Modular PSUs: Where are the gems?

[Airmantharp]

Just fair warning on going with a non-mod power supply, the premium is really for saving you all that money on tylenol from all that banging your head against the case because the cable management is a mess because your power supply comes with everything and the kitchen sink and you're case isn't exactly an HAF. That was my problem, and sure I saved a few bucks, but I was wishing I spent the extra money when the parts came to save me the cable-gami nightmare that awaited me. Unless that's you're thing/don't care how messy your case innards are.

To be honest, unless the extra cabling would be blocking airflow, or you have a window and want to show off the guts, there's very little need for a modular PSU. I bought my 620HX when they were new, both it and the 520HX are actually really old designs, for the dynamic cooling ability and silent operation. It's still silent today, after 2.5 years, had to look it up!

[Hyperneko]

Just fair warning on going with a non-mod power supply, the premium is really for saving you all that money on tylenol from all that banging your head against the case because the cable management is a mess because your power supply comes with everything and the kitchen sink and you're case isn't exactly an HAF. That was my problem, and sure I saved a few bucks, but I was wishing I spent the extra money when the parts came to save me the cable-gami nightmare that awaited me. Unless that's you're thing/don't care how messy your case innards are.

To be honest, unless the extra cabling would be blocking airflow, or you have a window and want to show off the guts, there's very little need for a modular PSU. I bought my 620HX when they were new, both it and the 520HX are actually really old designs, for the dynamic cooling ability and silent operation. It's still silent today, after 2.5 years, had to look it up!

In my case it did, since I use a CM Storm Scout. The extra cabling my non-mod PSU had would normally block the front intake airflow if left unattended, and one of the cons on this case was its lack of adequate cable management. I made due, but it was terribly difficult to hide all that cabling (the backside of the case is rather narrow and doesn't fit all the cables well, plus its a windowed case) In the end I did manage, but I would of had a much, much easier time doing so if I had gone with a modular PSU of similar Ws. The blockage was also significant in my case since it brought my ambient temps up a few ( about 5c's when first hastily assembled) and after cable management it brought it down. Plus the loose cables loosely hanging in near the front of the case would tap the HD case due to the intake air, which irked me a bit.

I'm a little bit of a tidyness freak, I know

[Flying Fox]

I'm a little bit of a tidyness freak, I know

http://techreport.com/forums/viewtopic. ... 61#p521561

[moriz]

if you want to buy parts in canada, never use newegg.ca. even if they have better prices, the border tax will screw you over enough that it's not worth it. if you want an e-tailer, go with ncix.ca. their website organization is horrible, but at least you'll get better prices. if you have canada computers and/or pc cyber near in your city, go with them instead. they typically have just as good prices as the e-tailers, except you don't have to pay/wait for shipping.

[emorgoch]

if you want to buy parts in canada, never use newegg.ca. even if they have better prices, the border tax will screw you over enough that it's not worth it. if you want an e-tailer, go with ncix.ca. their website organization is horrible, but at least you'll get better prices. if you have canada computers and/or pc cyber near in your city, go with them instead. they typically have just as good prices as the e-tailers, except you don't have to pay/wait for shipping.

You don't pay any border-duties/taxes with newegg.ca, just GST, and typically PST as well. And I've been doing bi-monthly comparisons of components between Newegg, NCIX, and CC since newegg opened up, and newegg is consistently the lowest priced. The only time Newegg doesn't win is if you're buying a single piece that doesn't have free shipping. But once you get 2 or 3 items in an order, you're going to save money.

[Flying Fox]

if you want to buy parts in canada, never use newegg.ca. even if they have better prices, the border tax will screw you over enough that it's not worth it. if you want an e-tailer, go with ncix.ca. their website organization is horrible, but at least you'll get better prices. if you have canada computers and/or pc cyber near in your city, go with them instead. they typically have just as good prices as the e-tailers, except you don't have to pay/wait for shipping.

