| Ultra X-Pro 800W Aluminum PSU ULT33185 |
| Reviews - Featured Reviews: Power | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Written by Olin Coles | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Tuesday, 28 August 2007 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
IntroductionUltra has been in the business of producing good looking products which are known to perform well, and still not cost a fortune. We recently reviewed the Ultra ULT33186 Chilltec TEC CPU Cooler, which offered a unique blend of technologies into one product. Equally as unique is the Ultra X-Pro 800W Aluminum PSU ULT33185, which matches a very attractive power supply chassis with high-performance electronics previously found in mission critical components. Offering 800 watts of power gives the X-Pro a very wide range of applications: from pedestal servers to hardcore gaming systems. Benchmark Reviews has seen plenty of power supplies that look good, and they often promise more than they deliver. Ultra's X-Pro 800W will need to prove that function still comes before fashion. By combining the stability and durability of a server power supply with the sleek looks of a gaming power supply, Ultra once again addresses the needs of demanding, high end gaming systems. The X-Pro 800W can supply a continuous 660W across its four 12V rails. The X-Pro 800W features an anodized aluminum housing and cool black sleeved cables. The X-Pro 800W also features "After Spin Technology" to help quiet the system and aid in prolonging the life of your components. Connectors for chassis fans are thermostatically controlled; RPM's are reduced when temperatures inside the case are low. PSU, chassis and CPU fan connectors remain spinning several minutes after the PC is powered down allowing the system to gradually cool down after use. When you use the Ultra X-Pro 800W, you'll never again have to wonder if you'll have enough power to get you through the next level, or next CPU or GPU upgrade. Regardless of the system or purpose there is a given rule: whether it is a simple workstation with integrated components or an advanced gaming system with the newest technology available, everything requires power to operate. As anyone who has suffered the failure of a low-end power supply will tell you: not all power supply units (PSU's) are created equal, and looks really don't mean a thing. With more connections and power than any modern computer should consume, we will do our best to offer perspective on the DC voltage regulation and AC current ripple. 
Next generation platforms and high performance graphics cards are essential to modern gamers and hardware enthusiasts, just as much as the new software designed to use them. Offering two PCI-Express cables and a total of only four serial ATA connectors, the Ultra X-Pro 800W Aluminum PSU ULT33185 is built to provide sufficient output to power SLI sets with quad-core processors. With a sustained output of 800W over four +12V rails to provide uniform distribution of power, the Ultra X-Pro 800W Aluminum PSU ULT33185 is very capable of driving today's highest-end systems, but may not meet the needs of larger future configurations despite the power output. Benchmark Reviews has seen some major changes within the power supply industry over the past year. Even in such a limited purpose industry, somehow fads manage to come into existence. At one point, the number of rails a PSU offered was key to media hype. At another point, you could see everyone pushing for the highest watts in their new product. I can't forget how modular power supplies, with the assortment of cables and interfaces, also shared some time in the limelight. The latest trend seemed to be 80-Plus efficiency, but since most PSU's are at least this efficient the label has lost meaning. And then without any warning, it was as if every company manufacturing power supply units suddenly decided that they could win the battle for industry dominance by combining all of the above features, and add a nice paint job or mirror finish for good measure. The new generation of power supplies has begun to amp up the competition for placement in your computer case. Antec’s EarthWatts series was among the first to cause a stir in the PSU industry by emphasizing efficient power delivery over the multi-rail hype over two years ago. But now 80% or better efficiency is very common. Somehow, the industry is shifting back to square one. The Ultra X-Pro 800W Aluminum PSU ULT33185 does not offer modular cable groups, and other manufacturers (such as Hiper) are following suit. The primary complaint is the failure rate of such units, which has caused manufacturers to receive higher returns for non-faulty products due to cable and connection issues. About the company: Ultra ProductsUltra Products is a global, technology-solutions provider with headquarters in Fletcher, Ohio. The company strives to offer a wide range of solutions, products and services all with a common thread: Innovation, value and quality. It is Ultra's mission to be the best provider of technology-solutions in the global market. By offering superior, innovative products and ensuring a high level of customer service, Ultra guarantees its customers receive an exceptional value in everything they do.
Innovative and Quality Products
Extensive Service Offerings
The Ultra Advantage!
