Ultra X-connect 500w PSU

no because it is TD and no because this power supply blows, I mean really sucks, people have had quite a few actually blow up in their systems sometimes taking the other parts.... :eek:
 
I dont know man?? Ive had mine since before the bad review came in from MaxPC and its been running strong and I have not had a single sputter or anything..

Now with all the bad press I would be afraid to get one now but I stand on the fence.

Now let the flames begin :D
 
Consider yourself lucky. They actually do set fire, and it's not rare.

Edit: I guess I might as well let you know that they are rebadged Powmax PSU's.
 
i would avoid @ all cost-- not even worth the shipping charge . i had a 550w that came in a nice TD case-- it works--but only puts out 11.63v on the 12 v rail --about the norm for a generic psu. all kinds of crazey reboots , blinks stutters and ectra if you hook it up to a nf4.

TD wouldn't give me a rma on the psu --cause i said it worked--but undervolted ? WTF ?--LOLi suppose if i got a refund it would be a check for -0- dollars because it was a freebie of sorts.

but the case was good though--and the psu was one of them buy the case get a FREE PSU ! deal so i ain't going to call the BBB on it--but the psu was little added value . :eek:

seems like i saw someplace that was giving the things out free with buying over $100 worth of stuff ??-- i wish i knew of an inexpensive quality psu of around 430-550w that put out good clean power--but i can't think of a one . --although i did see a antec neo-power2- 480w 2.0 /sli ectra for like $69 after $20 MIR over at the egg --might cost a bit more than this ultra x--but should last for years.
 
Megadeth_Guy01 said:
Edit: I guess I might as well let you know that they are rebadged Powmax PSU's.
Click to expand...
Nah, i forget the affiliation but it turned out not to be made by Powwwmax. I believe YoungYear is the mfr but the guru's in our psu forum would know for sure. They seem to consider it a mid-grade psu over there with plenty of debate of course.
 
SJetski71 said:
Nah, i forget the affiliation but it turned out not to be made by Powwwmax. I believe YoungYear is the mfr but the guru's in our psu forum would know for sure. They seem to consider it a mid-grade psu over there with plenty of debate of course.
Click to expand...

really? hm when was this dug up or discovered?
 
Megadeth_Guy01 said:
really? hm when was this dug up or discovered?
Click to expand...
the details are foggy but it's been posted several times before. I swear our resident psu guru's are capable of tracing anything, lol.
 
love mine and i paid something like 100$ for it. been running 24/7 without a hitch since i got it atleast 6 months ago.
 
I have 2. They are excellent. The rev 1 were not so great. But the newer ones they sell now are real stable.
 
I got mine almost a year ago(dont know if that makes it gen1 or not) and have an nf4 mobo and a 7800 gtx and have not had anyproblems with it, altho with all the bad problems I have heard complained about them I dont know if I would want to recommend it to anyone, all I know is the one in my case has never given me a problem
 
bladeiai said:
I got mine almost a year ago(dont know if that makes it gen1 or not) and have an nf4 mobo and a 7800 gtx and have not had anyproblems with it, altho with all the bad problems I have heard complained about them I dont know if I would want to recommend it to anyone, all I know is the one in my case has never given me a problem
Click to expand...

Someone who owns one would not recommend buying one.

I think that pretty much speaks for itself.
 
I paid 100 for mine and its been going strong. Helps with cooling my machine because there isn't a nest of wires. I like it.
 
SJetski71 said:
Oh yea, Outpost has this same psu for $25 AR shipped free.

http://shop4.outpost.com/product/4138923

just a heads up, not a recommendation ;)
Click to expand...
PRIME1 said:
I was going to jump on that, but the rebate they have linked expired last month :eek:
Click to expand...
Yea leave it up to outpost to link the wrong rebate. There is a rebate promo floating around that's good till august 31'st but who's if it also applies to outpost.com(?)

a person can either email/call outpost or just check back to see if its been updated.
 
