Dual 12V PSU Shootout Author: JonnyGuru Date Posted:21/07/2005 13:42.03 AMS Mercury PP-44603 SLRating: Seasonic S-12-430 SLRating: Thermaltake TWV500 SLRating: Bottom Line: The three of these power supplies really don\'t shoot-out each other. If you want cheap, the AMS. If you want quiet, the Seasonic. If you want modular, the Thermaltake. Article Navigation Introduction Testing The AMS Mercury PP-44603 The Seasonic S-12-430 The Thermaltake TWV500 A look at the cables Load test results Conclusion - AMS Mercury PP-44603 - Seasonic S-12-43 - Thermaltake TWV500 Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Discuss This Article

In Conclusion

AMS Mercury PP-4603

Pros:

• By far the least expensive of our three PSU's
• Very stable.
• 12V rails kick butt even when loaded out of spec.
• Very quiet, eespecially for a PSU with dual 80MM fans.
• Fairly efficient.

Cons:

• Lacks in the bling department (modular, lights, etc.), but that doesn't matter to most users.
• No Active PFC.

Seasonic S12

Pros:

• Very, very quiet.
• Fairly efficient.
• Active PFC

Cons:

• Not nearly as efficient as some other Seasonic products.
• Pricey for a "mere 430W"

Thermaltake TWV500

Pros:

• Even with fan controller turned all of the way down, the PSU stays fairly cool.
• Modular madness.
• Blue LED is a "subtle tone of bling."
• Quite powerful... especially for a Thermaltake!
• Extra fan is nice, and I'm sure someone out there understands the need for a "total watts viewer."
• Active PFC

Cons:

• Expensive.
• Poor efficiency.

I think we can see that the three of these power supplies really don't shoot-out each other.  If you want "cheap," the AMS.  If you want quiet, the Seasonic.  If you want modular, the Thermaltake.  If anything, we should take what we reviewed last month into consideration when grading these units.

The AMS really surprised me.  It was very inexpensive, yet put out a lot of stable power.  The efficiency was actually pretty good considering the price.  The only thing it lacks is Active PFC.

That said, the AMS Mercury gets a solid 9.

Last month, the Enermax EG495P-VE scored a "very high 9."  The Seasonic was just as efficient and noticeably quieter.  The Enermax has more power for only a little more money.  The Seasonic has active PFC. 

All and all, I think the Seasonic deserves the same score.  A very high 9.

If the S-12 was efficient as some of the power supplies that have made Seasonic famous, it'd get a 9.5 easily.

Thermaltake finally gets on my good side with their TWV500.  It's properly spec'ed out.  Does what it says it does and has a decent modular cable system.  Sure, the cables aren't the prettiest.  But they're still nicer than most non-modular cables.  It was also quiet, if you're willing to occupy your 5 1/4 bay with the fan controller. 

Thermaltake ALSO earns a 9.  Although, consider it a low 9 due to the poor efficiency.

I'm going to have to find some crappy power supplies to review.  I'm not feeling too comfortable with all of these warm fuzzy nines everywhere.....

Introduction

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Article Navigation Introduction Testing The AMS Mercury PP-44603 The Seasonic S-12-430 The Thermaltake TWV500 A look at the cables Load test results Conclusion

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