Ultra Power Supplies - BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

orkan

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Jul 9, 2002
Messages
1,488
Stay away from Ultra's. I can't believe I havn't heard more nasty things about them than I have.

A cheap powmax PSU, re-badged as an Ultra with pretty coverings.

Mine just blew up, taking my new DFI SLI-DR board along with it. Now I get to enjoy the waiting game until my RMA's process.

My new OCZ Powerstream 520 is on the way. BURN IN HELL ULTRA!!!!!
 
ooo damn sorry for ur loss. i was gonna get the ultra becuase... i duno i just was but luckly i decided to get my powerstream 520
 
maybe this is the wrong attitude for someone who overclocks, however i don't like the OCZ units, because as far as i'm concerned regulating voltages is the PSU's job, not mine.

the PSU should have good enough tollerancing and calibration that no adjustment is necessary. the fact that the OCZ relies on hand-adjustment to keep the voltages where they should be does not speak well for the unit as a whole, in my opinion.
 
OCZ is just giving you the option to regulate. They are offering something others don't, that's all. If you want it to regulate, then buy something else :O

edit: oh i'm sorry, I thought you were saying you didn't think they were right to do what they did to them. i didn't read it correctly.
 
and that is exactly why i do buy something else.

there is a market of people who want it, so OCZ sells it, and there is nothing at all wrong with that.

it is not what i want in a PSU, it is not something that i feel is good to have in a PSU, and i am sharing that opinion. i don't think that there is anything wrong with that either.
 
OCZ's modstream doesn't have adjustable rails, and is probably the most stable modular psu you will ever find. I would have bought one, but the atx power connector is only 13" long and will not stretch accross my 18" cube.
 
Off-topic, but how are CoolMax PSU's generally speaking? Pretty realiable?
 
damn thanks for the addvice on ultras... was thinkin bout getting on but fuck that :p
ocz was my second choice so I gues I'll stick with that. :)
 
BTW... I called ULTRA directly, and asked for a refund. Respose: "we only do exchanges."

I guess if I had a pile of crap, that I wanted to make a quick buck from... I would carry the same policy.

... bastards.

On the other side of the coin... I purchased the PSU with my U2-UFO case from mountainmods.com. The guys at mountain mods are very professional and were very sympathetic to my little disaster. They said to send it back, and they will give me a full refund, and handle the RMA themselves. Classy bunch of people.
 
I don't get it? My Ultra X-Connect has been more than I could ever ask of it (stable dead-on rails, after replacing the fans it's also now very quiet) however, my old Ultra 400W was garbage. With all the overclocking I do, it has held up quite well, had it for just about a year so far and built several systems under it... I don't see any of of the problems people seem to experience here.
 
SRT-4 said:
Off-topic, but how are CoolMax PSU's generally speaking? Pretty realiable?
computerpro3 said:
So without Further ado, I present to you the list of Un-reccomended and Unscrupulous Power Supply Companies

Achieve
Aerocool
Allied
Aspire
Codegen
Coolmax
Demon
Deer
Devanni.
Dynapower
Eagle
E-power (except Tagan series)
InWin
JustPC
Kingwin
L&C
Linkworld
MGE,
PCMICS
Power-Man
Powmax
Power-Up
Raidmax
Thermaltakes (low end ones, butterflies are fine, and some enlight models, the TT category depends)
Turbo
Ultra-X (yes, the pretty looking ones, they are made by a low-quality Chinese company that starts with "Young". Can't get much more generic than that!!!)
X-superalien
X-treme
teh noes
 
orkan said:
Stay away from Ultra's. I can't believe I havn't heard more nasty things about them than I have.

A cheap powmax PSU, re-badged as an Ultra with pretty coverings.

Mine just blew up, taking my new DFI SLI-DR board along with it. Now I get to enjoy the waiting game until my RMA's process.

My new OCZ Powerstream 520 is on the way. BURN IN HELL ULTRA!!!!!

It is a Young Year not a Powmax.......not much if any better mind you but still. And most PSU's are rebranded it all depends on who the original manufacturer was......ULTRA chooses the very cheap Young Year who uses lesser quality components and has less stringent QC.

That OCZ while a damn fine PSU is a Topower. It is a good supply from a good manufacturer but OCZ didn't build it they contracted it out to their spec's.

Good luck with the new PSU....and hopefully you helped other people from getting burned(pun fully intended).
 
The OCZ may be rebranded as well, but that is not the core issue here.

The issue is whether the PSU is quality, and whether the company behind it is going to stand with their product. OCZ is known for their customer support and quality components.

Ultra not only sells crap components, but refuses to stand behind them as well. Those are the ingredients for disaster.
 