I haven't had a problem yet with mine. She's been purring since last December. I have had 2 antec power supplies (whom I usually swear by) fail on me on other computers I've built this year tho. So I don't know who to recommend right now. I have a Neo Power running smoothly and I just got a Thermaltake TR2-430W that will be going into a computer I'm building tomorrow. I'm to the point now where I believe PS are just as much of a crap shoot as Hard drives are. Some last forever, some die 2 weeks in.

B
 
hikeskool said:
Anyone serioucly considering this horrible unit for use in their PCs should instead use this unit found in this thread:

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=943474

20 bucks more, but these are PSUs, make a prudent decision and buy a reliable unit.
Click to expand...

:rolleyes:

I have one of these psu's. And I have another on the way. Excellent stability on the rails. The first version of these were garbage, but the new rev2 is excellent.
 
bladeiai said:
I got mine almost a year ago(dont know if that makes it gen1 or not) and have an nf4 mobo and a 7800 gtx and have not had anyproblems with it, altho with all the bad problems I have heard complained about them I dont know if I would want to recommend it to anyone, all I know is the one in my case has never given me a problem
Click to expand...

you are crazy, running a 7800GTX on that, shame shame!
 
Tazzman said:
:eek: YAWN
Click to expand...

You again.

Have any more grammatically-exiguous ramblings adhering to this line of repeatedly denounced, bottom rung units you'd care to grace us with?

Tazzman said:
More words of wisdom from Tazz, taken from a thread late last January:

"B.S..... Im overclocked 600+ mgz a gig of mem with 4 fans, 5 diff lights 2 hard drives,2 Opticles, SB A2 Platnum, Over clocked VID card, TV Tuner Yada yada yada, Can Make DVD's "not back ups" full authoring at 70% CPU usage, Have Judas Preist crankin at shake the walls volume, Be watchin TV in the corner and have a dvd Movie playin, Internet open, Outlook runnin with no Power issues! 0 complaints on this PSU.
I still have not found "1" single Solid Proven documented Failure! I have read maybe 3 possible. Possible? yes, reality doubt it! More than likely User ignorance! Or plain Noobie building! Geez guys you always beleive what you read? Is maxum PC the PC gods? Is there a chance there Shity Equiptment was bad during there review? I live 5 minutes from where I listed this sale. They have solds mass amounts of these, Talking to them they have had "0" returns and complaints! Does that say something?
I had a antec before this and the POS died in 6 months! Thank god It didnt take anything with it! Again, You dont like it pass on it! You like it Go with it its a "DEAL" "

" I just spent the last hour or so searching for the TRUE failure. I found about 10 differant Well known forums with 50 + page threads dedicated to this PS. Everyone looked just like this. People bashing them cause they read, heard,etc. I still have not read a true Failure??? WTF if this PS is such a POS dont you think someone would post a true story, Pictures of said fried unit etc? If a real techie fried one dont you think he would POST IT!
I even went to a review page where some jack azz hooked up 6 fish tank bell lights for his test??? it still didnt fail! WTF I have 2k+ invested in my system All Great to Bad AZZ parts.no mid range system here. I hammer my system regularly with "0" flaws!
I think if one has failed its because the jack azz crossed something etc.



Bottom line no Proven failures!
Tests are tests, Real life is true! Ive Read plenty of true reviews which gave Flying colors! "tests actualy done in a system with a system" not a old beat up Sears Ohm meter that some jack azz shorted on his last "test"
I give this PS a 10 with no effort to type the 10. Good night

PS: how many people with a Good high end system actualy max the PS??? Only time My system comes close to swaeting a bit is when Im authoring DVD"S still doesnt burp, cough or whine! just uses 70% Procesor useage and thats at 40degrees C My P4 is set to warn at 60! Good night again!"

" OMFG people, I posted this as a warm deal WHich it is $81 for a $125 PS is a good deal, "Lets see" "[H]otDEALS"
I have seen many post bashing them in this thread, Which I called out to all to post a True documented Failure. Not a "I heard about one".
I then get But the gods at Max pc said. I then replyed Mine is great with no flaws! I would recomend.

I then get they cant handle this and that. I then reply YEs they can without sweating at all! I have very good $hit in my box that I stress all the time with "0" problems.

