Sytrin Nextherm PSU460

Conclusion:

As we were testing the Sytrin KuFormula VF1 Plus last month, we were simply ecstatic through a majority of the process from the included parts and its design and then onto the easy installation process, and when it came to the incredibly competitive performance results, it was simply icing on the cake. However, this was not the same for the Sytrin Nextherm PSU460 that we had our hands on today. The overall exterior of the 460W PSU is well laid out with an incredibly durable finish, smart cooling and noise control fans, and sleeved cabling. However, there are a few significant flaws with its design. To begin with the connectors, with multi-GPU solutions being wide-spread whether it be NVIDIA's SLI or ATI's CrossFire or simply running multiple graphics cards for a multi-head environment, it is unfortunate to see only a single 6-pin PCI Express connector. Certainly, enthusiasts would expect to see a second PCI Express connection from a high-end server power supply, but this simply was not the case for the PSU460 and we hope the PSU550 and PSU600, once in mass production, will append the additional connector. Another problematic area with the connectors is the lack of Serial ATA power connectors. Sytrin is attempting to sell the unit as a server grade PSU, however, with only two SATA power connectors it is a bit unfortunate they had not included anymore due to the large number of disks used in most workstations and servers. When it came to the performance of the power supply, it was admirably quiet throughout the entire operation and its voltage rails certainly have little room for improvement. To recap some of the features, it utilizes a high quality finish, Active PFC, easy molex connectors, complete cable sleeving, support with ICS-8200 chassis, dual fans, and SCNC (Smart Cooling & Noise Control). The Sytrin Nextherm PSU460 may fair well in most environments, however, for those using a large number of Serial ATA disks or using multiple PCI Express graphics cards, there certainly are better solutions available. Another small detail to note is that no power cable or mounting screws are included with the retail unit. The performance was respected with the power supply unit but there are several technicalities with the physical design, which Sytrin should hopefully workout with their newer models. All in all, this may be a reliable power supply for you if it will be used with a "standard" computer or for an entry-level server solution.