12 Power Supplies between 500~550W Tested

Honestly, this roundup is more of a two-way shootout, with a few extras thrown in for spice. We have four units manufactured by Enhance, four more from Seasonic, two by Sirtec, one Enermax, and one Topower. Last year we saw a lot of power supplies manufactured by Channel Well Technologies (CWT), but they don't tend to compete in the lower wattage market segments. These days, one manufacturer brings out a new top-notch design, and brands from all over the world jump on the bandwagon. Unfortunately, that makes it hard to find real innovations from the various PSU brands. Before, everyone at least tried to be different, but now the primary differences are in the fans, case color, and/or cable lengths. They try to make a "unique" design, but the goal is to do this with as little effort as possible.


The top power supply of our roundup today is the BFG LS-550. BFG delivered good performance in every aspect, with tight voltage regulation and ripple well within specifications. Efficiency was through the roof, with 86% efficiency at 20% load. It also generated the highest maximum efficiency of 88% on 230VAC and 86% on 120VAC. This isn't the quietest power supply, but it's not at all noisy -- few people would notice this PSU once it's installed within a PC case. You also get a reasonable number of connectors and good cable lengths. The excellent build quality and performance makes the US selling price of $70 a great deal; we can only hope that European users will soon be able to purchase this power supply as well.