I then spend hours searching the mass internet for the TRUE failure. "I can search well" High speed cable! LOL! I am a very froogle buyer. I research everything I buy "not just PC stuff" I find only the same as this thread I HEARD, I read etc. BUT NO TRUE failures. I do find alot of websites that do real world testing in Systems "Real systems" not test equipment.. And this PS impressis all! BUT the people at Max PC test it with test equipment and it sucks 1 star end of story. WTF?

As of last night I found the gods web site and ordered there mag to see what these mortals can say and do. "I like to read". I then stumble upon what looks to me like a Basement/mailroom. With OLD out dated equipment. "look in the back ground" of the photos. This does nothing to impress me. or change my mind on the fact I OWN this PS in question, It runs my $hit very well WITH 0 PROBLEMS. Which is why I recomend it, Why I posted the link for others to see and buy if they want.

I then read
Quote:
You have never been into a mom and pop computer shop have you? Let me guess you have a state of the art production facility in your basement where you build all of your rigs

Ah,? Yes I have.
MAX PC is a mom and pop shop? I thought they were a state of the art PC mag to update PC users on the latest technology? How can they do this with What I see as OLD out dated equipment, Extremly un organized work area etc. Dont tell me its because I didnt read, They were in a hurry waiting for parts etc. is why it looks that way.

BTW Computer Geeks "the link I pointed to" has sold mass amount of these, as well as Compusa and endless other retailers. I live less than a mile from them and questioned them for 2 weeks before I purchased one. Any returns?, any pissed people wanting money back? etc. Answer from both stores "0" searched reviews etc. I bought it and I am VERY HAPPY and would recomend! I do not work for them, I do not receive kick backs, I am passing along a GOOD DEAL!

BTW my spelling sucks, My grammer sucks, But you should still get the POINT!
If you like it BUY IT if you dont "DONT"
Tazzman"

" I owned a antec before this, I Did SLEEVE it myself and it FAILED! yes failed! SMOKE fizzle failed! I have not seen or heard 1 of the X connects fail as I have SAID OVER AND OVER. ASSHAT

Dude you are the most ignorant asshat I have read from, Please re read my last post I have answered all and re answered all. BTW being the powerfull computer fixer guy you are who has literaly fixed 250 PC's your SHIT in your sig in my opinion is $hit, IF I had fixed 250 PC's I would have alot better than you! Opps I DO already! When I do fix peoples PC's that is my play money for my $hit. I am only lacking a top notch VID card, I do not and WILL not pay 400 + dollors for a vid card that will be 50 to 100 in a year! Mine is OC and runs fan fukin tastic!
Please DO NOT REPLY HERE IM me in this forum or e mail me or just STFU.

BTW look at the next post below this YOU will love it!
Tazzman"

"Please be done, I will try and make this the last one, I posted a DEAL in the deals forum, If you like it BUY it if you dont dont.
Do I work for them,? NO Read my profile. I did find out that your PS companys Main Plant "5xxx Avenida Encinas Carlsbad CA"is right next to My shop! I do plan to take a trip there next week and poke around. kind of amazing that such a high class company has failed to get my attention in the 5 years I have been there? Im prety alert to my surroundings, I did more research on your PS company, Are you aware your PS is now obsolete?, Even more looking and I find because the 400 was a bad unit that failed to much! not because they have updated. they now make a completly redesigned and re named PS for your budgit PS group. Yes yours is the budget to mid model. Opps was.

I also remeber you stating you dont and wont buy from non educated people? something like that. I have news for you! The only building next to where I work that could be them is a manufacturing plant of some kind "more than likely the PS company" that has Low life minimum wage Mexicans working for them "we are in southern CA.". I sure hope thats not the true company that makes them! I will see! If it is will you have a change of heart about non educated people? It is a big Buliding with no markings on the Building, I have never paid attention to what they did due to the people who work there. Kinda always figured it was some kind of sweat shop for cheap shit! due to the people who go in and out. Newest car in the Parking lot is about a 1995.
I have yet to bash them in open forum "like you do"and do not intend to or need to. Reseach shows what needs to be known. I did post that I owned a ANtec and it failed! "BTW and not due to me sleeving it". With that in mind I did not buy another do to research! I found many Antec's have fried!
I then researched the X connect and picked one up, and as Me and many have Posted works great In high end and Mid systems with no problems! Again cant find a failure!