Corporate Values Ultra Products will continue to design exclusive, breakthrough add-ons and components that make end users' computing experience more exciting and enjoyable! Features
Specifications
Output
Input
Closer Look: Closer Look: Exterior DesignUltra has crafted a very well-designed finish on the X-Pro 800W Aluminum PSU ULT33185, which is both very strong and still very attractive. Most power supply chassis sacrifice something when they try to become fashion models, but the X-Pro has a rough aluminum finish that is touch-friendly. The rough patterned finish does an excellent job of hiding prints, smears, and smudges, while at the same time offers a great looking alternative to a simple coat of paint.
The X-Pro 800W is not your average power supply unit. You won't find any 140mm fans here, nor will there be a rainbow of colors emanating from LED's. What you will find is excellent durability matched with long-lasting components. If you are rough on your equipment, this could be the PSU for you.
From the image above you can see that the Ultra X-Pro 800W Aluminum PSU ULT33185 does not have as many cooling vents as other power supply units. Apparently, designing an efficient 800W PSU also means that you don't have to put holes all over the chassis.
Rounding out the back end is an 80mm cooling fan and a standard-sized master power switch. Active power factor correction replaces the antiquated 110/220 switch, and also adds a higher level of power efficiency to the product. The dual-fan configuration keeps a constant channel of air circulation over the electronics, which works in conjunction with Ultra's After Spin Technology.
At first it didn't occur to me, but later I realized that the Ultra ULT33185 800W PSU does not have ventilation holes around the chassis. I image that this is a glimpse of the future, because one day we will see power supplies so efficient that they require no active cooling. I have previously mentioned that I suspect one day computer power supplies will resemble the modular power adapters (power bricks) that we use for notebook computers. A consumer will merely take their cube shaped component and plug it into a PSU receptacle. Cables might be obsolete, as everything works on contacts; so if this idea ever comes true make sure to quote Benchmark Reviews.
At the front of the Ultra X-Pro 800W Aluminum PSU ULT33185, there is a plastic grommet protecting the native array of cables and wires. Additionally, this 800W PSU has an 80mm intake fan to compliment the exhaust fan at the rear of the chassis. For some reason, Ultra included a few additional cooling vents beside the intake fan. I'm not certain if this actually helps or hurts cool air intake, but since this unit runs so cool to begin with the chance of these vents creating any measurable impact is unlikely.
Closer Look: Cables and WiringEach and every cable on the ULT33185 has received full nylon weave cable sleeving. Each sleeved cable group on the Ultra X-Pro 800W Aluminum PSU ULT33185 is sealed with shrink wrap over either ferrite chokes or a terminating ring. This extra effort provides excellent durability for these wires, and should provide years of worry-free service. The table below describes the quantity and length for each cable group. For a native cable (non-modular) product, it strikes me as very conservative that Ultra would include such a Spartan amount of connections.
Ultra knows how to design power supply units better than I do, but I have to wonder what they were thinking when they decided on only two PCI-Express connections. This is an SLI certified power supply, but you should expect to have some adapters on hand if you try to power anything bigger than the GeForce 8800 GTX in an SLI set.
Seeing so many dedicated wires for fans is something new to me, but Ultra's ULT33185 800W PSU has three of them. Two of these connectors are specifically designed for the AST feature. What is AST (After Spin Technology)? After Spin Technology is used to quiet the system and aid in prolonging the life of your components. Connectors for chassis fans are thermostatically controlled; internal fan speeds are reduced when temperatures inside the case are low. PSU, chassis and CPU fan connectors remain spinning several minutes after the PC is powered down allowing the system to gradually cool down after use.
The grommet protecting the native cable group at the chassis entry point is very heavy duty, and does an excellent job of maintaining the cables and sleeves. The Ultra X-Pro 800W PSU really is shaping up to become a very rugged power supply, which is probably very well suited for harsh environments. System builders for the niche markets should see some potential here, especially in the automotive diagnostics and outdoor terminal industries which incorporate PC components; i.e. SMOG machines.
By remaining non-modular with the cables and wiring, the Ultra X-Pro 800W PSU can become a mess once it is installed into the computer chassis. The image below is an excellent example of the many cables and connections the Ultra X-Pro 800W Aluminum PSU ULT33185 offers, but it also depicts the numerous cable groups which you will have to find a home for.
