Date:
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Category:
PSU / Power Supplies
Manufacturers:
BFGTech
Author:
Paul Johnson
Editor:
Kyle Bennett

BFG MX Series Power Supplies - 550W & 680W

High performance, check. Low noise, check. High efficiency, check. Modular interface, check. No BS...checking into that. BFG attempts to deliver middle market wattage with high end features. This may be exactly the PSU you have been looking for.

Introduction

BFG Technologies is a well known graphics card supplier whose products have been a premium choice of computer gamers and hardware enthusiasts for several years. Today, however, a quick check of BFG’s website shows that the days of simply supplying high end video solutions are a thing of the past and it is spreading out into a number of areas including branding computer power supply units, or “PSUs.” BFG’s power supplies have to date typically been built by the Taiwanese company Topower or more distantly in the past ATNG but with the acquisition of some new talent BFG has seriously revamped the power supply business. In addition to launching a new power supply website, BFG has also stepped up to the plate previously with a serious [H] Gold Editor’s Choice enthusiast level power supply in the ES-800. However, today we have the opportunity to look at a different class of power products from BFG that is meant to target the more mainstream user. Today’s power supply products, the MX series (BFGR550WMXPSU and BFGR680WMXPSU), come from the same OEM BFG used for the LS series, (BFGR550WLSPSU and BFGR680WLSPSU) Fortrex/Forepoint.

Fortrex Electronic Co., Ltd/ Focus Electronics/ForePoint Electronic., Ltd is a power supply OEM that while not well known in the US has been producing power supplies since 1985 and is associated with a number of more well known power supply OEM’s in the US. So today we look forward to seeing the first, to our knowledge, major retail brand of power supply OEM’d by Fortrex in a second product line that is sold by BFG.

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Time to get Plugged In

Since BFG's reevaluations in our power supply reviews began this year the number one request that has been pouring in from users feedback has been the request for modular versions of BFG power supplies to be available in the US. Well, now that BFG has worked out their arrangement regarding the Ultra Modular Patent the previously European only MX series of power supplies has hit US E-tailers to satisfy enthusiasts’ feedback and requests. So, with that in mind what has BFG provided with their first, but not last, set of modular power supplies to hit US retail and E-tail?

Finally, a Modular Power Supply for Everyone!

BFG Tech® combines high performance, high efficiency, and low noise all in a modular power supply worthy of the BFG name. Modular means you use only the cables you need to improve air flow and keep your system organized. The MX Series feature a typical efficiency of up to 85%˜which means more power is converted to DC than many other power supplies on the market. BFG Thermal Control Technology ensures that the unit runs as quietly as possible by varying the speed of the 120MM fan in response to load and temperature. An 80MM "helper fan" only kicks in when temperatures reach over 50°C to ensure maximum performance, longer life, and low noise at lower temperatures. Quad +12V rails, over-volt, over-current and short circuit protection provides rock solid reliability and safety.

So let’s move on and see what else has changed as we look at what we get when we purchase the MX series from BFG in terms of documentation, accessories, cable count, rail layout, output characteristics, and general build quality.