I asked you to search google for your PS, Next time ADD your model # and watch and read, But dont cry! There is a few good things said about them also!
Do I think yours is a bad PS NO, Do i think antec is, Yes Why? because of first hand ownership and failure in 6 months!

I do not always beleive what I read, Which is why I read MORE than 1 thing and then make up my mind, Unlike you!

The max PC test I read, some BS in my opinion, WHy? My Judgeing the photos do not see how and where they were able to acheive this so called 100 degree testing room. Why do I think that? The sets Of photos I linked to clearly show that The testing room is a Very Open room that is shared with the testers and some Office staff. "Please look at the back grounds" You stated they have a state of the art Photo area? Again look at the back ground, Its another corner of the building with white sheets covering the window's, Brooms and walls! Yes there Photo cart is a good componant, The lights are a bit old but good to work with, And the camera is Old as well, But a good camera non the less.
In "MY" opinion Max PC is NOT the deciding factor, due to all of the above and other posted things I pointed out. For a company that has a so called 300,000 customers I would think they would have more Up to date Equiptment to test with!

I will end with , Please be more open minded, read more, Soak in more, Before you re post and stumble on your self again. I have received alot of IM from others on this boead laughing at you, due to your ignorance and 1 sided thinking. Do I post IM's NO they ARE Private! and I would expect the same. The deals thred has rules which you have clearly broken Many times so far. Be careful you do not get banned or at the least spanked by the Mod's.

Please end it here. I will say sorry If I have wasted your time,"
Click to expand...

For those of you who have not yet gouged your eyes out, here's a Maximum PC review of an Ultra PSU; note their testing methods on the top of the page:
http://img162.exs.cx/img162/6493/maxpc0nu.jpg

A little snippet of good advice:
http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=860959

Check the PSU forum before making a PSU decision. Do a search for "Ultra" and see what pops up.

Please, just make a prudent decision.
 
Ive had my 500 watt x-connect since December 2004 and paid $100 for it. Its been running strong ever since on both an overclocked Intel Northwood C and AMD 64 Venice core, both with overclocked high end video cards (6800gt and x800xl) and the rails are rock solid according to many software readouts 3.3v 5v and 11.98v at load.
 
I have one and I have to say that it's a bit too loud for my taste. It works well but I don't know long it's going to last. the exhaust is pretty hot and the 80mm fans aren't helping at all. i wished the intake was a 120mm. another thing i dislike about this power supply is that the cables tend to make my case looks more messy than it actually is. all those thick modular cables actually take up a lot of space.
 
I have a gen2 (the one with the windows) and I got it in like december also and it has been solid. I can overclock my meager system more than I could on my old pos..i mean psu...
BUT ANYWAYS -- thats not my point.

the cables make your case look more cluttered than it really is. They just dont bend and flex like regular cables. still shine damn well in UV though, thats for sure :D
 
The Maxium PC was one of only 2 negative reviews this PSU received when it was first released. Meanwhile their were a few neutral reviews and tons of positive reviews.... But the positives didn't matter to people because they thought PowMax made them. It has since been discovered that they are not made by PowMax, but that rumor and the Maximum PC article have already seriously damaged the rep of this PSU series.

As far as these PSU's failing for people... About 6 months ago I looked HARD for anecdotal evidence of failures and for every failure report I found (4 total after about 5 houts of searching the web) I also found tons of positive reports. As a matter of fact I found far more reports of issues with "Quality" PSU's from other manufacturers than I did with the Ultra (though admittedly far less Ultra's are around than Antecs).

I personally have had 2 "quality" Antec PSU's cause problems for me, one killed 2 harddrives, and another failed to protect my motherboard when I lost power in my office (a situation which my Ultra had handled 4 times previously without damage). I have since added a quality UPS system to avoid having to worry about this kind of damage, but the 6 month old Ultra still stood up to the problem far better than the brand new Antec.

