Ultra X-Connect 500W Titanium PSU Author: JonnyGuru Date Posted:20/03/2005 06:13.42 SLRating: Bottom Line: We took a detailed look at the Ultra X-Connect 500W Titanium PSU, it's got modular cables, lights, windows and a shiny finish. But how did it compare and perform to the other PSU's we reviewed? Article Navigation Introduction Heat Sinks Down to the wire Pimp Factor BBB Breakdown Outcome Analysis and Conclusion Pages: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Discuss This Article

Introduction

1. Testing Overview
2. Wattage
3. Parameters
4. Methodology

And now... ON TO THE POWER SUPPLY TESTING!

Ultra X-Connect 500W

Here we take a detailed look at the Ultra X-Connect 500W Titanium w/ UV Blue effects.  The most distinct difference between the X-Connect and other power supplies is the X-Connect's modular cables.

Ultra's been around for a long time. Starting out as the white box division for Midwest Micro, Ultra is now largly an enthusiast component company, manufacturing all sorts of niche components with that little tweak to it that makes them unique. Ultra sells everything from rechargable MP3 players with built-in email clients to DDR memory with heat spreaders in mahogany boxes. But their most popular items are no doubt their power supplies.

So who actually makes these Ultra power supplies?

Looking at the Ultra X-Connect 500W power supply, you can tell that they it's design is really unlike any other. By looking at the components, PCB and pulling up the UL listing found on this power supply, we can see that this power supply is manufactured by Youngyear.

Here's the inside of the Ultra X-Connect 500W.

Modular cables!

The X-Connect is the pioneer of the modular cable, born out of necessity, and aesthetically I must say they do the best job of it. The modular cables allow the user to choose how many and what cables to plug into their power supply. This improves both looks and air-flow inside the case.

The X-Connect cables are thick and rubbery with large black plastic covers on each end (you can see some good shots of these cables in the last two photos of this write up.) The cables themselves are a work of art, completely aside from the construction of the actual power supply unit. But this beauty comes at a cost. A few issues have come up in three builds that I've done using this power supply.

First; the cables, especially the 20 or 24-pin ATX cable, are SO THICK that it's difficult to route the cable to it's destination and the tighter the case you're installing this in, the harder it is to route cables. Second; the covers on the ends of the cables are so thick that the cable may not plug into every device you have. Although a rare problem, I did have an issue with plugging a power connector into the back of an AOpen CDRW/DVD combo drive and I've heard of some issues with power connectors plugging into motherboards and hitting other components on the board. Fortunately, the covers are just that... covers. They actually snap right off with a good prying. Third, the cables may or may not stay plugged into the power supply if you move your box around a lot. It takes a good shake to get them to fall out, but if you move your PC around a lot due to LAN parties or shows, you might want to consider a dab of hot-glue on each connector.

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Article Navigation Introduction Heat Sinks Down to the wire Pimp Factor BBB Breakdown Outcome Analysis and Conclusion

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