Great power. Horrible connectors.
Pros: Voltage regulation, price post-rebate, modular.
Cons: Poorly-designed SATA connectors, manual, short ATX 4-pin connector.
I chose this power supply for my new FX rig, and now that installation is complete, I have to say that I'm very happy with the final product. This product has done well in tests performed by several of the more reputable PSU testing sites. This is a great choice for a single-card machine with a voltage-hungry processor like the FX-8120, especially if you are planning on overclocking.
Be warned, however, that while the modular cables themselves are generally of high quality, the SATA connectors are not. They're very snug and require a good deal of force before they seat securely on a device. This isn't a big deal for sturdier things like hard drives, especially if they're screwed into place. However, take care when installing the connectors if you're using a solid state drive or a toolless drive bay of any type--the force that you'll need to use to get a connector on properly is quite high, and you may snap something if you're not careful. If you need to pull a plug later, I recommend using a gentle back-and-forth wiggling motion to minimize the chance of something breaking.
Other considerations:
1) Although power supply manuals aren't vital for those familiar with building computers, newbies on their first build may want to pull up a video on Youtube; the manual included with this product is of very poor quality.
2) The 4-pin ATX cable on the unit is quite short and may make cable management difficult. I would suggest purchasing an extender if you want to neatly tuck the cable behind the case.
Overall, however, this is a very well-designed unit, and the price was very good at the time.
Be warned, however, that while the modular cables themselves are generally of high quality, the SATA connectors are not. They're very snug and require a good deal of force before they seat securely on a device. This isn't a big deal for sturdier things like hard drives, especially if they're screwed into place. However, take care when installing the connectors if you're using a solid state drive or a toolless drive bay of any type--the force that you'll need to use to get a connector on properly is quite high, and you may snap something if you're not careful. If you need to pull a plug later, I recommend using a gentle back-and-forth wiggling motion to minimize the chance of something breaking.
Other considerations:
1) Although power supply manuals aren't vital for those familiar with building computers, newbies on their first build may want to pull up a video on Youtube; the manual included with this product is of very poor quality.
2) The 4-pin ATX cable on the unit is quite short and may make cable management difficult. I would suggest purchasing an extender if you want to neatly tuck the cable behind the case.
Overall, however, this is a very well-designed unit, and the price was very good at the time.
