Enermax's EG651P-VE(FMA) 550W

If I were judging purely on looks, Enermax's 550W EG651P-VE(FMA) would definitely take the cake. While certainly not flashy, the power supply has a glossy, deep-blue finish that's nicer than most case treatments. The dark blue EG651P-VE(FMA) probably isn't the best cosmetic match for an all-aluminum aesthetic, but I'd love to find a case that matches its color.

The EG651P-VE(FMA) uses an 80mm rear fan and a 90mm bottom fan—not only to keep the power supply cool, but also to vent air from the system. Both fans are variable-speed units controlled by the internal power supply temperature, but the rear fan speed can also be adjusted with a knob mounted on the back of the power supply. Having the knob at the rear of the power supply ensures that it's accessible without having to pop off any case panels, users will still have to crawl behind the back of the case to use it.

Because only a few of the power supplies we're looking at today feature user-controlled fans at all, it's hard to gripe too much about where Enermax puts the fan speed knob. The knob turns freely, providing plenty of fine-tuning precision, and there's even a notch to help you know just how close you are to the lowest or highest fan speed.

There's plenty of venting at the rear of the EG651P-VE(FMA), and the absence of a third fan should keep the unit's noise levels low. Lower than the others? We'll soon see.

The EG651P-VE(FMA) is the only power supply in this comparison to not only sheath the main motherboard power connector, but also the other auxiliary motherboard power connectors. It's not a big deal, really, but this nice little makes the EG651P-VE(FMA) stand out. The individual Molex cables are neatly zip-tied, too.

Ready to stretch across the confines of even the largest full tower cases, the EG651P-VE(FMA)'s motherboard power cables are 20 inches long and the Molex cables stretch a full 33 inches. With eight Molex and two floppy connectors, there are plenty of plugs for massive RAID arrays. There's even an extra Molex connector that brings the four-pin plug total up to nine, should you need it.

Like most of the other power supplies in this comparison, the EG651P-VE(FMA) comes with a set of four screws. Enermax also throws in a Molex splitter that can power two Serial ATA hard drives and an "Enermax Power Inside" sticker for those who want to advertise their power supply investments. Because it's the most expensive power supply we're looking at today, I'm going to whine about the fact that Enermax doesn't include any zip ties or cable binders in the box. Yes, the EG651P-VE(FMA)'s cables are neatly sheathed and zip-tied to reduce tangling, but it would have been nice for Enermax to include a couple of extra zip ties for securing cables to the interior of a case.