Reviews - Pro-Clockers! PC Reviews One MegaHertz At A Time

I am sure that many of you are in the sa me boat or even worse. Have too many electronic devices and have to carry power adapter for each. Well, Choiix a division of Coolermaster has released the Power Fort Standard and the PowerFort Advance. Each provides up to ten hours of additional portable power and can be recharged several hundred times. The only difference is the Advance model comes with foreign travel adapters and a DC plug in the packaging.

In the past week months we have taken a look at some pretty nice power supplies. Many of which are still hanging around to the lab serving various task. Our next power supply looks to join the ranks of this units still staying around. The Strider Plus ST750F-P is Silverstone's first 80Plus Silver power supply.The unit is fully modular something the previous Strider Element was not. These two features along will make the new Strider Plus appealing to the masses.

Coolermaster realized this and came out with the new GX series of power units. As of this writing, the series consists of three units: 550W, 650W and 750W. The power range is not extreme at all, but the most sought after sweet spot. The entire line-up features a single 12 volt rail, which aims it at individuals needing the most stable power when using dual GPU setups. The largest of the three is Nvidia SLI certified. If you are not interested in the multiple graphic setups, but want great efficiency; well the GX has it as well with the 85% mark on all three units. We will take a short look at the new power supply to see what it has to offer.

Known for their very impressive cooling products, Tuniq set out to conquer the world of high wattage power supplies. Their first attempt is the Ripper, a very fitting name for a high-end power supply capable of supporting multi-GPU rigs often geared towards gamers. Besides high wattage numbers, these rigs also requires high amperes on the 12 volt rails and the Ripper has that too, totaling 100 amps across the four dedicated rails.

Thermaltake being one of the leaders in power supply production has once again sent us one of their prized power units. The TR2 RX is aimed at the mainstream segment, for people that are looking for efficiency, decent amount of power and reliability. The TR2 has all that. It is rated 86%, anywhere from 600 to 750 watts and has a great warranty which last five years from date of purchase. We will be taking a look at the 750 watt which has support for dual GPU no matter the card has two 6-pin or 8-pin connectors. We have it here.

The new ZM600-RS is a upgrade of the older ST model Zalman produced some time ago. The differences are mostly functional and in an improvement. The RS in the name comes from resonant switching which is a series of magnetic coils that reduces electromagnetic interference when load is applied. This also means an incease in efficiency and an upgrade to an 80Plus Bronze certification. This new power supply is just another reason why Zalman is at the top of the industry.

The power supply is the foundation of any computer. Without it, all that expensive, high-performance gear just sits idle. You can go without a case. Some people do. However, none of those bells and whistles are going to make a peep, if you don't have a power supply. Not only that, but you should never skimp on your power supply. I've seen more than a few computers taken out by a failing PSU. I've even seen one catch fire at a Lan Party I was attending. The site of a grown man crying isn't pretty. It is especially ugly when all of his friends are playing video games and making fun of him. Don't let it happen to you. Get a good power supply. Coincidentally, I'm reviewing the In Win 850 watt Commander PSU today. We're going to find out if it has what it takes to keep your computer working safely at peak efficiency.

Most of our reviews are based on components that will make your rig bigger, better and faster. From time to time, we will get a product more a necessity than a need. Our next review is a case in point. Since I work mostly from a laptop, a good power adapter is needed. The laptop is about three years old and I have went through the original power adapter some time ago. Our good friends at Coolermaster have released a power brick that is able to power and charge most of your electronic devices. We will see if the new SNA-95 can bring life back to the old laptop.

It has been awhile since Ultra released a new power supply, but that changed today. The new X4 is Ultra's newest and best looking power supply. The X4 is aimed at the enthusiast looking to build a gamer rig around and the individual that needs a good reliable power supply for max overclocking and long bench sessions. If these groups of people are fond of it, then the rest of the world usually catches on. We received two units from Ultra, a 600 model and a 850 unit. Lets get the units on the test bench and see what they are all about.

Well, our next product up for review is from  our good friends at Coolmax, a company who  believes you don't have to pay an arm and a leg to get a high quality PSU. This is why they sent us over the ZP-1000. The ZP-1000 is a 1,000 watt partial modular unit that is meant to go up against the likes of Thermaltake, Corsair and the other big name manufacturers who dominate the power supply market. Even if you are not in the market for such a high output power supply at a price of $150, it may be something to consider as it would help in the future-proofing of your rig.