Ultra Products X4 1050W Modular ATX Power Supply Review – Page 3

Time To (Torture) Test

Incidentally, our first test has to do with power consumption. Using a UPM Blue Planet EM100 Energy Meter to monitor how many Watts the system was using, we determined exactly how far we could push our test rig. The System Load test was performed using the CPU benchmark in OCCT, and the Gaming test done using 3DMark Vantage.

Though both tests showed an impressive amount of power sucking, they still weren’t as high as I thought they were. That’s when I discovered OCCT’s latest PSU test. This script puts stress on every component, causing the system to draw as much power as it can. With this script were finally able to break 50% load.

Actually this test did give us our efficiency numbers, which even beyond the 50% threshold still held fast at 85%. What do I mean by “50% threshold” you may ask? Well I’m referring the fact that even though this PSU is 80-Plus Certified, the group that does certification only considers better then 80% efficiency up to 50% load to be required for certification. Beyond 50% is where the men are separated form the boys. Some of the worse power supplies drop to 60% efficiency beyond 50% load. The Ultra X4 isn’t one of the unfortunate PSUs though. I’ve read reports that it maintains 80% efficiency all the way up to 100% load, if only just barely.

Electrifyingly Good? Or Shockingly Bad?

Voltage fluctuations in the Ultra X4 also appear to be quite stable, with only the most minor of fluctuations between each testing mode. The most significant drop was the 12V line on our Full Load tests, and that was only by 0.1V. Noise levels didn’t vary at all throughout testing, and this PSU should make a good addition to any high end system with dreams of being a quiet computer.

Final Thoughts and Conclusion

Ultra’s return from litigation to the world of building power supplies can be hailed as a success, and a welcome one at that. Their latest X4 line of power supplies seem to represent the culmination of four generations of products and improvements, as this is the most refined PSU Ultra has put out yet. The overall build quality is quite good, and the design and engineering will be a breath of fresh air to many a system builder. The ability to only connect the cables you need is the cornerstone of any good modular PSU, and the small footprint will only serve to make the Ultra X4 easier to install in many systems.

Still the product isn’t without flaws, however minor they may be. Though the construction is all metal and everything appears to be secure, after a fair degree of use I found the sockets for the modular cables were a little loose. There’s also the lack of features and specs from Ultra, though I’m sure they’ll update their page soon. Finally, though the PSU did stand up to our battery of tests the internal components don’t seem as high quality as some of it’s contemporaries. However, our fear may be unwarranted as Ultra does stand behind it with a lifetime warranty which is simply unprecedented in the industry.

In the end, the Ultra X4 1050W power supply is a good overall power to add to the components list of a power hungry system. It provides all the power you need, while still saving a few bucks off offerings from other competitors. I’d recommend this for someone looking for a good quality kilowatt PSU that will last a while and possibly for a lifetime.

Pros