Ultra Products X2 550W PSU

After installation my PC fired up just as usual which is always a great sign and upon checking the voltages with software I fired up my digital multi meter and double checked the voltages versus software and happily found that my board is reporting correctly on the 12V rail and 3.3V rail and the 5V rail is reporting .1V low.

For load testing I fired up Folding@Home, SuperPI and 3D Mark ’06 and ran them concurrently to put the maximum load on my PSU the results are as follows: 12V rail Minimum: 12.10V, Maximum: 12.22V, Mean: 12.16V. 5V rail: Minimum: 5.15V, Maximum 5.21V, Mean 5.18V. 3.30V rail: Minimum: 3.41V, Maximum: 3.44V, Mean 3.42V.

This adds up to some very strong rails with very little droop under load. True the voltages are a little robust but for an overclocker a rail that errors on the high side is a little more desirable than a rail that tends to run under spec.

All told the ULTRA X-Connect 2 is a very nice PSU with strong rails. I has a large 120mm fan that runs so quietly so as to be dead silent, until my experience with this PSU I thought my Antec was uber quiet but the X-2 opened my eyes to what silence is really about. I’m also quite impressed with the modular interface, the cable clutter problem is a thing of the past with the X-2 and the titanium finish is really smooth and well done although in my particular case you can’t see the PSU so it’s unfortunate that the PSU’s finish is largely hidden from view.

Overall I give the ULTRA a 9 out of 10 and our coveted editors choice award. The X-2 lost 2 points for the whole "loose nut in the PSU" issue but gained a point back (and the editors choice award) for the awesome customer service and prompt addressing and resolution of the issue at the source.

As always, if you wish to comment on this review, feel free to do so in the related forum thread!