Ultra has designed the PCI-Express connectors on the Ultra X-Pro 800W Aluminum PSU ULT33185 1200W PSU with only the 6-pin connections. Which means that future products using the 8-pin design will require an adapter. One of the biggest shortcomings I have found thus far is the scalability of this product to work with emerging technology components.
Load TestingPower supplies are not like most other computer components, where it is a simple matter of comparing the item to others in the same category. Power supplies are comprised of several different variables, such as maximum output, voltage regulation, and current ripple. Each of these variables must be analyzed with unique tools, which makes it a difficult product to properly review. I am well aware of what the more knowledgeable readers think about these power supply reviews: impractical and often useless. That's about to change. In the past, Benchmark Reviews has been guilty of the same thing nearly all of the other sites are guilty of: testing with a digital multimeter alone. So beginning now with this review, we are taking a corrected approach to testing PSU's and hope to offer the best analysis possible. Benchmark Reviews has researched the equipment necessary to complete the most thorough power supply unit review possible. We spent the time learning what it takes because the best possible PSU tests are what we want to give to our readers. But after discovering the prices on a programmable output DC power supply system, variable range load testing units, and a DC power analyzer (Oscilloscope), we felt that more than ten-thousand dollars worth of equipment would be far too cost prohibitive for testing a hundred-dollar power supply. So without compromising too much, we made a slightly less-expensive investment into a good quality Oscilloscope in order to test DC voltage regulation and AC power ripple. Together, the Oscilloscope and digital multimeter will offer readers the best measurement of power stability any review site could reasonably offer. Test System
Test Equipment
Test MethodologyOur testing process is comprised of measuring the AC current ripple, and the DC voltage regulation. There are several key steps, all of which allow us to measure and record our readings using the identical methods for every test we perform. Consistent testing methods are key to obtaining comparable results. At the start of every test, the Velleman PCSU-1000 Oscilloscope is calibrated to the PC-Lab2000SE software. After calibration is complete, the voltage on the 12V rails are measured and recorded with the Extech 450 digital multimeter to ensure comparable margin across all rails. Once the Velleman 60MHz probe has been grounded and attached to the 12V lead, our test system is powered on and left at the Windows logon screen for ten minutes. Once this lightly-loaded idle warm up period is complete, the Velleman PCSU-1000 Oscilloscope was allowed to run for one minute measuring the AC power ripple. Then once ripple is recorded, the 12V DC voltage regulation is recorded after another minute. After the results have been recorded from the light idle load, our test system then receives heavy load by utilizing the following tools: two console versions of the https://folding.stanford.edu/client operate and task each CPU core to 100%, hard disks are stressed by benchmarking each with HD Tach RW, system memory (RAM) is given a stress test with Lavalys EVEREST, and ATITool scans for artifacts which forced the video card into high-power 3D mode. After ten minutes of heavy load the power supply is again measured, and the AC power ripple and 12V DC voltage regulation results are recorded. Voltage Regulation & Ripple Test ResultsIn the test results below, it will be necessary to explain what you are viewing. In each image the AC power ripple is represented by the yellow trace line making up the waveform. While every personal computer power supply unit available to the retail market has some degree of measurable AC power ripple, it is most important that measurable AC ripple is very minor and does not create a large peak to peak voltage (Vpp) distortion. Stable, well-regulated power is critical to system stability and hardware longevity. AC Ripple Waveform at Light Idle Load
The waveform image above shows the AC power ripple under light idle load, which is measured inside of a 1ms recording frame. Waveform data recorded during the light idle load measurement is represented in the chart below: AC Ripple Waveform Data at Light Idle Load
The waveform data above describes the actual measurements at light idle load. The maximum peak-to-peak AC voltage distortion was 321.9 mV, and the AC RMS ripple was 16.1 mV under light idle load. Note that the AC Vpp is average, while the AC RMS ripple was slightly better than the average results we have collected under light idle load. Here are the average AC RMS ripple measurements under light idle load for power supplies we have recently tested:
The waveform image below shows the AC power ripple under heavy load. The maximum peak-to-peak AC voltage distortion was 370.3 mV, and the AC RMS ripple was 23.9 mV under heavy load. Note that these results are among the best results we have collected under heavy load. AC Ripple Waveform at Heavy Load
