Weird PSU, seems good but...

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Furious911

n00b
Joined
Mar 15, 2008
Messages
40
Hey fellas I ordered a XION XON-630P12N ATX12V 630W Power Supply (in my case already) and I was thinking about sending it back to newegg and upgrading to a APEVIA ATX-LCD750W 750W Quartz Power PSU.

The reason is because the XION has a 4-pin connector and my mobo is 8-pin, I've been told it will still work, but I wanna get my ducks in a row and kinda do it right the first time.

Heres the info on the XION:
17-190-017-07.jpg

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817190017

and heres the APEVIA:
17-148-034-11.jpg

now the weird thing is I'm not sure exactly whats what with the power readout on their website check it out: http://www.apevia.com/product.php?pid=265

What do you guys think? Is that APEVIA a good strong PSU capable of running a 9600 or 8800 sli system? Or does it seem like some kinda gimmick?

Thanks fellas all your help is tremendous.
 
xion & apevida???

I wouldn't want to risk frying my PC for a cheap psu. Get a reputable one like Coolermaster, Antec, HEC etc.
 
Furious911 said:
Hey fellas I ordered a XION XON-630P12N ATX12V 630W Power Supply (in my case already) and I was thinking about sending it back to newegg and upgrading to a APEVIA ATX-LCD750W 750W Quartz Power PSU.

The reason is because the XION has a 4-pin connector and my mobo is 8-pin, I've been told it will still work, but I wanna get my ducks in a row and kinda do it right the first time.
Click to expand...

I laughed out loud when I read this. :D

Don't bother with that Apevia PSU either. It's even worse than the Xion PSU you have now. Look at the power supplies that tiraides recommended.
 
Yup, stick with the name brand PS from Corsair, Seasonic, Silverstone and PC Power & Cooling.
 
tiraides said:
If you want to get your ducks in a row, spend the money and get a better power supply. The Corsair TX750W and the PC Power & Cooling 750 Quad are two of the power supplies you should be looking at for a potential SLI build.
Click to expand...

now see I was told the corsair 620 modular was fine for sli... so that is what I ordered.. just showed up yesterday and just the packaging in the box is awesome!!!!!:D
 
Sigh, well I guess no ones on a budget here I should have known better. Every time I ask a technical question is like just buy a 10000 watt or get a core 5 extreme.

This thing says its 750 watt, its got 2 12V rails at 30 amps, if those specs were on a Antec PSU would it be good enough??? It has overvoltage protection so i Wont fry anything.

enginurd, thanks for the info I'll read those.
 
Furious911 said:
Sigh, well I guess no ones on a budget here I should have known better. Every time I ask a technical question is like just buy a 10000 watt or get a core 5 extreme.

This thing says its 750 watt, its got 2 12V rails at 30 amps, if those specs were on a Antec PSU would it be good enough??? It has overvoltage protection so i Wont fry anything.

enginurd, thanks for the info I'll read those.
Click to expand...

I can give you the budget build a guy at work just did.. $620
he got the
antec p180 case for $89.99 after coupon
E6750
2x2gb ddr2-800
gigabit mobo ($90)
palit 9600GT
320gb sata drive
el cheapo p/s ($30 he said was on clearance.... )
 
Furious911 said:
This thing says its 750 watt, its got 2 12V rails at 30 amps, if those specs were on a Antec PSU would it be good enough??? It has overvoltage protection so i Wont fry anything.
Click to expand...

There are many unpublished aspects to a PSU that you wont find out until someone reports on it or you find out yourself the hard way.
Overvoltage protection isnt going to help you if it doesnt actually work (or work properly) or the fault isnt caused by over voltage.

[H] has taken a lot of time to produce some of the best PSU reviews I have seen, as you are here, you might want to read them.
This will tell you why some PSU's are actually dangerous and can not only kill your PC's components but can cause a fire!
 
Furious911 said:
This thing says its 750 watt, its got 2 12V rails at 30 amps, if those specs were on a Antec PSU would it be good enough??? It has overvoltage protection so i Wont fry anything.
Click to expand...

You say you're on a budget yet you want 8800GT SLI? Two 8800GT cards are $400 to $460. Yet you complain that no one understands that you're on budget? That doesn't make sense. The one item you should never skimp on in a PC is the PSU. A poorly made PSU can and will kill your PC eventually.

We're not saying get a 1000W PSU. We're saying get a better QUALITY PSU. Apevia is well known for making shitty PSUs. A couple of proper reviews of Apevia PSUs:
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=78
http://www.jonnyguru.com/modules.php?name=NDReviews&op=Story&reid=79

Remember that wattage doesn't mean as much these days. What matters most is where those watts are being delivered. For current rigs, it's all about how much amps are on the +12V rail since most PC parts draw their power from there. The more amps you have, the more upgrades (hard drives, video cards, PCI cards, etc) you can add. You determine the amperage on the +12V rails by first finding out what's the total combined, max load, combined or max wattage aside for the +12V rails/section alone. Then divide that total by 12 and you get how much amps the PSU has on the +12V rail.

