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- Date:
- Sunday , December 13, 2009
- Author:
- Paul Johnson
- Google +1
Nexus RX-6300 630W Power Supply Review
The RX-6300 represents the first time we have reviewed a power supply from Nexus and one of the few times we have seen an ATNG based unit. In the past, ATNG units have been very much mediocre in our testing but hardly what we would call bad units. Nexus on the other hand has a history of producing a range of high quality quiet cooling products.
Build Quality
As we already know the Nexus RX-6300 features a single 135mm fan design that is used in the same vein as 120mm fans in that they can provide for quiet cooling environments due to the ability to move a larger volume of air at slower speeds than a smaller diameter fan. The 135mm fan is just short of the largest diameter fan we are likely to see in ATX power supplies given the physical constraints of the form factor. While great for quiet computing environments the key criteria in our evaluation is whether or not the cooling solution is sufficient, not necessarily it’s sound output level or form factor, although we certainly listen for offending units.
External Build Quality
Cosmetically the RX-6300 comes to the party today in a polished steel gray. While the finish is a bit more polished than many of the really ugly steel finishes used for power supplies, it is far from the mirror-like finish we see on many units. Lots of powersupplies currently come with better finishes and if your unit is going to be riding in a windowed case this may be an issue with the RX-6300 for you. Otherwise, just toss this into a HTPC case (that will take standard ATX power supplies) and call it a day. The fan used on this unit is a single 135mm overhead one which dominates the top of the unit. The rear is perforated for airflow and originally cut for a voltage selector switch, however this unit is full range. I am guessing ATNG had a lot of their older non-APFC cases sitting around that needed to be used up, or get trashed, so this is what they did with them rather than trash them. Lastly, the front features the modular interface. What is interesting here is that while there are places for two modular PCI-Express connectors, the unit only ships with one modular PCI-Express cable. So, use which ever socket suites your fancy as you aren't going to have anything else to plug into the other yellow receptacle.
The Nexus RX-6300 itself is ~6 1/4 inches long while the fixed cables provide a serviceable length of ~19 inches and the modular cables provide a serviceable length of ~19 inches to the first connector. The sleeving is as complete and as well secured as you get on modular cables that are not the ribbon style we have seen from Ultra and Corsair.
Internal Build Quality
Once we open the RX-6300 we see a fairly standard double forward independtly regulated ATNG built power supply. The two main heatsinks in the unit are slightly ridged but are not fingered like we see with a lot of overhead fan designs. The fan used to cool this unit is a sleeve bearing fan provided by Muhua Industrial Co., Ltd. and it is rated at 0.25A at 12v. Muhua is a brand I am not very familair with and I could not find a product/spec sheet for this fan or a website for the company, but their products have turned up in Nexus units before as well as in some X-spice and Tuniq power supplies making them not completley unheard of to date
The primary of this unit is straight forward with the power components all on the the main heatsink (including the APFC parts) while the bridge rectifier gets its own small heatsink. Next to the large toroid coil for the APFC, we see the main filtering/input capacitor. This particular capacitor is provided by Teapo and is rated at 400v 330uF 85C. Other than some extra large blobs of caulk, the primary on this unit is very neatly constructed and laid out which is good to see.
As we flip over to the secondary we see there is a PCB above the input receptacle which houses some of the input filtering components (the rest are on the main PCB moving towards the primary side). This PCB is covered in a black acetate shield which drops back against one of the three coils used in the secondary. The capacitors that are tucked into the wiring on the secondary are all Teapo's and the wiring is generally well routed and bundled. The fan controller is situated on the main PCB just in front of the modular interface, which itself is generally well constructed.
Build Quality Summary
The overall build quality of the RX-6300 would rank as just acceptable to good. There really is nothing to "wow" us with here and nothing to send us running for the hills. Sure, the unit's exterior is a bit bland in the face of some of the really nicely finished units we have seen, but as long as it is functional that is the most important thing. The interior of the unit is very much acceptable again with the generally clean build and layout being the high point here. The component selection is a bit closer to the acceptable side of the spectrum than the actual integration as we find the unit stocked with Teapo capacitors and a mysterious fan brand. All in all, it is hard to really find any glaring fault with this unit, but I am not jumping for joy after seeing it either. Let's move on and see how it fairs in the load testing.