Hardware Akasa PowerMax 1000W Gaming PSU

[Tim S]

http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/200...w-gaming-psu/1

We review Akasa's PowerMax kilowatt "Gaming" PSU to find out what makes it so gamer-worthy. Is its attractive price a boon, making it a great bargain, or is it cheap and not-so cheerful? Read on to find out...

[The boy 4rm oz]

Not a bad PSU, shame about the lack of connectors. I would still go with the Corsair though, When your already spending $300AUD on a PSU I don't mind spending the extra to get the Corsair.

[Xtrafresh]

By the time you need 1000 watts, you're not looking for places to spare 25 pounds. This is a PSU clearly aimed at uneducated computerbuilders and a deliberate attempt to confuse customers.

Of what the box promises (1000W gaming PSU), only the PSU seems to hold true. It's not sufficiant in scenarios where you actually hit 1000W, and it has nothing to do with gaming. You guys are very friendly indeed to award it 6/10, because what it sais on the tin only holds up for 1/3.

Sorry if i come across too negative, but i just can't stand companies that deliberately cut corners to fool customers into buying stuff they won't need nor use.

[ChaosDefinesOrder]

Surely for a "gaming" PC, you don't need that many molex or sata cables? Maybe 3 SATA (Optical, OS disc, Storage/Games) and a couple of Molex just in case?

for "gaming" the argument that if you don't have 100 hard drives and 27 optical drives you don't need high wattage doesn't really apply - "gamers" (yes I'm making a point by using " each time!) will have the fastest processor and beefiest graphics card they can afford, and looking at the power usage of the 4870 X2, if you have 2 of them you've used a significant chunk of a 1000W supply before considering the number of hard discs.

True if you wanted 4x 4870 cards you're out of luck, but 2x 9800 GX2 or 2x 4870 X2 appears to be the intended market for this PSU at which point it looks pretty good.

[Tim S]

Maybe for a pair of 4870 X2s, but you may as well get a 750W unit for anything less as you'll be well within that unit's limits as well.

[Phil Rhodes]

How long did you let it sit at 100%?

[Bindibadgi]

Originally Posted by Phil Rhodes

How long did you let it sit at 100%?

20 minutes or so, we don't have that much time with the test facilities.

[Bindibadgi]

Originally Posted by ChaosDefinesOrder

Surely for a "gaming" PC, you don't need that many molex or sata cables? Maybe 3 SATA (Optical, OS disc, Storage/Games) and a couple of Molex just in case?

for "gaming" the argument that if you don't have 100 hard drives and 27 optical drives you don't need high wattage doesn't really apply - "gamers" (yes I'm making a point by using " each time!) will have the fastest processor and beefiest graphics card they can afford, and looking at the power usage of the 4870 X2, if you have 2 of them you've used a significant chunk of a 1000W supply before considering the number of hard discs.

True if you wanted 4x 4870 cards you're out of luck, but 2x 9800 GX2 or 2x 4870 X2 appears to be the intended market for this PSU at which point it looks pretty good.

Regardless even if you could get >800W out of a pair, but are you prepared for it to be noisy, hot and whiny?

Have fun with that

Also given the fact that you've only got 840W out of 1,000W on the 12V rail doesn't make it a good "gaming" PSU because it should be even heavier on the 12V rail. Take into consideration the Cooler Master UCP 900W which has 852W on the 12V and is 80Plus Silver rated, for example, or the Corsair TX750W is 740W/750W on the single 12V.

[ChaosDefinesOrder]

I do agree about the 12V weighting, however my point was that criticism of the lack of SATA and Molex connecters in a "gaming" system is not that much of an issue. Most reviews or comments I see about 1000W PSUs always say something along the lines of "if you don't need 24 SATA plugs, you don't need a 1000W PSU". In my eyes, a "gaming" PSU should have lots of weighted PCI Express power connectors (either all or at least half of which as 6+2 or 8 pin), a dedicated single Molex for those silly motherboards needing one, and 2, maybe 3 SATA, and one extra cable with 2 Molex for water-cooling and/or extra fans. A "gaming" rig doesn't need any more than that.

However, seeing as I'm far from an expert on PSUs, and you guys obviously know more about them than I do, I'm happy to conceed to your experience, that's just what I see as being what a "gaming" PSU should be.

At the moment, If I was looking for a "gaming" PSU, the UCP definitely ranks at the top of the request list - regardless of it's close-to-£200 price tag!

[Bindibadgi]

Two or three SATA?? At least 6, yes.

If you need 1,000W you likely have the cash to want a nice extended RAID array and disk juggling optical drives too. Not to mention a good sound card (Xonar requires power), a fan controller for all those case fans (another molex) and whatever else. Surely the point of having more of something is greater choice, even if it is within a "gaming" niche.

I do agree with your sentiment to a degree, but by that argument it should have an awesome 12V rail(s) and tons of PCI-Express to cope with *Any* combination of GPUs the user wishes

[Tim S]

Personal preference would be five SATA - for my four hard drives and DVD burner. I don't need more than one DVD drive in a gaming rig, as I'm not going to be burning DVDs when I'm playing games.

[tonschk]

Quote : At 100 percent load the fan is still quite slow spinning - especially lower than the Corsair HX1000W, but the bearing whirr has become clearly audible and there's some evident coil whine under 12V weighting to add into the mix now as well. The problem is that we found it got far too hot in places under load. The base was all over very warm to touch with several hotspots - notably under the transformer on the inside edge by the grill running under the cables. The air escaping from both grills was also particularly hot to touch as well

I saw in some PSU reviews , reports with temperature readings inside the PSU, because " very warm " and " too hot " is not a scientific way to report the performance

[Bindibadgi]

Originally Posted by tonschk

Quote : At 100 percent load the fan is still quite slow spinning - especially lower than the Corsair HX1000W, but the bearing whirr has become clearly audible and there's some evident coil whine under 12V weighting to add into the mix now as well. The problem is that we found it got far too hot in places under load. The base was all over very warm to touch with several hotspots - notably under the transformer on the inside edge by the grill running under the cables. The air escaping from both grills was also particularly hot to touch as well

I saw in some PSU reviews , reports with temperature readings inside the PSU, because " very warm " and " too hot " is not a scientific way to report the performance

I've not yet found a way to do this accurately, unfortunately I don't have access to super expensive IR equipment and taking a single thermal reading at a particular point is really not that much use. Where do you take it -the heatsink? what part - by the mosfet or at the ends of the fins? PCB? capacitor - which one, what about the difference between 85C and 105? And I don't fancy sticking a conducting metal probe into a high power devise either.

I do agree it's not very scientific but be assured we have been actively looking for ways to quantify it.