That's the correct way to find out how much amps a power supply has. Don't add up the amps on the +12V rail to figure out the amperage. Doesn't work that way. If the total combined or max wattage can't be found on the power supply, check the manufacturer's page for that PSU for that info. If the manufacturer doesn't provide that information, it's generally a good sign for you to drop that power supply from consideration.

Even if those specs were on a Antec PSU, we would still need to see information mentioned above: the total combined, max load, combined or max wattage set aside for the +12V rail alone.
 
Furious911 said:
Sigh, well I guess no ones on a budget here I should have known better. Every time I ask a technical question is like just buy a 10000 watt or get a core 5 extreme.

This thing says its 750 watt, its got 2 12V rails at 30 amps, if those specs were on a Antec PSU would it be good enough??? It has overvoltage protection so i Wont fry anything.

enginurd, thanks for the info I'll read those.
Click to expand...

Its not just about the name brand. Antec is ok, but only some models. Their Basiq and older TP/SP 2.0 lines are/were notorious for failures. Its also about trust... whether the PSU can actually output what the label says it can. Apevia is notorious for pulling numbers out of their asses for their labels.

Regarding the PSU you listed... Sure, it says 30A each, but can it really do that? The label doesnt even tell you the max combined wattage/amperage for certain rails! At the very least, it should tell you the max combined wattage for the +3.3V and +5V rails, which will give you an idea of what's leftover for the +12V rails, if the 3.3 and 5 were fully loaded. If you do the math, that PSU should be listed as a 1045W PSU, but we all know it can't do that. Its a misleading label and therefore not trustworthy.

The PSU could take out your entire system, so don't trust it with untrustworthy parts, especially the PSU. If you want to run 8800GTS' in SLI, the cheapest PSU would be the Antec TruPower Trio 650W. A better choice would be the Corsair 650W, for $95 at buy.com, or $99AR from the egg.

THIS is how a PSU label should look (notice all the info it gives, including the max wattage/amperage for the +12v rails -- where modern systems draw MOST of their power from, including your vidcards).

17-139-005-10.jpg


Both the Antec TRIO 650W and the Corsair have 52A available on the +12V rail(s).

An even better choice would be a 750W PSU. The Corsair model is $115AR from buy.com, btw.

EDIT: damn, that took me a while to write, lol... edited to not be as redundant now with Danny's post above.
 
enginurd said:
Regarding the PSU you listed... Sure, it says 30A each, but can it really do that? The label doesnt even tell you the max combined wattage/amperage for certain rails! At the very least, it should tell you the max combined wattage for the +3.3V and +5V rails, which will give you an idea of what's leftover for the +12V rails, if the 3.3 and 5 were fully loaded. If you do the math, that PSU should be listed as a 1045W PSU, but we all know it can't do that. Its a misleading label and therefore not trustworthy.
Click to expand...

According to the website the OP linked to, that particular Apevia PSU max combined wattage for the +5V & 3.3V rails is 330W. Max combined wattage for the +12V, +5V & +3.3V is 730W. So that means it'll only have 400W on the +12V or 33A on the +12V rail.

That's pretty shitty for a "750W" PSU. The Corsair 450VX 450W PSU offers that much power and it's a 450W PSU!
 
Thanks x100 fellas, I'm defiantly gonna RMA that XION PSU I got from newegg, I might try one of those Corsairs. I do want a SLI configuration... eventually, thats why I'm on a budget, it'll be like 6mo or so before the SLI happens and I need a PSU for that future.

Thanks for the info, correct me if I'm wrong but I do NOT need to make sure the PSU is SLI certified do I?

If I can't get money back and just get a power supply from newegg I'll get something like:

I'll probably either get:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005
which isnt certified

or if you think this will work, which is certified:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139001

Unless you guys have better suggestions.

If I can get money back tho, maybe i can get:
http://www.buy.com/prod/corsair-tx-750w-atx-12v-power-supply/q/loc/101/206178325.html
 
The 650TX is SLI certified. No offense, but due to your newbie status when it comes to power supplies, I would recommend that you make sure the PSU is SLI certified. I recommend going with the 650TX or 750TX if you can afford it. The 520HX might work but I recommend going with something larger to make sure you don't run into any problems.
 
Furious911 said:
I'll probably either get:
http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16817139005
which isnt certified
Click to expand...