My friend has an X-connect 500W and the rails are incredibly stable, completely owns my friends 580W powmax.
 
Man sorry to hear it blew. I have 4 of them now and all is well! 2 in at stock speed and 2 in OC'ed 20%.
Did you check it out and see why it blew? Only other one I have seen on this board that blew, he modded the fans, Cooling and Raped the main Power line. And Ultra is still backing it up. Lucky Huh. :confused: :D
 
I didnt' mod the fans, although I probably should have.

running watercooling. ...
1.9vcore on cpu
3.7vdimm memory
1.7vcore gpu

So yeah, I was drawing some power, but nothing beyond advertised spec's for the ultra.
It is just weak sauce.
 
orkan said:
I didnt' mod the fans, although I probably should have.

running watercooling. ...
1.9vcore on cpu
3.7vdimm memory
1.7vcore gpu

So yeah, I was drawing some power, but nothing beyond advertised spec's for the ultra.
It is just weak sauce.
Bummer dude, Does you rig need more than 500w? My biggest rig calculates a 440 to 460 needed at max power draw, So It runs well for me.
 
Based on the spec's, the ultra shouldnt have had a problem handling it. ... but it did.

My system:
DFI LanParty UT SLI-DR
AMD Athlon64 3200 [winnie]
ATI X850XT 256MB
2x 512mb Corsair XMS PC3500C2 rev. 1.1 [BH5]
2x Western Digital 74GB Raptor - RAID-0
Western Digital 250GB SATA
LiteON 16x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner
LiteON 52x32x52+16 Combo Drive
DD-D4 Pump
 
orkan said:
The OCZ may be rebranded as well, but that is not the core issue here.

The issue is whether the PSU is quality, and whether the company behind it is going to stand with their product. OCZ is known for their customer support and quality components.

Ultra not only sells crap components, but refuses to stand behind them as well. Those are the ingredients for disaster.

Wasn't OCZ the very company that screwed over enthusiasts by offering them terrible re-badged memory about two years ago that 90% of the time didn't even run?

After that incident, I will never give my money to a company that allows such travesty to occur.

orkan said:
Based on the spec's, the ultra shouldnt have had a problem handling it. ... but it did.

My system:
DFI LanParty UT SLI-DR
AMD Athlon64 3200 [winnie]
ATI X850XT 256MB
2x 512mb Corsair XMS PC3500C2 rev. 1.1 [BH5]
2x Western Digital 74GB Raptor - RAID-0
Western Digital 250GB SATA
LiteON 16x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner
LiteON 52x32x52+16 Combo Drive
DD-D4 Pump

Maybe the pump is what did it, I've got more stressful components then that and it handled it quite nicely.
 
orkan said:
Based on the spec's, the ultra shouldnt have had a problem handling it. ... but it did.

My system:
DFI LanParty UT SLI-DR
AMD Athlon64 3200 [winnie]
ATI X850XT 256MB
2x 512mb Corsair XMS PC3500C2 rev. 1.1 [BH5]
2x Western Digital 74GB Raptor - RAID-0
Western Digital 250GB SATA
LiteON 16x DVD+/-RW Dual Layer Burner
LiteON 52x32x52+16 Combo Drive
DD-D4 Pump
A guess would be about 420w needed to run + your water cooling. You are just about there if not over. + with overclocking.. Fizzle I would be safe and say at least 550. if not 600
What is the rated w needed for the water cooling?
 
i just got an xconnect PSU, those are ULTRA right? should I return it fast, or do you think this could just be a faulty psu?
 
The Seasonic S12 PSUs are by far the best I've used. The S12-430 is the quietest fanned PSU on the market (SPCR agrees), and has a 80%+ efficiency.
 
V0ltage said:
My friend has an X-connect 500W and the rails are incredibly stable, completely owns my friends 580W powmax.

I just spit cheezits and coke all over my keyboard. Its sticky.
frown.gif
 
I would return that ultra. ... that is the point of this thread. Too many of these things are being sold under the faulse premise of quality.

Just because something looks pretty, doesn't mean it is worth a damn.

FYI - the DD-D4 pump draws 19watts, 1.58 amps.
 
V0ltage said:
My friend has an X-connect 500W and the rails are incredibly stable, completely owns my friends 580W powmax.

GlobalFear said:
I just spit cheezits and coke all over my keyboard. Its sticky.
frown.gif

Same here.....

At least he compared apples to apples.......

insert crap=apples
 
orkan said:
Stay away from Ultra's. I can't believe I havn't heard more nasty things about them than I have.

A cheap powmax PSU, re-badged as an Ultra with pretty coverings.

