![[H]ardOCP](/images/blank.gif){kind=small}
- Date:
- Friday , August 24, 2007
- Author:
- Paul Johnson
- Editor:
- Kyle Bennett
- Google +1
Ultra X3 1600w Power Supply
Ultra makes a huge statement with their 1600 watt rated power supply. This is so much power that we had difficulty fully load testing the PSU, but we did finally realize the 1600w rating. Yep, all 1600w without burning down the house and your household wiring is something you will want to take into very serious consideration.
Build Quality
As we already know from Ultra's packaging the X3 1600w features a hybrid fan design like we saw in the Enermax Galaxy DXX review. The X3 1600w 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
The external fit and finish on the X3 1600w is identical to that of the X3 1000w with a few exceptions. The X3 1600w has slotted vents on the side of the unit, is longer, and has the additional 80mm fan in the rear of the unit. The entire X3 family features a striking mirrored finish (though during our testing these types of finishes generally scratch easily), the flat FlexForce cables pioneered by Ultra, and a fully modular interface. This all makes for a unit fit to be used and seen in cases that have windows.
One of the big caveats to this unit, like a number of high powered units before it, is its length. The X3 1600w is longer than a typical power supply coming in at ~9 1/2 inches in length, so users should take notice when planning to install this unit.
The cables are the same as the ones that ship with the X3 1000w and they provide varying serviceable lengths of between ~19 inches (~480mm) and ~24 inches (~609mm). Since the lengths vary and are provided by Ultra they are reproduced below:
- 20/24 Pin Motherboard Connector 19.5 Inches (495mm)
- 4 Pin +12V Motherboard Connector 19.5 Inches (495mm)
- 8 Pin EPS Connector 19.5 Inches (495mm)
- 6 Pin PCI-Express Connectors 19.5 Inches (495mm)
- 8 Pin PCI-Express Connectors 19.5 Inches (495mm)
- 5 Pin SATA Power Cable 25.5 Inches (647mm)
- 5 Pin SATA Power Cable 21.5 Inches (546mm)
- 4 Pin Power Cable 23.5 Inches (596mm)
- 4 Pin Power Cable 19.5 Inches (495mm)
- 4 Pin Power Cable 29.5 Inches (749mm)
- 4 Pin Power Cable 7.5 Inches (190mm)
- 3 Pin Fan Connector 25.5 Inches (647mm)
Interior Build Quality
Once the 4 screws securing the fan housing and subsequently large amounts of force with a flat headed screw driver was applied (which chewed up the finish nicely) we are left looking at a whole lot of power supply. The X3 1600w is just stuffed to the gills with components, which the weight of the unit bears out as well and as such users should exercise a bit of caution in the cases they mount this unit as in addition to being longer than normal it is much heavier than normal as well. Simply put, everything on the Ultra X3 1600w is massive in scale.
As I have mentioned previously this project from Ultra began life as a 2000w show piece but it had to be reworked in order to get UL approval. Up until this point this 1600w unit looked almost identical to the 2000w showpiece unit but once we open the unit it becomes immediately clear that the unit didn't just have its OCP reset in order to bring capacity down for approval, it was completely reworked.
In the overhead shot we can see that the X3 1600w has three identical transformers in the center forming a nice rainbow effect for the 12v output. This is the first time we have seen this arrangement in a power supply review we have published and it is rather interesting. Also from the overhead shot we can see that the unit is built on a single very large PCB as opposed to the two PCB's the X3 2000w showpiece was built on. Finally, running down the middle of the unit we see the same style heatsinks we saw during the X3 1000w only this time they too are “super-sized.”
On the primary side we see something a bit different for any other power supply we have reviewed that has had APFC and that is the inclusion of three 390uF 420v Teapo capacitors. So far everything has been bigger, better, and more so why not the primary capacitors as well? We also can't help but notice the absolutely massive toroid coils on the primary side of this unit with the one that is laying down spanning almost 2 inches in diameter.
The X3 1600w is cooled by both an overhead Young Lin 135mm fan and a rear mounted Young Lin 80mm fan much like we saw in the Enermax Galaxy DXX.
On the secondary side we find it too is jam packed with components making difficult to really examine some parts the power supply without destroying the unit but we can see that the capacitor selection on the secondary is all Teapo with the OCP/OVP PCB to the left of the frame. The wiring is all secured with a zip tie as it makes its way to the back of the modular interface which is cleaner than the X3 1000w's but not as neat as a number of other modular units we have seen.
Overall the build quality of this unit is on par with the impressive X3 1000w, but the 1600w is “on steroids.” The fit and finish on this unit is exactly what a user would expect from Ultra down to the FlexForce cables, and mirrored finish. This unit proved to be an all Teapo affair as we have previously seen which has yet to be a problem in our testing even with our earlier misgivings based on their prior performance. The unit also utilized the hybrid cooling scheme we first saw with the Enermax Galaxy DXX in that it has both a 135mm fan and an 80mm fan for cooling. All in all, the unit is impressive if for nothing else but its size. While many companies seem to go for what looks like multiple power supplies in one housing for their really high capacity consumer power supplies, Ultra have elected to go with the “bigger is better” mantra. Will this mantra hold true? Let’s move on to the testing portion of the review to find out.