Ultra 500w X-Connect Power Supply

Ultra 500w X-Connect Power Supply
Posted :: May 17, 2005 by Impact

Installation:
Installation was as easy as most other power supplies. To install the power supply, simply screw in the 4 screws (provided) to hold it in place, and then connect cords to the components that need external power. However, instead of having all the cords coming out the back of the supply, the user has the freedom to use only as many cords as necessary, this saves space.

As a frame of reference, here is a picture of the case before adding the Ultra 500w X-Connect Power Supply. This picture shows a 650w Ultra Power Supply. Note the extra cables at the top tucked into the spare 5.25" drive bays to keep them out of the way.

After adding the Ultra 500w X-Connect, the system looked much cleaner without all the extra cables:

One thing that is worth mentioning is that because the cables are all sleeved some of them were hard to maneuver inside the case. The ATX power cord (the large one) was thick enough that it was hard to bend appropriately. It was also slightly difficult to attach cords to the installed power supply because of the angle. None of these problems were severe, and the cleanliness of the set up more than makes up for the minor complications.

Testing Background:
While a nice-looking power supply is great to have and show off at LAN parties, if it can't keep the computer system running, its worthless. Computer PSUs put out on multiple voltage "rails". In ATX computers, the heavily used voltages are: +3.3vDC, +5vDC, +12vDC. When looking for a new power supply, don't just read the wattage (500w in this case). It is also important to look and see that the voltages are close to what they should be, and that they don't fluctuate much during usage. If your power supply jumps back and forth quite a bit, it could be dangerous for your components.

While there are many different ways to test power supply voltages, some of the most common methods include using the BIOS, Motherboard Monitor, lm_sensors, or multi-meter.

Testing Methods:
BIOS: Most modern BIOS systems have a built-in area to check voltages. This is useful for quick testing because it's already installed and ready to go. However, since the tester has to be in BIOS to watch the voltages, the tester can't watch how the voltages react during intensive game play or when running an intensive application.

Motherboard Monitor/lm_sensors: These programs are voltage and temperature monitors once inside the operating system. (MBM is for Windows, lm_sensors is for Linux.) These programs are convenient because they allow the tester to watch the voltages while running other programs in the operating system. However, sometimes they can give false data if configured incorrectly.

Multi-meter: This is generally regarded as the most accurate way to measure voltages. Measurements are taken by using a multi-meter (a piece of equipment made for measuring voltages, current, and resistances) and touching the leads to a positive and negative terminal to measure the voltages. This allows the tester to check the power at ANY time, in the BIOS, in the OS, or while running an application. However, it is also slightly dangerous. Absolute Insight does NOT recommend trying this method for inexperienced testers. The BIOS and sensor programs should be sufficient in most cases.