Ultra X3 800W Modular Power Supply

What was weird to me was that the power on many PSUs goes down under load, instead of going up, but while I could not find any problems with my hardware after the loads and nothing seemed to mess up, I can’t find fault in having more than enough power under stressful situations.  The only rail that came anywhere close to the 5% variance was the 12v line, and that was under extreme load.  The rails aren’t as rock-solid as the Corsair PSU tested in this review, but are rather acceptable.

All in all, the Ultra X3 800W PSU is a very good unit, but not the best of the best..  The juice was consistent, it looks good, and it has a larger-than-normal cooling fan.  I’m always down with extra cooling.  It is a glossy black, which is where fingerprints become almost impossible to avoid, but a dry cloth will usually take care of that.  Performance wise, it competes well with others in the 800W range, but it doesn’t rule the roost.  I personally give this monster two thumbs up and would gladly trust my gaming machine to it any day of the week.

	REPORT CARD : Ultra X3 800W Power Supply category rating comments Quality 4 Rather well constructed, and decent quality parts Innovation 5 Modular cables are pretty much the de-facto standard for enthusiasts. Performance 3 It’It meets its 80% efficiency, even under load.  The rails are within acceptable limits and stable, but not rock-solid like some other PSUs Installation 4 Modular cables make it very easy to install and route. Value 2 Good quality power supply, but is a little high for the quality you get.  You can find better PSUs (Corsair and OCZ) for the same price or cheaper. FINAL VERDICT: 4 out of 5 stars