The braiding makes the cables look better than not having it and keeps them together well enough, but the quality of application isn’t fantastic.
Some of the braiding widths like on the ATX cable and 8/4-pin 12V CPU cables don’t match the thickness of the cable mass inside correctly, the zip tied end near the bracket isn't very aesthetically pleasing and the ends are sealed off at all different distances from the connectors.
Finally, the connectors are no standard colour, or colour coding: there’s just the very generic white and black connectors and the Molexes don’t come with easily release clips either.
It sounds worse than it actually is, it’s not like you can’t use it at all or there are bits falling off, but the attention to detail and fine touches that make a real quality product just aren’t there.
In contrast the actual PSU unit is very well done. The finish is nice and professionally machined and the whole thing has a raw, industrial feel right down to the glowing orange power button. It’s almost got a retro appearance with the long holed rectangular design and hifi-style feet with soft padding on the bottom.
The all aluminium box is pretty scratch proof and weighs an absolute ton at 3.29kg. Inside are massive copper heatsinks running the length of the unit, but strangely there is a clear plastic sheet over the top of them which we would have thought prevents the heat escaping efficiently. It might direct the airflow from the single 80mm fan along the fins, but the fan only turns on when it reaches a certain temperature, otherwise the unit runs completely passive.
The blue backlit LED screen shows off details like power being used, the voltage of the -12V rail (and not the +12V weirdly) as well as the internal temperature. In all, it’s a useful little readout and even though the -12V doesn’t mean much we found its reading is very accurate. There is no way to change what it reads out, this reading is fixed. In addition, there are also bars to indicate the level of load and temperature so you know what range the numbers displayed are corresponding to. The on switch on the outside just turns the unit on, but you still need to use the ATX switch to turn on the PC.
The cables connecting to and protruding from the back of the unit are given a nicer silver braid and clear plastic coating. Three cables of varying connector sizes are used and from what we can tell you have to use all three, so why a single cable couldn’t just be used isn't clear. Regardless, the cables clip in securely and cannot be confused with one another so there’s no chance of blowing up your hardware.
Without being modular, to an extent the space saving is kind of moot. There may not be the extra heat inside your case any more, but there is still a ton of cables that either require routing or hiding.
Some of the braiding widths like on the ATX cable and 8/4-pin 12V CPU cables don’t match the thickness of the cable mass inside correctly, the zip tied end near the bracket isn't very aesthetically pleasing and the ends are sealed off at all different distances from the connectors.
Finally, the connectors are no standard colour, or colour coding: there’s just the very generic white and black connectors and the Molexes don’t come with easily release clips either.
It sounds worse than it actually is, it’s not like you can’t use it at all or there are bits falling off, but the attention to detail and fine touches that make a real quality product just aren’t there.
In contrast the actual PSU unit is very well done. The finish is nice and professionally machined and the whole thing has a raw, industrial feel right down to the glowing orange power button. It’s almost got a retro appearance with the long holed rectangular design and hifi-style feet with soft padding on the bottom.
The all aluminium box is pretty scratch proof and weighs an absolute ton at 3.29kg. Inside are massive copper heatsinks running the length of the unit, but strangely there is a clear plastic sheet over the top of them which we would have thought prevents the heat escaping efficiently. It might direct the airflow from the single 80mm fan along the fins, but the fan only turns on when it reaches a certain temperature, otherwise the unit runs completely passive.
The blue backlit LED screen shows off details like power being used, the voltage of the -12V rail (and not the +12V weirdly) as well as the internal temperature. In all, it’s a useful little readout and even though the -12V doesn’t mean much we found its reading is very accurate. There is no way to change what it reads out, this reading is fixed. In addition, there are also bars to indicate the level of load and temperature so you know what range the numbers displayed are corresponding to. The on switch on the outside just turns the unit on, but you still need to use the ATX switch to turn on the PC.
The cables connecting to and protruding from the back of the unit are given a nicer silver braid and clear plastic coating. Three cables of varying connector sizes are used and from what we can tell you have to use all three, so why a single cable couldn’t just be used isn't clear. Regardless, the cables clip in securely and cannot be confused with one another so there’s no chance of blowing up your hardware.
Without being modular, to an extent the space saving is kind of moot. There may not be the extra heat inside your case any more, but there is still a ton of cables that either require routing or hiding.
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