Also, in my opinion, if you either didn't already know that Ultra's are not made by PowMax (and thought they were) or didn't have one of your own that failed on you, then you really have no room to comment on this subject because you are clearly not sufficiently informed.
 
arentol said:
The Maxium PC was one of only 2 negative reviews this PSU received when it was first released. Meanwhile their were a few neutral reviews and tons of positive reviews.... But the positives didn't matter to people because they thought PowMax made them. It has since been discovered that they are not made by PowMax, but that rumor and the Maximum PC article have already seriously damaged the rep of this PSU series.

As far as these PSU's failing for people... About 6 months ago I looked HARD for anecdotal evidence of failures and for every failure report I found (4 total after about 5 houts of searching the web) I also found tons of positive reports. As a matter of fact I found far more reports of issues with "Quality" PSU's from other manufacturers than I did with the Ultra (though admittedly far less Ultra's are around than Antecs).

I personally have had 2 "quality" Antec PSU's cause problems for me, one killed 2 harddrives, and another failed to protect my motherboard when I lost power in my office (a situation which my Ultra had handled 4 times previously without damage). I have since added a quality UPS system to avoid having to worry about this kind of damage, but the 6 month old Ultra still stood up to the problem far better than the brand new Antec.

Also, in my opinion, if you either didn't already know that Ultra's are not made by PowMax (and thought they were) or didn't have one of your own that failed on you, then you really have no room to comment on this subject because you are clearly not sufficiently informed.
Click to expand...

This is pretty funny.

I love how the two links I posted and commented on are completely ignored.

We'll do this one-by-one so no one gets lost. Ready?

http://img162.exs.cx/img162/6493/maxpc0nu.jpg

Again, take note that the ultra unit failed miserably. More importantly, please read the testing procedures employed above the review. Now find a typical PSU review at every other PC tech site on the web. These reviews, at most, will run one to two of these procedures for maybe 4 to 5 hours, overnight in a best case scenario. This is not a good gauge of a PSU's worth. In fact, all it proves is that the PSU can survive under "load" for the aforementioned time frame, before the unit is shipped back to the manufacturer, or, God forbid, raffled off on the site's half-assed forums where everyone has an anime character in their sig along with some XFire specs (kewl, man).

Now, on to link number 2:

http://www.hardforum.com/showthread.php?t=860959

I don't expect you to read all of this, but try the first post by LoneWolf and IceCzar, the resident PSU expert.

If you have any deductive reasoning capabilities at all, you'll conclude that the majority of PSU reviews are wholly inadequate.

Now you'll point to the "lack" of failed ultra PSUs you have found on the "net". Well, I can think of two right offhand: Kyle's failed ultra unit which he posted on the front page awhile back and Maximum PC's review which actually did a little more than running "teh DooM3 b3nch/\/\@rckkk" for more than two hours "under load". Kyle's system, which, as I remember "ran HardOCP", can't have been that burly of a machine, could it? Then we look at the sheer numbers game here. I'll conveniently use an allusion to help you better understand what's going on here.

If you live in a real state where people drive real vehicles (read: full-size trucks and SUVs, namely those in the GM family), you might notice, like myself and many of my friends have, that many of the 2002-2004 GM Tahoes/Yukons have a dead "day-time" running light. What you might not know, unless you have a decent understanding/awareness of the auto industry, is that BMW's "iDrive", available in its high-end sedans, starting in the model year 2002 7-series (I think), is a muddled POS and remains so, even after learning from the mistakes Mercedes-Benz made with its own similar COMAND system which debuted in 2000.

I see roughly thirty to forty Tahoes/Yukons daily (not near enough), roughly one in five have one functioning running light as opposed to two. I see maybe a dozen late-model 7 and 5 series (even fewer 6 series) daily, and I can't tell if the user is pissed about his iDrive or not.

The point here is that there are, undoubtedly, many, many more Antec PSUs in circulation than ultra units, who have been "making" units for maybe 2 years now (rough guess). Antec has been in the game significantly longer than that, and thus has more units around. Antec, undoubtedly, produces way more units than ultra. As such, each failed ultra unit is a heavier mark against ultra than each failed Antec unit. Again, this is offset by the fact that most Antec PSUs installed in systems have been around since before ultra started "making" and selling units, and as such are more likely to fail as they grow older.

