Product Description

By combining an EE (Energy Efficient) platform with a quiet 135mm ball bearing fan, the ULT40071 X3 600-Watt Modular Energy Efficient Power Supply is super efficient, using less electricity than other power supplies when providing power to your computer, and it generates less heat. Cooling is substantial yet silent by utilizing a thermostatically controlled 135mm ball bearing fan and a honeycomb-cut exhaust grill. The X3 also has full range active PFC, which improves apparent power used by the computer. The modular interface allows you to only plug-in the cables you actually require for your particular PC. The X3 is ready for even the most high-end gaming rigs by providing up to four 6-pin PCI-e connectors, and the 800W and 1000W models provide the 8-pin PCI-e connector for the latest 300W graphics cards. If you're looking for an efficient, quiet, powerful, modular power supply with a Lifetime Warranty, there's no reason to look any farther than the Ultra X3. No need to clutter-up your computer with useless cables. This not only increases airflow within your case, but it gives the inside of your case a clean professional look. Low noise 135mm fan will maximize airflow through the power supply as well as keep the noise level of your PC down. Flex-Force Cables are designed to be easily routed and hidden within your case while increasing the airflow. 800W (Full Load, Nominal Input Voltage) Total Output Power Meets ATX Version 2.2, v1.3, and ATX 12V Version 2.2 Specifications MTBF More than 100,000-Hours at Full Load 115V/230V AC Input Voltage 50-60Hz AC Input Frequencies 13A (RMS) for 115VAC input and 8A (RMS) for 230VAC AC Input Currents 110VAC and 25-degrees C Ambient Condition

Product Details

• Brand: Ultra
• Model: ULT40073
• Dimensions: 10.00 pounds

Features

• Power Protection, Short Circuit Protection, In-Rush Current Protection, and Thermal Overload Cutoff Protection
• Manageable - Flex-Force Cables are designed to be easily routed and hidden within your case
• Increased Airflow - Special design promotes easy cable management and 30% better airflow than ordinary cables by easily routing cable under the motherboard, behind drive bays, etc.
• Design - Cables are dressed in a sleek-looking titanium-like finish
• Supports AMD and Intel Motherboards

Customer Reviews

I really like the Ultra Products line of Power Supplies.
This is my third one. OK, I know what you are thinking, 3, they must not last very long. But actually, that's only partly true.

The first one I purchased was the X-Connect series. This one is still operational. I was forced to upgrade the Power Supply when I upgraded the Motherboard to an Intel Core 2 Duo. This Power Supply only had the 2x20 connector. Intel needed the 2x24.

The second Power Supply I purchased was the XVS series. This one failed after 1 1/2 years. I am currently following through with trying to get it covered under the standard warranty. If I had registered the product then there should not have been any problem, for they offer a lifetime warranty with registration. This one had the motherboard supply (2x20 +4) as non-modular while all other cables were modular. But that model had few cables.

Now this being the third Power Supply, I was very aware of how the modular designed worked.

The wires are of a ribbon style (on the first unit they were round which was my favorite design). The motherboard supply is modular, but it is 2x24 (not the 2x20 +4). So, it can only be used with boards that require 2x24.

When I started installing the unit, it felt like I had too many cables. Almost like a mistake was made and a double batch was stuffed in the box. I started looking over the box to see if more was there than there should have been. There was no paperwork in the box and nothing written on the box as to what should be in the box. The only way I could check, was to go on-line to their website. But with the power supply removed from the machine, well, no internet.

When I was able to check what cables I should have had, I do see more than there should have been. But they are also different. For example, the Ultra website says that you should get 2 five pin cables that allow 3 SATA drives. I would have liked to have had just one of these. I did get the 2 five pin cables that allowed 2 SATA drives, so now I have a plug hanging around open. I also got 2 four pin to 1 SATA cables which were not supposed to be included at all. I just didn't want to use a Molex to SATA when there are the five pin connectors for SATA.

The modular concept is to "use only the cables you need" and reduce clutter in the case. This would work better if they supply various lengths of cables. The 21.5 inches for the SATA cable is about 15 inches more than I need. The rest gets bunched up and wire tied out of the way. This increases clutter (and reduces airflow) with each wire I attach.

When I first contacted Ultra Products about the unit, I inquired about being able to replace the box without the need to replace the cables. Now with this third unit, I have more cables than I could ever need. They stated that the previous power supply units were at their "end of life and they no longer carried them". They also stated that the cables for the X3 design were not the same as the previous units and I would need the new cables. However, by viewing these cables I can not "see" any difference. They have the same Molex modular plugs for most of the cables. If they are different, it must be at the metal wire level. The SATA do have new five pin plugs. And the PCI-e plugs are not in use, yet.

