Original Link: https://www.anandtech.com/show/2687

Holiday Case and Power Supply Guide

by Wesley Fink on December 16, 2008 12:00 PM EST


The CPU is often referred to as the brain of the computer system. If that is a meaningful analogy then the heart of the system is undoubtedly the power supply. The PS has to provide stable power to all parts of the system, much as the heart has to provide blood to all parts of the body. When the power supply is not completely healthy parts of your system start failing. The Power Supply is also the component most likely to fail in systems, because its importance is often overlooked by the system builder.
The case has to house all the components, so there are specification concerns that the Power Supply and all components will actually fit. However, it is a much more personal choice than the PS. Once you determine everything will fit, personal ergonomics and appearance are the main reasons buyers choose a particular case. The case can also have a significant impact in cooling efficiency, however, and that should also be a concern in case selection.

Computer Component suppliers normally sell the case and power supply as a combined purchase. The prices often seem to be a good value, but our experience has been that it is often tough to determine the source and quality of the Power Supply used in the package. Combo cases are often the cheapest and thinnest metal you can possibly buy. These combo Case/PS may be great for a retailer building entry systems for resale, but they are rarely high enough in performance or durability to meet the needs of the Computer Enthusiast. They also may work fine initially, but the cheap kit power supplies are often the first things to go in a system.

For all these reasons we recommend the separate selection of a case and power supply for a new system build, or to replace the case you now have. The price and performance range among current cases and power supplies is huge, so we have zeroed in on some typical price points for knowledgeable shoppers looking for a new case or power supply.



Power Supplies 
   - Christoph Katzer

Entry – Less than $50
 
Seasonic OEM - 300W and 350W 

The low end hasn't changed much since last year since most manufacturers don't cater to this market, preferring to aim their introductions to the more profitable high-end of the PS market. Last year we recommended Seasonic's OEM line and they remain excellent entry recommendations this year. The SS-300ET or SS-350ET models are both under the $50 mark. We have tested these units and their performance are up there with the best power supplies in this section, and both models represent tremendous value for the money.

As last year we don't recommend buying power supplies under $30. When you drop below $30 units often are victims of faulty topologies and inferior components built to a low price point. The less than $30 power supplies rarely meet their promised performance levels.

Midrange - $60 to $150
 
Corsair CMPSU-400CX - 400W

Good overall quality, efficiency up to 85% (230VAC) and 83% (120VAC), nice appearance with quality cable sleeving, many connectors for a 400W (4/8-pin, 6pin PEG), tight voltage regulation with 12V always above 12.00V, silent at low loads (17dB(A)) and up to 26dB(A) with full load. The normal price is around $60, which is a good value, but Mail-In Rebates of $20 have recently appeared.

PC Power & Cooling Silencer 750 Quad
 
Our long time favorite, the Silencer 750 Quad from PC Power & Cooling is still a top seller. The price is very similar to a year ago at $125 to $130, but MIRs this year reduces the final cost to around $100. It still delivers top-notch performance coupled with very good quality, and the after-rebate price is a great value.
 
Highend - $160+
 
Revolution85+
 
 
When it becomes available it will be one of the best performing high-end power supplies in the market. It looks like Enermax is not yet able to ship final units, but be sure to read our exclusive review of the Revolution85+ to see why we are excited by this PSU. It will be very expensive but we expect that prices will settle down once larger numbers arrive in markets around the world.


Case 
   - Christoph Katzer
 
Entry – less than $60
 
Antec 300

We tested the Antec Three Hundred not long ago and we found it to be a small chassis which could even handle a triple-SLI with Nvidia's Geforce 8800 Ultra. The sleek design and the attractive price of around $50 make it a good recommendation for people building small to medium setups.

Midrange - $70 to $190
 
Antec P182

The P182 is a classic chassis but at the same time it is one of the best ever made: It combines very good quality with the ability to be very silent if you want it to. All sides are shielded to prevent most of the acoustic noise, which makes the Antec P182 attractive even for larger builds with modern high-end graphics cards. It has still a high price tag of $150 but this case is worth every penny spent.

Hi-End - $200+
 
Silverstone Fortress FT01 Full Aluminum Tower
 

Silverstone's full aluminum tower made a great impression with very good cooling performance using two large fans in a full aluminum case. Silverstone utilizes a “positive air-pressure“ technique that pumps more air inside of the case than fans are exhausting. The positive pressure then pushes the hot air out of every hole in the case. When we changed the direction of the fan from stock we immediately saw higher temperatures and poorer cooling results.  The stock positive pressure design really did cool better in our testing.  You can find our full review of the FT01 at http://www.anandtech.com/casecoolingpsus/showdoc.aspx?i=3454.

The overall quality of the Silverstone FT01 chassis is unmatched today which brings Silverstone to the top of the food chain when it comes to a high-end chassis. Enthusiasts with enough money to spend will not be disappointed in the FT01. It is not cheap with a price of $210 to $250, but the FT01 remains an exceptional value in a high-end case.

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