As Danny already mentioned, the TX series is SLI certified. ;)

Newegg will accept a return, but will charge 15% re-stocking fee if the item is not defective. If it is, they'll just replace it. So, chat with a rep on their website and just return the Xion, and to waive the restocking fee, let them know you'll be a replacement from them. Then go with the TX650W unless they let you get a refund without the restocking fee... then, as you already planned, get the TX750W from buy.com. (its an even better deal if you get the Google checkout coupon; btw, 1st time GCO buyers get $10 off @ buy.com)
 
You're worried about spending money? Buy it from Buy.com:

TX650 - $96.99 with free shipping
TX750 - $149.99 with free shipping and a $35 mail-in rebate

As everyone else has mentioned, the power supply is the most important part of your computer -- it powers everything. You shouldn't try to skimp on it. It's not like we're telling you to buy a third 8800 card.

Check out the specs page for both the TX650 and the TX750... there's a reason why we're recommending those PSUs.
 
When I first seen the pics of the Xion and Apevia PS in the OP, the first thing that came to mind was: "Aww man...another Generic PS purchase again?" LoL You will see the term Corsair, Corsair all over the Hardforum. I think it's the most widely used term in Hardforum --> Corsair
 
Only when it comes to power supplies.... (Though, really, they're rebranded Seasonic PSUs. Their popularity comes because they are excellent PSUs, and they're now at decent prices.)
 
Unless it's me typing. Then it's probably "PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad Black"

(You know it's good cause the name is like half a line long all by itself. Clearly.)
 
tiraides said:
Only when it comes to power supplies.... (Though, really, they're rebranded Seasonic PSUs. Their popularity comes because they are excellent PSUs, and they're now at decent prices.)
Click to expand...

IIRC, they've got a couple CWT units, too. ;) They're also typically cheaper than Seasonic units.
 
Furious911 said:
Sigh, well I guess no ones on a budget here I should have known better. Every time I ask a technical question is like just buy a 10000 watt or get a core 5 extreme.

This thing says its 750 watt, its got 2 12V rails at 30 amps, if those specs were on a Antec PSU would it be good enough??? It has overvoltage protection so i Wont fry anything.

enginurd, thanks for the info I'll read those.
Click to expand...

The last Apevia I reviewed melted. Literally.

Xion typically uses SuperFlower...I can't tell on that model but if it is a SuperFlower it is head and shoulders above Apevia.

As for price point's I recently did a $50 roundup then followed it up with a sub $50 SilverStone. You might read those.
 
HardwareGuru said:
When I first seen the pics of the Xion and Apevia PS in the OP, the first thing that came to mind was: "Aww man...another Generic PS purchase again?" LoL You will see the term Corsair, Corsair all over the Hardforum. I think it's the most widely used term in Hardforum --> Corsair
Click to expand...

My plan is working *rubs hands together*
 
Paul_Johnson said:
Xion typically uses SuperFlower...I can't tell on that model but if it is a SuperFlower it is head and shoulders above Apevia.
Click to expand...

The fact that the UL logo has been stickered over with a black sticker a la censorship bar tells me that there's something fishy about the OEM of this unit. It's either not UL listed or they "borrowed" someone else's number. But yeah, TYPICALLY they are SuperFlower.

Redbeard said:
My plan is working *rubs hands together*
Click to expand...

Oh yeah? Help me move some of these: http://www.buy.com/prod/bfg-tech-800w-atx12v-eps12v-power-supply/q/loc/101/204696870.html :D

enginurd said:
You want even more market share? lower prices, lol.
Click to expand...

Corsair's prices are already pretty damn low. Corsair's saving grace is that they come from a memory background.... they're used to low margins. ;) You get any less expensive then that and you get crap like what the OP is listing. Only the crap the OP is listing is overpriced by about 200%.
 
jonnyGURU said:
Corsair's prices are already pretty damn low. Corsair's saving grace is that they come from a memory background.... they're used to low margins. ;) You get any less expensive then that and you get crap like what the OP is listing. Only the crap the OP is listing is overpriced by about 200%.
Click to expand...

Yeah that's pretty true. It's not uncommon that memory has single-digit margins. I mean, yeah, some of the overclocking stuff has decent margins, but that's only a tiny fraction of what we sell. Most of what we sell is 800 MHz DDR2 right now, and margins on that are so low that sometimes the packaging costs make the difference between profits. Yeah, that means that if the plastic clamshell costs $1.30 instead of $.90, we notice it. Heh.

But PSUs have been sold with ridiculous margins by some companies for years. I know of one specific example where the product's MSRP is literally more than 4 times the cost of the product.

But anyway, the nice thing about PSUs is that the prices aren't volatile. The memory market is a pain in the butt because if you buy $20,000 in memory on Monday, on Tuesday that same memory might cost your $18,000 because they cut the price of ICs 10% for some reason. That means that if Company X buys on Tuesday, they can sell their product for 10% less than we can and still make similar profits.

PSUs don't change in price like that - capacitors and transformers and copper wire aren't quite as volatile as RAM.
 
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