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- Date:
- Friday , April 13, 2007
- Author:
- Paul Johnson
- Editor:
- Kyle Bennett
- Google +1
Enermax Galaxy DXX Series PSU
Enermax is one of the better known names in the power supply industry, but does their Enermax Galaxy DXX have what it takes to pass muster? Built to a different specification for dual 300 watt video cards??? I don't think you can buy those....yet.
Build Quality
As we already know from Enermax's packaging the Galaxy DXX 1000w features a hybrid fan design. The Galaxy DXX has a 135mm fan that is in the same vein as the preferred standard of a single 120mm fan, only larger, for quiet cooling due to its ability to move a larger volume of air at lower RPM than a smaller diameter fan, however it also has an additional rear mounted 80mm fan. While the 135mm fan is great for quiet cooling environments the inclusion of a single rear 80mm fan seems to mitigate the benefits of using the larger fan design. This is the first time we have evaluated a power supply with this form factor so it will be of great interest to see how well this hybrid approach works. At the same time, the key criteria in our evaluation is whether or not the cooling solution is sufficient, not necessary it’s sound level or form factor.
External Build Quality
Cosmetically the Enermax Galaxy DXX is quite striking in its black and white trim with a clear main fan. The finish on the unit falls somewhere between the mirrored finish we saw in our recent Ultra X-Pro units (750W and 600W) and the flat matte finish we saw in our Corsair review. The cables are all sheathed but unlike any other unit we have examined to date the sheathing is subtly multicolored. The unit features what I see as a semi-modular design since not only are the ATX and EPS/P4 cables fixed but also a number of the Molex, SATA, and PCI-Express cables.
The cables that are fixed have a serviceable length of ~23 inches making the Galaxy DXX an excellent choice for those cases which place the power supply in the bottom of the case or require longer than average power supply cables.
Overall, the Enermax Galaxy DXX has a very attractive and serviceable exterior construction, however this is not weighted in our evaluations so let’s move to the interior.
Interior Build Quality
In order to begin our internal examination we simply remove the 4 screws securing the fan housing to the power supply, remove the cover, and begin our examination. This power supply is much different internally than the other power supplies we have examined to date as becomes immediately apparent from the multiple transformers in the center of the power supply instead of the single transformer we have seen to date. The Galaxy DXX is constructed on a single, very long, PCB that fills the interior of the housing and the heatsinks are ridged to increase surface area. The majority of the ventilation across those heatsinks is provided by the large 135mm fan that is provided by GlobeFan and is rated at 0.38A at 12v.
On the primary side we see a pair of Rubycon capacitors providing our input filtering. This is our first encounter with Rubycon capacitors in a power supply we have examined and it goes almost without saying that Rubycon capacitors have one of the best reputations when it comes to capacitor selection. So much so that there are even Rubycon knockoffs floating around. Most people (myself included) would like to see more power supplies, especially high end power supply brands, ship with such well regarded capacitors when they fit the required specifications but the selection of such a top shelf components adds to production costs of a power supply.
On the secondary side we find it populated by capacitors marked with a stylized JP. For a while now these capacitors have shown up in Enermax units and it has been suggested that they are Jen Pan's (or even JenPo's) but after some digging, and a helpful link from forum member Oklahoma_Wolf that established the stylized JP is not the manufacturer logo at all, I was able to find the capacitors in question are a product of CEC International Holdings Limited. I have no real information on this company other than they appear to be about 20 years old and based in Hong Kong. What I can say about the selection of CEC International Holdings Limited capacitors is that I have yet to see this capacitor selection linked to wide scale failures like some other more notorious brands of capacitors like Fuhjyyu. We also see here the back of the modular interface for the Galaxy DXX to which the wires from the secondary are routed along with the multiple 12v solder points. Finally we see the fixed wires bound, sheathed, and routed out through a plastic guard.
The overall build quality of the Enermax Galaxy DXX is excellent. The primary capacitor selection is certainly to be commended as very few manufacturers reach for such top shelf choices as Rubycon's.
One final note on the Galaxy DXX concerns the unit’s size. While most ATX power supplies come in around 5.5inches (140mm) in depth. The Galaxy DXX, while used in many similar applications as a standard ATX power supply, comes in at a depth of 8.67inches (220mm). This size difference should be carefully considered before installation, but like the rest of the physical and electrical specifications of the Galaxy DXX this size is well documented in the user manual.