You don't pay any border-duties/taxes with newegg.ca, just GST, and typically PST as well. And I've been doing bi-monthly comparisons of components between Newegg, NCIX, and CC since newegg opened up, and newegg is consistently the lowest priced. The only time Newegg doesn't win is if you're buying a single piece that doesn't have free shipping. But once you get 2 or 3 items in an order, you're going to save money.

Not in my experience, especially compared to CC/Infonec. CC/Infonec is about a 15 minute drive (local roads) from my place and on the weekends it is even my one of my usual routes. Like up until today the Corsair 520HX is $114 at CC with a massive $44 MIR and newegg.ca is not touching that one bit. How many items on newegg.ca is with free shipping? I don't see a whole lot myself.

I'm not sure what your definition of "Toronto, ON" is, but for me, buying local (especially with deals) beat going through newegg.ca (NCIX you can still use the PST loophole, but that is closing fast). I wish it weren't true.

[moriz]

hmm, that's weird. the last time i check (which is a month ago), newegg.ca most definitely had border tax. but yeah, i managed to use the PST loophole with ncix also. a year ago, for any purchase over ~$180 CDN, the standard shipping turned out to be less than PST. that was the only time i ended up purchasing online instead of locally.

[emorgoch]

Not in my experience, especially compared to CC/Infonec. CC/Infonec is about a 15 minute drive (local roads) from my place and on the weekends it is even my one of my usual routes. Like up until today the Corsair 520HX is $114 at CC with a massive $44 MIR and newegg.ca is not touching that one bit. How many items on newegg.ca is with free shipping? I don't see a whole lot myself.

I'm not sure what your definition of "Toronto, ON" is, but for me, buying local (especially with deals) beat going through newegg.ca (NCIX you can still use the PST loophole, but that is closing fast). I wish it weren't true.

K, I'll give you the 520HX, but look at either the 620HX, 750HX, or 850HX. 1000HX goes back to CC. I'm not stating a hard rule that Newegg is always cheaper. But give me a set of 15 random components, and I'd bet half of them would be cheapest at newegg, and we'd probably have a 60-40 split between ncix and CC.

It's all a numbers and convenience game. Bought all the components for my GF's system last year from CC because it was only about a 5% price difference between them and newegg.

[Hyperneko]

I'm a little bit of a tidyness freak, I know

viewtopic.php?p=521561#p521561

LMAO!!! Dead on sir

[Voldenuit]

Late to the party, I know, but here's my modular PSU shortlist anyway (in no particular order):

Enermax Modu 82+ 625W
Corsair HX520/620
Coolermaster Silent Pro M 700W
Seasonic X-650

The Seasonic M12 (II) series is still very good, though getting a bit long in the tooth (though so are the Corsairs). If on a budget, the Antec NeoHEs are also pretty good.

[Flying Fox]

The Seasonic M12 (II) series is still very good, though getting a bit long in the tooth (though so are the Corsairs). If on a budget, the Antec NeoHEs are also pretty good.

The OCZ ModXtreme seems too cheap to be true. Anybody got some field reports on those?

[Airmantharp]

The Seasonic M12 (II) series is still very good, though getting a bit long in the tooth (though so are the Corsairs). If on a budget, the Antec NeoHEs are also pretty good.

The OCZ ModXtreme seems too cheap to be true. Anybody got some field reports on those?

I think that they're just really old. They were around when I bought my GameXtream, what, three or four years ago? It hurts to think back. The GameXTream was rated better, and it pales in comparison to the Corsair HX620 in my system now, which itself is getting long on tooth.

[emorgoch]

The Seasonic M12 (II) series is still very good, though getting a bit long in the tooth (though so are the Corsairs). If on a budget, the Antec NeoHEs are also pretty good.

The OCZ ModXtreme seems too cheap to be true. Anybody got some field reports on those?

The 700W unit originally failed HardOCP's torture test at 45C. OCZ contacted them, and stated that the unit's weren't rated for 50C as the packaging indicated, but 40C, with new packaging that states it. The new unit did pass at 40C. Take that for what it's worth.