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For even the mechanically challenged user,
installing a power supply is pretty much a cake
walk. Since I personally fall into this
category, I can comment with conviction that most
folks won't have an issue with either extracting the
old power supply from their system or setting this
new unit up.
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| Installation
The Enermax
EG451P-VE Power Supply |
| Software?
No no, it's all hardware baby!
(click images for full view) |
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First
and foremost, this Power Supply actually comes with
a manual. There
aren't too many that do these days. The manual
is fairly well done and written in several different
languages. It gives you all the critical specs
of the supply as well as installation tips.
However, if you can operate a screw driver, you can
install a power supply. Just unscrew the 4
screws in the back of your current supply (if need
be) and unplug all the connectors from their sites
on your motherboard and drives. To install the
unit, just install it into the housing inside your
case and insert your screws and plugs into their
proper sites. Everything matches up
mechanically. If you need further explanation,
we suggest you seek "professional"
help. Here
is a shot of the ATX12V connector and its site on
one of the new Pentium 4 motherboards.
Alright
then, we've already spent too much time on
installation. Let's talk about the performance
of this unit, which is somewhat of a subjective
topic.
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| The
performance factor of the
Enermax EG451P-VE |
| 431
Watts of power, more than enough
but... |
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We're
going to rip into something here that we feel is
pretty important. Enermax is misleading folks
a little. Even Outside
Loop is being buffaloed somewhat on this. Outside
Loop shows this unit to be a 450 Watt job.
If you look hard at the model NUMBERS of the
product, you may think it is rated at 451 Watts as
well. The fact of the matter is, it is
NOT. This unit is only rated at 431
Watts. Although that is more than enough power
than even any server set up will need and we are
only talking about a 20 Watt differential, the model
number suggests 451 Watts and that is just plain
wrong. Not a big item that will sway our
judgment of this product much but something we felt
compelled to point out regardless. Beyond
that there is absolutely nothing else to complain
about. The unit has a very convenient cut off
switch in the back. This makes it very easy to
shut down the power to your motherboard maintaining
a good ground contact, by not unplugging the supply
totally. The unit is also VERY quiet for one
with a dual fan set up. Actually, it is safe
to say that it is probably the quietest dual fan
power supply we have ever worked with. Peace
and quite is bliss and this unit delivers.
Actually, your CPU fan that resides on top of your
processor heat sink, is probably much louder than
this power supply. This
unit also does a nice job of ventilating your
case. Its large intake fan (seen in the above
shot on the right) does a very nice job of pulling
hot air away from the CPU heat sink setup and
motherboard. The exhaust fan on the back of
the unit then blows that air outside of your
case. We didn't take any ambient air readings
inside the case but we are sure this setup will
perform better than any single fan unit on the
market, in this regard.
One
final comment on signal integrity. This unit
is rated at 4-5% for total regulation on your 3.3V,
5V and 12V outputs. The tighter the voltage
regulation, the less ripple or noise you have on the
output lines that could cause performance issues
with your computer's components. At 4-5%, you
have a very clean power source for all of your high
end PC gear.
All
told, the Enermax EG451P-VE is a great power supply
that will take care of your needs for many years to
come, as next generation processor and motherboard
platforms come into the market. It has more
than enough power, all of the latest output levels
and connectors for the ATX12V spec and good clean
supply characteristics. Perhaps the model
number is a little misleading but with this supply,
you get what you pay for. This brings us to a
final point with this power supply. As with
all top shelf components, it has a premium cost as
well. At Outside
Loop, you can pick one of these up for
$100. For sure that is a little pricey when
you can pick up a 285W Enermax unit for $50 and a
Fortron Source unit for $25. However, we think
of the 431W unit as "cheap
insurance". You probably won't have to
upgrade your power supply to meet new system specs,
for a VERY long time. We're
giving the Enermax EG451P-VE a Hot Hardware Heat
Meter rating of....
Get
'em at Outside Loop Computers!
Need
a little advice?
Get into the Hot Hardware Conference Room and fire
away!
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