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- Date:
- Tuesday , July 17, 2007
- Author:
- Paul Johnson
- Editor:
- Kyle Bennett
- Google +1
Seasonic S12II-500 Power Supply Review
Our readers have asked for us to cover mainstream PSUs from well known builders and we figure that Seasonic is the perfect candidate. Today we review their new 500 watt S12II desktop power supply and find out just how great of a PSU Seasonic really builds.
Build Quality
As we already know the Seasonic S12II-500 features a single 120mm fan design that has come to be the preferred standard for quiet cooling environments, which Seasonic has been the longtime leader in, due to the ability to move a larger volume of air at slower speeds than a smaller diameter fan. While great for quiet computing environments 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
The external finish of the S12II-500 is a flat textured black that is resistant to scratching unlike the mirrored finishes found on many units. Indeed the finish used by Seasonic on the S12II-500 is resistant enough that it did not scratch even when I had to use a flathead screw driver to pry the two halves apart to do the internal examination. The back of the unit is bare except for the on/off switch as the unit is full range and has a single overhead 120mm fan which is covered with a wire grill. On the front we see the wiring bundle exit the housing sans wire guard (like many companies unfortunately skimp on) with a zip tie securing it to the housing.
The wires are all sheathed for the entire length which is a welcome sight as many companies only sleeve to the first connector leaving the job looking half finished and provide a serviceable length of ~19 inches.
Internal Build Quality
Once the 4 screws securing the fan and upper housing are removed, and liberal amounts of force are exerted with a flat head screw driver, we are left looking at a rather sparse interior. The overall layout is typical of a single 12v transformer power supply though there is almost an inch of extra room in the back of the unit between the PCB and the housing. The heatsinks in the S12II-500 are chopped and bent over to increase the surface area that comes into contact with the air stream generated by the single 120mm overhead fan. That fan charged with generating that air stream is an ADDA fan rated at 0.33A at 12v. On the fan there is a clear plastic piece that can be seen blocking a portion of the fan and is meant to direct air through the unit in a specific manner to aide in cooling the unit.
On the primary side we immediately see a single large Rubycon capacitor rated at 330uF 400v and 85c. This is only the third power supply we have seen equipped with Rubycon capacitors and the inclusion of such high-end components is rare and certainly to be applauded.
On the secondary side we find it populated by Nippon Chemicon capacitors including the much advertised solid capacitor. There appears to be only one and since there is only 1 12v rail Seasonic has technically fulfilled the billing of having solid capacitors on the 12v rail(s). Though they do repeatedly say “capacitors” not “capacitor” and “12v rails” not “12v rail.” Lastly on the secondary side we see the cables sheathed and exiting the housing sans wire guard. The only good thing here is the sheathing does extend into the housing providing some additional protection to the wires.
Overall the build quality of the Seasonic is top notch. The unit has a great exterior finish that resists damage, and cables that are sheathed for their entire length while the internal components are all atop notch. The primary side features a Rubycon capacitor while the secondary is populated by Nippon Chemicon capacitors including the lone solid capacitor. This build quality is excellent and will hopefully translate into excellent performance in the load testing coming up.