Cables:

Qty Cable Description Length(inches) 1 24 Pin Motherboard Connector 19.5 1 4 Pin +12V Motherboard Connector 19.5 1 8 Pin EPS Connector 19.5 2 6 Pin PCI-Express Connectors 19.5 2 5 Pin SATA Power Cable (3 Devices) 25.5 2 5 Pin SATA Power Cable (2 Devices) 21.5 1 4 Pin Power Cable (2 Devices) 23.5 2 4 Pin Power Cable (2 Devices + 2 Floppy) 29.5 1 4 Pin Power Cable (3 Devices) 23.5 1 4 Pin Power Cable (1 Device) 7.5 1 3 Pin Fan Connector (3 Devices) 25.5

 

What is FlexForce? Manageable - FlexForce Cables are designed to be easily routed and hidden within your case. Increased Airflow - Special design promotes easy cable management and 30% better airflow than ordinary cables by easily routing cable under the motherboard, behind drive bays, etc. Design - Cables are dressed in a sleek looking titanium like finish.

 

24pin cable	Up close	4 and 8 Pin	PCI-E
Molex	SATA	Fan	A/C Cord

    Plenty of cables are supplied with the X3 600w, and each of those cables are stamped with the name of the device they connect to on the plug ends. This also helps to eliminate any possible confusion. Usually we talk about how much we like to see the cables sleeved. However, sometimes sleeved cables can be very stiff and hard to move around, and can put undo stress on the connection points of the hardware. The cables supplied with the X3 600w are not sleeved; instead, they appear to be a good quality silicon wire. Silicon wire is much more flexible versus wire covered in plastic. The cables are designed to be flat, thus allowing you to run some behind the motherboard or just flat against the one of the surfaces in the enclosure. A list of provided cables are shown above.

Installation and Testing:

Rear view

Cable-less

Cables installed

    Installing the Ultra X3 600w power supply is like installing any other power supply. Slide the power supply into the proper location and use the four supplied screws to secure the power supply to the case. Now for testing. Since we at VH can't afford to spend $50,000 on a Chroma C8000 Automatic Power Supply Test System and Dice refuses to get one for review, we can only really test the PFC rating of a power supply. I did this by generating a 200W power load, along with the power load from the computer hardware listed below, which gives me around 340W-350W. Also, showing voltage readings under idle and load conditions don't mean a thing without the proper test equipment. It is normal for the voltage to fluctuate under these conditions, so my testing for now on will just show the Power Factor.

Test Rig:

Seasonic Power Angel will be used to read the efficiency of the power supply under normal system load. With my system setup, there is no way I'm going to get near the max wattage rating of this PSU, so we shall see the PFC rating under a normal system.

Conclusion:

    If you haven't noticed, I like fully modular power supplies. Don't ask me why; I know it doesn't offer anything more than a partial modular unit. I just like the fact that I can install the X3 in a tight location without any wires getting in the way. The black mirror finish on the chassis of the X3 reminds me of piano finishes found on some enclosures: they both seem to attract fingerprints very easily.

    The 135mm was extremely quiet when the system was being tested, and wasn't noticed over the noise from the hard drive and system fans. The PF rating of .91% was achieved from running the system at a consistent rate of 327 watts for a few hours. The Power Angel keeps track of the PF rating. Lastly, the Flex Force Slim Cable was easy to use and with the design being flat, I was able to contour the cable to some portions of the enclosure. The Ultra X3 600w power supply is a solid performer and will suit the needs of 98% of computer users out there. Now, if you happen to be in that elite 2% that needs more from a power supply, then by all means grab the 1000w or 1600w X3. I would like to thank Ultra for sending out this power supply for VH to review.

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