I purchased this unit from Amazon (not one of their third party companies). They had it listed under a different page than this one. And on that page they had a wrong image. It was shown as being much longer than the unit actually is. As of this writing the picture shown is correct. If you want to be sure about it, visit the Ultra website.

Update: The process to collect on a warranty is not very good. You must pay for a new unit and have it shipped to you. Then package your old unit and return it to them. They won't do it any other way. IF they determine that the unit is defective from manufacturer, then they refund your purchase. So, IF they determine you are not eligible for warranty, then you will have paid for a unit when you could have been better off to not be a returning customer. In my case, since I required a newer design, I now have ended up with a non-modular replacement that I don't need for a modular PS (that was at "end of life"). Their warranty leaves a lot to be desired. This process started on 11/6/2008, and I had my return unit and refund issued on 11/17/2008.

Conclusion: If you want a modular PS, these are good. But don't expect much if the unit goes bad. Count it as a throw away item. For myself, I will have to think about being a return customer in the future, just based on warranty. If the item last as long as the first one, I will be very likely to return. But if it fails in the 1 1/2 years like the second unit, I will be looking for a new maker.

Great PSU, makes building a PC so easy
I just built a beast of a PC for my wife's video editing and despite some negative discussion from some of the geek forums, I read reviews about this product and decided to buy it. Here's why:

This PSU is highly reviewed on tigerdirect.com because it features high amps to all the necessary rails, unlike some PSUs that might sound more powerful (like 1000Watt) but don't give a strong, quality supply of power. Strong, even, ripple free power is essential to ensure that your components work in a stable manner and this supply delivers.

I like the large fan arrangement as her previous PC overheated like crazy, but this PSU is both cool and quiet, even under load.

But the best part about it is the fact that it's modular. That means that inside your PC, you only plug in the cables that you need to power components. The forum geeks told me that I would end up using them all anyway, but with video card, 3 hard drives, optical drives, a bunch of fans etc, there are still a whole lot of cables I didn't use and which don't clutter up the box, restricting airflow and keeping things hot. With the modular set up, the inside of the case is clear of unnecessary wires and airflow is great as a result.

Finally, the forum geeks told me that if you have sockets and plugs at the PSU end, that these could be future failure points, so they'd prefer not to use modular PSUs. This is crazy, as this PSU uses heavy duty Molex plugs. These same plugs are used on race cars, which are subject to far higher heat, stress and movement. Unless you're driving your PC around the track, those connectors will stay solidly connected.

Finally, it looks good. It's kind of a black chrome (not black and white like it looks in photos) and the cables are all low profile and black. Plus, they are of significant enough gauge wire that they stay where you bend them, making cable management easy and attractive.

I'm very happy so far. I think you will be too.

Was An Amazing Product, But Not Again
I would like to update my original review below. I now do not like this power supply at all. It spews out huge amount of RFI (radio frequency interference), even when the computer is off. I have a TV tuner card on the computer, along with a TV connected via a splitter to the same cable box output. With this power supply, my TV picture shows a lot of interference lines, even when the computer is off. With the computer on, both computer tuner and TV show interference. I spent over a month trying to locate the source if this interference, even wasting my money on the best coaxial cables and gold plated connectors, only to later find out that it was my new power supply I purchased about a month before that was causing it. I then bought another very efficient and stable power supply from another manufacturer and now I can finally watch TV. This Ultra X3 power supply is now sitting there doing nothing, just a waste of money and time.

Original review:
As soon as I upgraded my existing 600W power supply to this, I was totally amazed. All the claims of the company ware correct.

First is its efficiency. With my old 600W power supply, my UPS reported I was using 39% of its maximum power capacity. With this upgrade, the UPS now says I'm using only 19%. Wow! This means my computer is now using less than half the power it used to consume. My old power supply used to vent hot air, now this new one vents slightly warm air. This thing is really efficient.

The voltages are very stable. My reason for upgrading was that my old 600W power supply had voltages barely within ATX specifications. With this one, with the computer on and drawing full load, the 5V line was reading 5.02V and the 12V line was 12.03V. I have never seen such precise voltages before, especially for a fairly high performance, overclocked machine like mine.

I find it unbelievable that the company is offering lifetime warranty. I have had many experiences with power supplies going bad. I made sure to register mine for the lifetime warranty, and keep my receipt safe.

This is more expensive than others, but definitely worth it. I think I will be buying another for my other computer, when I could spare the extra cash.