Under heavy load, the Ultra X-Pro 800W Aluminum PSU ULT33185 measured an average AC RMS ripple just barely higher than the ripple at light idle load, measuring 22.21 mV which is extremely good. The waveform data recorded during the heavy load measurement is represented in the chart below: AC Ripple Waveform Data at Heavy Load
Because the X-Pro 800W PSU offered above-average results in the idle readings, I didn't really expect them to get any better; but this PSU recorded excellent results into the heavy load tests. Here are the average AC RMS ripple measurements under heavy load for other power supplies we have recently tested:
The power dropped down to no less than 11.88 V, which means that even under heavy load there is very little chance that system stability will be affected. Under light idle load conditions the DC regulation averaged 0.31 Vpp, and deviated just slightly more under heavy load to a measured 0.38 Vpp; these results are better than average. The DC regulation data recorded at light and heavy load is displayed in the chart below:
DC Voltage Regulation Waveform Data at Light Idle and Heavy Load
Many of the power supplies we test here at Benchmark Reviews have DC voltage regulation measuring above the 12V baseline more often than below. For obvious reasons, the diversion from the 12V baseline with increased voltage is more preferred than below it since dropping too far under 12V will cause a system to power off or recycle. Plainly put, no power supply is ever perfectly centered at 12V DC; instead they most often maintain a DC mean voltage higher than they are regulated at.
Final ThoughtsMy final thoughts could very well spoil the entire conclusion, but I really can't avoid it. The Ultra X-Pro 800W Aluminum PSU is certainly the best built power supply I have ever seen, hands down. Additionally, the ULT33185 proved to provide some of the cleanest, most stable power I have measured to date. What I originally thought to be just another high-wattage PSU turned out to have more features and functionality than I had seen in the past; even despite the lack of modular cables. But there is still something very critical which I think Ultra forgot about: tomorrow. 
I first scoffed at the myriad of loose cables, but then I later realized that the cables and connectors which came with the Ultra X-Pro 800W Aluminum PSU may not be enough to make it available to higher-end systems sporting the best video cards and multiple hard disks. What this ultimately means, is that quad-SLI is out of the question, and so is SLI sets containing the GeForce 8800 GTX and Ultra. There may be enough SATA connections for most, but the hardcore enthusiasts with RAID 0+1 arrays will be running short of connections; or using adapters. ConclusionThe retail packaging managed to contain plenty of important product features and specifications, and would certainly help sell this unit if it rested on store shelves. Think of the presentation score as a "truth in buying" rating, because we all know that often times a product promises a lot more than it should, or it does the opposite and leaves the consumer in the dark. An attractive rough-aluminum finish on the Ultra X-Pro 800W Aluminum PSU ULT33185 creates a finger-print friendly chassis without losing the looks. Ultra has done especially well with the overall appearance, keeping everything appealing without looking fragile is not easy, but they have done a great job. Power supply units are one of the few computer components which historically have been built solid. Ultra has built the most rugged PSU product we have tested, which makes the X-Pro 800W Aluminum PSU perfect for every condition; even the harshest outdoor environment should not cause problems. The Ultra ULT33185 800W PSU measured some of the best AC ripple and DC voltage regulation readings Benchmark Reviews has recorded to date. Additionally, the active power factor correction extends the efficiency well beyond stability and convenience. Presently the Ultra X-Pro 800W Aluminum PSU ULT33185 is available for as low as $149.99, making it among the most affordable 800W PSU's available anywhere. Although I suspect that only the most elite hardware enthusiasts and hardcore gamers will ever be shopping for a product rated as high as 800W, the value is unbeatable and opens the door for those interested in upgrading their existing system. Everything a serious hardware enthusiast or hardcore gamer could ever want is available in the Ultra ULT33185 800W PSU. The best part is probably the price, since the bulk of 800W units are selling for much more than this unit. Additionally, the highly-stable ripple and regulation make the Ultra X-Pro 800W Aluminum PSU ULT33185 a great choice for anyone in need of a high-output power supply unit. Pros:
+ Extremely stable AC ripple Cons:
- No 8-Pin PCI-E connections Questions? Comments? Benchmark Reviews really wants your feedback. We invite you to leave your remarks in our Discussion Forum.
Related Articles:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
