that it's actually just a big single 12v rail.  Yet, they're still ATX 2.x compliant.

On the other end of the spectrum, there are plenty of power supplies that are complete junk, yet somehow still manage to claim ATX spec compliance.  

---

I'm doing a new build and was looking for a decently priced PSU. I'm wondering why is the OCZ Modxstream in Tier 4?

Wow, I see war of ambitions can't be stopped.

Now a little bit from my experience: I began my search of PSU reading this thread. I've read it more than 3 times and came to conclusion that I'm stupid and can't fathom all the deepness of the science and research behind. The thing that I understood is there are Japanese capacitors and that is good. Another thing I've learnt is more Watts is better then less and "you can buy better PSU if you are ready to pay more"

Situation with rails drew me mad and I've opened one spare PSU I had (it is easy when you have a can opener in your household). For the whole extend of my paranoid nature, I have not found rails inside. nothing like railroad rails or drawer runners or even straw like piece of metal or plastic. Another surprise was presence of loops of wire (some call them "coils" and I hope all these coils have Japanise pedigree...

Also I finally came to conclusion that  then less I know about PSU tierism, than more chances I have to buy good one.

Cheers

christarroja:

What tier does a 400w Corsair CX fit in?

I'll look up reviews when I get a chance to see where that would fit.  However, I have yet to see Corsair make a bad power supply.  I assume that this power supply will perform similarly to their other power supplies, and wind up in tier 2.  You really can't go wrong buying a corsair.  

---

holyc0w:

My guess is that the same thing that applies to the GameXStream and StealthXStream also applies to the Mod series.  They should be pretty similar.

You are correct.  Back when this list was being worked on and created, the ModStream power supplies, along with the GameXStream and StealthXStream series(OCZ's FSP-manufactured PSU's) had some flaws which pushed them down to tier 4.  All of these power supplies are very similar to each other.  

But, after they redesigned them to fix their shortcomings, they're all Tier 2 power supplies.  

Sorry for the confusion, and thanks for pointing this out.   

---

Why is delta way down there, when antec signatures are delta built?

Delta and lite-on should be tier 1 (lite-on being most of the OEM's for Supermicro/Ablecom power supplies) 

---

Delta is my 1st choice in power supplies
Biostar Tpower N750 (all UCC solid caps) 5000+ dual core PNY 9800gt 4gb OZC DDR2-800 320gb WDC 700W Delta DPS-700

370forlife:

Why is delta way down there, when antec signatures are delta built?

Delta and lite-on should be tier 1 (lite-on being most of the OEM's for Supermicro/Ablecom power supplies) 

Can you link to reviews that properly test those PSU's to back that up?

Just because Delta built them for Antec doesn't mean that they were built to the same level of quality.

EG: you go to goodyear and look at a tire, and its good for 60k miles, you go to walmart, were its much cheeper and look, the same tire is only rated for 40k miles.......... and you'd be lucky if it even lasted you 30k miles.  The tires at walmart are made to wallmarts specifications so they can sell them cheeper.

---

GmsCool:

370forlife:

Why is delta way down there, when antec signatures are delta built?

Delta and lite-on should be tier 1 (lite-on being most of the OEM's for Supermicro/Ablecom power supplies) 

Can you link to reviews that properly test those PSU's to back that up?

Just because Delta built them for Antec doesn't mean that they were built to the same level of quality.

EG: you go to goodyear and look at a tire, and its good for 60k miles, you go to walmart, were its much cheeper and look, the same tire is only rated for 40k miles.......... and you'd be lucky if it even lasted you 30k miles.  The tires at walmart are made to wallmarts specifications so they can sell them cheeper.

Yep,

---

SGR:

Wow, I see war of ambitions can't be stopped.

Now a little bit from my experience: I began my search of PSU reading this thread. I've read it more than 3 times and came to conclusion that I'm stupid and can't fathom all the deepness of the science and research behind. The thing that I understood is there are Japanese capacitors and that is good. Another thing I've learnt is more Watts is better then less and "you can buy better PSU if you are ready to pay more"

 well, those aren't universally true.  You can buy an Apevia Wizard 700+watt power supply, and those are junk. You're better off getting an OCZ StealthXStream 500watt PSU.  

 Also, if you were to get a high wattage power supply and use it on a HTPC(some of those use only 65watts), your efficiency will be really low.  Most power supplies tend to run at their highest efficiency when they're running around 75% of their rated wattage.  

As for buying a better PSU by paying more, it's more important to shop intelligently than just getting a pricey power supply because it's expensive.  

For example, the PC Power & Cooling 1000watt Turbocool power supply runs around $500+.  Yet, you can buy the Ultra X3 1600watt modular power supply for around $310. 

After reviewing both the PC Power & Cooling Turbo-Cool 1KW and the Ultra X3 1600watt power supplies, HardOCP.com had this to say:

HardOCP.com:

Ultra has a unit here that not only can outperform similar high capacity units, but has one that can catch or outperform even the amazing DC output quality of the Win-Tact built PC Power and Cooling Turbo-Cool 1KW-SR while putting out a full 600w total capacity and 47A 12v capacity more than that unit.

HardOCP.com:

the Ultra X3 1600w is the single most potent power supply on the consumer market and for its capacity and feature set it is an amazing deal. The X3 1600w runs circles around its competitors in almost every category tested bar none.

 Clearly here, you're better off spending a couple hundred dollars less money. 

 The fact is, most computers would work fine on the OCZ StealthXStream 500 or 600watt power supplies.  These power supplies have been on sale at newegg for $15 and $20, respectively, with free shipping. 

In the review of the OCZ StealthXStream 600watt power supply at HardwareSecrets.com, they were pleasantly surprised to discover that the 600watt power supply was actually capable of putting out 728watts.   Quite the deal for $20. 

Why spend more money if you don't need to?  

SGR:

Situation with rails drew me mad and I've opened one spare PSU I had (it is easy when you have a can opener in your household). For the whole extend of my paranoid nature, I have not found rails inside. nothing like railroad rails or drawer runners or even straw like piece of metal or plastic. Another surprise was presence of loops of wire (some call them "coils" and I hope all these coils have Japanise pedigree...

My guess is that "rails" is probably a legacy term, from back in the day when there were actually rails of metal carrying power through some sort of power supply device. 

Now they're just used to talk about the different output power lines.  The only way you can see a rail in a modern power supply is by tracing an output wire back through the circuit board.  That's your rail.  Any output wires connected to that are on the same rail.  

As for the coils, those are toroid coils.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toroidal_inductors_and_transformers

 Good to see another person willing to get their hands dirty to learn more about power supplies.  

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