You see, Antec units are GM Tahoes/Yukons and ultra units are BMWs (sigh...this hurts, but fits the analogy quite well) equipped with iDrive. The Antec units are more common and when there's a problem with them, you hear about it, because it's quite uncommon for them to malfunction (read: malfunctioning running light). When a user is dissatisfied with his ultra unit, which are much less common than the Antecs (Tahoes/Yukons), the only person to hear about it is the dealer who has to fix it under warranty because the owner is too proud to tell everyone his new toy broke.

And that's what ultra units really are, toys. They look shiny and have reactive UV cables. Fucking sweet. Someone didn't tell me the criteria for a good PSU switched from raw functionality and reliability to looks. I must be behind the times.

And then there's straight common sense. Why do you think these units are constantly on sale? I guarantee it is not because the vendor has decided that he can't keep them on shelves and will make a killing selling them.

OK so let's do a play-by-play and see where we stand here, spoken in the language of Football, the only sport God plays:

Essentially almost all PSU reviews are null due to substandard testing procedures, and any unit that receives a "neutral" verdict under said procedures must, by any standard of judgement, be a POS (touchdown + PAT)

Antec has a much, much larger installed base of (mostly older) units than ultra could ever hope for, excusing Antec for the few failures and bad reviews of their units (if any at all can be found) - I later read you essentially said the same thing but fail to account for ultra's "neutral" reviews (wtf is a "neutral" PSU review anyway) (fumble by myself, followed by a deft recovery and first down)

You yourself called your search for failed ultra units "anecdotal", defmaing any point you were trying to make about their quality (block your only chance at getting points on the board, a 54-yard FG attempt, recover, and score a quick 6 with a PAT)

Point out the unlikelihood that the low-rent "maker" of the "v1" ultra units could possibly clear or recall the existing inventory of their obvious poor inventory (an unlikely event in itself), design, and fab new "quality" units in this short a time period (Dusty Dvoracek-esque smackdown of former-Texas pretty boy QB Chris Simms in the 2002 Cotton Bowl; kind of cheap shot but much deserved nonetheless)

You trying to justify an Antec's "failure" by your lack of a UPS during a loss of power (planting the OU flag in the middle of the Cotton Bowl after yet another resounding victory, followed by a night of debauchery amidst saddened texas fans who thought mack brown and bevo stood a chance against Bob "God" Stoops and the Sooner Nation)
 
Is it worth upgrading from an enermax 431W PSU to this?

I am running 3 HD's, overclocking a 3000+ venice and 6800 GT, 5 120mm fans, and 2 optical drives.
 
DarkenReaper57 said:
Is it worth upgrading from an enermax 431W PSU to this?

I am running 3 HD's, overclocking a 3000+ venice and 6800 GT, 5 120mm fans, and 2 optical drives.
Click to expand...

You can't tell me, that you read this entire thread, and are contemplating on upgrading to an Ultra PSU...

In other words, unless Ultra starts rebadging Antec/Fortron/other reputable PSU's, NO.
 
Megadeth_Guy01 said:
You can't tell me, that you read this entire thread, and are contemplating on upgrading to an Ultra PSU...

In other words, unless Ultra starts rebadging Antec/Fortron/other reputable PSU's, NO.
Click to expand...

No, I honestly didn't read the excessively long posts - I only skimmed them. There just seems to be some ambiguity since there are people who say the Ultras work fine, yet there are those who hate them...

But then, that goes with anything nowadays. I don't think I'll upgrade unless my lines start to fluctuate a lot and such when I add some more hardware.
 
Ive said it before.. ill say it again. Ive had one for a year now. Its been great. No jacked up issues the expensive PSU !!!!!!s keep trying to shove down peoples throats.

Expensive..or cheap, its a roll of the dice. Ive paid 150 for PSU's.. ive paid 50. The 150's have not lasted any longer than the 50's, nor caused less problems.

Let people post their deals in peace. If you dont like it.. dont buy it!
 
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