Mine just blew up, taking my new DFI SLI-DR board along with it. Now I get to enjoy the waiting game until my RMA's process.

My new OCZ Powerstream 520 is on the way. BURN IN HELL ULTRA!!!!!

Youngyear Electronics not Powmax \ Leadman Electronics

but basically the same difference :p

http://hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=858204&highlight=Youngyear
 
In my 3 rigs, I have an OCZ 420 Powerstream, and Ultra X-Connect500, and a Vantech Stealth 520.

OCZ is the most stable, Ultra a damn close second, and the vantech is stable, but my 12v runs closer to 11.6-11.7 whish is ok.... But not prefered............

I've heard of quite a few of the XConnects failing or simply haveing bad rails.... But I've seen more that are pretty darn good supplies.... If one (Or even 10) bad experiences with a given product meant no one should use it, I think we would all be sending each other letters written in pencil instead of typing on the internet....
 
whether a given supply is stable or not
generally has more to do with the crossload on that supply
even a junk supply can work flawlessly if the load matches up to its narrow acceptable crossload profile
the difference is a good supply has a much greater profile
it also has a wider range of acceptable AC voltage, better filtering (ac ripple) and transient response and load regulation

http://www.pcguide.com/ref/power/sup/specElec-c.html
 
Sorry to hear your loss... judging from the rig you were running, you were running that X-Connect close to it's maximum load rating, something that most other people don't do. Did you have a UPS on it?

How about we move this to the PSU forum where it can get more attention ;)
 
orkan said:
The OCZ may be rebranded as well, but that is not the core issue here.

The issue is whether the PSU is quality, and whether the company behind it is going to stand with their product. OCZ is known for their customer support and quality components.

Ultra not only sells crap components, but refuses to stand behind them as well. Those are the ingredients for disaster.

I understand that I was just saying that OCZ does also in interest of full disclosure.
 
V0ltage said:
My friend has an X-connect 500W and the rails are incredibly stable, completely owns my friends 580W powmax.

This is so damn funny. My Gremlin totally pwns my friends Yugo :p
 
Impaqt said:
In my 3 rigs, I have an OCZ 420 Powerstream, and Ultra X-Connect500, and a Vantech Stealth 520.

OCZ is the most stable, Ultra a damn close second, and the vantech is stable, but my 12v runs closer to 11.6-11.7 whish is ok.... But not prefered............

I've heard of quite a few of the XConnects failing or simply haveing bad rails.... But I've seen more that are pretty darn good supplies.... If one (Or even 10) bad experiences with a given product meant no one should use it, I think we would all be sending each other letters written in pencil instead of typing on the internet....


some people have good luck, and some people have bad luck, so if you are feeling like you have enough four leaf clovers and horeshoes stockpiled, then go ahead and do what you like.

for myself, when i read a review of a powersupply that notes that the 3.3 rail sags down to 2.95 under load, then i note that a given PSU is very highly questionable.

when i see some users with similar results, i resolve to remember and avoid that given brand for a good long while.

maybe in 3-5 years, ultra will put out some really solid product, and i will regret saying this, but: it will take a long time, and many positive reviews for me to seriously consider buying one myself.
 
Yep, I bought an Ultra X-connect 500W PSU from tigerdirect about a week ago. The aesthetic of the X-connect is awesome. However, after two days of use, it just died, no warning, DIED. I was not overclocking and the system was minimal (CPU, 9800pro, one HD, one DVD drive, one stock hs/fan, and 3 fans). Had to send it back for refund. I now have an Antec Phantom. Love it. It is quiet and working great.
 
Why not just get a PCP&C and replace the casing with an ultra's? PROBLEM SOLVED AM I RIGHT?

edit: I really don't give a damn if it works or not, I just think its silly to get a PSU based on appearence.
 
magnuspah said:
Yep, I bought an Ultra X-connect 500W PSU from tigerdirect about a week ago. The aesthetic of the X-connect is awesome. However, after two days of use, it just died, no warning, DIED. I was not overclocking and the system was minimal (CPU, 9800pro, one HD, one DVD drive, one stock hs/fan, and 3 fans). Had to send it back for refund. I now have an Antec Phantom. Love it. It is quiet and working great.

That is quite a change in PSU philosophy :p
 
My Ultra X-Connect 500W would smell like hot glue whenever I'd load it up... and man did I ever load it up.

eventually it just kicked the bucket after a few months of abuse. It gave an excuse to pick up the 480W Antec Neo 480W for $50 from Frys last week.

very nice PSU.
Toms Hardware reviewed a slew of PSUs and found the Ultra to drop way below spec voltages under loads.
check it out.
linky
 
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